Airport Business - 15

WILDLIFE CONTROL
burrow in the project area and three
of the burrows were checked one more
time with a camera scope. Once it was
confirmed the burrows were unoccupied,
they were excavated by hand and
collapsed. Six others nearby were staked
and protected and all others outside the
disturbance area were protected with
barrier fencing. Knowing some owls
could potentially lose their homes, the
team dug nine new starter owl burrows,
away from the project area, for the
airfield's winged residents to move into.
In early December evidence of
activity at the starter burrows could
already be seen, and by February two
of the burrows were confirmed to be
occupied (possibly by a nesting owl
pair) and three others were potentially
occupied.

'Just Good Business'
With animals safely out of the way,
construction on the loop road was able to
take place without worry about impacts

to the animals and without delay to the
construction schedule because of the
inadvertent discovery of a threatened
species. It was completed in mid-spring.
Taking care of the animals was
part of a longstanding emphasis on
environmental stewardship by the airport.
"Environmental sustainability is just good
business," said James. "We're a very
busy airport, but we're not so busy that
we overlook the protection of wildlife
around the airport."
Ja me s not e d t h at w i ld l i fe
preservation has long been important
to the community. The city of Fort
Lauderdale, which owns the airport,
has been certified as a Community
Wildlife Habitat by the National
Wildlife Foundation-recognizing the
community's commitment to restoring
habitat and coexisting with wildlife.
The animal relocation operation
will almost certainly not be the last for
FXE. The effort came amid ongoing
improvements and expansion at the

airport, which is also planning a runway
extension, and a number of additional
taxiway improvements. As the airport
continues to grow, those projects will
also have to take into account the wildlife
that use the wide open green spaces
found on the airfield; again dealing with
strict state regulations that protect the
animals and limit the timing windows
for construction work.
"We're fully aware of the fact that
burrowing owls have a mating season
and the gopher tortoises can't be touched
in their burrows," James said.
Other airports in the Southeast
will face the similar challenges. But
good planning, expert assistance, and a
creative solution can mean a successful
project without surprises, except perhaps
for the owls and tortoises who end up
in new digs. 

CLARKSVILLE:
Prime for Development

ARTIST RENDERING

Clarksville
Regional
Airport
is looking for
companies
ready to take
their business
to the next level!

Clarksville, Tenn.
* Ranked Best Place To Live in
2019 by Money Magazine
* 55+ acres of developable land
with taxiway and road access
* 5 minute drive to Interstate 24
* 10 minute flight to Nashville
BNA
* Veteran population with
skilled aviation workforce
* Home to Austin Peay State
University, the fastest-growing College in the state and
the only rotary wing flight
program in Tennessee

For more info contact
jvaughn@clarksvilleregional.com
AviationPros.com/21108006

OCTOBER 2019 \ AVIATIONPROS.COM / 15
http://www.clarksvilleregional.com http://www.AviationPros.com/21108006 http://www.AVIATIONPROS.COM
Airport Business

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Airport Business
