Title 50
SECTION 22.27
22.27 Removal of eagle nests.
§ 22.27 Removal of eagle nests.(a) Purpose and scope. (1) A permit may be issued under this section to authorize removal or relocation of:
(i) An in-use or alternate nest where necessary to alleviate an existing safety emergency, or to prevent a rapidly developing safety emergency that is otherwise likely to result in bodily harm to humans or eagles while the nest is still in use by eagles for breeding purposes;
(ii) An alternate nest when the removal is necessary to ensure public health and safety;
(iii) An alternate nest, or an in-use nest prior to egg-laying, that is built on a human-engineered structure and creates, or is likely to create, a functional hazard that renders the structure inoperable for its intended use; or
(iv) An alternate nest, provided the take is necessary to protect an interest in a particular locality and the activity necessitating the take or the mitigation for the take will, with reasonable certainty, provide a net benefit to eagles.
(2) Where practicable and biologically warranted, the permit may require a nest to be relocated, or a substitute nest provided, in a suitable site within the same territory to provide a viable nesting option for eagles within that territory, unless such relocation would create a threat to safety. However, we may issue permits to remove nests that we determine cannot or should not be relocated. The permit may authorize take of eggs or nestlings if present. The permit may also authorize the take of adult eagles (e.g., disturbance or capture) associated with the removal or relocation of the nest.
(3) A permit may be issued under this section to cover multiple nest takes over a period of up to 5 years, provided the permittee complies with comprehensive measures developed in coordination with the Service to minimize the need to remove nests and specified as conditions of the permit.
(4) This permit does not authorize intentional, lethal take of eagles.
(b) Conditions. (1) The permit does not authorize take of in-use nests except:
(i) For safety emergencies as provided under paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section; or
(ii) Prior to egg-laying if the in-use nest is built on a human-engineered structure and meets the provisions set forth in paragraph (a)(1)(iii) of this section.
(2) When an in-use nest must be removed under this permit, any take of nestlings or eggs must be conducted by a Service-approved, qualified agent. All nestlings and viable eggs must be immediately transported to foster/recipient nests or a rehabilitation facility permitted to care for eagles, as directed by the Service, unless the Service waives this requirement.
(3) Possession of the nest for any purpose other than removal or relocation is prohibited without a separate permit issued under this part authorizing such possession.
(4) You must submit a report consisting of a summary of the activities conducted under the permit to the Service within 30 days after the permitted take occurs, except that for programmatic permits, you must report each nest removal within 10 days after the take and submit an annual report by January 31 containing all the information required in Form 3-202-16 for activities conducted during the preceding calendar year.
(5) You may be required to monitor the area and report whether eagles attempt to build or occupy another nest at another site in the vicinity for the duration specified in the permit.
(6) You may be required under the terms of the permit to harass eagles from the area following the nest removal when the Service determines it is necessary to prevent eagles from re-nesting in the vicinity.
(7) You must comply with all avoidance, minimization, or other mitigation measures specified in the terms of your permit to mitigate for the detrimental effects on eagles, including indirect and cumulative effects, of the permitted take.
(8) Compensatory mitigation scaled to project impacts will be required for any permit authorizing take that would exceed the applicable eagle management unit take limits. Compensatory mitigation must conform to the standards set forth at § 22.26(c)(1)(iii). Compensatory mitigation may also be required in the following circumstances:
(i) When cumulative authorized take, including the proposed take, would exceed 5 percent of the local area population;
(ii) When available data indicate that cumulative unauthorized mortality would exceed 10 percent of the local area population; or
(iii) If the permitted activity does not provide a net benefit to eagles, you must apply appropriate and practicable compensatory mitigation measures as specified in your permit to provide a net benefit to eagles scaled to the effects of the nest removal.
(9) The Service may amend or revoke a programmatic permit issued under this section if new information indicates that revised permit conditions are necessary, or that suspension or revocation is necessary, to safeguard local or regional eagle populations.
(10) Notwithstanding the provisions of § 13.26 of this subchapter, you remain responsible for all outstanding monitoring requirements and mitigation measures required under the terms of the permit for take that occurs prior to cancellation, expiration, suspension, or revocation of the permit.
(11) You are responsible for ensuring that the permitted activity is in compliance with all Federal, Tribal, State, and local laws and regulations applicable to eagles.
(c) Applying for a permit to take eagle nests. (1) If the take is necessary to address an immediate threat to human or eagle safety, contact your local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Migratory Bird Permit Office (http://www.fws.gov/permits/mbpermits/addresses.html) at the earliest possible opportunity to inform the Service of the emergency.
(2) Your application must consist of a completed application Form 3-200-72 and all required attachments. Send applications to the Regional Director of the Region in which the disturbance would occur - Attention: Migratory Bird Permit Office. You can find the current addresses for the Regional Directors in § 2.2 of subchapter A of this chapter.
(d) Evaluation of applications. In determining whether to issue a permit, we will evaluate:
(1) Whether the activity meets the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section;
(2) The direct and indirect effects of the take and required mitigation, together with the cumulative effects of other permitted take and additional factors affecting eagle populations;
(3) Whether there is a practicable alternative to nest removal that will protect the interest to be served;
(4) Whether issuing the permit would preclude the Service from authorizing another take necessary to protect an interest of higher priority, as set forth in paragraph (e)(5) of this section;
(5) For take that is not necessary to alleviate an immediate safety emergency, whether suitable nesting and foraging habitat is available to accommodate eagles displaced by the nest removal; and
(6) Any additional factors that may be relevant to our decision whether to issue the permit, including, but not limited to, the cultural significance of a local eagle population.
(e) Required determinations. Before issuing a permit under this section, we must find that:
(1) The direct and indirect effects of the take and required mitigation, together with the cumulative effects of other permitted take and additional factors affecting eagle populations, are compatible with the preservation of the bald eagle or the golden eagle.
(2) For alternate nests:
(i) The take is necessary to ensure public health and safety;
(ii) The nest is built on a human-engineered structure and creates, or is likely to create, a functional hazard that renders the structure inoperable for its intended use; or
(iii) The take is necessary to protect an interest in a particular locality, and the activity necessitating the take or the mitigation for the take will, with reasonable certainty, provide a net benefit to eagles.
(3) For in-use nests prior to egg-laying, the nest is built on a human-engineered structure and creates, or is likely to create, a functional hazard that renders the structure inoperable for its intended use.
(4) For in-use nests, the take is necessary to alleviate an existing safety emergency, or to prevent a rapidly developing safety emergency that is otherwise likely to result in bodily harm to humans or eagles while the nest is still in use by eagles for breeding purposes.
(5) There is no practicable alternative to nest removal that would protect the interest to be served.
(6) Issuing the permit will not preclude the Service from authorizing another take necessary to protect an interest of higher priority, according to the following prioritization order:
(i) Safety emergencies;
(ii) Increased need for traditionally practiced Native American tribal religious use that requires taking eagles from the wild;
(iii) Non-emergency activities necessary to ensure public health and safety;
(iv) Resource development or recovery operations (under § 22.25, for golden eagle nests only); and
(v) Other interests.
(f) Tenure of permits. The tenure of any permit to take eagle nests under this section is set forth on the face of the permit and will not be longer than 5 years.
[74 FR 46877, Sept. 11, 2009, as amended at 81 FR 91553, Dec. 16, 2016]