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Calls for Latimer to stop airport overreach wildlife slaughter in Greenburgh
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2018
Contact: Kiley Blackman
[email protected]
Calls for Latimer to stop airport overreach wildlife slaughter in Greenburgh
Greenburgh Chief joins calls for change after troubling discovery in
Westchester airport operations.
Westchester County, NY - Animal advocacy group Animal Defenders of
Westchester (ADOW) has uncovered several troubling facts about the operation
of Westchester airport and Wildlife Services, who is retained for their
wildlife management.
When a veterinarian contacted ADOW a few months ago, complaining about
wide-scale wildlife killings at Fisher Pond in Greenburgh, queries and FOIA
requests to various agencies finally revealed the source to be Westchester
airport. The airport released this statement via Asst. Airport Manager
Stephen Ferguson:
"Wildlife Services recommends and performs on the airport’s behalf, Canada
goose management within 7 miles of the airport perimeter to protect the
runway approach and departure airspace. Fisher Pond (Greenburgh) is
located within 7 miles of the airport perimeter."
However: In a recent meeting with airport officials - including Ken Paskar,
who is the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Airport Support
Network Volunteer for Westchester County Airport, as well as being the
former Lead Safety Representative for the FAA Safety Team; Airport Manager
Steve Ferguson; and Commissioner Vincent Kopicki - a representative from
Wildlife Services admitted that they are not mandated by the FAA to
slaughter animals and birds in a seven mile radius - the FAA only mandates a
five-mile radius...and Wildlife Services merely chooses to add an extra two
miles of killing on their own whim.
ADOW immediately notified Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner about this
issue, and Feiner has also contacted County Executive Latimer, requesting
that he intervene in this matter.
Kiley Blackman, ADOW founder, said, "I call BS: This is yet another
unchecked, no-oversight renegade action, which Wildlife Services is known
for. They doesn't make the rules - the FAA does; there's already
enough funny business between the Westchester airport and WS without adding
renegade overreaching unnecessary slaughter.
"Airport slaughters are big business for Wildlife Services: Killing birds
as a means of 'management,' rather than deterring them, ensures a constant
supply of revenue, as more birds always come in after others are wiped out.
The hunter-staffed Wildlife Services is taking in an enormous amount of
taxpayer monies - over half a million for the last three years! - just for
this effort alone...while all other non-lethal methods are far more
cost-efficient. Killing birds at airports used to only be done in
extreme cases - now, due to Wildlife Services urging, its the norm.
The Westchester Airport has repeatedly promised to explore new non-lethal
means in this area, which would involve other merchants beside Wildlife
Services - but refuses to act on it. In fact, at the meeting, Kopicki
stopped us from directly challenging WS
We have reached out to the National Resource Defense Council and Animal
Legal Defense Fund regarding this situation, with an eye toward filing a
lawsuit against the airport, the county and Wildlife Services."
"CE Latimer and Westchester airport must reject this shameful, gratuitous
slaughter under the guise of 'management.' The airport gave a no-bid
contract to Wildlife Services - ignoring required competitive bidding; they
must get out of Greenburgh. It is absolutely unacceptable that a
Greenburgh resident - who has every right to enjoy their parks in peace -
has to watch in tears as the wildlife she loves are brutally and needlessly
slaughtered by a out-of-control tax-payer funded agency hell-bent on doing
as much lethal damage as possible. Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner
has asked County Executive Latimer to intervene; we join Supervisor
Feiner in requesting CE Latimer put an end to this disgrace."
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