Fri, Nov 27, 2009
FAA Says The They Create A Hazard In Bad Weather
The Hilton Head Town Council last week backed away from a
proposed zoning change that would allow Beaufort County to clear
cut trees that are encroaching on a runway at Hilton Head Island
Airport. Both FAA and county officials say the trees may jeopardize
federal airport grants, and may cause a reduction in scheduled air
service at HXD.
There was heated debate over a proposal to have the county
clear-cut the tree stand at the end of the runway. In light of the
decision, the FAA has threatened to withhold federal grants for
airport improvements, including tree-cutting. "The tree
obstructions have been noted for years," airport director Paul
Andres said.
The FAA said it would pay for tree cutting or topping, but not
ongoing maintenance. Spokeswoman Kathleen Bergan said the trees
need to be removed because they violate federal guidelines. "The
FAA will pay one time for the trees to be removed or topped, but we
can only provide federal funding once," she said.
The Island Packet reports that the county had proposed clear
cutting the trees to prevent ongoing maintenance costs, but
opponents to that idea said it would damage the environment, which
includes wetlands, and reduce the quality of life of nearby
residents. But the trees are already at least partly responsible
for a reduction in the number of passengers allowed on flights in
and out of Hilton Head. If they continue to grow, the passenger
load could be reduced even further. Commercial traffic is
additionally limited by the length of the runway.
Federal and local officials say that during inclement weather,
both private and commercial aircraft are already often diverted to
a different runway at Hilton Head. Town Manager Steve Reley said it
had been more than 10 years since any trees were cut on airport
property. He said the issue will be brought up again late in
December.
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