RPTR COPIED ASRS ON A LETTER TO A COUNTY COMMISSIONER. ARPT AUTHS DO NOT WANT TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN THE ARPT OR DISCOURAGE BIRDS.

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LAST TUESDAY EVENING; MR W PROVIDED A STATUS OF THE INFIELD CLRING PROJECT TO THE VAAB STATING THAT THE MINIMUM WOULD BE DONE TO ENSURE THE ARPT COMPLIES WITH THE FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR ON LINE OF SIGHT VISIBILITY FOR ADJACENT RWYS. THIS INCLUDES A PLAN TO CUT THE INFIELD VEGETATION TO A HT OF 5 FT AND ENHANCE THE AREA FOR SCRUB JAY HABITAT. AS ONE WHO HAS SPENT THOUSANDS OF HRS AT THE ARPT OBSERVING OPS OVER THE PAST 5 YRS; I CAN TELL YOU THIS PLAN WILL REDUCE THE LEVEL OF SAFETY AT VALKARIA AND WILL FAIL TO CORRECT MOST OF THE PROBS CREATED BY THE OVERGROWN INFIELD. ADDITIONALLY; THE FAA HAS ADVISED ME THAT THE COUNTY WILL BE IN VIOLATION OF THE QUITCLAIM DEED IF IT ESTABLISHES A SCRUB JAY HABITAT; A NONAVIATION USE OF ARPT PROPERTY; WITHOUT FIRST CERTIFYING THAT LAND HAS NO AVIATION USE AND OBTAINING FAA CONCURRENCE WITH THAT ASSESSMENT. IN THAT EVENT; THE COUNTY WOULD ALSO BE LIABLE FOR LEASING THE LAND FROM THE ARPT AT FAIR MARKET VALUE; SIMILAR TO THE LEASES FOR THE GOLF COURSE AND THE MOSQUITO CTL FACILITY. IN JUL/97 MR X AND MR Y OF THE FAA ARPTS DISTRICT OFFICE IN ORLANDO MET WITH THEN ARPT MGR MR Z TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE LACK OF PROGRESS IN CLRING THE INFIELD. DURING THAT MEETING THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION TO THE INFIELD WAS TO MAKE IT GRASS OF 'MOWABLE WILDFLOWERS.' THE FAA STATED DURING THAT MEETING; THAT CREATION OF A BIRD SANCTUARY IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ARPT IS AN UNACCEPTABLE HAZARD TO AVIATION SAFETY. 1 1/2 YRS LATER; THE COUNTY HAS YET TO REMOVE 1 PIECE OF OVERGROWTH FROM THE ARPT INFIELD AREA AND IS PLANNING TO IMPLEMENT A PROJECT TO CUT THE VEGETATION TO A HT OF 5 FT AND ENHANCE THE AREA FOR SCRUB JAY HABITAT. THE SAFETY ISSUES; IN ORDER OF SEVERITY; WITH THE CURRENT SCRUB JAY PLAN FOR THE INFIELD ARE: 1) DISABLED ACFT ON THE RWY ARE NOT VISIBLE TO THE FBO; COUNTY EMPLOYEES OR OTHER GND PERSONNEL ON ARPT PROPERTY. THIS HAS DELAYED ASSISTANCE TO DISABLED ACFT ON AT LEAST 6 OCCASIONS WITH WHICH I AM PERSONALLY FAMILIAR. PEOPLE COULD WELL DIE ON THE RWY AFTER SURVIVING A CRASH BECAUSE VISIBILITY OF THE RWYS IS BLOCKED FOR ALL BUT A VERY SMALL PORTION. IN ALL THESE CASES; INCLUDING THE MOST RECENT; JUST WKS AGO; INVOLVING A NORDO ULTRALIGHT ON RWY 9; NO ONE KNEW ANYTHING WAS WRONG UNTIL THE PLT WALKED FROM THE RWY TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE. 5 FT OF VEGETATION WILL NOT SIGNIFICANTLY ALLEVIATE THIS PROB. 2) THE TREES AND OTHER WILD VEGETATION ON THE INFIELD CREATE A SERIOUS HAZARD TO ACFT ATTEMPTING TO LAND WITH MAINT DIFFICULTIES SUCH AS BLOWN TIRE; LOCKED OR MALFUNCTIONING WHEEL BRAKE; ENG OUT; ETC; THAT COULD READILY CAUSE AN ACFT TO VEER OFF THE RWY DURING ROLLOUT. 3) THE VEGETATION WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE SIGNIFICANT TURB ALONG BOTH RWYS. AT A RECREATIONAL ARPT; THIS IS ESPECIALLY TROUBLESOME; DUE TO THE TYPES OF VERY LIGHT ACFT INTENDED FOR THE ARPT AND THE GENERAL LEVEL OF PLT PROFICIENCY EXPECTED. 4) CREATION OF A BIRD SANCTUARY IS COUNTER TO THE MOST BASIC TENETS OF ARPT SAFETY. MANY ARPTS GO TO CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE AND TROUBLE TO INSTALL NOISE MAKING AND OTHER DEVICES TO RID THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT OF BIRDS. BIRDS (EVEN SMALL BIRDS) IMPACTING AN AIRPLANE WINDSHIELD CAN AND HAVE KILLED PLTS. AT VALKARIA; WHERE THE EMPHASIS IS ON RECREATIONAL AVIATION; MANY PLTS FLY OPEN COCKPIT ACFT. BIRDS ON THE INFIELD CREATE SIGNIFICANT HAZARD AS THE ACFT TAKE OFF AND LAND AND AS ULTRALIGHTS UTILIZE THE ULTRALIGHT TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 9. THE ULTRALIGHT PATTERN FOR RWY 9 ALLOWS PLTS OF ULTRALIGHTS TO USE RWY 9 WHEN THE WINDS ARE CALM; WHILE THE HEAVIER ACFT USE RWY 14. THE ULTRALIGHTS STAY IN A CLOSE-IN L-HAND TFC PATTERN; AVOIDING RWY 14 BY OVERFLYING THE CTR OF THE INFIELD AREA AT OR BELOW 500 FT. SCRUB JAYS ON THE INFIELD WOULD CONFLICT WITH THIS TFC PATTERN. THIS PROB IS MADE EVEN WORSE BY THE FACT THAT THE GOLF COURSE AND THE AREA TO THE S OF THE ARPT PROPERTY HAS ALL BEEN ENHANCED FOR SCRUB JAY HABITAT. SCRUB JAYS WILL TEND TO MIGRATE BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE RWY AS FAMILIES DEVELOP AND THE YOUNG GO OFF IN SEARCH OF AN AREATO LIVE. CLRLY; THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT CANNOT BE IGNORED. 5) WILDLIFE; SUCH AS DEER; WILL CONTINUE TO BE CONCEALED AND CAN DART OUT INTO THE RWY ENVIRONMENT AT ANYTIME CREATING A COLLISION HAZARD WITH LNDG AND DEPARTING ACFT. DEER ARE FREQUENTLY SEEN TRANSITING THE RWY ENVIRONMENT. 6) UNAUTH PERSONS ON ARPT PROPERTY GO UNDETECTED SUCH AS CURIOUS CHILDREN (WHO GAIN ACCESS BY CRAWLING OVER THE FENCE) AND VANDALS (NOTABLY THE VANDALS THAT JUST RECENTLY GAINED ACCESS TO THE HANGARS VIA THE BACK ENTRANCE AND USED THE INFIELD FOR COVER TO APCH THE HANGARS). IT SERVES NO USEFUL PURPOSE TO HAVE TRESS; BUSHES AND VEGETATION AT A HT OF 5 FT ON THE INFIELD. THE INFIELD SHOULD BE GRASS TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE; WITH A SMALL WETLANDS AREA AS REQUIRED BY THE EXISTING CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL RULES. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROB THAT HAS NOT BEEN ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED NOR PRIORITIZED TO BE CORRECTED DESPITE FAA; FDOT AND EVEN COUNTY COMMISSION DIRECTION TO DO SO. I IMPLORE YOU TO ACT TO CORRECT THIS VERY SERIOUS ISSUE BY REVISING THE PLAN TO MAKE THE INFIELD GRASS TO THE MAX EXTENT FEASIBLE. IDEALLY; MITIGATION ON SOME OTHER PART OF THE ARPT (W SIDE OF VALKARIA RD) WOULD ALLOW THE WETLANDS AREA TO BE GRASS AS WELL. IF ASKED; MR W; AS A PROFESSIONAL; WILL TELL YOU THAT THE OPTIMUM REMEDY FOR THE INFIELD IS JUST THAT; GRASS. POLITICS; IT SEEMS; IS PREVENTING HIM FROM PROPERLY PERFORMING HIS JOB AND ADVISING YOU AND HIS SUPERIORS OF HIS RECOMMENDATION. POLITICS HAS NO PLACE IN THE SAFE OP OF AN ARPT.