Cultivation of Industrial Hemp on and Near Airports: Implications for Wildlife Use and Risk to Aviation Safety

Authors

• Brad F. Blackwell, USDA APHIS WS NWRCFollow
• Page E. Klug, USDA APHIS WS NWRC
• Lee A. Humberg, Purdue University
• Zachary T. Brym, University of Florida
• Bryan M. Kluever, USDA APHIS WS NWRC
• Jenna Edwards, USDA APHIS WS NWRC

Date of this Version

Winter 2022

Document Type

Article

Citation

Human–Wildlife Interactions (Winter 2022) 16(3): article 5 

doi: 10.26077/9721-9c7d

Comments

United States government work. Public domain

Abstract

Land-use planning on and near airports should consider possible revenue from land covers, associated maintenance costs, and potential for land covers to attract vertebrate species recognized as hazardous to aviation safety. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has expressed interest in recent attention given to industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.; hemp) as a revenue-producing land cover that might be cultivated on or near airports. Our purpose was to better understand the potential production value of hemp as well as its possible role in affecting aviation safety if cultivated on or near airports. Our objectives were to: (1) review the literature relative to a historical perspective of hemp cultivation in the United States, projected cultivation practices, and anticipated economic viability, (2) use our review to gather information on vertebrate use of hemp cultivars, and (3) revisit U.S. and international regulations on land covers near airports relative to attraction of species recognized as hazardous to aviation safety. We found, via review of peer-reviewed and gray literature, that hemp holds potential as an emerging crop in the United States, contributing to food, medicine, and biomass-derived products as well as evidence that birds will use, if not depredate, the crop. However, future markets promoting cultivation of hemp remain tentative. Further, there has been no objective quantification of bird and other wildlife use of hemp alone or as a component of a land cover matrix on or near airports and relative to implications for aviation safety. We make recommendations for future research on wildlife use of hemp and metrics necessary to inform aviation safety.