ST. MARIES - Wildlife, stay in the woods.

Or at least off the runway.

To make sure that happens, Benewah County has requested its existing grant with the Federal Aviation Administration be amended so fencing can be installed around the St. Maries Municipal Airport runway, discouraging big game from hoofing across the landing strip.

The safety concern isn't the direct result of an Aug. 17 accident when an airplane attempting to land crashed into a deer. Wandering wildlife, however, has always been a concern for the airport in general.

"That had no effect - we had a request for fencing. We had been talking with the FAA for the last year and a half or two years," said J.R. Norvell, T-O Engineers project manager who heads the aviation division of North Idaho. "I guess the timing was impeccable."

In 2009 the county received nearly $1 million in federal money to extend the airport's runway, which now runs 2,400 feet. That project, matched with 2.5 percent allocations from the state and Benewah County, totaled around $1.1 million. The federal portion came in around $170,000 under its $962,068 share. The amended request, sent in Sept. 22, would allow the surplus to go toward building a fence.

"As dollars become available we'll do as much fencing as we can," Norvell said. "We've been concerned with wildlife for years. Many airports are trying to put up fence for just that reason."

On Aug. 17 a Cessna Turbo 206 collided with a deer while attempting to land and spun off the runway. Neither the pilot nor the passenger were injured, but the deer was killed on impact, according to the St. Maries Gazette Record. The plane suffered roughly $80,000 in damage.

St. Maries Municipal Airport has 21 aircraft based at its field, and runs 36 takeoff and landing operations per day.