Wildlife in Airport Environments: Chapter 9 Managing Airport Stormwater to Reduce Attraction to Wildlife

An airport is a component of the landscape, contributing to and subject to local- and landscapelevel factors that affect wildlife populations and the hazards that these species pose to aviation (Blackwell et al. 2009, Martin et al. 2011). Water resources at and near an airport, in the form of both surface water and contained runoff, are recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as potential attractants to wildlife that pose hazards to aviation safety (FAA 2007). Surface water, including aboveground stormwater detention/retention facilities (see U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2006), can represent a substantial proportion of the area within siting criteria for U.S. airports. An analysis of water coverage at 49 certificated airports (FAA 2004) revealed that surface water composed on average 6.0% (standard deviation [SD] = 10.4%, range = 0.04-48.3%; B. F. Blackwell, unpublished data) of the area within the 3-km [lo9-mile] FAA siting criteria (X = 275 ha, SD = 511 ha). A recent analysis of bird-aircraft strike data for avian species involved in at least 50 total strikes reported to the FAA (1990-2008; summarized in FAA 2011) revealed that 13 of the 52 species (25%) have foraging and breeding ecologies primarily associated with water (Blackwell et al. 2013). Moreover, these 13 species were responsible for \u3e 51% of damaging strikes (Dolbeer et al. 2000, DeVault et al. 2011) during this period

Managing Airport Stormwater to Reduce Attraction to Wildlife

An airport is a component of the landscape. contributing to and subject to local- and landscapelevel factors that affect wildlife populations and the hazards that these species pose to aviation (Blackwell et al. 2009, Martin et al. 2011). Water resources at and near an airport, in the form of both surface water and contained runoff, are recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as potential attractants to wildlife that pose hazards to aviation safety (FAA 2007). Surface water, including aboveground stormwater detention/retention facilities (see U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2006). can represent a substantial proportion of the area within siting criteria for u.s. airports. An analysis of water coverage at 49 certificated airports (FAA 2004) revealed that surface water composed on average 6.0% (standard deviation [SO] = 10.4%, range = 0.04-48.3%; B. F. Blackwell, unpublished data) of the area within the 3-km [l.9-mile] FAA siting criteria (X = 275 ha, SO = 511 ha). A recent analysis of bird-aircraft strike data for avian species involved in at least 50 total strikes reported to the FAA (1990-2008; summarized in FAA 2011) revealed that 13 of the 52 species (25%) have foraging and breeding ecologies primarily associated With water (Blackwell et aJ. 2013). Moreover, these 13 species were responsible for\u3e 51% of damaging strikes (Dolbeer et al. 2000, DeVault et al. 2011) during this period

Wildlife in Airport Environments: Appendix, Index and Back Cover

In 1990, the 190 member nations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) adopted, in Annex 14 to the Convention on Civil International Aviation, three recommended management practices regarding bird hazards to aviation. The recommended practices required that aviation authorities within each nation (1) assess the extent of the hazard posed by birds at and in the vicinity of airports certificated for passenger traffic, (2) take necessary action to decrease the number of birds, and (3) eliminate or prevent the establishment of any site in the vicinity of the airport that could attract birds and thereby present a danger to aviation. Because of the increasing threat posed by birds to aviation worldwide, member states voted to make these recommendations mandatory ICAO standards, effective November 2003. In 2009, ICAO expanded these standards to include terrestrial wildlife such as large mammals and reptiles that pose a risk at airports (ICAO 2009)