§668ee Definitions

Summary

Defines key words used for managing the National Wildlife Refuge System. Compatible use means a wildlife-based activity or any other use that the Director finds will not harm the System’s mission or a refuge’s goals. Wildlife-dependent recreation means activities that rely on wildlife, like hunting, fishing, watching or photographing animals, and environmental education or interpretation. Sound professional judgment means a decision that follows good wildlife science, accepted management practices, available resources, and the law. Conserving, conservation, manage, managing, and management mean keeping and, when needed, restoring and improving healthy fish, wildlife, and plant populations using modern scientific methods and following federal and state laws; methods include protection, research, counts, enforcement, habitat work, breeding, moving animals, and regulated taking. Coordination Area means a wildlife management area made available to a State either by a cooperative agreement with the Fish and Wildlife Service under section 664 or by long-term leases or agreements under title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (50 Stat. 525; 7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.). Director means the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service or that person’s designee. Fish, wildlife, and fish and wildlife mean any wild animal, alive or dead, even if bred or born in captivity, including parts, products, eggs, or offspring. Person means an individual, partnership, corporation, or association. Plant means any wild plant or plant community, including seeds, roots, or other parts. Purposes of the refuge and purposes of each refuge mean the goals stated in or derived from the law, proclamation, executive order, agreement, public land order, donation document, or administrative memorandum that created or expanded the refuge, unit, or subunit. Refuge means land, water, or an interest in land or water inside the System, but not Coordination Areas. Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. State and United States mean the several States, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the territories and possessions of the United States. System means the National Wildlife Refuge System as designated under section 668dd(a)(1). Take, taking, and taken mean to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, or kill, or to try to do any of those things.