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Bowers Field Wildlife Hazard Management Plan <br />management inside the AOA fence. This will provide a minimal amount of forage, <br />nesting, and hiding opportunity for hazardous wildlife, while making it easiest for ELN <br />and aviators to see hazardous wildlife using the infield. This should also result in fewer <br />insects and small mammals present at the airfield, which can reduce the presence of <br />predatory animals that are a direct risk to aviation safety. Controlled burning, herbicides, <br />and physical removal/manipulation (e.g., mowing) are widely accepted tools. <br />Clover and alfalfa species will be exempted from seed mixtures used at ELN. <br />5.1.4 Pasture/Uplands <br />This habitat was the most abundant and only found outside the AOA fence. It held the <br />greatest vegetation diversity as well. Numerous ditches, ponds, shrubs, grass areas, <br />paved surfaces, and woodlands were contained within this habitat. It ranked 31 in <br />hazardous wildlife abundance and 4d' in frequency per acre. The amount of vegetation <br />diversity and edge habitat compound the attractiveness of this habitat type. Reducing <br />vegetation diversity and edges is a known BMP for airport habitat management. <br />Controlled burning, herbicides, and physical removal/manipulation (e.g., brush hogging) <br />are widely accepted tools. <br />Cattle grazing is used to help manage vegetation heights and diversity while providing a <br />revenue source for airfield management. The WHE noted that if calving did not occur on <br />airport property, cattle grazing did not appear to serve as a notable wildlife hazard <br />attractant. <br />5.1.5 Pavement <br />Pavement was the 3rd most abundant habitat at the airfield and the least attractive. It can <br />be important because many species use it for foraging on (e.g., worms escaping flooded <br />soil are easy targets and insects have nowhere to hide to avoid predators), warming <br />themselves on cold days, and/or soaring in the thermals caused from the pavement <br />heating. <br />Removal is the only known method for addressing pavement that is a significant <br />hazardous wildlife attractant. Pavement is not a significant attractant at ELN. <br />5.2 Cattle Grazing <br />ELN leases areas outside of the AOA for cattle grazing. Calving activities are not <br />permitted and dead cows must be immediately removed to avoid attracting hazardous <br />scavengers (e.g., bald eagles, crows, magpies, ravens, and vultures). The WHE <br />5-2 <br />31 December 2024 <br />