§668ee — Title 16 Conservation | U.S. Code

Summary

Defines key words used in the Act so people know what the terms mean. Compatible use: a wildlife-based activity or any other use the Director finds will not harm the refuge’s mission. Wildlife-dependent recreation: hunting, fishing, watching or photographing wildlife, and nature education or interpretation. Sound professional judgment: a decision that follows good wildlife science, available resources, and the law. Conserving/management: actions to keep, restore, or improve healthy fish, wildlife, and plants using modern science and lawful methods (for example protection, research, habitat work, and regulated taking). Coordination Area: a wildlife area made available to a State either under section 664 or by long-term leases under title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act. Director: the head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or their designee. Fish/wildlife: any wild animal, alive or dead, even if bred in captivity, including parts, products, eggs, or offspring. Person: an individual, partnership, corporation, or association. Plant: any wild plant or plant community, including seeds, roots, or parts. Purposes of the refuge: the reasons listed in the law, proclamation, order, agreement, donation, or administrative memo that created or changed the refuge. Refuge: a designated area of land, water, or an interest in them in the System (not including Coordination Areas). Secretary: the Secretary of the Interior. State/United States: the several States, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and U.S. territories and possessions. System: the National Wildlife Refuge System designated under section 668dd(a)(1). Take: to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, or kill, or try to do any of these.

Title 16, §668ee

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For purposes of this Act:

(1)The term “compatible use” means a wildlife-dependent recreational use or any other use of a refuge that, in the sound professional judgment of the Director, will not materially interfere with or detract from the fulfillment of the mission of the System or the purposes of the refuge.

(2)The terms “wildlife-dependent recreation” and “wildlife-dependent recreational use” mean a use of a refuge involving hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, or environmental education and interpretation.

(3)The term “sound professional judgment” means a finding, determination, or decision that is consistent with principles of sound fish and wildlife management and administration, available science and resources, and adherence to the requirements of this Act and other applicable laws.

(4)The terms “conserving”, “conservation”, “manage”, “managing”, and “management”, mean to sustain and, where appropriate, restore and enhance, healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants utilizing, in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws, methods and procedures associated with modern scientific resource programs. Such methods and procedures include, consistent with the provisions of this Act, protection, research, census, law enforcement, habitat management, propagation, live trapping and transplantation, and regulated taking.

(5)The term “Coordination Area” means a wildlife management area that is made available to a State—

(A)by cooperative agreement between the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and a State agency having control over wildlife resources pursuant to section 664 of this title; or

(B)by long-term leases or agreements pursuant to title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (50 Stat. 525; 7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.).

(6)The term “Director” means the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service or a designee of that Director.

(7)The terms “fish”, “wildlife”, and “fish and wildlife” mean any wild member of the animal kingdom whether alive or dead, and regardless of whether the member was bred, hatched, or born in captivity, including a part, product, egg, or offspring of the member.

(8)The term “person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, or association.

(9)The term “plant” means any member of the plant kingdom in a wild, unconfined state, including any plant community, seed, root, or other part of a plant.

(10)The terms “purposes of the refuge” and “purposes of each refuge” mean the purposes specified in or derived from the law, proclamation, executive order, agreement, public land order, donation document, or administrative memorandum establishing, authorizing, or expanding a refuge, refuge unit, or refuge subunit.

(11)The term “refuge” means a designated area of land, water, or an interest in land or water within the System, but does not include Coordination Areas.

(12)The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior.

(13)The terms “State” and “United States” mean the several States of the United States, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the territories and possessions of the United States.

(14)The term “System” means the National Wildlife Refuge System designated under section 668dd(a)(1) of this title.

(15)The terms “take”, “taking”, and “taken” mean to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, or kill, or to attempt to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, or kill.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This Act, referred to in text, means Pub. L. 89–669, Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 927, which enacted sections 668aa to 668ee, amended section 460k, 696, 696b, 715c, 715i to 715k, 718d, and repealed section 715d–1, 715d–2, 715l, 715m of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. The Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, referred to in par. (5)(B), is act July 22, 1937, ch. 517, 50 Stat. 522. Title III of the Act is classified generally to subchapter III (§ 1010 et seq.) of chapter 33 of Title 7, Agriculture. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1000 of Title 7 and Tables.

Amendments

1997—Pub. L. 105–57 inserted section catchline and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “(a) The term ‘person’ as used in this Act means any individual, partnership, corporation, or association. “(b) The terms ‘take’ or ‘taking’ or ‘taken’ as used in this Act mean to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, kill, or attempt to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, or kill. “(c) The terms ‘State’ and the ‘United States’ as used in this Act mean the several States of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and Guam.”

§668ee Definitions