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Bowers Field Wildlife Hazard Management Plan <br />1 Background <br />Kittitas County Airport (Bowers Field [ELN]) is a public use general aviation (GA) <br />airport. The airfield is in central Washington, at the northern end of the city of <br />Ellensburg, and is managed by the city. The mission is to operate and develop the <br />Airport and Industrial Park in a safe and efficient manner, support professional aviation <br />education programs, enhance the economic benefit to the County, and support local and <br />regional emergency preparedness. In support of this, ELN management decided to <br />develop a wildlife hazard management plan (WHMP) to serve as guide for reducing <br />wildlife hazards at the airfield. <br />A wildlife hazard assessment (WHA) is conducted to gather wildlife hazards information <br />at an airport and that information aides in the development of a WHMP. Because ELN is <br />not a Part 139 Certificated airport and is not held to the same regulations and a WHA is <br />not required. ELN requested assistance from the United States Department of <br />Agriculture, Wildlife Services (USDA WS) in developing the WHMP. USDA WS <br />conducted a wildlife hazard evaluation (WHE) to identify hazardous wildlife and <br />attractants negatively impacting aviation safety. A WHE is a simplified form of a WHA, <br />with fewer site visits and less stringent surveys. The WHE is Chapter 2 of this document <br />and was used in the development of the WHMP. <br />USDA WS is the primary federal agency authorized to assist public and private entities <br />with addressing wildlife hazards and protecting property and safety from wildlife <br />damage. USDA WS has a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Association <br />of State Aviation Officials and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recognizing <br />WS' expertise in identifying and mitigating wildlife hazards for aviation safety. <br />USDA WS regularly provides hazardous wildlife management training to airports <br />throughout the country and was integral in the development of the Washington State <br />Department of Transportation's 2009 Aviation Stormwater Design Manual; the first <br />stormwater design manual in the United States to specifically address hazardous wildlife <br />management at/around airports. <br />1.1 Locationa! Aspects <br />Bowers Field encompasses 1,240 acres and has one runway. Runway 11-29, is 4,300 feet <br />long and 150 feet wide. It is equipped with transmitter -activated lighting, making it <br />available24 hours a day. There are two fixed -based operators, a fueling facility, and 12 <br />county -owned T-hangars. There were an average of 165 operations per day during 2020. <br />The Central Washington University aviation program is operated out of ELN and is <br />responsible for nearly 90% of the annual operations. <br />Urban sprawl is encroaching upon the airfield from the south and southwest. Agriculture <br />and ranching are the primary land uses in the other three directions. There are numerous <br />1-1 <br />31 December 2024 <br />