Two airports in Franklin County will receive funding from a Federal Aviation Administration airport improvement grant.

The Steven A. Bean Municipal Airport in Rangeley will receive $200,000 for precision approach pass way indicators and runway end indicator lights, Town Manager Tiki White said. Installation of a perimeter fence and gate for security also is planned.

The Sugarloaf Regional Airport in Carrabassett Valley will receive $130,000 to purchase 2.3 acres for potential development. The land is next to the airport and Route 27, Town Manager David Cota said.

Both managers were notified Wednesday of the grant’s acceptance by U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud’s offices, White said.

Twelve Maine airports will collectively receive more than $3.3 million from the FAA’s Airport Improvement Grant Program, according to the announcement.

“Maine’s large geographic area makes air travel an important transportation option that connects towns and cities across the state,” Collins and King said in a joint statement. “Maine’s small airports play a vital role in supporting local businesses, especially in the state’s more rural regions. This funding will help make necessary improvements and maintain a safe operational environment at our airports.”

For Rangeley, these improvements are part of the town’s Airport Master Plan, which was rewritten in 2012, White said.

The funds will improve airport accessibility for pilots with improved approaches to the runway ends. The fence and gates will deter unauthorized individuals and vehicles from entering onto the runway, according to a release from Michaud.

The 3,200-foot runway provides opportunities for tourists and homeowners to fly in and around Rangeley, White said. Summer months are busy, she added.

Rangeley applied for the grant this spring. The deadline for grant applications was May 7. This was a quick turnaround, she said of the notice.

“We’re grateful to get the project on the docket,” she said. It’s expected the work will be done this summer.

The land for Sugarloaf Regional is next to the entrance of the small general aviation airport, Cota said. It will also ensure continued use of the snowmobile and ATV trails that cross a piece of the property.

The town is paying $115,000 for the property and the rest will be used for consulting fees, he said.

The grant is expected to be followed by a planning grant for about $30,000. The funds will be used for environmental assessments and to plan the feasibility of a small fuel farm and a modest log-cabin arrival building for the airport, he said. When people get out of the plane, there is no place for them to go, Cota said.

The grant would also include planning for future use of the land acquired and perhaps new T-hangars, he added.

The two grants represent a total of approximately $190,000, Cota said. The first $130,000 is matched by 5 percent from the town and 5 percent from the state, making it approximately $150,000. The second grant expected also requires 5 percent matches from the town and state.

The airport for single-engine aircraft has a 2,750-foot runway without lighting, he said.

“It’s a nice airport,” he added.

Two private hangars are expected to be built this summer.

abryant@sunjournal.com