Agricultural Operations on Airport Grounds (2022)

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3   Airport sponsors and operators (airports) are challenged to operate the airport in a safe, secure, and efficient manner. Operating the airport as an enterprise that ensures revenue generated by the airport meets expenses can be challenging. External factors reducing aeronautical revenues may influence airports to exercise creative ideas to generate additional revenue, often through non-aeronautical uses of the airport. One such revenue source may be to permit agricultural operations on airfield grounds. Not only may this generate revenue, it may also reduce the expenses of maintaining the grounds (e.g., less mowing). Establishing and managing agricultural operations presents many considerations to ensure the airport remains safe, secure, and efficient. Typically, airports do not own their own agricultural equipment and raise their own crops; therefore, a public bidding process and a lease agreement will be entered into with a local farmer. The farmer may not be familiar with airport practices such as securing airport gates, recognizing secured areas, and driving on the airport property, thus requiring airport familiarization and training. Safety factors include heights of crops, equip- ment proximity to runways, and wildlife attractants. To encourage efficiency and a strong rate of financial return, both parties desire crop success, which may involve crop rotation, chemical applications, and soil and water management. FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5200-33C, “Hazardous Wildlife Attractants on or near Air- ports,” discusses certain land uses, to include agricultural activities, that have the potential to attract hazardous wildlife on or near public-use airports. The AC discourages agricultural activi- ties on or near airports but also recognizes the financial needs of airports, similar neighboring operations, and secondary considerations such as hunting. The FAA encourages a discussion with airports to balance these factors and develop a manageable approach to obtain approval for such operations. This study will focus on agricultural activities occurring on airports and factors to consider before establishing activities. Representative airports engaged in agricultural operations were asked about their specific conditions, financial considerations, leases, policies, and effective management practices to assist other airports in developing, implementing, and successfully managing agricultural operations. Scope of This Study The objective of this report is to compile literature and practices at airports initiating and managing agricultural operations on airport grounds. The audience for this research is airport sponsors and operators that balance potential revenues with aviation safety and security concerns from on-airport farming. C H A P T E R   1 Introduction

4 Agricultural Operations on Airport Grounds This synthesis compiles practice in initiating and managing agricultural operations on airport property and provides a concise report with supporting appendices from information gathered, including • Basic data and prevalence of agricultural leases on airports by geographic region and airport size, to include types of crops found on airport leased grounds, acreage farmed, and monetary return (i.e., lease revenue compared to reduction in maintenance cost) to the airport. • Key drivers motivating airport sponsors to consider agricultural land leases. • Existing general guidance (federal, state, and local) that pertains to airport requirements necessary to accommodate agriculture operations. • Procedures, experiences, and lessons learned (contracting, operations, maintenance) that airports undertake to manage aviation safety for ongoing agricultural operations. • Compilation of existing literature on airport land use and agricultural activities. • Interviews and surveys from airports and farming operators on existing agriculture operations. • Internal and external considerations for implementing and managing the leasing process. • How airports manage secondary uses to agriculture that may also affect aviation (e.g., hunting, high-hazard species attractants). • Industry highlights of interviews provided by airport operators and agriculture managers sharing the arrangements, challenges, benefits, and lessons learned. Study Methodology Literature Review Available literature on topics associated with agricultural operations on airport property was reviewed using searches on the open web (Google). Available literature found is in the Refer- ences section of this report. Previous related ACRP research and synthesis reports formed the important and relevant resources for this study, and they include • ACRP Report 32: Guidebook for Addressing Aircraft/Wildlife Hazards at General Aviation Airports (Cleary and Dickey, 2010); • ACRP Synthesis 52: Habitat Management to Deter Wildlife at Airports (Belant and Ayers, 2014); • ACRP Report 27: Enhancing Airport Land Use Compatibility—Volume 1: Land Use Funda- mentals and Implementation Resources (Ward et al., 2010a); • ACRP Report 27: Enhancing Airport Land Use Compatibility—Volume 2: Land Use Survey and Case Study Summaries (Ward et al., 2010b). Review of FAA publications included • FAA Advisory Circular 150/5200-33C, “Hazardous Wildlife Attractants on or near Air- ports,” 2020 • FAA Advisory Circular 150/5300-13A, “Airport Design,” 2014 • FAA Order 5190.6B, FAA Airport Compliance Manual, 2009 Questionnaire and Survey A questionnaire was developed and airports with agricultural activities were targeted for in-depth information. A secondary survey was generated and advertised with the AAAE Member Hub and the NASAO membership in the hope that airports with a passion concerning this topic would respond and generate a follow-up interview. There were 283 airports that responded to the survey, illustrating the significant interest and quantity of airports engaged in this topic of study.

Introduction 5   The locations of the airports in the survey are depicted in Figure 1. Appendix D provides the survey and responses. Interviews and Industry Highlights The study team conducted follow-up interviews with airports that expressed a willingness to be interviewed, had survey responses that indicated unique contexts and practices for executing successful agriculture leases at their airport, or both. Interviews also included state aviation associations, state departments of transportations’ aeronautics divisions, and agriculture opera- tor perspectives. The location of the airports completing interview questionnaires are depicted in Figure 2. Appendix A provides the interview questionnaire and Appendix B, the summary of interview responses. “Industry Highlights” were developed to illustrate successful, and possibly “out-of-the-box,” approaches to agriculture practices at airports and are located throughout the report (see table of contents). • Highlight #1: Airport Decision Prohibiting Agricultural Land Lease (Ch. 3) • Highlight #2: Agricultural Land Lease Program at Naval Air Stations (Ch. 3) • Highlight #3: Commercial Airport Gardening in the Last Frontier State (Ch. 3) • Highlight #4: Hydroponic Farming Inside the Terminal (Ch. 4) • Highlight #5: Sod Farms on Airport Grounds (Ch. 5) A case example of a robust agriculture operation (Chapter 6), a sample agreement, and a strate- gic checklist are provided (appendices) as sample tools to assist airport operators with planning and managing agricultural operations on airport property. Source: AirportAdmin LLC, survey results, Google Maps. Figure 1. Location of airports responding to the survey.

6 Agricultural Operations on Airport Grounds Data Analysis The literature review, survey, and direct interviews were analyzed to identify practices that were used for initiating and managing successful agricultural operations on airport property. The study team examined • Types of agricultural uses on airport property, • Key drivers motivating agricultural programs, • Agricultural lease administration, • Airfield safety, • Access and operational procedures, • Techniques for managing risk factors, • Non-standard uses and special conditions, • Lessons learned, and • Advice for other airports. Graphical representation of the data is presented in the report when applicable to support relevant industry practice and present findings. Source: AirportAdmin LLC, survey results, Google Maps. Figure 2. Location of the airports responding to interviews.