Gov. Reeves breaks ground on Wildlife Exclusion Fence at NAS Meridian

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) -Tate Reeves stopped in Meridian to break ground on a new project called the Wildlife Exclusion Fence; this is a massive 3 million-dollar fence, that will expand over 16 miles.  But you might wonder why there is a need for this.

“To protect our runways so that animals like deer are not getting on the runways while our pilots are taking off and landing. It’s really a safety project, but it’s an example of what we, as Mississippians, do in partnering with NAS Meridian to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to make this base as safe and as as comfortable and as inviting for the US Navy,” said Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves

This project will not only offer safety features but will allow the base to perform at its highest capacity, providing proper facilities for future members of the US Navy.

“It will also protect our training mission here; sustaining our mission is very important as we look at the the things on the horizon and in terms of great power competition. With countries like Russia and China, we need to be training the future naval aviators that will go around the globe supporting and defending our Constitution and that mission happens right here at NAS Meridian,” said the Commanding Officer of NAS Meridian, Captain Brent Moore.

This fence will not only keep the people safer but provides protection to the aircraft as well.

“Depending on where the aircraft is impacted by the animal, it could cause the aircraft to veer off the runway. The pilots may have to eject, or it could hit as the aircraft is taken off, and that could be a dangerous thing, so catastrophic to a $45 million jet,” said Moore.

This project will take nearly a year to complete and is just phase one of the multiphase project.

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