Ratification and Approval of a 5-year Cooperative Service Agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture, for wildlife management services at County

Riverside County operates the Blythe Airport, the Chiriaco-Summit Airport, the Hemet-Ryan Airport, the French Valley Airport, and the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport. These five (5) general aviation airports provide critical aviation infrastructure in support of life and safety air operations. Critical air operations based at County Airports include wildfire and firefighting support by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, law enforcement operations by the California Highway Patrol and the Riverside County Sheriff, and air medical/ambulance operations. Riverside County Airports provide critical infrastructure and connect communities with the nation’s air transportation system. In September of 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a grant to Riverside County to conduct a wildlife assessment at French Valley, Hemet-Ryan and Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airports. This wildlife assessment found significant wildlife presence at each of these airports. As a result of this finding, the FAA required a wildlife hazard management plan be implemented to manage wildlife hazards at these three airports. A wildlife hazard management plan outlines the specific measures the airports will take to manage wildlife hazards. A certified airport wildlife biologist professional is required to implement wildlife management efforts and to ensure full compliance with federal and state laws for wildlife management. Airport staff can implement limited harassment and deterrence measures. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers airport services for wildlife management. They employ certified airport wildlife biologists that support airports throughout the United State. The Aviation Department has approached the USDA to solicit their full-time wildlife services for the implementation of the wildlife hazard management plan at four County Airports. The services will be retained in the form of a cooperative services agreement and work plans. The approval of the USDA Cooperative Service Agreement is defined as the proposed project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The project is the procurement of wildlife management services at existing facilities; no expansion of the existing facilities will occur. The operation of the facilities will continue to provide aviation services. No additional direct or indirect physical environmental impacts are anticipated.