§ 1539. Exceptions

(a) Permits

(1) The Secretary may permit, under such terms and conditions as he shall prescribe—

(A) any act otherwise prohibited by section 1538 of this title for scientific purposes or to enhance the propagation or survival of the affected species, including, but not limited to, acts necessary for the establishment and maintenance of experimental populations pursuant to subsection (j) of this section; or

(B) any taking otherwise prohibited by section 1538(a)(1)(B) of this title if such taking is incidental to, and not the purpose of, the carrying out of an otherwise lawful activity.

(2)

(A) No permit may be issued by the Secretary authorizing any taking referred to in paragraph (1)(B) unless the applicant therefor submits to the Secretary a conservation plan that specifies—

(i) the impact which will likely result from such taking;

(ii) what steps the applicant will take to minimize and mitigate such impacts, and the funding that will be available to implement such steps;

(iii) what alternative actions to such taking the applicant considered and the reasons why such alternatives are not being utilized; and

(iv) such other measures that the Secretary may require as being necessary or appropriate for purposes of the plan.

(B) If the Secretary finds, after opportunity for public comment, with respect to a permit application and the related conservation plan that—

(i) the taking will be incidental;

(ii) the applicant will, to the maximum extent practicable, minimize and mitigate the impacts of such taking;

(iii) the applicant will ensure that adequate funding for the plan will be provided;

(iv) the taking will not appreciably reduce the likelihood of the survival and recovery of the species in the wild; and

(v) the measures, if any, required under subparagraph (A)(iv) will be met;

and he has received such other assurances as he may require that the plan will be implemented, the Secretary shall issue the permit. The permit shall contain such terms and conditions as the Secretary deems necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this paragraph, including, but not limited to, such reporting requirements as the Secretary deems necessary for determining whether such terms and conditions are being complied with.

(C) The Secretary shall revoke a permit issued under this paragraph if he finds that the permittee is not complying with the terms and conditions of the permit.

(b) Hardship exemptions

(1) If any person enters into a contract with respect to a species of fish or wildlife or plant before the date of the publication in the Federal Register of notice of consideration of that species as an endangered species and the subsequent listing of that species as an endangered species pursuant to section 1533 of this title will cause undue economic hardship to such person under the contract, the Secretary, in order to minimize such hardship, may exempt such person from the application of section 1538(a) of this title to the extent the Secretary deems appropriate if such person applies to him for such exemption and includes with such application such information as the Secretary may require to prove such hardship; except that (A) no such exemption shall be for a duration of more than one year from the date of publication in the Federal Register of notice of consideration of the species concerned, or shall apply to a quantity of fish or wildlife or plants in excess of that specified by the Secretary; (B) the one-year period for those species of fish or wildlife listed by the Secretary as endangered prior to December 28, 1973, shall expire in accordance with the terms of section 668cc–3 Any valid certificate of exemption which was renewed after October 13, 1982, and was in effect on March 31, 1988, shall be deemed to be renewed for a six-month period beginning on October 7, 1988. Any person holding such a certificate may apply to the Secretary for one additional renewal of such certificate for a period not to exceed 5 years beginning on October 7, 1988.

(B) If the Secretary approves any application for renewal of an exemption under this paragraph, he shall issue to the applicant a certificate of renewal of such exemption which shall provide that all terms, conditions, prohibitions, and other regulations made applicable by the previous certificate shall remain in effect during the period of the renewal.

(C) No exemption or renewal of such exemption made under this subsection shall have force and effect after the expiration date of the certificate of renewal of such exemption issued under this paragraph.

(D) No person may, after January 31, 1984, sell or offer for sale in interstate or foreign commerce, any pre-Act finished scrimshaw product unless such person holds a valid certificate of exemption issued by the Secretary under this subsection, and unless such product or the raw material for such product was held by such person on October 13, 1982.

(g) Burden of proof

In connection with any action alleging a violation of section 1538 of this title, any person claiming the benefit of any exemption or permit under this chapter shall have the burden of proving that the exemption or permit is applicable, has been granted, and was valid and in force at the time of the alleged violation.

(h) Certain antique articles; importation; port designation; application for return of articles

(1) Sections 1533(d) and 1538(a) and (c) of this title do not apply to any article which—

(A) is not less than 100 years of age;

(B) is composed in whole or in part of any endangered species or threatened species listed under section 1533 of this title;

(C) has not been repaired or modified with any part of any such species on or after December 28, 1973; and

(D) is entered at a port designated under paragraph (3).

(2) Any person who wishes to import an article under the exception provided by this subsection shall submit to the customs officer concerned at the time of entry of the article such documentation as the Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall by regulation require as being necessary to establish that the article meets the requirements set forth in paragraph (1)(A), (B), and (C).

(3) The Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall designate one port within each customs region at which articles described in paragraph (1)(A), (B), and (C) must be entered into the customs territory of the United States.

(4) Any person who imported, after December 27, 1973, and on or before November 10, 1978, any article described in paragraph (1) which—

(A) was not repaired or modified after the date of importation with any part of any endangered species or threatened species listed under section 1533 of this title;

(B) was forfeited to the United States before November 10, 1978, or is subject to forfeiture to the United States on such date of enactment, pursuant to the assessment of a civil penalty under section 1540 of this title; and

(C) is in the custody of the United States on November 10, 1978;

may, before the close of the one-year period beginning on November 10, 1978, make application to the Secretary for return of the article. Application shall be made in such form and manner, and contain such documentation, as the Secretary prescribes. If on the basis of any such application which is timely filed, the Secretary is satisfied that the requirements of this paragraph are met with respect to the article concerned, the Secretary shall return the article to the applicant and the importation of such article shall, on and after the date of return, be deemed to be a lawful importation under this chapter.

(i) Noncommercial transshipments Any importation into the United States of fish or wildlife shall, if—

(1) such fish or wildlife was lawfully taken and exported from the country of origin and country of reexport, if any;

(2) such fish or wildlife is in transit or transshipment through any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States en route to a country where such fish or wildlife may be lawfully imported and received;

(3) the exporter or owner of such fish or wildlife gave explicit instructions not to ship such fish or wildlife through any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, or did all that could have reasonably been done to prevent transshipment, and the circumstances leading to the transshipment were beyond the exporter’s or owner’s control;

(4) the applicable requirements of the Convention have been satisfied; and

(5) such importation is not made in the course of a commercial activity,

be an importation not in violation of any provision of this chapter or any regulation issued pursuant to this chapter while such fish or wildlife remains in the control of the United States Customs Service.

(j) Experimental populations

(1) For purposes of this subsection, the term “experimental population” means any population (including any offspring arising solely therefrom) authorized by the Secretary for release under paragraph (2), but only when, and at such times as, the population is wholly separate geographically from nonexperimental populations of the same species.

(2)

(A) The Secretary may authorize the release (and the related transportation) of any population (including eggs, propagules, or individuals) of an endangered species or a threatened species outside the current range of such species if the Secretary determines that such release will further the conservation of such species.

(B) Before authorizing the release of any population under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall by regulation identify the population and determine, on the basis of the best available information, whether or not such population is essential to the continued existence of an endangered species or a threatened species.

(C) For the purposes of this chapter, each member of an experimental population shall be treated as a threatened species; except that—

(i) solely for purposes of section 1536 of this title (other than subsection (a)(1) thereof), an experimental population determined under subparagraph (B) to be not essential to the continued existence of a species shall be treated, except when it occurs in an area within the National Wildlife Refuge System or the National Park System, as a species proposed to be listed under section 1533 of this title; and

(ii) critical habitat shall not be designated under this chapter for any experimental population determined under subparagraph (B) to be not essential to the continued existence of a species.

(3) The Secretary, with respect to populations of endangered species or threatened species that the Secretary authorized, before October 13, 1982, for release in geographical areas separate from the other populations of such species, shall determine by regulation which of such populations are an experimental population for the purposes of this subsection and whether or not each is essential to the continued existence of an endangered species or a threatened species.

(Pub. L. 93–205, § 10, Dec. 28, 1973, 87 Stat. 896; Pub. L. 94–359, §§ 2, 3, July 12, 1976, 90 Stat. 911, 912; Pub. L. 95–632, § 5, Nov. 10, 1978, 92 Stat. 3760; Pub. L. 96–159, § 7, Dec. 28, 1979, 93 Stat. 1230; Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(1)–(4)(A), (5), (6), Oct. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1422–1424; Pub. L. 100–478, title I, §§ 1011, 1013(b), (c), Oct. 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 2314, 2315.)

References In Text

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, except for “the Act” in subsec. (f)(6)(B), meaning Pub. L. 93–205, Dec. 28, 1973, 81 Stat. 884, known as the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1531 of this title and Tables.

Section 668cc–3 of this title, referred to in subsec. (b), was repealed by Pub. L. 93–205, § 14, Dec. 28, 1973, 87 Stat. 903.

Subsec. (f) of section 1533 of this title, referred to in subsec. (f)(5), which related to promulgation of regulations by the Secretary was struck out, and subsec. (g) of section 1533 of this title, was redesignated as subsec. (f), by Pub. L. 97–304, § 2(a)(4)(B), (C), Oct. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1415. For provisions relating to promulgation of regulations, see subsecs. (b) and (h) of section 1533 of this title.

Effective date of this subsection, referred to in subsec. (f)(6)(A), probably means the date of enactment of subsec. (f) by section 2 of Pub. L. 94–359, July 12, 1976.

October 7, 1988, referred to in subsec. (f)(8)(A), was in the original “the date of enactment of the Endangered Species Act Amendments of 1988” and “the date of such enactment” which were translated as meaning the date of enactment of title I of Pub. L. 100–478 which is entitled “Endangered Species Act Amendments of 1988” and which was approved Oct. 7, 1988.

Amendments

Amendments

1988—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–478, § 1013(b), substituted “notice, of” for “notice,” in second sentence.

Subsec. (e)(3)(ii). Pub. L. 100–478, § 1013(c), substituted “lacing,” for “lacking,”.

Subsec. (f)(8)(A). Pub. L. 100–478, § 1011(a), amended subpar. (A) generally. Prior to amendment, subpar. (A) read as follows: “Any person to whom a certificate of exemption has been issued under paragraph (4) of this subsection may apply to the Secretary for a renewal of such exemption for a period not to exceed three years beginning on the expiration date of such certificate. Such application shall be made in the same manner as the application for exemption was made under paragraph (3), but without regard to subparagraph (A) of such paragraph.”

Subsec. (f)(8)(B). Pub. L. 100–478, § 1011(b), substituted “previous” for “original”.

Subsec. (f)(8)(D). Pub. L. 100–478, § 1011(c), added subpar. (D).

Subsec. (f)(9). Pub. L. 100–478, § 1011(d), struck out par. (9) which provided for comprehensive review by Secretary of effectiveness of regulations prescribed pursuant to subsec. (f)(5) of this section.

1982—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(1), designated as par. (1) and the beginning phrase of subpar. (A) thereof the existing provisions consisting of language authorizing the Secretary to permit, under such terms and conditions as he may prescribe, any act otherwise prohibited by section 1538 of this title for scientific purposes or to enhance the propagation or survival of the affected species, and inserted remainder of par. (1)(A) and pars. (1)(B) and (2).

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(2), substituted “subsections (a)(1)(A) and (b) of this section” for “subsections (a) and (b) of this section”.

Subsec. (f)(1)(B). Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(3)(A), substituted “involves the substantial etching or engraving of designs upon, or the substantial carving of figures” for “involves the etching or engraving of designs upon, or the carving of figures” and inserted provision that, for purposes of this subsection, polishing or the adding of minor superficial markings does not constitute substantial etching, engraving, or carving.

Subsec. (f)(9). Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(3)(B), added par. (9).

Subsec. (h)(1). Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(4)(A), struck out “(other than scrimshaw)” after “do not apply to any article” in provisions preceding subpar. (A) and in subpar. (A) substituted “is not less than 100 years of age” for “was made before 1830”.

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(5), substituted provisions covering noncommercial transshipments of fish or wildlife for provisions that had related to exemptions from the provisions of this title of the Tellico Dam and Reservoir Project and the Grayrocks Dam and Reservoir Project and to the operation of the Missouri Basin Power Project.

Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(6), added subsec. (j).

1979—Subsec. (f)(4)(C). Pub. L. 96–159, § 7(1), inserted “unless such exemption is renewed under paragraph (8)” after “issuance of the certificate”.

Subsec. (f)(8). Pub. L. 96–159, § 7(2), added par. (8).

1978—Subsecs. (h), (i). Pub. L. 95–632 added subsecs. (h) and (i).

1976—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 94–359, § 3, substituted “section” for “subsection” and inserted “; except that such thirty-day period may be waived by the Secretary in an emergency situation where the health or life of an endangered animal is threatened and no reasonable alternative is available to the applicant, but notice of any such waiver shall be published by the Secretary in the Federal Register within ten days following the issuance of the exemption or permit.” after “every stage of the proceeding”.

Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 94–359, § 2, added subsecs. (f) and (g).

Effective Date Of Amendment

Effective Date of 1982 Amendment

Pub. L. 97–304, § 6(4)(B), Oct. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1424, provided that: “The amendment made by subparagraph (A) [amending this section] shall take effect January 1, 1981.”

Transfer Of Functions

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of functions, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the United States Customs Service of the Department of the Treasury, including functions of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 203(1), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.

Miscellaneous

Scrimshaw Exemptions

Pub. L. 103–238, § 18, Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 559, provided that: “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any valid certificate of exemption renewed by the Secretary (or deemed to be renewed) under section 10(f)(8) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1539(f)(8)) for any person holding such a certificate with respect to the possession of pre-Act finished scrimshaw products or raw material for such products shall remain valid for a period not to exceed 5 years beginning on the date of enactment of this Act [Apr. 30, 1994].”