The Lakeland Airport has a problem that many Northwoods homeowners can relate to – how to keep deer off its property. But in the case of the Arbor Vitae airport, the consequences can be far deadlier than having flowers devoured.
A Lakeland Airport Commission representative Tuesday got the blessing of the Minocqua Town Board to support a new, 10-foot high perimeter fence at the airport to protect aircraft landing or taking off from striking a deer or coyote. Brandon Baker, a pilot and Minocqua’s representative on the commission, said he personally had to abort two landings at the airport due to animals on the runway.
“There’s animals running everywhere up there,” he told supervisors. “I was just up there Saturday from 8am to 9. And I saw five deer and two coyotes out on the main north/south runway. And three jets were coming in. It’s a real problem!”
The Lakeland Airport is one of the few of its size in Wisconsin without the higher fence. The current fence is a few feet high and does not go entirely around the airport. The new fence would also dissuade people from entering the grounds at night. The fencing project is not in the “airport layout plan” and has to be incorporated into that language. Thus, they need the early approval “to get the ball rolling.” They hope to do the fencing project in 2018. Baker said the fencing cost could range from $1 million to $1.5 million. The Federal Aviation Administration picks up 90 percent of the cost, leaving 5 percent each for the state of Wisconsin and the commission.
The commission had money in its budget to pay its share. The project now has the support of Minocqua and Woodruff town boards. Two other airport co-owners, Arbor Vitae and Lac du Flambeau, will take up the matter at future meetings. All four townships jointly own the airport.
Asked by Supervisor Billy Fried why the commission didn’t wait until the annual meeting of the four towns to get permission, Baker replied the commission wanted a general direction of the town boards. He said the four towns would be asked to give formal approval once final costs are determined and state and federal money secured. Fried also questioned the fencing cost, alluding to an airport building that he thought was heavily overpriced. In the end, though, he made the motion to support the project.
