Taxiway Improvements, Wetland Reduction Funded By The Agency

The Jamestown Regional Airport Authority held a special meeting Tuesday during which the board voted to accept two FAA grants for separate projects.

The FAA AIP grants will pay for 90 percent of a runway taxi lane reconstruction project, and a wetlands mitigation project. Both are currently in their engineering phase.

Airport manager Sam Seafeldt said that the FAA has agreed to initially release $37,000 for the runway project and $120,000 for the wetland reduction. After the local contribution of $65,000 is secured from the county, the FAA will release $263,000 for the taxi lane construction and $1.3 million for the wetlands project.

The Jamestown Sun reports that the North Dakota Aeronautics Association has contributed 5 percent to each of the projects.

The wetlands project will result in the draining of 21.5 acres of wetlands that officials are concerned draw wildlife to the area near the airport, increasing the risk of bird strikes. The project is a priority for the FAA, Seafeldt said. Part of the mitigation cost is for the purchase of other land so that there is no net loss of wetlands.

FMI: www.flyjamestown.net