On the eve of an annual goose roundup at Rikers Island that already has removed nearly 1,250 geese from the vicinity of LaGuardia Airport, the Port Authority today highlighted a number of new initiatives to strengthen its aggressive bird mitigation program at the area's airports, including the installation of a state-of-the-art bird radar pilot program at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and an agreement with New York City to pay half the costs of additional goose roundups to remove thousands of Canada geese from city-owned properties in the vicinity of' LaGuardia and JFK.
Port Authority Chairman Anthony R. Coscia said, "Customer safety is our foremost priority, and we're constantly looking for new ways to do an even better job. The measures we're announcing today will help reduce the hazards posed by wildlife near our airports and provide a level of comfort to the tens of millions of customers who use our airports each year."
Executive Director Chris Ward said, 'Customer safety is this agency's number one priority and these new initiatives will further enhance our long-standing effort to crack down on wildlife threats at and around our airports.'
In addition to the federally approved, multi-tiered approach the agency currently takes to wildlife mitigation, including habitat modification, egg addling, nest removal, diversion, trapping and shooting when necessary, the Port Authority announced several additional'steps it is taking:
- Creating a memorandum of understanding with New York City that will lead to the roundup and removal of thousands of Canada geese from city-owned properties in the vicinity of LaGuardia and JFK.' The Port Authority will pay half of the cost of this effort which will be carried out by the US Department of Agriculture;
- Installing a state-of-the-art bird radar pilot program at JFK;
- Hiring of a second airport wildlife biologist - two of only seven in the nation- to enhance a wildlife hazard mitigation program at Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia and JFK that already is one of the most aggressive in the country, featuring a falconry program to reduce the hazard posed by gulls;
- Hiring of an independent evaluator to review the agency's FAA-certified Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Plans for the three major airports; and
- Training airport supervisors as certified shotgun instructors to increase the capacity to shoot birds when necessary.
All Port Authority airports are in compliance with federal regulations that require airport operators to submit a Wildlife Hazard Management Plan. The plans are required for an airport operator to receive its operating certification from the FAA.
