United States Department of Agriculture Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service

Wildlife Services Directive

2.315
September 18, 2014

EAGLE DAMAGE MANAGEMENT

1, PURPOSE

To establish guidelines for Wildlife Services (WS) personnel regarding management
of damage caused by eagles.

2. REPLACEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

This directive replaces WS Directive 4.215 dated 08/05/03.

3. AUTHORITY
Authority to promulgate a policy addressing eagle damage is pursuant to The Act of
March 2, 1931 (7 USC 426-426b, as amended).

4. POLICY

WS will provide assistance to cooperators and the public through technical and direct
management assistance as appropriate to help resolve conflicts to protect property, eagles, and
human health and safety.

5. IMPLEMENTATION

a. WS may provide assistance with the management of bald and golden eagles in
situations where eagles may pose a hazard to human health and safety, aviation, property,
livestock, and natural resources, including a danger to themselves. Eagle activity and nests on
or near airports, power transmission facilities, and military training facilities may pose an
inherent risk of death or injury to people and the eagles themselves. It is in the common public
interest to discourage eagles from using these critical areas. In these situations, WS may assist
cooperators in developing a mitigation plan, obtaining the necessary state and federal permits
for purposeful take of eagles (i.e., harassment, relocation, nest removal), and/or conducting
management and monitoring activities.


Wildlife Services Directive 2.315 Page 2

b. Technical and direct management assistance (e.g., non-lethal hazing, nest
removal) may be provided to cooperators when property losses continue after recommended
damage management techniques have failed to alleviate problems and where the potential for
continued loss exists.

c. WS personnel will secure all required federal and state permits prior to
conducting direct management activities involving eagle damage.

d. | When capture and translocation of eagles becomes necessary, eagles will be
handled in a manner which minimizes the risk of injury to the eagle.

e. | WS employees are authorized to capture injured eagles or collect eagle carcasses
and transfer custody to licensed wildlife rehabilitators or state or federal wildlife agencies when
permitted and appropriate.

f. _ Disposition of eagles will be determined through permit requirements and
coordination with the appropriate U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) personnel.

g. When eagles are to be relocated, the FWS and/or state wildlife agency will be
consulted to assist in identifying suitable locations while taking into consideration local eagle
densities. Eagles will only be released into an area when the manager or landowner of the
telease site is in full agreement. Eagles will be released where further eagle conflicts are
unlikely to occur.

h. _ If the selected release site is in another state, the appropriate WS State Director
and other appropriate authorities will be consulted in advance.

6. PERMITS

1) Federal permits (50 CFR 22.21, 50 CFR 22.23, 50 CFR 22.27) are
required to capture, collect, harass, pursue, hunt, shoot, or trap bald or golden eagles
or remove eagle nests for depredation control purposes. Authority to issue such
permits rests with the FWS. State permits might be required, and if so, must be
obtained from the appropriate state wildlife agency.

2) Applications for permits and supporting information (as identified by 50
CFR 13.12(a) and 50 CFR 22.23) are submitted to the appropriate FWS Regional
Office, Migratory Bird Permit Office. Concurrence of state wildlife management
agencies and, where applicable, federal land management agencies, must be obtained
in advance of these activities in states where such programs are carried out.


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7. REFERENCES

WS Directive 2.301, Migratory Bird Damage Management (05/05/2006).
Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940 (U.S.C. 668-668d), as amended.
Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (U.S.C. 703-712), as amended.

50 CFR Part 13 — General Permit Provisions.

50 CFR Part 22 — Eagle Permits.

Deputy Administrator

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