Blog

Courtesy of the NAA:

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced that to simplify, expedite and improve the permit application process, the FWS is launching “ePermits,” a new and modern electronic permitting system. Permits enable the public to engage in certain regulated wildlife-related activities. FWS permit programs help ensure these activities are carried out in a manner that safeguards wildlife.

FWS issues permits under several domestic and international laws and treaties such as the Endangered Species Act, the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Wild Bird Conservation Act and the Lacey Act. These laws protect species that are threatened by overexploitation and other factors.

Permits are issued for activities such as import and export of live animals, plants, or biomedical samples, rehabilitation of sick or injured migratory birds, scientific research or reintroduction programs for endangered species, and exchange of museum specimens between institutions for protected species. Each year, FWS issues approximately 65,000 permits. Prior to ePermits, applicants had to apply for permits through the mail and pay with paper checks, often resulting in delays that now may be avoided through the digital process.

The hard-copy option is still available to those who need it, and ePermits offers many advantages for applicants including a new permit application search feature. The new system also uses pay.gov, a secure electronic payment system, to process applicant permit fees. Once an application is submitted, the new system allows applicants to view and track their application’s progress.

Enhancements to ePermits and additional functionality are planned on a regular basis through July 2021 to make the application process more efficient and to allow for a more robust ability to analyze data to track business and conservation trends.

Digital permit applications forms are available in ePermits for the FWS’s Office of Law Enforcement and Ecological Services, Migratory Birds and International Affairs programs. Users can find the permit applications they need through a search function and can get answers to frequently asked questions through easy-to-use “help center” content.

To apply for permits through the FWS’s new platform or to obtain more information regarding the permitting process, visit: fws.gov/epermits.