Eagle Handling Permits Get Bureaucratic Feather-Dusting
Published Date: 4/1/2026
Notice
Summary
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is renewing its paperwork for eagle take permits and fees without any changes. This affects anyone who needs permission to handle eagles, keeping the process smooth and fees steady. You’ve got until May 1, 2026, to share your thoughts before the renewal is finalized.
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Quantified applicant burden and fees
The Service estimates 1,117 annual respondents, 8,406 annual responses, and 32,882 total annual burden hours for these eagle permit collections. The total estimated annual non-hour burden cost is $1,737,460, primarily for application processing fees, and individual response times range from 15 minutes to 228 hours.
Permit term lengths vary by permit type
Permit tenures differ by permit type: incidental take general permits under Form 3-200-71 are valid for 5 years from registration and specific incidental permits may be valid up to 30 years; general bald eagle nest-take permits are valid until the start of the next breeding season (not to exceed 1 year) while specific nest-take permits may not exceed 5 years; disturbance general permits are valid for a maximum of 1 year and specific disturbance permits may not exceed 5 years.
Golden-eagle compensatory mitigation ratio set
Compensatory mitigation for authorized take of golden eagles must be performed at a 1.2:1 mitigation-to-take ratio when the Service determines mitigation is required under 50 CFR 22.220.
Specific reporting, notification, and recordkeeping rules
Permit holders face specific compliance steps: they must notify the Service in writing within 2 weeks after discovering the take of a 3rd or 4th bald or golden eagle; notify the issuing office within 10 calendar days of minor permit changes; provide timely notification by email or phone when an eagle held under a permit dies or is found dead; report incidental take and endangered-species encounters as required; keep records per 50 CFR 13.46; and expect audits of general permits.
Tribal-specific permit forms and eligibility rules
The collection includes multiple tribal-specific forms: Form 3-200-15a for enrolled members to request eagle parts from the National Eagle Repository; Form 3-200-77 and 3-200-78 for federally recognized Tribes to take eagles or keep live eagles for religious purposes; Form 3-1552 and 3-1591 for Tribal eagle retention and chain-of-custody tracking. These forms require verification that applicants are federally recognized Tribes or enrolled Tribal members.
Eagle-permit paperwork renewed unchanged
The Fish and Wildlife Service is renewing the current information collection for eagle permits and fees without any changes. This renewal preserves the existing application process and fee structure (OMB Control Number 1018-0167) while the Service continues separate rulemaking. The public may comment on this renewal until May 1, 2026.
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Key Dates
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