"This new rule addresses the religious needs of Native Americans and makes it easier for scientists to share information, while keeping eagles safe," Acting Service Director John Rogers said. "This new process will allow Native Americans, scientists, and educators to meet all the permitting requirements with one simple application."
Since 1940, the United States has prohibited bald eagles and bald eagle parts from being taken out of the country for any reason. Similar restrictions have applied to golden eagles and their parts since 1962. The prohibitions, intended to guard against any international trade in eagles, eagle feathers, and parts, were designed to protect these birds from unlawful commercial exploitation. However, they made no allowances for the export of eagle items for noncommercial purposes, such as personal religious use or public display.
Under the new rule, Native Americans who legally own dead bald or golden eagles or eagle parts and wish to use these items for religious purposes abroad now can apply to the Service for a transportation permit allowing them to take eagle parts into or out of the United States. Native Americans must show that they are enrolled members of federally recognized tribes and must indicate that their requests relate to religious use.
Eagle permits authorizing international transport are also available to public museums, public scientific societies, and public zoological parks that want to export dead eagle specimens or parts for scientific or exhibition purposes. The new rule makes it possible for these institutions to send exhibits overseas for public display and to lend or borrow eagle specimens or parts within the worldwide scientific community.
Any individual or institution issued an eagle transportation permit must retain possession of the eagle parts. The parts cannot be sold or given to anyone else, and they must be returned to the United States (or other country of origin) within the time period authorized by the permit. The Service may ask permit applicants to provide reports, inventories, or photographs of the items transported out of this country to enable the agency to verify their return.
Under the new rule, the Service will issue transportation permits only for the international transport of dead specimens or eagle parts. Eagle transportation permits can be used for multiple trips into or out of the United States, but no trip can last longer than 180 days. Additionally, all permits will have an expiration date, with none valid for more than three years. The rule does not apply to live eagles or live eggs.
International trade in bald and golden eagles is also regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In the United States, the Service typically addresses all of the requirements of CITES and U.S. laws in a single permit. Separate CITES documents will continue to be needed from other countries for certain shipments.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93- million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fish and wildlife management assistance offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
