WASHINGTON — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a streamlined statewide permitting approach for state wildlife and agriculture agencies seeking authorization to address conflicts involving common ravens. Building on a successful pilot for black vultures, the Service is providing a more efficient pathway for managing these conflicts while maintaining appropriate federal oversight.
Common ravens are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but when non-lethal measures are insufficient, the Service may authorize limited lethal take. This includes addressing impacts to sensitive species such as greater sage-grouse and to agricultural operations such as livestock. This new approach will allow a state agency to obtain a statewide depredation permit and issue subpermits to eligible landowners or other parties, streamlining access to permits.
“This new approach reduces unnecessary federal administrative burden while giving states greater flexibility to address wildlife conflict,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik. “State and local wildlife managers, working with landowners and ranchers, understand the challenges on the ground and are well positioned to address conflicts with ravens in their communities.”
Eligible state entities may obtain statewide depredation permits to support:
- Better coordination with state wildlife agencies through a single, statewide framework for addressing eligible raven conflicts.
- Reduce repetitive requests and administrative burden when similar conflicts occur across multiple locations.
- Provide greater efficiency and flexibility in responding to conflicts while ensuring authorized take remains appropriate and sustainable.
The Service has worked with partners in recent years to identify solutions for raven conflicts across several Western states, including through the raven working group reconvened earlier this year and ongoing discussions with the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The statewide permitting approach provides another tool for states to address common raven conflicts while maintaining federal protections for this species.
More information on common raven conflict management is available on FWS.gov.
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