Critics: Bird-culling plan near JFK goes too far
May 27, 2012, 1:03 AM
NEW YORK (AP) – Critics are crying foul over a plan to control bird populations near New York City’s JFK Airport.
Under a proposal from the U.S. department of Agriculture, staffers would be authorized to kill a half-dozen bird species within a five-mile radius of the airport.
The intent is to reduce the number of bird strikes on planes.
Environmentalists tell the Daily News (
http://nydn.us/Kjng5b) that the measures need to be examined more carefully.
They say the plan conflicts with a multimillion-dollar federal effort to restore nearby wetland habitats for migratory birds.
Birds that could be killed under the plan include Canada geese, mute swans, double-crested cormorants, blackbirds, crows, rock pigeons and European starlings.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has proposed legislation that would bypass the environmental impact review process for the plan.
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