Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 250 - Department of Environmental Management › Chapter 60 - Fish and Wildlife › Subchapter 00 - N/A › Part 1 - Rules and Regulations Governing Wildlife Rehabilitation › Section 250-RICR-60-00-1.5 - Definitions

Current through June 14, 2024
A. Wherever used in these Rules and
				  Regulations the following terms shall be construed as follows:
1. "Department" or "DEM" means the Rhode
				  Island Department of Environmental Management.
2. "Director" means the Director of the Rhode
				  Island Department of Environmental Management, or his/her duly authorized agent
				  or agents.
3. "Division" means the
				  Division of Fish & Wildlife of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental
				  Management so-called in the R.I. Gen. Laws;
4. "DOH" or "RIDOH" means the Rhode Island
				  Department of Health.
5.
				  "Endangered species" means those species of animals designated as threatened or
				  endangered according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as published in
				  50 C.F.R. §
												17.11, incorporated above at §
											1.4(A) of
				  this Part, and 50 C.F.R.
				  §
												17.12, incorporated above at §
											1.4(B) of
				  this Part.
6. "Euthanasia" means
				  the humane destruction of an animal accomplished by a method that involves
				  instantaneous loss of consciousness followed immediately by death or by a
				  method that involves anesthesia produced by an agent which causes painless and
				  rapid loss of consciousness and death during that period of
				  unconsciousness.
7. "Exotic
				  animals" or "Exotic Wild Animals" means animals not occurring naturally, either
				  presently or historically, within the boundaries of the State of Rhode
				  Island.
8. "Exposure" means the
				  possible exposure to the rabies virus via a direct bite or scratch, which
				  results in a break in the skin of the victim or contact between infectious
				  material such as saliva or central nervous system tissue and fluid with mucosa
				  of the eye, nose, or mouth, or via an existing break in the skin.
9. "Fish and Wildlife" or "DFW" means the
				  Division of Fish and Wildlife of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental
				  Management, formerly referred to as the Division.
10. "IWRC" means the International Wildlife
				  Rehabilitation Council.
11. "Native
				  wildlife", "Native Animal", or "Native Wild Animal" means all species of
				  animals, including all subspecies thereof, occurring naturally, either
				  presently or historically, within the boundaries of the State of Rhode
				  Island.
12. "Permittee" means the
				  person who holds a valid Special Scientific Collectors Permit to rehabilitate
				  wildlife in Rhode Island.
13.
				  "Person" means any individual, partnership, firm, joint stock, company,
				  corporation, association, trust, estate, municipality, or other government
				  entity or other legal entity.
14.
				  "Possess" or "Possession" shall mean to exercise dominion or control over a
				  wild animal at any point starting from the point at which a decision is made to
				  capture, import, purchase, breed, keep, accept, or otherwise manage an animal
				  and lasting up to its ultimate disposition.
15. "RVS" or "Rabies vector species" shall
				  mean those animals considered common hosts of the rabies virus and for the
				  purposes of these Regulations shall mean: raccoon (
Procyon
				  lotor
), striped skunk (
Mephitis mephitis
), red fox
				  (
Vulpes vulpes
),gray fox (
Urocyon
				  cinereoargenteus
), woodchuck (
Marmota monax
), and all
				  species of bats (
Chiroptera spp.
), and any other mammal as may
				  otherwise be determined by the State Rabies Board.
16. "Sponsor" means a person previously
				  permitted as a Level 2 rehabilitator, agreeing to assist between one (1) and
				  three (3) Level 1 apprentices, according to the guidelines adopted in the
				  sponsor packet, as provided.
17.
				  "Sharps" shall mean instruments that have been used in animal or human patient
				  care of treatment, including instruments generated from the preparation of
				  human and animal remains for burial or cremation, or in medical, research, or
				  industrial laboratories, including, but not limited to, hypodermic needles,
				  syringes with or without the attached needle, pasteur pipettes, scalpel blades,
				  blood vials, needles with attached tubing, glass carpules, and glass culture
				  dishes regardless of presence of infectious agents. Also included are other
				  types of broken or unbroken glassware that have been used in animal or human
				  patient care or treatment, such as used slides and cover slips. For the purpose
				  of these Regulations, disposable syringes and needles are considered regulated
				  medical waste after one (1) use.
18. "Small mammals" for the purposes of these
				  Regulations shall mean all native terrestrial mammals except: beaver
				  (
Castor canadensis
), black bear (
Ursus
				  americanus
), bobcat (
Lynx rufus
), coyote
				  (
Canis latrans
), fisher (
Pekania pennanti
),
				  gray fox (
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
), moose (
Alces
				  alces
), porcupine (
Erethizon dorsatum
), raccoon
				  (
Procyon lotor
), red fox (
Vulpes vulpes
),
				  river otter (
Lontra canadensis
), striped skunk
				  (
Mephitis mephitis
), white-tailed deer (
Odocoileus
				  virginianus
), woodchuck (
Marmota monax
), and all bats
				  (
Chiroptera spp.
).
19. "Sponsor" means any person currently
				  permitted as a Level 2, 2 X, or 2 V rehabilitator, agreeing to assist no more
				  than three (3) Level 1 apprentices, and no more than five (5) sub-permittees in
				  accordance with these Regulations.
20. "State list" means currently listed
				  wildlife species requiring a permit for handling.
21. "State manual" means the most current
				  wildlife rehabilitation manual prepared by the Division of Fish &
				  Wildlife.
22. "State wildlife
				  rehabilitation manual" means the most current wildlife rehabilitation manual
				  prepared by the Division of Fish & Wildlife.
23. "Sub-permittee" means person(s)
				  authorized by the Division of Fish and Wildlife to assist currently licensed
				  Level 2, 2 X, 2 V wildlife rehabilitators with the rehabilitation of wildlife
				  in accordance with these Regulations.
24. "Supervision" means the oversight and
				  management of the activities of a sub-permittee by the permittee occurring
				  primarily onsite and at a rehabilitation facility but may include periods of
				  indirect oversight of activities conducted independently by the
				  sub-permittee.
25. "Transporter"
				  means persons authorized to transport wildlife to licensed wildlife
				  rehabilitators.
26. "Vector
				  species" or "Rabies vector species" means those species that are the most
				  common wildlife carriers of rabies including raccoons, skunks, bats, woodchucks
				  and foxes.
27. "Wild animal" shall
				  mean any animal other than a domestic animal and includes those animals that
				  may be defined as exotic or native wild animals.
28. "Wildlife rehabilitation" means the
				  practice of providing care for injured, orphaned, displaced, or diseased
				  indigenous wild animals including their capture, transport, housing, feeding,
				  and emergency treatment for the primary purpose of release back into the
				  wild.
29. "Wildlife rehabilitator"
				  or "Permittee" means persons who holds a valid Special Scientific Collectors
				  Permit to rehabilitate wildlife in Rhode Island.
30. "Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of
				  Rhode Island" or "WRARI" shall mean the Rhode Island-based, non-profit
				  organization and the affiliated Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island.