If you drive south on SR 741 in Miami Twp. past the Dayton Wright Bros. Airport, you may be asking why are so many trees being cut down?

It’s not to make way for the planned north-south runway extension at the airport.

Tree are being cleared on the east and west side of the Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport primarily to ensure the safety of the area around the runway in accordance with the facility’s layout plan, according to Terry Slaybaugh, Dayton International Airport director.

“We identified a number of areas wher the trees encroached into the safety area around the runway,” he said.

The trees penetrated height restrictions, airport Deputy Director Gil Turner said earlier this year. The airport is also in the process of a replacing a hangar, Turner said.

In addition to the runway extension and tree removal, other goals of the project include additional aircraft parking, ground access improvements and easements according to a plan document from Dayton International Airport.

The runway extension plan calls for an additional 500 feet, which would result in a partial realigning of Austin Boulevard to the north.