Title
Resolution to Amend the Fiscal Year 2021 Council Approved Budget to Accept and Appropriate $700,000 of Federal Funds from Joint Base Langley-Eustis (Langley Air Force Base) to the Capital Projects Fund for the Tree Timbering/Harvesting Project
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE), Langley Air Force Base (LAFB) requested the City of Hampton to remove trees on city owned property in the flight approach zone off the southwest end of the active runway. The height of trees in this area is directly impacting safety of flight operations specifically navigational aids used for flight operations. The City has contracted with a vendor who has provided a plan to inventory, evaluate, cut, remove and sell timber on approximately 118 acres of the city owned forested land. The negotiated contract price is $700,000 which does not include the price of selling the harvested timber which is currently estimated to be between $100,000 - $150,000 dollars and will be determined during the course of the project. LAFB has set aside $1.6M to cover the costs of the tree timbering project and will upon being invoiced by the city make the appropriate payments. This arrangement is enabled through the existing Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Air Force governing the acquisitions and management of properties in the vicinity of the Clear Zone.
The City has received the appropriate permits/waivers from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to proceed with the timber/harvesting project with one stipulation that replanting of trees must be done post-harvest. LAFB understands this requirement and agrees. Both the City and LAFB realize that this project may need to occur again within the next 20-25 years contingent upon how fast the trees grow back. This project will meet all applicable regulatory requirements of the City Code and state and federal environmental laws.
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