The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced a request for public comments on a Draft Environmental Assessment on the take of raptors from the wild for use in falconry and for breeding. The assessment updates the comprehensive assessment done by the Service in 1988.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act allows the captive breeding of native raptors and taking wild raptor chicks for falconry. Presently, falconers must apply for both a federal and state permit to take raptors from the wild. Falconry is the ancient sport of taking quarry with trained birds of prey. Falconers in the United States commonly use about a dozen species of native raptors that are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Nonnative raptor species that are not protected under the Act are not regulated.
"After evaluating the scientific information on this issue, we feel confident that we can permit the limited removal of wild raptors for falconry and propagation while maintaining healthy wild raptor populations," said Service Director H. Dale Hall. "Falconers have been among the strongest advocates of conservation measures for wild raptors and actively participate in restoration, public education, and recovery efforts for peregrine falcons and other species. We are pleased that our wild raptor populations are strong enough to support this ancient sport."
The Service assessed the likely impacts of taking raptors from the wild by modeling raptor species population and survival data and the effects of take from the wild. The analyses evaluated the impacts of take of different age classes of the species taken from the wild and demonstrated that a low take of raptors for use in falconry or propagation will not have detectable effects on wild raptor populations.
The Service considered three alternatives for allowing take of raptors from the wild. Under the "no action" alternative, take limits for falconry would not be established, and permitting would not be changed from current state and federal permitting processes. Under the second alternative, the Service would establish upper limits on take of raptor species based on the published data and biology of each species and there would be no change in falconry or captive propagation permitting. The third, and preferred, alternative would establish upper limits on take of raptor species based on the published data for, and biology of each species and eliminate Federal permitting for falconry, but would leave Federal permitting for raptor propagation in place. The biological impacts of the second and third alternatives would be small.
Also, a falconer needs both State and Federal permits to engage in the sport. The states requested that the Service consider changing to a state-only permitting system, which the Service has proposed in the Environmental Assessment.
The Service will accept comments on the DEA for 90 days, until September 19, on the proposed changes, which are available online at http://fws.gov/migratorybirds/. To request a copy of the DEA call 703-358-1825 or write to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds Management, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop 4107, Arlington, VA 22203-1610.
Visit the Services website at http://www.fws.gov.
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