Target Completion Date: May 22, 2017 Environment, Planning, and Economics
The Peregrine Falcon - an endangered species in Virginia – can sometimes nest in bridges maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). Regulations promulgated by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) restrict certain activities within 600 feet of a Falcon nest during certain times of the year – and this can present significant challenges to VDOT for scheduling and undertaking bridge maintenance activities on structures where Falcons are present.
The College of William & Mary Center for Conservation Biology (CCB) conducts an annual survey of Falcon activity in currently known nesting locations but there is a need to expand the scope of the survey to all bridges maintained by VDOT in the Virginia Coastal Plain to confirm the presence or absence of nesting Falcon pairs. Funding is being sought to provide: (1) A comprehensive survey of bridges to identify breeding Falcon pairs in the Coastal Plain; (2) Identify Falcon nests for planning bridge maintenance activities around VDGIF time of year restrictions; (3) make management recommendations for Falcon nest box locations to give VDOT maximum flexibility to perform required bridge maintenance; and (4) Investigate bridge characteristics that may be useful in predicting colonization.
Last updated: July 5, 2023