BIDDEFORD — Biddeford Municipal Airport has completed the bidding process for contractors on a nearly $1 million operation to clear trees near runways that the Federal Aviation Administration deems unsafe.

Airport Manager Kristopher Reynolds said the airport will begin evaluating the bids to select a contractor to clear trees on the southeastern end of the runway, known as Runway 6.

But Reynolds also said the airport still does not have the proper land-use rights to clear the trees on the northeastern end, or Runway 24, a project that is currently on hold as it is waiting grant approval from the FAA.

The project was approved by City Council in February 2015 after the FAA told city officials trees surrounding the airport were too tall to be considered safe for landing planes.

The project hit turbulence earlier this year when the FAA informed airport officials it would not fund tree clearing along Runway 24 because the airport did not have the proper easements to clear as many trees as necessary near that end of the runway to bring the approach up to FAA standards.

Reynolds said this is largely due to private landowners near the airport, whose property would need to have trees leveled to clear the entire approach and not just part of it.

“The FAA has told us to work with the landowners. Our plan is to sit down and discuss how to go about our next steps. We would like to be good neighbors as best we can,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds also said the airport has been working with the public during Airport Commission meetings and through information sent to homes.

The project is projected to cost $900,000. The federal government would pay for 90 percent, and the state and city each would be responsible for 5 percent of the cost.

Reynolds said the airport is now in the process of proving to the FAA that the project can be completed as officials continue to seek land-use rights. Part of that effort involved an environmental assessment on the end of Runway 24 to evaluate possible damages to seasonal vernal pools.

Reynolds said the assessment was to ensure the vernal pools would not be affected by the tree clearing, and, if the pools would be affected, how to mitigate disruption to the ecosystem.

Reynolds said he hopes to get the process started soon.

“The FAA will fund once (we) can prove the trees that need to be topped can be topped,” he said.

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated bidding was being evaluated for both ends of the runway. However, the Runway 24 portion of the project is currently on hold. Bids are being evaluated for contractors for the Runway 6 portion only.