GREENWOOD SPRINGS — Columbus Air Force Base has cleared the air with the National Weather Service.
Lt. Col. Elizabeth Harwood with the 14th Flying Training Wing held a press conference Wednesday on property near the intersection of Highways 8 East and 278 East announcing that trees blocking weather readings from a NEXRAD radar at the site had been cleared.
CAFB maintains the radar on 1.8 acres at the site, which the National Weather Service also uses to track severe weather in 14 counties in Mississippi and Alabama. While base leadership have said trees on adjacent private property had not comprised its military function, they kept NWS from obtaining accurate weather readings in the area.
Harwood said the Air Force base learned of the obstruction in fall 2013 and began working with NWS and the Federal Aviation Administration on a plan. She said CAFB eventually negotiated a deal with the adjacent private landowner to clear trees on 22 acres and fix the problem.
“It took some time to determine which government agency would take the lead, and then to work with the private landowner,” she said.
Clearing began on March 26 and was completed last week.
Harwood said the base wanted to “respect the landowner’s privacy” and would not discuss details of the negotiations.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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