Don't panic - Our position: Chopping down trees is no way to solve Sanford airport's problem with eagles.

May 15, 2007
Bird strike leads to controversial proposals

Officials with the Orlando Sanford International Airport seem awfully eager to chop down hundreds of trees in hopes of relieving the problem of eagles flying dangerously close to runways.

But it's another hasty overreaction, along the same lines as their decision a couple of months ago to relocate three nests closest to the airport, even though it threatened the lives of nurturing chicks.

After an airplane struck and killed a bald eagle last fall, the officials felt compelled to make changes to ensure the safety of people on the planes and of the birds living near the runways. They had to do something.

But they opted for an extreme response that could do more environmental harm than good.

It makes sense to remove some mature pines near the airport to discourage eagles from nesting rather than later trying to relocate nests again, putting more chicks at risk. But to include trees where eagles simply visit goes too far. Other wildlife will suffer when those trees are gone, and their removal won't guarantee the lack of future bird strikes.

Removing the food sources that attract the birds is a better approach. Sanford officials plan to put out about two dozen traps to catch raccoons, opossums and other prey. That's a step in the right direction, one that should have been taken long ago. But Sanford can do even more, including bringing a biologist on staff and regularly monitoring wildlife activity on the site.

What's needed is a thoughtful animal-management program, one focused on protection, not panic.

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