Partners in Flight Program
The DOD has implemented a program entitled Partners in Flight that
sustains and enhances the military testing and training mission through
habitat‐based management strategies. The program assists natural resource
managers in monitoring, inventorying, researching, and management of
birds and their habitats. As part of the Partners in Flight program, a strategic
plan is created that can be incorporated into a Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike
Hazard (BASH/WASH) plan. This program reaches beyond the boundaries of
the installation to facilitate community partnerships and determine the
current status of bird populations to prevent the further endangerment of
birds.
US Avian Hazard Advisory System
The US Avian Hazard Advisory System (USAHAS) is a geographic information
system‐based bird avoidance model developed by the US Air Force used for
“analysis and correlation of bird habitat, migration, and breeding
characteristics, combined with key environmental and manmade geospatial
data.” The model provides up‐to‐date information – “near real‐time” –
about bird activity and movements to assist pilots and flight planners in the
scheduling and use of flight routes. The model can also be used as a
forecasting tool to estimate bird strike risk. Information from the
North American Breeding Bird Survey, Audubon Christmas Bird Count, bird
refuge databases, and the US Air Force Bird‐Aircraft Strike database as well
as public domain information regarding bird attractant locations is used to
formulate the bird activity and movement data. The model is available for
use by agencies and the general public, accessible from the USAHAS website
at http://www.usahas.com/.
Maxwell AFB Plans and Programs
Maxwell AFB plans and programs provide guidance for land uses and
development activities on the installation. These tools govern land use
decisions that occur inside the fenceline or within the boundary of the
military mission footprint in relation to the military mission or proposed
military missions.
These tools provide guidance and establish measures for standard operating
procedures during certain events such as flight training. There are various
installation tools that are instrumental in assisting and guiding land use
decisions as they interface with the military mission.
Air Installation Compatible Use Zone
The United States DOD initiated the AICUZ program to assist government
entities and communities in anticipating, identifying, and promoting
compatible land use and development near military installatio