Birds must take a back seat to planes, lawmakers decide

Worried that geese and jets don’t mix, the state Senate passed a measure today that would give airports greater authority to kill birds that might interfere with airplanes -- without being cited by state wildlife wardens.

The legislation, previously approved by the Assembly, now goes to the governor’s desk.

It was introduced by Sen. Dave Cox (R-Fair-Oaks), months after a US Airways jetliner ditched in New York's Hudson River after striking some Canada geese.

State wildlife officials have threatened to cite California airport operators for shooting birds near flight paths.

``The Federal Aviation Administration requires airports to keep birds away from airplanes as much as possible,’’ Cox said. ``This bill gives airports the tool to do their job without interference from the state Department of Fish and Game,’’ Cox said.

--Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento

Comments

[Whatever]

Kill kill kill! That's the solution to all problems, right? However, I don't really think killing birds will help airplanes. They should look for better ideas.

[Roger Pariseau]

Birds clean the air -- besides they were here first! Airplanes foul the air, accelerate our lives more than our psyches need, and present serious hazards to those birds, some of which are _Federally_endangered. Our _State_ legislators can write all the want but they cannot overrule the Feds! Every airplane operator that causes harm to any of these endangered birds must be held fully accountable and seriously fined. We do not need to fly; birds do.

Does that sound inane? It really isn't. The three days following 9/11, when most airplanes were grounded, our atmosphere remarkably cleared. Airplanes at altitude more seriously affect the ozone layer and directly add carbon emissions to the layers they're flying within.

We can teleconference instead! Yeah, it's not as much fun as wrangling face to face but severely limiting air travel could seriously improve our environment -- some the birds do all by themselves!

[syscom3]

What if a state agency fined another state agency, and they refused to pay the fine?

LOL ..... what a bunch of idiots.

[Bill Cormeny]

I guess the people in the Fish and Game Department do not fly or have relatives who fly.
Fish and Wildlife should boycott airlines,cars,trains,ships and ride donkeys.
There's little road kill when you ride donkeys.

[Ramon]

It's about time we set priorities where they need to be. The birds can hide in other areas. I'd love to have a job at the airport making sure all airplanes are safe during take off.

[D.Lambeert]

Ya gotta love Roger! He must live in 'bubble land'! Oh, and Bill, speaking of riding donkeys. Most of our politicians are donkeys. If you really want to 'clear the air Roger', put our politicians on a bird and send them south, .. or north, .. for oh, a long long time! Leave us to re-building our enconomy (that would include use of aircraft, which are integral to our economic infrastructure / unlike Geese / sorry AFLAC)and then business will return to Calif.

[brainstorm]

Just eliminate All Grass area's at Airports.

[SeanBoy]

Just kill them all! Kill all of the animals so there won't be anything left on this damn planet execept for human. How typical.

[ally]

maybe someone should also consider actually regulating the airspace above the Hudson in which a majority of recent accidents have occurred! I'm not sure how effective it is to kill the birds if planes are crashing into one another.

[Jen Farnsworth]

I live in Boston right by Logan airport. The airport's wildlife hazard management team has been shooting birds there for years - it is a regular practice. I honestly don't think it does anything to make the flying public any safer because the airport is in a bird migratory flight path and is also right on the water. But, I do think it makes the pubic "feel" safer and think that every possible tactic is being implemented to manage the birds. There are spectacular birds at the airport too from Egrets to Oyster catchers!! Check out the airport bird hunters in action on my You Tube video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5uGv7KF3_s

[Goose Man]

The only problem with this story is that Waterfowl and protected by the Federal Government under the International Migratory Bird Treaty Act. They have to get a permit from the US Fish & Wildlife Service. I wonder why no one told the State about that. Killing the geese does nothing to make the public safer in the air. You have to change environment that is attracting the birds. Shooting is just a band aid they use to make the public feel they are doing something. They have been shooting at the New York airports for decades.

[SPURWING PLOVER]

Birds were flying a lot longer before we had airplanes lawmakers should instead use methods to discorage birds from using airport runways and taxiways

[Bubba1984]

"Birds clean the air -- besides they were here first! " - Roger

Actually, given the life span of geese and airliners, it's a safe bet that the airliners have been here decades before the current crop of geese were born. In fact, I'll bet these are "illegal alien" Canadian geese. All kidding aside, I hear they taste like chicken.

[sterling]

Birds have been around since before planes were invented. How many planes go down in a year, due to birds.
I guess this way the birds get the blame and not the pilot that is very tired or sick and is flying the plane.
They are just over reacting. Just because the birds can't protest.