Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73
§1539 Exceptions
Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 35— - ENDANGERED SPECIES › § 1539
Summary
The Secretary can allow actions that are normally banned if they help science or the survival of a species, or if harm to a listed species happens by accident during a lawful activity. For accidental harm, the person must give a conservation plan that says what the harm will be, how they will reduce and fix it and pay for that work, what other options they looked at, and any other steps the Secretary requires. The Secretary will only approve the permit after public comment if the harm is truly incidental, the applicant will minimize and mitigate the harm as much as possible, money is available to carry out the plan, the harm will not significantly reduce the species’ chances to survive and recover, and any extra required measures are met. Permits can be revoked for noncompliance. The Secretary must publish each permit or exemption application in the Federal Register and invite written comments for 30 days. In an emergency that threatens an endangered animal’s life or health, the Secretary can waive the 30-day comment period but must publish notice of the waiver within 10 days. Information in applications is public. People with contracts made before the government started considering a species for listing may apply for a limited exemption if the listing would cause “undue economic hardship.” Exemptions normally last no more than one year unless the Secretary says otherwise, and they cannot cover commercial import or export of Appendix I species. “Undue economic hardship” includes big losses from canceled contracts, major income loss when someone depended on taking the species the year before notice, and loss of subsistence hunting or fishing by people who cannot find other food. The Secretary can add conditions or limits. Alaska Natives and non-native permanent residents of Alaskan native villages may take listed species for subsistence or make authentic native handicrafts without the chapter applying, but they must not be wasteful and the Secretary can set rules or stop such taking if it harms the species after notice and hearings. Certain pre-Act parts (for example, sperm whale oil and finished scrimshaw products lawfully held in commerce on December 28, 1973) may be exempted under strict rules: applicants must apply within one year after related regulations take effect, give a detailed inventory and proof, and, if approved, receive a certificate that names the exemptions, the parts covered, the time limit (no more than three years unless renewed), and any conditions. Holders must meet record, inspection, and reporting rules. Anyone claiming an exemption or permit in a violation case must prove it applied and was valid. Items at least 100 years old that include listed species and were not repaired or modified after December 28, 1973 may be imported at designated ports with required documentation. The Secretary may also authorize “experimental populations” released outside a species’ current range if that will help conservation, will identify whether those populations are essential to survival, and will treat them under special rules. Finally, exceptions may only be granted if applied for in good faith, will not harm the species, and are consistent with the law’s goals.
Full Legal Text
Title 16, §1539
Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)(1)The Secretary may permit, under such terms and conditions as he shall prescribe—
(A)any act otherwise prohibited by section 1538 of this title for scientific purposes or to enhance the propagation or survival of the affected species, including, but not limited to, acts necessary for the establishment and maintenance of experimental populations pursuant to subsection (j); or
(B)any taking otherwise prohibited by section 1538(a)(1)(B) of this title if such taking is incidental to, and not the purpose of, the carrying out of an otherwise lawful activity.
(2)(A)No permit may be issued by the Secretary authorizing any taking referred to in paragraph (1)(B) unless the applicant therefor submits to the Secretary a conservation plan that specifies—
(i)the impact which will likely result from such taking;
(ii)what steps the applicant will take to minimize and mitigate such impacts, and the funding that will be available to implement such steps;
(iii)what alternative actions to such taking the applicant considered and the reasons why such alternatives are not being utilized; and
(iv)such other measures that the Secretary may require as being necessary or appropriate for purposes of the plan.
(B)If the Secretary finds, after opportunity for public comment, with respect to a permit application and the related conservation plan that—
(i)the taking will be incidental;
(ii)the applicant will, to the maximum extent practicable, minimize and mitigate the impacts of such taking;
(iii)the applicant will ensure that adequate funding for the plan will be provided;
(iv)the taking will not appreciably reduce the likelihood of the survival and recovery of the species in the wild; and
(v)the measures, if any, required under subparagraph (A)(iv) will be met;
(C)The Secretary shall revoke a permit issued under this paragraph if he finds that the permittee is not complying with the terms and conditions of the permit.
(b)(1)If any person enters into a contract with respect to a species of fish or wildlife or plant before the date of the publication in the Federal Register of notice of consideration of that species as an endangered species and the subsequent listing of that species as an endangered species pursuant to section 1533 of this title will cause undue economic hardship to such person under the contract, the Secretary, in order to minimize such hardship, may exempt such person from the application of section 1538(a) of this title to the extent the Secretary deems appropriate if such person applies to him for such exemption and includes with such application such information as the Secretary may require to prove such hardship; except that (A) no such exemption shall be for a duration of more than one year from the date of publication in the Federal Register of notice of consideration of the species concerned, or shall apply to a quantity of fish or wildlife or plants in excess of that specified by the Secretary; (B) the one-year period for those species of fish or wildlife listed by the Secretary as endangered prior to December 28, 1973, shall expire in accordance with the terms of section 668cc–3 11 See References in Text note below. of this title; and (C) no such exemption may be granted for the importation or exportation of a specimen listed in Appendix I of the Convention which is to be used in a commercial activity.
(2)As used in this subsection, the term “undue economic hardship” shall include, but not be limited to:
(A)substantial economic loss resulting from inability caused by this chapter to perform contracts with respect to species of fish and wildlife entered into prior to the date of publication in the Federal Register of a notice of consideration of such species as an endangered species;
(B)substantial economic loss to persons who, for the year prior to the notice of consideration of such species as an endangered species, derived a substantial portion of their income from the lawful taking of any listed species, which taking would be made unlawful under this chapter; or
(C)curtailment of subsistence taking made unlawful under this chapter by persons (i) not reasonably able to secure other sources of subsistence; and (ii) dependent to a substantial extent upon hunting and fishing for subsistence; and (iii) who must engage in such curtailed taking for subsistence purposes.
(3)The Secretary may make further requirements for a showing of undue economic hardship as he deems fit. Exceptions granted under this section may be limited by the Secretary in his discretion as to time, area, or other factor of applicability.
(c)The Secretary shall publish notice in the Federal Register of each application for an exemption or permit which is made under this section. Each notice shall invite the submission from interested parties, within thirty days after the date of the notice, of written data, views, or arguments with respect to the application; except that such thirty-day period may be waived by the Secretary in an emergency situation where the health or life of an endangered animal is threatened and no reasonable alternative is available to the applicant, but notice of any such waiver shall be published by the Secretary in the Federal Register within ten days following the issuance of the exemption or permit. Information received by the Secretary as a part of any application shall be available to the public as a matter of public record at every stage of the proceeding.
(d)The Secretary may grant exceptions under subsections (a)(1)(A) and (b) of this section only if he finds and publishes his finding in the Federal Register that (1) such exceptions were applied for in good faith, (2) if granted and exercised will not operate to the disadvantage of such endangered species, and (3) will be consistent with the purposes and policy set forth in section 1531 of this title.
(e)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (4) of this subsection the provisions of this chapter shall not apply with respect to the taking of any endangered species or threatened species, or the importation of any such species taken pursuant to this section, by—
(A)any Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo who is an Alaskan Native who resides in Alaska; or
(B)any non-native permanent resident of an Alaskan native village;
(2)Any taking under this subsection may not be accomplished in a wasteful manner.
(3)As used in this subsection—
(i)The term “subsistence” includes selling any edible portion of fish or wildlife in native villages and towns in Alaska for native consumption within native villages or towns; and
(ii)The term “authentic native articles of handicrafts and clothing” means items composed wholly or in some significant respect of natural materials, and which are produced, decorated, or fashioned in the exercise of traditional native handicrafts without the use of pantographs, multiple carvers, or other mass copying devices. Traditional native handicrafts include, but are not limited to, weaving, carving, stitching, sewing, lacing, beading, drawing, and painting.
(4)Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection, whenever the Secretary determines that any species of fish or wildlife which is subject to taking under the provisions of this subsection is an endangered species or threatened species, and that such taking materially and negatively affects the threatened or endangered species, he may prescribe regulations upon the taking of such species by any such Indian, Aleut, Eskimo, or non-Native Alaskan resident of an Alaskan native village. Such regulations may be established with reference to species, geographical description of the area included, the season for taking, or any other factors related to the reason for establishing such regulations and consistent with the policy of this chapter. Such regulations shall be prescribed after a notice and hearings in the affected judicial districts of Alaska and as otherwise required by section 1373 of this title, and shall be removed as soon as the Secretary determines that the need for their impositions has disappeared.
(f)(1)As used in this subsection—
(A)The term “pre-Act endangered species part” means—
(i)any sperm whale oil, including derivatives thereof, which was lawfully held within the United States on December 28, 1973, in the course of a commercial activity; or
(ii)any finished scrimshaw product, if such product or the raw material for such product was lawfully held within the United States on December 28, 1973, in the course of a commercial activity.
(B)The term “scrimshaw product” means any art form which involves the substantial etching or engraving of designs upon, or the substantial carving of figures, patterns, or designs from, any bone or tooth of any marine mammal of the order Cetacea. For purposes of this subsection, polishing or the adding of minor superficial markings does not constitute substantial etching, engraving, or carving.
(2)The Secretary, pursuant to the provisions of this subsection, may exempt, if such exemption is not in violation of the Convention, any pre-Act endangered species part from one or more of the following prohibitions:
(A)The prohibition on exportation from the United States set forth in section 1538(a)(1)(A) of this title.
(B)Any prohibition set forth in section 1538(a)(1)(E) or (F) of this title.
(3)Any person seeking an exemption described in paragraph (2) of this subsection shall make application therefor to the Secretary in such form and manner as he shall prescribe, but no such application may be considered by the Secretary unless the application—
(A)is received by the Secretary before the close of the one-year period beginning on the date on which regulations promulgated by the Secretary to carry out this subsection first take effect;
(B)contains a complete and detailed inventory of all pre-Act endangered species parts for which the applicant seeks exemption;
(C)is accompanied by such documentation as the Secretary may require to prove that any endangered species part or product claimed by the applicant to be a pre-Act endangered species part is in fact such a part; and
(D)contains such other information as the Secretary deems necessary and appropriate to carry out the purposes of this subsection.
(4)If the Secretary approves any application for exemption made under this subsection, he shall issue to the applicant a certificate of exemption which shall specify—
(A)any prohibition in section 1538(a) of this title which is exempted;
(B)the pre-Act endangered species parts to which the exemption applies;
(C)the period of time during which the exemption is in effect, but no exemption made under this subsection shall have force and effect after the close of the three-year period beginning on the date of issuance of the certificate unless such exemption is renewed under paragraph (8); and
(D)any term or condition prescribed pursuant to paragraph (5)(A) or (B), or both, which the Secretary deems necessary or appropriate.
(5)The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as he deems necessary and appropriate to carry out the purposes of this subsection. Such regulations may set forth—
(A)terms and conditions which may be imposed on applicants for exemptions under this subsection (including, but not limited to, requirements that applicants register inventories, keep complete sales records, permit duly authorized agents of the Secretary to inspect such inventories and records, and periodically file appropriate reports with the Secretary); and
(B)terms and conditions which may be imposed on any subsequent purchaser of any pre-Act endangered species part covered by an exemption granted under this subsection;
(6)(A)Any contract for the sale of pre-Act endangered species parts which is entered into by the Administrator of General Services prior to the effective date of this subsection and pursuant to the notice published in the Federal Register on January 9, 1973, shall not be rendered invalid by virtue of the fact that fulfillment of such contract may be prohibited under section 1538(a)(1)(F) of this title.
(B)In the event that this paragraph is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this chapter, including the remainder of this subsection, shall not be affected.
(7)Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to—
(A)exonerate any person from any act committed in violation of paragraphs (1)(A), (1)(E), or (1)(F) of section 1538(a) of this title prior to July 12, 1976; or
(B)immunize any person from prosecution for any such act.
(8)(A)(i)22 So in original. No cl. (ii) has been enacted. Any valid certificate of exemption which was renewed after October 13, 1982, and was in effect on March 31, 1988, shall be deemed to be renewed for a six-month period beginning on October 7, 1988. Any person holding such a certificate may apply to the Secretary for one additional renewal of such certificate for a period not to exceed 5 years beginning on October 7, 1988.
(B)If the Secretary approves any application for renewal of an exemption under this paragraph, he shall issue to the applicant a certificate of renewal of such exemption which shall provide that all terms, conditions, prohibitions, and other regulations made applicable by the previous certificate shall remain in effect during the period of the renewal.
(C)No exemption or renewal of such exemption made under this subsection shall have force and effect after the expiration date of the certificate of renewal of such exemption issued under this paragraph.
(D)No person may, after January 31, 1984, sell or offer for sale in interstate or foreign commerce, any pre-Act finished scrimshaw product unless such person holds a valid certificate of exemption issued by the Secretary under this subsection, and unless such product or the raw material for such product was held by such person on October 13, 1982.
(g)In connection with any action alleging a violation of section 1538 of this title, any person claiming the benefit of any exemption or permit under this chapter shall have the burden of proving that the exemption or permit is applicable, has been granted, and was valid and in force at the time of the alleged violation.
(A)is not less than 100 years of age;
(B)is composed in whole or in part of any endangered species or threatened species listed under section 1533 of this title;
(C)has not been repaired or modified with any part of any such species on or after December 28, 1973; and
(D)is entered at a port designated under paragraph (3).
(2)Any person who wishes to import an article under the exception provided by this subsection shall submit to the customs officer concerned at the time of entry of the article such documentation as the Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall by regulation require as being necessary to establish that the article meets the requirements set forth in paragraph (1)(A), (B), and (C).
(3)The Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall designate one port within each customs region at which articles described in paragraph (1)(A), (B), and (C) must be entered into the customs territory of the United States.
(4)Any person who imported, after December 27, 1973, and on or before November 10, 1978, any article described in paragraph (1) which—
(A)was not repaired or modified after the date of importation with any part of any endangered species or threatened species listed under section 1533 of this title;
(B)was forfeited to the United States before November 10, 1978, or is subject to forfeiture to the United States on such date of enactment, pursuant to the assessment of a civil penalty under section 1540 of this title; and
(C)is in the custody of the United States on November 10, 1978;
(i)Any importation into the United States of fish or wildlife shall, if—
(1)such fish or wildlife was lawfully taken and exported from the country of origin and country of reexport, if any;
(2)such fish or wildlife is in transit or transshipment through any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States en route to a country where such fish or wildlife may be lawfully imported and received;
(3)the exporter or owner of such fish or wildlife gave explicit instructions not to ship such fish or wildlife through any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, or did all that could have reasonably been done to prevent transshipment, and the circumstances leading to the transshipment were beyond the exporter’s or owner’s control;
(4)the applicable requirements of the Convention have been satisfied; and
(5)such importation is not made in the course of a commercial activity,
(j)(1)For purposes of this subsection, the term “experimental population” means any population (including any offspring arising solely therefrom) authorized by the Secretary for release under paragraph (2), but only when, and at such times as, the population is wholly separate geographically from nonexperimental populations of the same species.
(2)(A)The Secretary may authorize the release (and the related transportation) of any population (including eggs, propagules, or individuals) of an endangered species or a threatened species outside the current range of such species if the Secretary determines that such release will further the conservation of such species.
(B)Before authorizing the release of any population under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall by regulation identify the population and determine, on the basis of the best available information, whether or not such population is essential to the continued existence of an endangered species or a threatened species.
(C)For the purposes of this chapter, each member of an experimental population shall be treated as a threatened species; except that—
(i)solely for purposes of section 1536 of this title (other than subsection (a)(1) thereof), an experimental population determined under subparagraph (B) to be not essential to the continued existence of a species shall be treated, except when it occurs in an area within the National Wildlife Refuge System or the National Park System, as a species proposed to be listed under section 1533 of this title; and
(ii)critical habitat shall not be designated under this chapter for any experimental population determined under subparagraph (B) to be not essential to the continued existence of a species.
(3)The Secretary, with respect to populations of endangered species or threatened species that the Secretary authorized, before October 13, 1982, for release in geographical areas separate from the other populations of such species, shall determine by regulation which of such populations are an experimental population for the purposes of this subsection and whether or not each is essential to the continued existence of an endangered species or a threatened species.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, except for “the Act” in subsec. (f)(6)(B), meaning Pub. L. 93–205, Dec. 28, 1973, 81 Stat. 884, known as the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 1531 of this title and Tables. section 668cc–3 of this title, referred to in subsec. (b), was repealed by Pub. L. 93–205, § 14, Dec. 28, 1973, 87 Stat. 903. Subsec. (f) of section 1533 of this title, referred to in subsec. (f)(5), which related to promulgation of
Regulations
by the Secretary was struck out, and subsec. (g) of section 1533 of this title, was redesignated as subsec. (f), by Pub. L. 97–304, § 2(a)(4)(B), (C), Oct. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1415. For provisions relating to promulgation of
Regulations
, see subsecs. (b) and (h) of section 1533 of this title.
Effective Date
of this subsection, referred to in subsec. (f)(6)(A), probably means the date of enactment of subsec. (f) by section 2 of Pub. L. 94–359,
July 12, 1976.
October 7, 1988, referred to in subsec. (f)(8)(A), was in the original “the date of enactment of the Endangered Species Act
Amendments
of 1988” and “the date of such enactment” which were translated as meaning the date of enactment of title I of Pub. L. 100–478 which is entitled “Endangered Species Act
Amendments
of 1988” and which was approved Oct. 7, 1988.
Amendments
1988—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–478, § 1013(b), substituted “notice, of” for “notice,” in second sentence. Subsec. (e)(3)(ii). Pub. L. 100–478, § 1013(c), substituted “lacing,” for “lacking,”. Subsec. (f)(8)(A). Pub. L. 100–478, § 1011(a), amended subpar. (A) generally. Prior to amendment, subpar. (A) read as follows: “Any person to whom a certificate of exemption has been issued under paragraph (4) of this subsection may apply to the Secretary for a renewal of such exemption for a period not to exceed three years beginning on the expiration date of such certificate. Such application shall be made in the same manner as the application for exemption was made under paragraph (3), but without regard to subparagraph (A) of such paragraph.” Subsec. (f)(8)(B). Pub. L. 100–478, § 1011(b), substituted “previous” for “original”. Subsec. (f)(8)(D). Pub. L. 100–478, § 1011(c), added subpar. (D). Subsec. (f)(9). Pub. L. 100–478, § 1011(d), struck out par. (9) which provided for comprehensive review by Secretary of effectiveness of
Regulations
prescribed pursuant to subsec. (f)(5) of this section. 1982—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(1), designated as par. (1) and the beginning phrase of subpar. (A) thereof the existing provisions consisting of language authorizing the Secretary to permit, under such terms and conditions as he may prescribe, any act otherwise prohibited by section 1538 of this title for scientific purposes or to enhance the propagation or survival of the affected species, and inserted remainder of par. (1)(A) and pars. (1)(B) and (2). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(2), substituted “subsections (a)(1)(A) and (b) of this section” for “subsections (a) and (b) of this section”. Subsec. (f)(1)(B). Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(3)(A), substituted “involves the substantial etching or engraving of designs upon, or the substantial carving of figures” for “involves the etching or engraving of designs upon, or the carving of figures” and inserted provision that, for purposes of this subsection, polishing or the adding of minor superficial markings does not constitute substantial etching, engraving, or carving. Subsec. (f)(9). Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(3)(B), added par. (9). Subsec. (h)(1). Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(4)(A), struck out “(other than scrimshaw)” after “do not apply to any article” in provisions preceding subpar. (A) and in subpar. (A) substituted “is not less than 100 years of age” for “was made before 1830”. Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(5), substituted provisions covering noncommercial transshipments of fish or wildlife for provisions that had related to exemptions from the provisions of this title of the Tellico Dam and Reservoir Project and the Grayrocks Dam and Reservoir Project and to the operation of the Missouri Basin Power Project. Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(6), added subsec. (j). 1979—Subsec. (f)(4)(C). Pub. L. 96–159, § 7(1), inserted “unless such exemption is renewed under paragraph (8)” after “issuance of the certificate”. Subsec. (f)(8). Pub. L. 96–159, § 7(2), added par. (8). 1978—Subsecs. (h), (i). Pub. L. 95–632 added subsecs. (h) and (i). 1976—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 94–359, § 3, substituted “section” for “subsection” and inserted “; except that such thirty-day period may be waived by the Secretary in an emergency situation where the health or life of an endangered animal is threatened and no reasonable alternative is available to the applicant, but notice of any such waiver shall be published by the Secretary in the Federal Register within ten days following the issuance of the exemption or permit.” after “every stage of the proceeding”. Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 94–359, § 2, added subsecs. (f) and (g).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1982 Amendment Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(4)(B), Oct. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1424, provided that: “The amendment made by subparagraph (A) [amending this section] shall take effect January 1, 1981.”
Transfer of Functions
For
Transfer of Functions
, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the United States Customs Service of the Department of the Treasury, including functions of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 203(1), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6. For establishment of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security, treated as if included in Pub. L. 107–296 as of Nov. 25, 2002, see section 211 of Title 6, as amended generally by Pub. L. 114–125, and section 802(b) of Pub. L. 114–125, set out as a note under section 211 of Title 6. Scrimshaw Exemptions Pub. L. 103–238, § 18, Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 559, provided that: “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any valid certificate of exemption renewed by the Secretary (or deemed to be renewed) under section 10(f)(8) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1539(f)(8)) for any person holding such a certificate with respect to the possession of pre-Act finished scrimshaw products or raw material for such products shall remain valid for a period not to exceed 5 years beginning on the date of enactment of this Act [Apr. 30, 1994].”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
16 U.S.C. § 1539
Title 16 — Conservation
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73