Strike one-- you're out! : wildlife services helps reduce wildlife conflicts at airports

10 Pages·1999·0.77 MB·English

by  United States. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Historic, Archive Document
Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

—
USDA
9-
One
United States Strike
Department of
Agriculture
You're Out!
Animal and
Plant Health
Inspection Wildlife Services
Service Helps Reduce Wildlife
ProgramAid Conflicts at Airports
No. 1644
Collisions between aircraft and wildlife at airports have
risen dramatically in recentyears as a result of large popu-
lation increases in manywildlife species, fasterairplanes,
and the increase in airtransportation traffic. Everyyear
between 1991 and 1997, wildlife strikes cost U.S. civil avi-
ation morethan $300 million and 500,000 hours ofaircraft
downtime. About2,400 bird strikesto civil aircraft are
reported each year, and morethan 2,500 are reported by
the U.S.Air Force. Since 1990, more than 300 deercolli-
sionswith aircraft have been reported to the Federal
AviationAdministration (FAA).
FAAregulations (Title 14, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 139) prescribe rules governing the certifi-
cation and operation ofcertain commercial airports.
These regulations require certificated airports to conducta
wildlife hazard assessmentwhen an aircraft experiences a
multiple-bird strike orengine ingestion oradamaging colli-
sion with wildlife otherthan birds orwhen wildlife capable
ofcausing such events are observed to have accessto
any airportflight pattern or movement area. Depending on
the results ofthe wildlife hazard assessment, awildlife
hazard management plan may also be required.
Wildlife management at airports can eliminate or
greatly reduce collisions between aircraft and birds or
otherwildlife. However, Wildlife Services (WS) researchers
andthe FAAbelievethat about80 percent ofwildlife
strikesto aircraftgo unreported. These unreported strikes
make detection and management ofwildlife hazards atair-
ports much more challenging. The purpose ofthis leaflet
is to explain to the aviation community howthe Federal
Government can helpwith these life-threatening problems.
Help Is Available
The Wildlife Services program ofthe U.S. Department
ofAgriculture'sAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service
offers consultation and management services to assess
wildlife conflicts at airports and improve safety by reducing
hazards associated with wildlife.
Wildlife Services has a nationwide network of biolo-
gists trained and certified in wildlife hazard management at
airports. These professional biologists are readyto pro-
vide airport site visits and wildlife consultations, develop
wildlife hazard assessments and wildlife hazard manage-
ment plans, and conduct operational wildlife management
programs.
These services may include assistance in complying
with Federal and State environmental laws, endangered
species and wildlife permit requirements, and conservation
and ecology issues. Wildlife Services also has a major
research and development program that provides a solid
scientificfoundation for its services.
Wildlife Services personnel provide airport site visits
and wildlife consultations as resources permit. These site
visits and consultations are designed to help airport man-
agers maintain a safe environment and meet FAAregula-
tory requirements.
Wildlife Services can conductwildlife hazard assess-
ments and developwildlife hazard management plans
that meet FAA Part 139 criteriathrough airport-funded
agreements. WS can also conductwildlife management
programs.
WS
Certified biologistsfrom can train airport person-
nel to recognize hazardouswildlife conditions and to imple-
ment appropriate actions.
Who IsWildlife Services?
Wildlife Services provides assistance to people expe-
riencing problems caused bywildlife. The mission ofWS
is to protect agriculture, property, natural resources, and
human health and safetyfrom wildlife damage. WSworks
closelywith the FAA, U.S. military, and the aviation indus-
tryto research wildlife hazards at airports and to reduce
the economic impacts and hazards to aviation caused by
wildlife.
Wildlife Services' experienced biologists are skilled
and certified in managing wildlife hazards at airports.
These biologists have a unique understanding ofwildlife
behavior and interaction with human activities in airport
environments.
The methods used by Wildlife Services to reducethe
riskofwildlife strikes to aircraft are based on environmen-
tally sound research conducted atWS' National Wildlife
Research Center, the world's onlyscientific research cen-
terdevoted entirelytothe development of methods and
technologyforwildlife damage management.
Asite visit and overviewofwildlife attractants on and
around the airport.
Areview ofwildlife hazards.
Identification ofwildlife species observed and their legal
status.
Strike data analysis.
Averbal debriefing and written summary report
containing appropriatewildlife hazard management
recommendations.
How Can Airport and Aviation Managers
Get Assistance?
Airport representatives can call their nearestWildlife
WS
Services Regional Office, the Operational Support
Staff, ortheir FAARegional Coordinator. These officeswill
direct airport managerstothe appropriate WS State
Director, who is prepared toworkwith industry managers
to determinetheirappropriate wildlife hazard management
WS WS
needs. also has aWebsitewith adirectory ofall
State and Regional Offices. The address is
www.aphis.usda.gov/ws

Wildlife Services' Office Phone Numbers
Eastern Regional Office: [phone]
Western Regional Office: [phone]
Operational Support Staff: [phone]
National Wildlife Research Center: [phone]
To continuethe baseball analogy begun with thetitle of
this leaflet, just one wildlife strike can put awhole airport
and its aircarrierstemporarilyout ofservice. Reporting
wildlife strikes to the FAAand working with Wildlife
Servicesto manage local wildlife populations arethetwo
most importantstepsthe aviation industrycan taketo
addressthe problem ofwildlife hazards at airports.
(
The U.S. Department ofAgriculture (USDA) prohibits
discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis
of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disabili-
ty, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital orfamily
status. (Not all prohibited bases applyto all programs.)
Personswith disabilitieswho require alternative means for
communication of program information (Braille, large print,
audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA'sTARGETCenterat
[phone] (voice and TDD).
To file acomplaint ofdiscrimination, write USDA, Director,
Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th
and IndependenceAvenue, SW, Washington, DC
20250-9410 orcall [phone] (voice and TDD).
USDAis an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Issued June 1999