Judge allows tree trimming at Hilton Head airport

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — A judge has ruled that safety trumps quiet and that tree trimming by the Hilton Head Island Airport can proceed.

The Island Packet of Hilton Head reports (http://bit.ly/nh2Bi0 ) that Beaufort County judge Marvin Dukes ruled against a challenge from a black native island congregation. The historic church sits next to the runway.

Pilots and US Airways officials say the trees must be cut to meet Federal Aviation Administration guidelines. The church argued the cutting would remove a natural buffer and sound barrier.

The judge says he was sympathetic, but safety for planes and passengers was more important.

A St. James Baptist Church deacon would only say it was the judge’s decision.

The FAA last year awarded more than $1 million for the tree work in a one-time grant.

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Information from: The Island Packet, http://www.islandpacket.com