1. Managing Wildlife Hazards on Airports Environmental Science Associates
Stephanie Parsons
Environmental Science Associates

2. Overview FAA Rulemaking Wildlife Hazard Assessments
Identifying Potential Hazards
Methods for Reducing or Preventing Attractants

3. FAA Rulemaking Who is Required to Prepare WHA?
Part 139 Certificated Airports
14 CFR Part
Federal Grant-in-Aid Grant Assurances
CertAlerts
General Aviation Airports
Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Funds Grant Assurances
Passenger Facility Charges (PFC)
General Applicability under the CFR
40 CFR Part 258 “Criteria for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills”

4. FAA Rulemaking Certification Alert
Part 139 to conduct Wildlife Hazard Assessments if they experience a “triggering event” as outlined in Part (b):
multiple wildlife strikes
substantial damage from striking wildlife
engine ingestion of wildlife
wildlife of a size, or in numbers, capable of causing any of the items described above

5. FAA Rulemaking Mandatory Wildlife Hazard Assessments
The FAA believes all airports should understand the level of wildlife activity on or near their airport
2009 Rulemaking
Assessments mandatory at all Part 139 airports whether or not an airport has had a “triggering event”
The FAA plans to publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

6. FAA Rulemaking General Aviation Airports
FAA program to conduct Wildlife Hazard Assessments at approximately 2,000 GA airports
GA airports with 100 or more based jets or 75,000 total operations per year
Remaining GA airports based on aircraft, operations and triggering events
Phased-in approach
Group 1, 168 GA
Initiated by 2015
AIP funding available for these assessments and follow-on WHMP

7. Part 139 Airports - CertAlerts
Additional Guidance on Part 139 Airport Certification and Related Issues
CertAlert No : Deer Hazard to Aircraft and Deer Fencing
CertAlert No : Grasses Attractive to Hazardous Wildlife
CertAlert No : Requests by State Wildlife Agencies to Facilitate and Encourage Habitat for State-Listed Threatened and Endangered Species and
Species of Special Concern on Airports
Certalert No : Relationship Between FAA And Wildlife Services

8. FAA Advisory Circulars
150/ A, Reporting Wildlife Aircraft Strikes
Importance of reporting collisions between aircraft and wildlife
How to report, process, accessibility and Feather ID Program
150/ B, Hazardous Wildlife Attractants on or Near Airports
Identifying certain land use areas in the vicinity of public-use airports that have the potential to attract hazardous wildlife
Placement of new airport development projects (including airport construction, expansion, and renovation) pertaining to aircraft movement in the vicinity of hazardous wildlife attractants
150/ A, Construction or Establishment of New Landfills Near Public Airports
How to comply with new Federal statutory requirements about the construction or establishment of new landfills within six miles of certain public airports
150/ , Qualifications for Wildlife Biologist
Qualifications for wildlife biologists who conduct WHAs
Addresses the minimum wildlife hazard management curriculum for the initial and recurrent training of airport personnel involved in implementing an FAA-approved Wildlife Hazard Management Plan

9. Phases of Wildlife Hazard Assessments

10. Wildlife Hazard Management Plans
States measures to decrease hazards and list responsible parties
Prioritize and determine a target schedule for implementing measures
Identify resources the certificate holder will use to implement plan
Document wildlife control permits needed
Provisions for effective communication to implement the plan and training
Procedure to review and evaluate the plan
Submitted to the FAA Administrator for approval and incorporation into the Airport Certification Manual

11. Determine Hazards
Identify land uses on and around airport which may serve as attractants
Municipal solid waste landfills
Water and storm water management facilities
Wetlands
Agriculture
Golf course
Landscaping
New development
Preserves

12. Determine Hazards Observations at potential attractants
Types of wildlife
Location of wildlife (Grass, ponds, structures)
Patterns or use (flyover, foraging, loafing)
Times of day (Dawn, dusk, midday)
General observations of surrounding or in between areas

13. Determine Hazards If available, review strike history
Evaluate operations, observations, and strike reports
Are there patterns that would impact operations?
Develop a plan to address
An integrated, landscape-level management approach is necessary to ensure an overall reduction in potential hazards

14. Managing Wildlife Hazards
Four basic control strategies are available to solve wildlife problems on airports:
Aircraft flight schedule modification
Idea: do not depart during a 20-minute period at sunrise or sunset during winter when large flocks of blackbirds cross an airport going to and from an off-airport roosting site.
Habitat modification and exclusion
Repellent and harassment techniques
(CA) State Bill Management of Wildlife at Public Use Airports
Wildlife removal
USDA
Depredation permit
Integrate all four control strategies where feasible

15. Managing Wildlife Hazards
Habitat Modification
Reduce food, water and cover
Eliminate handouts and improperly stored food waste
Mow and maintain vegetation at 6-10 or inches
Mow all areas within your control
Avoid vegetation that produce seeds or fruits
Avoid creating dense canopy
Grass with endophytes (bacteria/fungus)
varieties of fescue

16. Managing Wildlife Hazards
Habitat Modification
Reduce food, water and cover
Modify storm drain system (detain max 48-hours)
Use bird balls, wire grids or netting on ponds
Place anti-perching devices on light poles, ledges, roof peaks, signs, posts etc
Use 45 degree or more angles on ledges
Maintain fencing
Wildlife patrols and runway sweeps in vehicles

17. Managing Wildlife Hazards
Design Review for Airport and Tennant Projects
Creating a Wildlife Hazard Working Group
Define Problem
Develop Management Strategy
Conduct Periodic Assessments
Outreach and Coordination
Environmental Permitting Agencies
Local Jurisdictions (Planning, Development, Code Enforcement)
Tennants
Stakeholders and Decision Makers

18. Resources FAA Airport Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Home Page
Quick links to FAA ACs, Cert alerts, regulations, manuals, reports, forms, on-line strike reporting, strike database, and training
USDA Wildlife Damage Management
Research on Aviation Safety, Report on Wildlife Strikes to Civil Aircraft in the US, Fact Sheets, USDA Activities
Wildlife Hazard Management Workshops
Next Scheduled Event: January 23-25, 2013, Burbank, CA (BUR) Airport
Birdstrike Committee USA
Next Conference: August 2013 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 
International Birdstrike Committee
Best Practices Guide

19. Resources
Manuals
Wildlife Hazard Management at Airports, a Manual for Airport Operators, (2nd edition available in English and Spanish and the 1st edition 1999 available in English, Spanish, French, Chinese). This is the first of a kind publication to provide basic guidance to addressing Wildlife Aircraft Strike issues at airport.
Annual Report, Wildlife Strikes to Civil Aircraft in the United States, First published in 1995, this document provides information on wildlife hazard strikes to civil aircraft.
To view these documents go to mitigation.tc.faa.gov/public_html/index.html#manuals.

20. Thank You