The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced it is increasing permit application fees for the majority of permits the agency issues to help address the shortfall between program costs and fee collection. The new fee schedule, published in the April 11, 2005 Federal Register, becomes effective on May 11, thirty days from its publication date.
Today's increase applies to all Service permits except for application fees for permits for possession of eagle parts and feathers for Native American religious and cultural use and applications submitted by Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments.
"Permits let people legally conduct wildlife-related activities that would not otherwise be allowed", said Acting Service Director Matt Hogan. "Because the Service's ability to effectively provide these special services to our customers depends in part on user fees, the agency is raising the charge to help meet today's cost of doing business."
The Service's proposed fee increase was published in the August 26, 2003 Federal Register. At that time the agency proposed an increase in fees ranging from $50 to $300, based on a variety of factors, including: (1) the level of complexity required to process the particular type of permit, (2) whether the permittee would benefit commercially from the permit, and (3) whether the permitted activity serves the public interest.
Since 1982 when the $25 permit application fee was established, the Service's costs have risen in line with cost of living increases nationwide while the real dollar value of the $25 fee has decreased.
To access the final rule and fee schedule, please visit: http://permits.fws.gov/federalregister/federalregister.shtml.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
visit our home page at http://www.fws.gov
