Program Evaluation Report Card Tool for Wildlife Hazard Management Plans: User Guide (2023)

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

41   Additional Resources for Program Improvement Available Resources The PERC Tool helps airport staff and practitioners identify specific management measures, recommendations, or topic areas that are effective and those that require improvement. The Report Card concludes with a summary of items in which some degree of improvement is warranted. Wildlife hazard management programs are site specific; therefore, it is not possible for the PERC Tool to identify or recommend specific remedies for airports needing improvement. Table 6 presents available resources for airport staff and practitioners to consult as they consider new or adapted wildlife hazard management approaches, measures, or recommendations. Risk Assessment and WHMP/Program Evaluation Risk is the assessed potential for adverse consequences resulting from a hazard (ICAO 2013). A risk assessment is an evaluation to determine whether the achieve or perceived risk is acceptable or tolerable (Skybrary 2022). FAA AC 150/5200­38, “Conduct and Review of Wildlife Hazard Site Visits, Wildlife Hazard Assessments, and Wildlife Hazard Management Plans,” which currently serves as the basis of most WHMP/Program evaluations, does not require formal risk assessments during an annual WHMP/Program review. The use of risk assessment in WHMP/Program evaluations was explored in detail during research efforts for ACRP Project 10­30 (Mead & Hunt 2021). Focus group participants and representatives of case study airports agreed that while risk assessment calculations could supple­ ment a WHMP/Program evaluation, a risk assessment was not a necessary component of a WHMP/Program evaluation or required to achieve compliance. Participants stated that they did not undertake risk assessments for several reasons: • Although risk assessment tools and methods are available, participants expressed doubt that they would undertake risk assessments in the absence of an airport­wide Safety Management System (SMS) program; and • The level of effort required to conduct a risk assessment was too great to accommodate with available resources. Only three of the 10 representatives of case study airports reported that they currently incorporate formal risk analyses into their WHMPs/Programs and consider the results of the analyses during annual WHMP/Program review. Focus group participants expressed frustration that the simplified level of risk assessment that is frequently conducted in association with high­ risk species was too limited to provide meaningful evaluation. Such risk assessments focus on: • Likelihood. The likelihood of strikes based on strike records alone; and • Severity. The severity or a damage potential as published in AC 150/5200­38, which was based on strike history from 1990 to 2012. C H A P T E R 4

42 Program Evaluation Report Card Tool for Wildlife Hazard Management Plans: User Guide Table 6. Additional resources for airport wildlife management programs. Title Brief Summary Link Laws and Regulations Title 14 CFR Aeronautics and Space, Part 139 Certification of Airports Regulations pertaining to the certification of airports including § 139.337 Wildlife Hazard Management. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title- 14/part-139 Wildlife Hazard Management Guidance AC 150/5200-38, Protocol for the Conduct and Review of Wildlife Hazard Site Visits, Wildlife Hazard Assessments, and Wildlife Hazard Management Plans Provides guidance for conducting wildlife site visits, hazard assessments, and management plans. https://www.faa.gov/documentLibr ary/media/Advisory_Circular/150- 5200-38.pdf Managing On-site Wildlife Attractants Wildlife Hazard Management at Airports A Manual for Airport Personnel The manual contains information to assist airport personnel in conducting Wildlife Hazard Assessments and in the development, implementation, and evaluation of WHMPs. It also includes specific information on the nature of wildlife strikes, legal authority, government agency roles and responsibilities, regulations, wildlife management techniques, Wildlife Hazard Assessments, WHMPs, and sources of help and information. https://www.faa.gov/airports/airpor t_safety/wildlife/resources/media/2 005_FAA_Manual_complete.pdf AC 150/5200-33C, Wildlife Hazard Attractants on and Near Airports Provides guidance on land uses that have the potential to attract hazardous wildlife on or near public-use airports. Wildlife mitigation strategies outside of the AOA that are used in WHMPs can be drawn from this document. https://www.faa.gov/documentLibr ary/media/Advisory_Circular/150- 5200-33C.pdf Cert Alert No. 16-03: Recommended Wildlife Exclusion Fencing Contains airfield exclusion methods for deer and other large mammals. https://www.faa.gov/airports/airpor t_safety/certalerts/media/part-139- cert-alert-16-03.pdf Cert Alert No. 06-07: Requests by State Wildlife Agencies to Facilitate and Encourage Habitat for State-Listed Threatened and Endangered Species and Species of Special Concern on Airports Describes procedures for responding to requests by state wildlife agencies to facilitate and encourage habitats for state-listed threatened and endangered species or species of special concern that occur on airports and may pose a threat to aviation safety. https://www.faa.gov/airports/airpor t_safety/certalerts/media/cert0607 .pdf Cert Alert No. 98-05: Grasses Attractive to Hazardous Wildlife Airport operators should ensure that grass species and other varieties of plants attractive to hazardous wildlife are not used on the airport. https://www.faa.gov/airports/airpor t_safety/certalerts/media/cert9805 .pdf ACRP Report 32: Guidebook for Addressing Aircraft/Wildlife Hazards at General Aviation Airports Presents the different wildlife challenges that airports may face and the techniques and strategies for addressing them particularly at GA airports with limited resources. Includes (1) the different species and information helpful in identifying and controlling them, (2) various wildlife attractants and BMPs, (3) wildlife control strategies and techniques, and (4) how to develop a wildlife control program. https://www.trb.org/Publications/Bl urbs/163690.aspx ACRP Report 122: Innovative Airport Responses to Threatened and Endangered Species Identifies potential conflicts with airport operations and provides detailed solutions to help airport industry practitioners address the presence of federally listed species at or near airports. https://www.trb.org/Publications/Bl urbs/171975.aspx ACRP Synthesis 23: Bird Harassment, Repellent, and Deterrent Techniques for Use on Airports Provides harassment, repellant, and deterrent techniques for reducing bird collisions with aircraft and the relative effectiveness of the various techniques. https://www.trb.org/Publications/Bl urbs/165829.aspx ACRP Synthesis 39: Airport Wildlife Population Management Provides direct wildlife population control techniques and summarizes the ecological foundation of wildlife population control and management. https://www.trb.org/Publications/Bl urbs/168836.aspx ACRP Synthesis 52: Habitat Management to Deter Wildlife at Airports Presents information on habitat management to deter wildlife at airports and manage risk to aviation. https://www.trb.org/Publications/Bl urbs/170766.aspx Managing Off-site Wildlife Attractants and Land Use AC 150/5200-34A, Construction or Establishment of Landfills near Airports Provides guidance for use by persons considering the construction or establishment of a new municipal solid waste landfill near a public airport. https://www.faa.gov/documentLibr ary/media/Advisory_Circular/150_ 5200_34a.pdf ACRP Report 27: Enhancing Airport Land Use Compatibility, Volumes 1 and 2 Presents a comprehensive account of issues associated with land uses around airports. The report is a comprehensive resource to airports and local jurisdictions near airports. https://www.trb.org/Publications/Bl urbs/163344.aspx https://www.trb.org/Publications/Bl urbs/163345.aspx ACRP Research Report 174: Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Volume 1: Primer Defines and discusses green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) management strategies, a relatively new approach to regulation compliance, and includes a section on avoiding creation of wildlife hazards. http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/17 6182.aspx ACRP Research Report 198: Wetland Mitigation, Volume 2: A Guidebook for Airports Guidebook on how to mitigate potential impacts to wetlands from airport construction, expansion, and safety improvements. https://www.trb.org/Publications/Bl urbs/179214.aspx

Additional Resources for Program Improvement 43 Title Brief Summary Link ACRP Synthesis 117: Agricultural Operations on Airport Grounds Compiles literature and practices at airports to initiate and manage agricultural operations on airport grounds including concerns of wildlife, environmental, safety, and security issues. http://nap.naptionalacademies.org /26543 ACRP Report 125: Balancing Stormwater and Bird Hazard Management Helps airports identify and evaluate stormwater management and bird mitigation practices through risk matrixes. Provides a risk analysis tool that allows users to enter different categories of data (i.e., bird data vs. stormwater BMP data). https://www.trb.org/Publications/Bl urbs/172035.aspx Wildlife Strike Reporting AC 150/5200-32B, Reporting Aircraft Strikes Explains the importance of reporting bird strikes, how to report strikes, and what happens with the data. The effectiveness of a WHMP to reduce wildlife hazards both on and near an airport and the reevaluation of all facets of damaging/non-damaging strikes from year to year requires accurate and consistent reporting. https://www.faa.gov/documentLibr ary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_1 50_5200-32B.pdf Safety Management Systems ACRP Report 145: Applying an SMS Approach to Wildlife Hazard Management Introduces and guides the application of a risk-based approach to wildlife hazard management programs and outlines additional steps for integrating such programs into an airport’s Safety Management System. https://www.trb.org/Publications/Bl urbs/173318.aspx Performance Measures ACRP Research Report 223: Performance Measures for State Aviation Agencies Provides insight into the selection of the performance measures, including wildlife management, that best fits the needs of state aviation agencies. https://www.trb.org/Publications/Bl urbs/181395.aspx Liability ACRP Legal Research Digest 20: Airport Responsibility for Wildlife Management Addresses the federal and state legal framework for airport wildlife hazard reduction and management. The digest also addresses federal and state wildlife and land use laws and regulations affecting an airport operator’s efforts to respond to airport wildlife hazards. https://www.trb.org/Publications/Bl urbs/179905.aspx Agencies and Industry Organizations U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Airport Wildlife Hazards Program Wildlife Services is a program within USDA APHIS. It provides federal leadership and expertise to resolve wildlife conflicts that threaten public health and safety. Increased air traffic, urban sprawl, enhanced noise suppression on aircraft, and more concentrated populations of birds and other wildlife at or near airports contribute to wildlife strikes. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ ourfocus/wildlifedamage/programs /sa_airport/ct_airport_hazards Contacts Page: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ ourfocus/wildlifedamage/contact- ws Bird Strike Committee USA (BSC-USA) Bird Strike Committee USA was formed in 1991 as a forum to facilitate the exchange of information, promote the collection and analysis of accurate wildlife strike data, promote the development of new technologies for reducing wildlife hazards, promote professionalism in wildlife management programs on airports through training and advocacy of high standards of conduct for airport biologist and bird patrol personnel, and be a liaison to similar organizations in other countries. http://www.birdstrike.org/ The Wildlife Society (TWS) TWS is an international organization committed to addressing national and international issues that affect the current and future status of wildlife in North America and throughout the world. BSC- USA and TWS are working together to develop a designation that will expand TWS’s Wildlife Biologist Certification Program’s current opportunities and will be consistent with the QAWB requirements. https://wildlife.org/ ACRP Research Report 206: Guidebook on Effective Land Use Compatibility Planning Strategies for General Aviation Airports Provides an analysis of various state and local airport zoning laws and their effectiveness in protecting airport viability and safety. This guidebook will help airport operators understand the various tools for ensuring compatible land use and how best to communicate land use compatibility needs to government decision makers and land use professionals (among other stakeholders). https://www.trb.org/Publications/Bl urbs/179905.aspx Table 6. (Continued). (continued on next page)

44 Program Evaluation Report Card Tool for Wildlife Hazard Management Plans: User Guide Title Brief Summary Link U.S. Air Force (USAF) Avian Hazard Advisory System (AHAS) The USAF developed the AHAS to assist in the detection of birds in aircraft operation environments including airports, flight training routes, and training facilities. It uses filtered weather radar data from Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) operated by the National Weather Service (NWS). NEXRAD disaggregates precipitation data, wind data, and non-biological radar return data (e.g., planes and ground clutter) to identify and display biological targets. The AHAS website allows users to conduct queries by airfield, which includes military airfields and some civilian airports. https://www.usahas.com/ BirdCast The BirdCast tool helps to predict and monitor bird migration using maps to identify the extent, location, and predicted timeframe for using live bird migration maps and migration alerts. The tool includes a dashboard that provides radar-based measurements of nocturnal bird migration at county and state levels in the contiguous United States. https://birdcast.info/ eBird eBird is managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. eBird data document bird distribution, abundance, habitat use, and trends through checklist data collected within a simple, scientific framework. Birders enter when, where, and how they went birding, and then fill out a checklist of all the birds seen and heard during the outing. eBird’s free mobile app allows offline data collection anywhere in the world, and the website provides many ways to explore and summarize your data and other observations from the global eBird community. https://ebird.org/home Christmas Bird Counts The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a census of birds in the Western hemisphere, performed annually in the early Northern-hemisphere winter by volunteer birdwatchers and administered by the National Audubon Society. https://www.audubon.org/conserv ation/science/christmas-bird-count FAA Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) The FAA TAF provides historic data and the official FAA forecast of aviation activity for U.S. airports. The “Current TAF Data” enables users to identify historical operations data from 1990 through the previous calendar year. The tool is available to the public. However, the data are likely to be less accurate than data obtained from an airport operator sources, such as operations logs, fuel sales logs, and data provided by airport users. https://www.faa.gov/data_researc h/aviation/taf Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) Airport Wildlife Strike Summary and Risk Analysis Reports A web-based tool, it generates a quick online report that provides airport-specific information based solely on NWSD records. http://wildlifecenter.pr.erau.edu/stri keInformation.html Data Sources FAA’s National Wildlife Strike Database (NWSD) The FAA’s NWSD provides a catalog of recorded wildlife strikes to civil aircraft from 1990 through the present. The USDA manages the NWSD and makes this data available to the public on the FAA website. https://wildlife.faa.gov/home FAA Operations Network (OPSNET) The OPSNET is the official source of FAA air traffic operations and delay data and includes operations data from FY 1990 through yesterday. The tool is available to the public and provides options to query operations data by airport for specific timeframes. https://aspm.faa.gov/opsnet/sys/m ain.asp When asked to consider the type of risk assessment or analysis that could be useful for evalu­ ating WHMP/Program effectiveness, participants offered the following: • The relative risk associated with the wildlife species observed on and near the airport; • A risk analysis that would consider the prevalence and mass of species observed on the airfield; and • An analysis that can look both backward (trends and lagging indicators) and forward (predictive or leading indicators). Available Risk Assessment Methods The project panel encouraged the research team to consider risk assessment as a component of PERC Tool development; to do so, the team interviewed three experts: Richard Dolbeer, PhD, Isabel Metz, PhD, and Pierre Molina, who were familiar with risk assessment approaches that Table 6. (Continued).

Additional Resources for Program Improvement 45 involved the use of latent and predictive measures (Mead & Hunt 2021). Following the interviews, the research team determined that the use of more sophisticated methodologies that address such variables as bird mass, aircraft fleet mix and engine type, avian radar, or other data would not be useful for incorporation into the PERC Tool based on the data and staff resources required. Role of Risk Assessment in the PERC Tool Part 4 of the PERC Tool, “High­Risk/Priority Species and Risk Assessment,” provides the user with an opportunity to evaluate the risk posed by the most hazardous species observed on or near an airport (up to five species). The evaluation is based on readily available data, such as the NWSD and list of hazardous species identified in AC 150/5200­38, but the assessment considers additional factors such as the number of damaging strikes with the species and the frequency that the species has been observed on the airport during the evaluation period. Tool users wishing to undertake more detailed risk assessments are encouraged to review the resources identified in Table 6.