18 ATTACHMENT 05 - Laserfiche WebLink

In 1972, it was found that the peregrine falcon was endangered and there was only two wild peregrines in California. Now due to the peregrine-falcon reintroduction program there are 150. The peregrine-falcon reintroduction program took peregrine eggs out of the wild, bred them safely in captivity and then returned them into their environments. Please see Exhibit I for more information. Similarly, as described above, wounded or injured passages, like Ariel, have the ability to return to their environments as well. The keeping of hawks does not impact the bird's natural abilities to return to the wild. For general information on Red Tail Hawks, please see Exhibit E and for general information on Falconry see Exhibit F. PUBLIC NOTICE Notice of this application was sent to all property owners and occupants within 1,000 feet of the subject property. Prior to the October 10, 2007 Planning Commission meeting, staff had received one a-mail from a concerned resident, Nicki Bartels, in May 2007. Since October, staff has received the following comments. Please see Exhibit G for public comments. Opposed ^ Nicki Bartels, of 2961 Amoroso Court, sent staff an a-mail in May of 2007 stating that she feels that wild animals should not be kept or domesticated. Ms. Bartels feels that the hawk should be set free because it is part of an ecological system and serves a purpose in the chain of life and is "repulsed " by the suggestion of trying to keep a wild animal as a pet and requests that the proposal be denied because it is inhumane. A wild bird caught in juvenile plumage, as this bird was, is called a passager; meaning it is under a year old. An estimated 30-70 percent of passager birds die within their first year; therefore the taking of juvenile hawks by falconers has no noticeable effect on raptor populations. Staff would like to note that most falconers eventually release their wild-caught birds back into the wild once they are of breeding age. This helps maintain the population and increase the survival rate of young birds and has little impact on the bird's diet because they do not depend on the falconer for food. When the applicant obtained the bird it was found to be in a compromised and unhealthy state. The hawk had an increased infection and was put on antibiotics and vitamin supplements to improve its health. The hawks health has improved since being in the care of the applicant and staff is of the impression that the bird is not being treated in an inhumane way since it is likely that the bird would not have survived if it had not be captured. PA UP-4, Jennifer Hosterman /Hawk Planning Commission Page 9 of 15