Local landowners and a 4th District judge have cleared the way for hundreds of ducks, geese, pheasants and other wetland creatures to get new living space.
Contractors for the Provo Airport are expected to begin work next week to replace wetlands and a portion of Utah Lake State Park that will be destroyed when the airport is expanded in a couple of years. Work can finally begin on the mitigation plan because the city gained control of the needed property Monday."We'll notify contractors next week, and work should begin immediately," said David Gunn, Provo public services director.
Eight property owners agreed last week to let the city condemn their land so the city can meet a deadline in getting more than $1 million in federal funds to complete the mitigation plan. The city must have possession of the land to qualify for the federal grant.
Owners of 56 acres south of East Bay Golf Course, however, opposed the condemnation. But Judge Guy R. Burningham issued an order Monday giving the city immediate occupancy of the property. The city will use the land to replace wetlands that will be destroyed near the airport.