Collections, Donations, and Disposals policy

Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, 701 FW 5, Collections, Donations, and Disposals: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

701
FW 5, Collections, Donations and Disposals
FWM#: 317 (replaces FWM 267, 8/12/96)

Date: April 11, 1997

Series: Wildlife - General

Part 701: Population Management at Field Stations

Originating Office: Division of Refuges

5.1 Purpose. This chapter provides guidance concerning the collection,
donation, and disposal of fish and wildlife and
plant specimens at field
stations.
5.2 Objectives. The objectives of collecting, donating, and disposal
activities at field stations are to:
A. Assist in completion of worthwhile research projects or investigations.
B. Aid in the perpetuation of the resources.
C. Further knowledge and appreciation for natural resources.
D. Avoid waste of natural resources.
E. Assist in reestablishing fish and wildlife in their historic
range.
5.3 Policy.
A. Collections. All scientific and private collecting of fish,
wildlife and plant specimens must be:
(1) Compatible with the purposes for which the refuge was established
and with all refuge objectives, programs, and
operations.
(2) Biologically sound.
(3) In accordance with all Federal, State, and refuge laws and
regulations (including Federal and State special
restrictions on endangered
species).
B. Donations and Loans. Donations or loans of fish, wildlife
and plant specimens may occur for the following
purposes:
(1) Scientific educational purposes (universities, research units,
etc.).
(2) Propagation of new, free-ranging (freely occupying habitat
adequate in size and quality to provide for all biological
needs and allowed
to reproduce freely) populations in cooperation with States, other governments,
and other
governmental agencies (see 701
FW 8, Fenced Animal Management).
(3) Augmentation of existing populations to prevent genetic suppression
in cooperation with States, other governments,
and other governmental agencies.

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Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, 701 FW 5, Collections, Donations, and Disposals: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

(4) Public display exhibition (zoos, municipalities, etc.).
(5) Food and food products.
C. Disposal. Disposal of fish, wildlife and plant specimens must
be:
(1) Compatible with all facility objectives, programs, and operations.
(2) In accordance with all Federal, State, and Service laws and
regulations (including Federal and State special
restrictions on endangered
species).
5.4 Authorities and Guidance.
A. Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 668-668d,
Stat.250.
B. Refuge Revenue Sharing Act of 1935, as amended, Public Law 95-469.
C. 50 CFR Part 12, Seizure and Forfeiture Procedures, especially
12.33.
D. 50 CFR Part 17, Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants.
E. 50 CFR Part 21, Migratory Bird Permits, especially 21.2 and
21.23.
F. 50 CFR Part 28, Enforcement, Penalty, and Procedural Requirements,
especially 28.42 & 43 (impounding of
domestic animals and destruction
of dogs and cats).
G. 50 CFR Part 29, Land Use Management, especially 29.1 (use
of natural resources).
H. 50 CFR Part 30, Range and Feral Animal Management, especially
30.2 (disposition of surplus range animals)
and 30.12 (disposition of feral
animals).
I. 50 CFR Part 31, Wildlife Species Management, especially 31.13
and 31.17 (control and disposal of surplus wildlife
populations).
5.5 Definitions.
A. Collection. The taking of flora and fauna in accordance with
applicable State and Federal regulations by Service
personnel for official
purposes or by other agencies or individuals for scientific and educational
purposes.
B. Disposal. The act or instance of getting rid of specimens
no longer of use to the Service.
C. Donation. A gift or contribution of specimens for specific
purposes.
D. Specimen. A part or an individual taken as exemplifying or
typifying a whole.
5.6 Responsibilities.
A. Regional Director. The Regional Director ensures development
of Regional procedures for granting of required
permits for collection,
donation, and disposal of fish and wildlife and plant specimens.
B. Facility Manager. The facility manager initiates, reviews
or approves permit applications in accordance with
Regional policy. The
facility manager assures compliance with all permit requirements and regulations
and may hold a
collecting permit for the facility at the discretion of
the Regional Director.
5.7 Collection Procedures.

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Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, 701 FW 5, Collections, Donations, and Disposals: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

A. Official Collecting of fish and wildlife and plant specimens
by the facility manager or designee may be done in
conjunction with approved
field studies, to document species occurrence, or to provide a reference
collection of species
occurring on the facility. All specimens are the
property of the United States.
B. Studies. Where sufficient justification exists, collections
may be made to secure data in connection with approved
research and management
studies. (See 4 RM 6, Research and Management Studies.)
C. Collection of Pathological Material. Pathological material
needed in pursuit of an approved program of disease
investigations may
be collected.
(1) Pathological materials/cultures collection will be accomplished
with specific, detailed instructions from the wildlife
disease laboratory
or other cooperative research organization to insure proper methods and
shipment. The Regional
Office will approve all such requests.
(2) Specimens to be used for pesticide analysis will be collected,
stored, and shipped in accordance with instructions
from the institution
conducting the analysis; e.g., Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.
D. Permits.
(1) All persons must possess all necessary Federal and State
permits prior to official collecting activities. These permits
authorize
them to collect, possess, and transport migratory as well as nonmigratory
birds, including their eggs and nests;
fish; amphibians; reptiles; plants;
and mammals, provided such animals or plants are not endangered species.
(2) Under the terms of these permits, the killing of birds or
mammals on national wildlife refuges for official purposes
may be performed
by the facility manager, or at his/her direction and discretion, by Service
personnel legally qualified
to so act.
(3) In accordance with 50 CFR 21.23, each holder of a collecting
permit is required to report the number of specimens
collected following
the close of each calendar year. Form 3-430a "Report of Migratory Birds
and Their Eggs Taken for
Scientific Purposes" is distributed by the Regional
Permits Official, for use in preparing this report. Report on this form
only those birds that are collected or otherwise obtained for specimen
purposes. It is not required that birds picked up in
disease control work
and banding operations be reported on this form unless these birds are
later made into study skins
and retained as specimens. Permittees should
complete and submit form 3-430a to the Regional Office. Negative reports
are required. The report must be submitted on or before January 10 of each
calendar year or whenever requested. Note
that birds taken in connection
with banding operations will be reported to the Bird Banding Office. (See
7 RM 16 .)
E. Documenting Species Occurrence. Specimens may be collected
to document the occurrence of species outside their
normal range. Such
documentation can be important in identifying potential competition with
species already occurring
on the area. Such activities also aid in verification
of new distribution patterns of wildlife species. Finally, this work
provides
documentation for bird and other wildlife lists that indicate species of
rare or uncommon occurrence. In
documenting species occurrence, the use
of dead or dying specimens is preferable to the sacrifice of healthy animals.
The taking of healthy animals may be done only with the written approval
of the Regional Office. In handling
specimens found dead or dying, caution
must be taken to avoid spread of disease to other sites through such collection.
(See 7 RM 17.)
F. Study Skin Preparation.
(1) Birds or mammals taken for record purposes should be tagged
and prepared immediately as study skins. If skilled
individuals are not
available to prepare the study skins, the specimens will be carefully wrapped
to reduce opportunities
for desiccation and stored in a frozen, protected
condition until their disposition can be arranged. Poorly prepared and
preserved skins are of little or no value. Collections will not be made
without a clear plan as to their ultimate preparation
and disposition.
(2) North American Bird Banding Manual, Volumes I and II, published
jointly by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and the Canadian Wildlife
Service, provides guidance for marking and salvage procedures for migratory
birds. Copies
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Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, 701 FW 5, Collections, Donations, and Disposals: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

of this 1977 publication and updates are available from:
Chief, Bird Banding Laboratory, Biological Resources
Division, Laurel,
Maryland 20811.
G. Specimen Identification.
(1) Zoological specimens collected that cannot be fully identified
in the field may be submitted to the Bird and Mammal
Laboratories, National
Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. 20560, or to other recognized
institutions or
agencies for identification. Zoological specimens should
be frozen, packed with ice, and shipped by air freight to arrive
in the
middle of the week to ensure prompt attention and avoid spoilage. (See
also part 2, Bird Banding Manual.)
(2) Plant specimens that cannot be readily identified at the
field station may be forwarded to an authoritative source. In
requesting
determinations by an authoritative source, duplicate specimens should be
submitted. It is often necessary to
dissect the floral and other parts
of plants in making identifications. Consequently, they will be of little
further value and
will not be returned to the facility unless requested.
H. Reference Collections.
(1) Reference collections of animal specimens normally will not
be maintained at field stations. Such collections require
special handling,
storage techniques, and equipment that make them impractical for field
station use. The ready
availability of detailed taxonomic keys and field
guides makes field station reference collections unnecessary except
under
the most unusual circumstances. At stations where an animal study skin
collection is justifiable, suitable insectproof storage facilities will
be provided. A catalog of all specimens will be maintained.
(2) An herbarium of plants occurring at the facility may be useful.
Such a collection may be assembled and maintained
for primary use of personnel
assigned to the station. A catalog of all specimens collected and maintained
in the
herbarium will be retained on file. The herbarium may not be removed
or transferred from the field station without
specific Regional Office
authorization.
(3) Specific guidance for museum property is contained in 411
DM.
I. Display of Mounted Specimens. Display of mounted specimens
representing species common to the facility can add
substantially to the
enjoyment and education of visitors. Such displays, appropriately captioned,
may be located in
facility offices, visitor contact stations, and visitor
centers. All mounts will be presented appropriately and maintained in
good
condition. Mounts that show signs of deterioration will be removed from
public view.
J. Non-official Collecting by Facility Employees. Non-official
collecting by field station personnel during duty hours
will not be permitted.
Field station personnel are required to obtain a permit for non-official
collecting on a refuge
during non-duty hours through application to the
Regional Office. The application should identify the scope and
objective
of the collection, the species intended for collection, and full justification
of the collecting activities. This
application will be referred to the
Regional Office with complete recommendations. All applicable Federal and
State
permits are required.
5.8 Donation and Disposal Procedures.
A. Donations. As a general rule, the recipients of donations
should arrange to pick up and be responsible for
transporting the donated
items from the refuge. Recipients may be charged, as appropriate, for capture
and delivery.
(1) Study skins and mounted specimens may be loaned to reputable
museums, colleges, schools, laboratories, etc., with
Regional Office approval.
Study skins and mounted specimens cannot be donated. They remain the property
of the
United States.
(2) Cataloging of a specimen in a professionally curated museum
collection is not considered an exception to this
general ownership requirement.
Specimens to be maintained in such facilities will, as a matter of course,
maintain their
identity through specimen tags and catalog files, and are,
for all intents and purposes, on permanent loan.

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Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, 701 FW 5, Collections, Donations, and Disposals: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

(3) Notwithstanding the above, specimens donated for food or
other purposes must be free of infectious diseases and
otherwise in compliance
with all applicable health codes.
B. Live Animals for Educational Purposes. The exhibition of live
animals by municipal parks and other public
agencies with adequate facilities
can have educational value. Requests for live animals from national wildlife
refuges for
public parks, etc., will be forwarded to the Regional Office
for approval. The Regional Office will obtain the necessary
State approval.
When approved, the requested animals will be obtained in the following
priority:
(1) From animals wounded from hunting, trapping, or accidents
but sufficiently recovered to be acceptable for display
purposes (immature
specimens respond to captivity better than adults),
(2) From birds or other animals (after complete recovery) afflicted
with botulism, lead poisoning, or other diseases.
(3) From animals captured in banding operations.
(4) Requests for live specimens for display at public gatherings
such as fairs, sportsmen's meeting, etc., may be filled
with the approval
of the Regional Office. Humane treatment of the animals must be guaranteed.
When possible, animals
should be released or returned to the Service facility
following such uses. No endangered species will be used for such
purposes.
Display and handling will be in keeping with the most humane practices
possible. Disease resulting from
exposure of loaned animals must be considered
if return to the facility is planned.
C. Disposal of Products of Animal Control Activities or Accidental
Death may occur in accordance with 50 CFR 12.33.
(1) Animal products resulting from control activities, confiscation, or accidental death, which meet requirements of
health and sanitation, may be disposed of in accordance with guidelines of paragraph 5.8D below as appropriate.
Permits and authorizations must be obtained no matter what
the circumstance of acquisition of material. Public relations
or health
considerations may require, however, that animal remains be burned or buried.
This would be particularly true
if evidence of disease were present.
(2) The facility manager may require that carcasses of accidentally
or intentionally killed animals (of wildlife control
activities) be left
or distributed where they can be utilized by scavenger species such as
eagles or vultures.
D. Sales.
(1) Wildlife and their parts and products generally may not be
sold. Exceptions include:
(a) Approved furbearers and commercial fishing resources. (See
7 RM 15 and 7 RM 10 and 50 CFR 31.13 and 31.17.)
(b) Feral animals (e.g., horses and burros (7 RM 6) and range
animals (e.g., buffalo and longhorn, 701
FW 8).
(c) Certain animal by-products, such as shed antlers, if possession
and transport of parts are permitted by the State. Note
that, with the
exception of non-game resident wildlife, State or State and Federal regulations
do not permit the taking of
animal parts, even as salvage, without a permit,
and that similar regulations apply to many species of plants. Sale of
same
is thus likewise restricted.
(d) Under no circumstances may waterfowl obtained during the
hunting season, either legally, or illegally, or migratory
game birds obtained
at any time, be sold or disposed of without appropriate permits. (See 50
CFR 21.2 and 21.25.)
(2) Revenue from the sale or other disposition of animals, products
and privileges must be deposited in the National
Wildlife Refuge Fund (Fund
403A) pursuant to the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act of 1935, as amended (Public
Law 95469). 
For additional information regarding this
Web page, contact Krista Bibb, in
the Division of Policy and Directives
Management, at [email protected] 

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Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, 701 FW 5, Collections, Donations, and Disposals: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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