Gainesville Regional Airport May Face Wetlands Penalty

December 29, 2003

Airport May Face Wetlands Penalty
Lakeland Ledger, FL


GAINESVILLE -- The Gainesville Regional Airport could be fined thousands of 
dollars for clearing a wetland on its property more than four years ago, the 
St. Johns River Water Management District has said.

In an October letter, district Compliance Manager Allen Baggett informed 
Airport Director Rick Crider that multiple infractions, including wetland 
tampering and the failure to record a conservation easement "must be resolved."

If an agreement is not reached, the letter continued, "it is the district's 
intent to pursue other means, including a consent order agreement" to force 
compliance. Such an order could include fines of up to $10,000 per day for each 
violation.

Airport and district officials remain at odds over the details of the airport's 
alleged infractions, much of which remain unclear. A meeting is scheduled for 
Jan. 9 to discuss the charges and iron out a plan of action.

In the meantime, at least one area resident continues to claim that the airport 
has used its leverage to avoid paying for the removal of trees at the southern 
end of its property. Crider, who joined the airport in 2001, said the cutting 
occurred sometime between 1995 and 2000 as part of ongoing efforts to improve 
runway safety.

Richard Selwach, a Gainesville businessman and property owner whose land 
borders the airport, sees things differently.

"They went in and cleared out an entire wetland," Selwach said. Every time it 
rains, he added, "water is sheeting on my property."

Selwach, who acknowledged that he has been fined $3,100 by the Water Management 
District for illegally altering a wetland on his own property in an attempt to 
correct the drainage problem, said he has pressed both district and airport 
officials for answers, with little luck.

"Why is (the St. John River Water Management District) waiting so long on 
citing them and what are the fines going to be?" Selwach asked. "What's taking 
(the Water Management District) so long in preparing a consent order? Does (the 
Water Management District) treat government entities differently than the 
general public?"

Teresa Monson, a St. Johns spokeswoman, said while she welcomed such concerns, 
she disputed the suggestion that the district wasn't doing enough to address 
the airport's problems.

"Every violation has to be examined on its own merits," Monson said, a process 
that takes time.

"What we generally try to do is work with applicants to resolve these issues. 
But the wetland clearing was done without a permit," she said, and "staff is 
discussing a recommendation to our governing board to issue a consent order for 
the violation."
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