ARTICLE 8. Management of Wildlife at Public Use Airports [3470. - 3472.2.]

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC 8.

in effect

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 3470. Section 3470.

It is the policy of the state to actively encourage the safe and biologically sound management of wildlife resources on California’s public use airports as regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and its agents. The Legislature recognizes that public use airports serving in the United States are operated according to regulations and policies promulgated by the FAA and federal law that protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public in compliance with applicable FAA regulations, standards, policies, and guidance, wildlife hazard management plans, and associated permits.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 3471. Section 3471.

The Legislature recognizes that, in a public use airport’s ongoing efforts to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the traveling public in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, and specifically Section 337 of Part 139 of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, it is necessary to perform limited and authorized wildlife hazing, harassment, and depredation. The Legislature further recognizes that FAA certificated public use airports and their wildlife hazard management staff must harass, haze, or perform removal of species to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public when authorized by a current, valid federal fish and wildlife depredation permit.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 3472. Section 3472.

The taking of birds by a public use airport certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate in California that has obtained, and is in compliance with, a federal depredation permit that authorizes, under specified conditions, the lawful taking of birds, does not violate any provision of this code or regulations adopted pursuant to this code if the taking is in compliance with the federal depredation permit for the purposes specified in Section 3472.1 and all of the following conditions are met: (a) The taking occurs on lands owned or leased by the airport. (b) The taking does not occur on lands owned or leased by the airport that are reserved for habitat mitigation or conservation purposes of the species being taken, including lands in a habitat conservation plan, or a natural communities conservation plan. (c) There is no taking of a fully protected, candidate, threatened, or endangered species.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 3472.1. Section 3472.1.

Take is authorized pursuant to this article only to relieve or prevent injurious situations affecting public safety and shall only be performed as part of an integrated wildlife management program that emphasizes nonlethal management techniques.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 3472.2. Section 3472.2.

A public use airport certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration shall provide to the department any federal depredation permit and all federal reports required pursuant to any federal depredation permit or wildlife hazard management plan, or both, and shall also provide reasonable access to the department for purposes of ensuring compliance with this article. The department shall seek reimbursement from the public use airport for any reasonable costs associated with activities resulting from any violations of this article.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026