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1Â Â Global reports of bee declines have fueled efforts to reduce threats to pollinators and raise public awareness of bees as pollinators of our food crops and native plants. Some airports have implemented pollinator-friendly practices and programs that restore habitat for bees and bring public awareness and appreciation to these fascinating insects. The objective of this report is to summarize experiences and best management practices of pollinator-friendly programs at airports. This report was developed by collecting infor- mation on existing resources and conducting surveys and interviews with airport operators, beekeepers, and other land managers, including state departments of transportation (DOTs). It synthesizes published literature and provides case examples of pollinator-friendly pro- grams designed to improve habitat and forage for native and managed pollinators as well as examples of beekeeping programs that serve to engage the public. Case examples high- light achievements and lessons learned. The report also discusses how pollinator-friendly programs can be developed and managed, what their associated costs are, and the unique challenges airports face, which can include operational issues, liabilities, and wildlife hazard management. Checklists and resources are also included. The two primary types of pollinator-friendly programs employed on airports are bee- keeping programs and pollinator habitat management programs. These programs vary greatly across airports in terms of size, with annual budgets ranging from $0 to $28,000. Beekeeping programs are the most common type of pollinator-friendly program found on airports. These involve the active management of honeybee colonies by a local beekeeper, who maintains the colonies on airport lands. Respondents at participating airports indi- cated that by partnering with local beekeepers, they managed programs that did not place substantial work on existing staff members or require additional staffing. In fact, many pro- grams operated at no cost, and several airports found that their connections with beekeepers may have reduced wildlife hazards because bee swarms could be removed more quickly and efficiently by the beekeeper partners. Several of the airports studied seek to preserve and enhance the landscape around the airport to provide food and habitat for pollinators; these have established pollinator habitat management programs. Since this practice is less common among airports, this report also includes lessons learned from DOTs. Airports and DOTs reported that reducing the fre- quency of mowing around a designated pollinator habitat is an easy and effective strategy to improve pollinator forage quality while also decreasing associated landscaping and main- tenance costs. The airports indicated a wide range of benefits to having pollinator-friendly programs, including improving public relations, providing community engagement oppor- tunities, expanding sustainability profiles, and serving to establish the airport as an environ- mentally responsible land manager. S U M M A R Y Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports
2 Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports The study team identified several important knowledge gaps; future efforts should focus on the following: ⢠Determining best practices for airports to incorporate pollinator habitat in ways that pre- vent pollinator-friendly plantings and seed mixes from contributing to wildlife hazards. ⢠Compiling the business plans of operations that successfully offset the cost of their programs (e.g., through honey sales). This research should seek to understand how this can be accomplished with respect to FAA restrictions. ⢠Studying the ways that beekeeping programs affect local pollinator species (e.g., through competition and the spread of disease). ⢠Developing federal guidelines specific to the development of pollinator-friendly programs. The growth and expansion of these programs would benefit from published guidelines that focus on the commonalities across programs, including wildlife management, security, safety, leasing, and revenue.
