SOUTH PORTLAND — City officials have halted a nearly finished tree removal project by Portland International Jetport along Interstate 295 that may have violated municipal, state and federal land use regulations.

A jetport contractor began selectively removing trees last week to clear a runway approach as required by the Federal Aviation Administration. The project was approved by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, which owns the property to the rear of Calvary Cemetery.

But it’s unclear whether the work has complied with a site plan issued by city planners in 2019; a municipal tree protection ordinance approved in 2022; or wetlands protection laws overseen by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The city issued a stop-work order Jan. 30, but the jetport’s contractor continued to remove trees through last weekend, said City Planning Director Milan Nevajda.

Now, only a small section of the tree project remains to be done, Nevajda said, but it includes an area of wetlands that’s currently being scrutinized by city planners as part of a proposed commercial solar farm on the diocesan property.

The solar farm’s delineation of wetlands on project plans is significantly larger than the jetport’s delineation for the tree removal, Nevajda said.

Jetport officials met with city planners and code enforcement officers on Tuesday and agreed to stop cutting trees until they address outstanding concerns about how and where the tree work is being done, Nevajda said.

Nevajda acknowledged that FAA regulations give the jetport authority to maintain safe runway approaches and the city’s tree protection ordinance allows removals for that purpose.

Still, he said, his staff is obligated to make sure the tree removal complies with regulations. The jetport may be fined if it doesn’t, he said.

“We apply the ordinances evenly to all applicants,” Nevajda said.

Jetport officials didn’t respond Friday to calls and emails seeking interviews about the project.

The 726-acre jetport is owned by the city of Portland and extends into South Portland along the Fore River. Selective tree removal has been done within a 5-acre wooded area that the diocese required the jetport’s contractor to access at the end of Dawson Street.

Before the jetport can resume cutting trees, it must verify its wetlands delineation with the DEP and Army Corps, Nevajda said. If the jetport’s delineation can’t be verified from existing records, the tree project may be delayed until the wetlands can be surveyed in the spring, he said.

Jetport officials also must document where and how many trees have been removed so far and show whether the work has complied with the 2019 site plan and the 2022 tree ordinance.

When he was interviewed last week, Airport Director Paul Bradbury said he didn’t know how many trees had been cut so far or would be removed as the project continued.

He disputed that a stop-work order was in place and noted that the project had all necessary permits from the city, DEP and Army Corps.