Fish and Wildlife Renews Paperwork for Handling Eagles
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
7 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 4 costs, 1 mixed.
Applicants Bear Application Fee Burden
The Service estimates total annual non-hour costs of $1,737,460 tied to these eagle permits, which are described as primarily application processing fees. The collection covers 1,117 estimated annual respondents and 8,406 annual responses, so permit applicants (individuals and businesses) collectively face these fees.
Energy Sector Likely Major Permit Users
The notice says the majority of applicants seeking long-term eagle permits will be in the energy production and electrical distribution sectors. That means companies in those sectors should expect to keep applying for multi-year permits and bear the application and reporting burdens tied to them.
Tribes Have Specific Permit Access
Federally recognized Native American Tribes can apply using specific forms to obtain eagle parts (Form 3-200-15a), retain eagle remains (Form 3-1552 / 3-1591), and hold live eagles for religious purposes (Form 3-200-78). The Service uses these forms to verify tribal enrollment and to authorize tribal religious uses of eagle parts and live eagles.
Compensatory Mitigation Requirement and Ratio
Permits authorizing eagle take can require compensatory mitigation to offset authorized take, and the Service specifies mitigation for golden eagles must be performed at a 1.2:1 mitigation-to-take ratio. Permittees may be required to reduce other mortality or increase local eagle populations to meet this requirement.
Reporting Deadlines and Take-Count Consequences
Permittees must notify the Service in writing within 2 weeks of discovering the take of a third or fourth bald eagle or a third or fourth golden eagle, and after a fourth take the project stays authorized for the current general permit term but becomes ineligible for future general permits. These reporting and eligibility rules apply to permit holders who exceed those take counts.
Paperwork Renewal Keeps Permits Active
The Fish and Wildlife Service is renewing the eagle-permit information collection without changes and seeking public comments by May 1, 2026. The renewal extends the paperwork approval past the current expiration date of July 31, 2026 so people and businesses can continue to apply for eagle permits while related rulemaking proceeds.
Permit Lengths and Validity Rules
The notice states general incidental-take permits are valid for 5 years from registration while specific incidental-take permits may be valid for up to 30 years. Bald eagle nest general permits are valid until the next breeding season (not to exceed 1 year), and specific nest or disturbance permits may have tenures up to 5 years as set on the permit face.
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Key Dates
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