2025-01-13-minutes-public-works-study-session

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Bowers Field Wildlife Hazard Management Plan 7 Wildlife control measures Wildlife "population management" is a general term discussed in managing wildlife hazards at airports. However, an airport's objective is not to manage wildlife populations (that is the role of state and federal wildlife managers such as WDFW and USFWS), rather it is to reduce risks that wildlife pose to aviation safety. ELN personnel will respond with appropriate means when they become aware of hazardous wildlife on the airfield and may notify local air traffic of those hazards. 7.1 Physical Inspections of the Movement Area and Other Areas Critical to Wildlife Hazard Management ELN will conduct inspections of the AOA for hazardous wildlife and attractants in conjunction with other daily on -airfield duties. Most often, these inspections will occur in the morning hours. These may not occur on weekends, holidays, or periods when weather may make vehicle travel unsafe. Hazardous wildlife observed, control actions, and wildlife strikes will be recorded in the wildlife observation, control, and strike log and then submitted to the Wildlife Coordinator for addition into the electronic wildlife observation, control, and strike database. ELN will clearly document when no hazardous wildlife are observed (by entering the date, time, and a zero in the # column) during these airfield inspections. Although recording a "zero" may seem a waste, it highlights that ELN is taking active wildlife hazard mitigation steps on a regular basis and serves to help determine the effectiveness of their actions. These "zero" records will be entered into the electronic wildlife observation, control, and strike database. 7.2 Direct Control Measures ELN will give priority to dispersing or removing hazardous wildlife from the runway and taxiways when they are observed. Birds attract other birds (e.g., the reason why waterfowl hunters use decoys), so allowing even a few birds to persist on the airfield will decoy other birds and can increase the difficulty of dispersal. This strict approach prevents birds from habituating to the airfield, establishes a proper attitude for all personnel, and helps prioritize hazardous wildlife events as they occur. ELN will obtain and maintain a USFWS migratory bird depredation permit, which lists USDA WS as a subpermittee. ELN will not kill any wildlife without 100% positive species identification. ELN personnel and subpermittees will follow all conditions listed on the depredation permit. 7-1 31 December 2024