Bentonville's geese gone but problem to persist

A plane used by Summit Aviation sits in front of the Summit Aviation office Monday, March 20, 2017, at Bentonville municipal airport. Plans for a new Flight Center on the Northwest side of the runway, which will become the main entrance to the airport, include space for some of Summit Aviation's operations, among other amenities.
A plane used by Summit Aviation sits in front of the Summit Aviation office Monday, March 20, 2017, at Bentonville municipal airport. Plans for a new Flight Center on the Northwest side of the runway, which will become the main entrance to the airport, include space for some of Summit Aviation's operations, among other amenities.

BENTONVILLE -- Geese are no longer at the end of the municipal airport's runway, but officials still must determime the best course of action for when they return in the spring.

The Airport Advisory Board discussed the problem for the second consecutive month at its meeting Thursday.

The birds typically spend about four months each spring at the airport, posing a safety hazard that includes possible plane crashes, officials said in June.

The board created a subcommittee with Richard Ham, board chairman; Rick Simmons, board member; and Dave Powell, Summit Aviation owner, and tentatively made plans to meet before the Aug. 2 board meeting.

"They have not returned," Powell said of the geese. "They will next year."

"I think they're all out in Cave Springs on the golf course," Joe Clark, board member, said generating a laugh from those present.

Ham said he would speak with graduate students at the University of Arkansas who may be interested in taking a look and coming up with a creative solution. Ham is an associate director in the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

Chuck Chadwick, airport manager, said he received an email from a man who was willing to help either by harassing the geese with a dog, and if that didn't work, eliminate the geese in a humane manner. Chadwick said he responded and asked how much it would cost. The man said he wanted to consider his services a courtesy to the city, Chadwick said.

The ways to deter geese are to change the habitat, move them, harass them or kill them, the board discussed in June.

Harassment -- to scare them off with dogs, hawks or another method -- is the most expensive, and the geese would have to be moved at least 300 miles so they don't find their way back to the airport. The conservation project and development of Osage Park north of the lake makes removes changing the habitat option, officials previously said.

Chadwick also gave an update on the through-the-fence agreement between Lonesome Tree Properties and the airport. A through-the-fence agreement allows access to the airport from non-airport property.

Lonesome Tree owns part of the land that the new flight center is being built on while the city owns the other part.

Chadwick said he'd hoped the agreement would be headed to City Council Tuesday for approval, but the Federal Aviation Administration approval is taking longer than expected.

"It's like a hurry up and wait," he said.

NW News on 07/06/2018


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