Airport Wildlife Safety Management CEAT/OMP Research Program 2006

1. Airport Wildlife Safety Management CEAT/OMP Research Program 2006

2. The OMP/ASWM Research Team:

4. Faculty: Ed Herricks, CEE Bruce Branham, NRES Jeff Brawn, NRES RA’s Amanda Kiser, CEE Theresa Kissane NRES

5. The ORD/OMP AWSM program is developing methods to improve operational safety at ORD through a multifaceted program that emphasizes systems integration. OMP benefits from a considerable investment of the FAA in ORD research and coordination with Department of Aviation and USDA Wildlife Services.

6. 2006 AWSM/OMP Program Foundation: We think early design input can reduce construction and operational costs and increase long-term safety at ORD!

7. Translated! It is possible to design a wildlife unfriendly airport – we have a singular opportunity to work with OMP to address wildlife attractants early in the design/construction process!

8. Example #1: Fill and topsoil Potential savings using on-site materials! Select surface conditions to minimize wildlife by avoiding soil-based food resources! Meet other needs!

9. Example #2: Vegetation USDA Wildlife Services has proposed the use of Tall Fescue! Conduct research on species and planting mixes to support planning to minimize wildlife attractants. Coordinate w/ construction to use appropriate intermediate measures.

10. Example #3: Stormwater Recent FAA interest! Designs for all infrastructure holding and passing water (e.g. Higgins Creek). Systems analysis of mitigation strategies (e.g. bird balls and water quality). Goal – minimize wildlife attractants on AOA!

11. The AWSM/OMP project objectives are: • Fill/Topsoil and Vegetation • Integrate OMP designs with existing and/or new and innovative wildlife management practices to minimize the attractiveness of the airport to all wildlife. • Identify seed stocks and planting procedures to develop a vegetation cover for ORD that will minimize wildlife hazards to aircraft movement.

12. Conduct analysis of top dressing materials for graded areas that will minimize the development of soil microfauna and corresponding attractiveness of revegetated areas to a wide range of wildlife species. • Develop and test biobarriers as a wildlife management technique for airports.

13. We will use fill material from ORD in test plots at UIUC

14. Stormwater: • Evaluate all proposed stormwater conveyance, detention, and retention facilities and planning for OMP with the objective of minimizing wildlife attractants at these facilities, at present, and into the future.

15. Coordination: • Use the GIS developed for ORD by CEAT and Wildlife Services under the sponsorship of the FAA to provide advanced spatial analysis techniques in support of airport design considering both engineering and wildlife management issues. • Develop a comprehensive strategy for OMP and ORD to minimize the attraction of wildlife and implement an adaptive management process based on long term monitoring.

16. Task #1 Develop a working understanding of the OMP and develop a working relationship with the design engineers and managers of the project. We intend to meet with you regularly and provide consultation as needed!

17. The four focus areas for year one are: • Soil selection to support site revegetation and turf performance. • Identification and selection of unpalatable vegetation species (w/ endophytes). • Developing biobarriers to control food chain and attractiveness to birds. • Reducing the attractiveness of existing infrastructure to wildlife w/ focus on stormwater control facilities.

18. Task #2 Conduct research to address questions of soil surface characteristics and vegetation development.

19. Research to address: • soil surface and subsurface composition as growth medium for vegetation that will support only limited development of soil microfauna that are the base of wildlife food chains; • the use of endophyte-containing turfgrasses to reduce the palatability of leaf tissue to geese and other grazing birds; and • the use of a biobarrier containing an biocides that will control microfauna and some types of vegetation development.

20. This research will be conducted at UIUC using materials obtained from OMP!

21. Task #3 Analyze airport infrastructure and potential hazards to aircraft safety produced by wildlife relationships with that infrastructure.

22. Activities include: 1. Review design and construction planning for stormwater conveyance and detention structures. 2. Use spatial analysis tools to analyze airport infrastructure and potential hazards to aircraft safety produced by wildlife relationships with that infrastructure. 3. Consider approaches to meet permit requirements while minimizing wildlife hazards.

23. The analysis proposed in this task will take advantage of the GIS already developed for ORD. Specific attention will be given to the development of data layers for conveyance channels and water detention and retention structures. An analysis will be performed for the existing configuration of ORD, the completed OMP configuration, and critical transitions as the OMP project progresses.

24. Deliverables: Technical notes will be prepared and submitted to the OMP throughout the duration of this project to transfer specific findings and recommendations. Reporting will be provided on a regular basis – intermediate and final reports as topics require.

25. Questions?