Birding Dude: Port Authority Backs off From Killing Snowy Owls at JFK...

Excellent work all day yesterday by the public and organizations like Audubon NY, NYC Audubon, Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers, coverage from media outlets like the Daily News who broke the story and others got the necessary attention. Did the PA authority came to their senses? Or did someone in Albany make a phone call to the powers that be at Port Authority and expressed their unhappiness. Was it Governor Cuomo? In any event, good sense prevailed and the reaction was swift as late last night the Port Authority released a press statement (only to the media) indicating that they would IMMEDIATELY stop the killing of Snowy Owls at JFK and work with DEC to develop a non-lethal alternative. Here is an excerpt of the Press Release.

December 9, 2013 CONTACT: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey 212-435-7777 STATEMENT FROM THE PORT AUTHORITY ON SNOWY OWLS “The Port Authority is working with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to move immediately toward implementing a program to trap and relocate snowy owls that pose a threat to aircraft at JFK and LaGuardia airports. The Port Authority’s goal is to strike a balance in humanely controlling bird populations at and around the agency’s airports to safeguard passengers on thousands of aircrafts each day. Over the past two weeks, five planes at JFK, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia airports were struck by snowy owls that have been migrating to our region in far higher than typical numbers this year.”

This is great news and I hope that it extends beyond John F. Kennedy to our other local airports as well. Stay alert and remember to make some calls to thank those organizations and politicians who stepped up and did the right thing.

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