PORT ANGELES – A contract to remove up to 200 trees from Lincoln Park to preserve airspace at William R. Fairchild International Airport will be considered by the port’s board of commissioners at its Monday meeting.
The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. at the port’s headquarters, 338 W. First St. in Port Angeles.
The Port Angeles City Council also will hold a public hearing on declaring the trees as surplus so the city can sell the trees to a lumber mill.
The hearing is set for 7 p.m. Sept. 4 in the council chambers at Port Angeles City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St.
The airport is owned by the Port of Port Angeles but Lincoln Park is owned by the city, so both the port and city are involved in the project.
The three-person port commission will consider granting approval for Bob McChesney, port executive director, to award the contract, up to $100,000, following a project bid opening set for 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Then the port staff will report back to the commissioners on the bid results at the Sept. 10 port commission meeting.
A second contract, up to $100,000, for stump grinding, topsoil replacement and grass seeding will be considered at a future port commission meeting.
The project will be funded with a 95 percent Federal Aviation Administration grant.
The port will pay its 5 percent share from passenger facility charges, which are added to the cost of airline tickets.
The 200 trees – which will be removed based upon height rather than being clearcut – are located in the west part of Lincoln Park near the former campground area.
The project could begin in mid-September and last about two weeks.
Parts of the park will be closed during tree removal for public safety.
In October 2006, Airport Manager Jeff Robb presented the port commissioners with options that ranged from removing up to 200 trees to preserve current aircraft approach areas, removing 605 trees to regain 1,350 feet of runway currently off limits, or removing up to 4,000 trees to clear approach, departure and transition areas.
