Rebranding To Groveland-Yosemite Airport Approved

Photo by: BJ Hansen

Groveland, CA — Tuolumne County is officially changing the name of the Pine Mountain Lake Airport.

Following a 4-0 vote, it will be known as the Groveland-Yosemite Airport. It is one of two airports owned by the county, along with the Columbia Airport.

The manager of the Tuolumne County Airports, Tonya Scheftner, shared that she gets multiple calls per month from people asking how to get to Yosemite. She said the name change creates more clarity and ties into economic development. Several surrounding airports have also added Yosemite to their title in recent years.

The proposal received public support at a community meeting held in Groveland back in August and was endorsed unanimously in October by the county’s Airports Advisory Committee.

Board Chair Steve Griefer, who represents Groveland, stated, “One of the primary reasons is to clear up confusion.”

Community members sometimes question whether it is a private Pine Mountain Lake Airport, being a county-operated facility.

Griefer added that Visit Tuolumne County and other groups will start promoting the new name in marketing efforts, as part of an effort to grow tourism, and in turn help to develop the airport further.

Scheftner noted that the overall cost to the county to make the name change totals around $4,500.

Some of the related costs, including changes to signs, will be covered by the FAA.