San Francisco will spend $150,000 to study the effect of racing sailboats on birds in the bay area as part of a lawsuit settlement.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports:
To keep the big America's Cup contest afloat, San Francisco has agreed to spend $150,000 to study whether the racing boats - and their towering sails - will scare birds on the bay.
The study, which will be conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, is part of a settlement of a lawsuit brought by a group that included former Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin.
"It's not that we're trying to head-shrink the birds," said Mike Lynes of the Golden Gate Audubon Society. "But when they take off because they are frightened, they expend energy, and that can affect their health."