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Title 16 — Conservation

Chapter 5A — Protection and Conservation of Wildlife

§ 668ee. Definitions

Statutory text

For purposes of this Act:

(1)

The term “compatible use” means a wildlife-dependent recreational use or any other use of a refuge that, in the sound professional judgment of the Director, will not materially interfere with or detract from the fulfillment of the mission of the System or the purposes of the refuge.

(2)

The terms “wildlife-dependent recreation” and “wildlife-dependent recreational use” mean a use of a refuge involving hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, or environmental education and interpretation.

(3)

The term “sound professional judgment” means a finding, determination, or decision that is consistent with principles of sound fish and wildlife management and administration, available science and resources, and adherence to the requirements of this Act and other applicable laws.

(4)

The terms “conserving”, “conservation”, “manage”, “managing”, and “management”, mean to sustain and, where appropriate, restore and enhance, healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants utilizing, in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws, methods and procedures associated with modern scientific resource programs. Such methods and procedures include, consistent with the provisions of this Act, protection, research, census, law enforcement, habitat management, propagation, live trapping and transplantation, and regulated taking.

(5)

The term “Coordination Area” means a wildlife management area that is made available to a State—

(A)

by cooperative agreement between the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and a State agency having control over wildlife resources pursuant to section 664 of this title; or

(B)

by long-term leases or agreements pursuant to title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (50 Stat. 525; 7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.).

(6)

The term “Director” means the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service or a designee of that Director.

(7)

The terms “fish”, “wildlife”, and “fish and wildlife” mean any wild member of the animal kingdom whether alive or dead, and regardless of whether the member was bred, hatched, or born in captivity, including a part, product, egg, or offspring of the member.

(8)

The term “person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, or association.

(9)

The term “plant” means any member of the plant kingdom in a wild, unconfined state, including any plant community, seed, root, or other part of a plant.

(10)

The terms “purposes of the refuge” and “purposes of each refuge” mean the purposes specified in or derived from the law, proclamation, executive order, agreement, public land order, donation document, or administrative memorandum establishing, authorizing, or expanding a refuge, refuge unit, or refuge subunit.

(11)

The term “refuge” means a designated area of land, water, or an interest in land or water within the System, but does not include Coordination Areas.

(12)

The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior.

(13)

The terms “State” and “United States” mean the several States of the United States, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the territories and possessions of the United States.

(14)

The term “System” means the National Wildlife Refuge System designated under section 668dd(a)(1) of this title.

(15)

The terms “take”, “taking”, and “taken” mean to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, or kill, or to attempt to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, or kill.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Pub. L. 89–669 § 5 · 80 Stat. 926

    Enacted · 16 U.S.C. § 668ee

    Pub. L. 89–669, § 5, Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 929

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    Pub. L. 89–669, § 5, Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 929

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    Sec. 5. (a) The term “person” as used in this Act means any individual, Definitions. partnership, corporation, or association. (b) The terms “take” or “taking” or “taken” as used in this Act mean to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture collect, kill, or attempt to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, or kill. (c) The terms “State” and the “United States” as used in this Act mean the several States of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and Guam.

  2. National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997

    Pub. L. 105–57 § 3(a) · 111 Stat. 1252

    1. Inserted · 16 U.S.C. § 668ee

      Pub. L. 105–57 inserted section catchline

    2. Amended · 16 U.S.C. § 668ee

      Pub. L. 105–57 amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows:

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 105–57 inserted section catchline and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows:

    “(a) The term ‘person’ as used in this Act means any individual, partnership, corporation, or association. “(b) The terms ‘take’ or ‘taking’ or ‘taken’ as used in this Act mean to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, kill, or attempt to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, or kill. “(c) The terms ‘State’ and the ‘United States’ as used in this Act mean the several States of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and Guam.”

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (a) In General.— Section 5 (16 U.S.C. 668ee) is amended to read as follows: “SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. “For purposes of this Act: “(1) The term ‘compatible use’ means a wildlife-dependent recreational use or any other use of a refuge that, in the sound professional judgment of the Director, will not materially interfere with or detract from the fulfillment of the mission of the System or the purposes of the refuge. “(2) The terms ‘wildlife-dependent recreation’ and ‘wildlife-dependent recreational use’ mean a use of a refuge involving hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, or environmental education and interpretation. “(3) The term ‘sound professional judgment’ means a finding, determination, or decision that is consistent with principles of sound fish and wildlife management and administration, available science and resources, and adherence to the requirements of this Act and other applicable laws. “(4) The terms ‘conserving’, ‘conservation’, ‘manage’, ‘managing’, and ‘management’, mean to sustain and, where appropriate, restore and enhance, healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants utilizing, in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws, methods and procedures associated with modern scientific resource programs. Such methods and procedures include, consistent with the provisions of this Act, protection, research, census, law enforcement, habitat management, propagation, live trapping and transplantation, and regulated taking. “(5) The term ‘Coordination Area’ means a wildlife management area that is made available to a State— “(A) by cooperative agreement between the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and a State agency having control over wildlife resources pursuant to section 4 of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 664); or “(B) by long-term leases or agreements pursuant to title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (50 Stat. 525; 7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.). “(6) The term ‘Director’ means the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service or a designee of that Director. “(7) The terms ‘fish’, ‘wildlife’, and ‘fish and wildlife’ mean any wild member of the animal kingdom whether alive or dead, and regardless of whether the member was bred, hatched, or born in captivity, including a part, product, egg, or offspring of the member. “(8) The term ‘person’ means any individual, partnership, corporation, or association. “(9) The term ‘plant’ means any member of the plant kingdom in a wild, unconfined state, including any plant community, seed, root, or other part of a plant. “(10) The terms ‘purposes of the refuge’ and ‘purposes of each refuge’ mean the purposes specified in or derived from the law, proclamation, executive order, agreement, public land order, donation document, or administrative memorandum establishing, authorizing, or expanding a refuge, refuge unit, or refuge subunit. “(11) The term ‘refuge’ means a designated area of land, water, or an interest in land or water within the System, but does not include Coordination Areas. “(12) The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of the Interior. “(13) The terms ‘State’ and ‘United States’ mean the several States of the United States, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the territories and possessions of the United States. “(14) The term ‘System’ means the National Wildlife Refuge System designated under section 4(a)(1). “(15) The terms ‘take’, ‘taking’, and ‘taken’ mean to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, or kill, or to attempt to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, or kill.”.

3 of 3 references resolved to an enrolled provision

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This Act, referred to in text, means Pub. L. 89–669, , 80 Stat. 927, which enacted sections 668aa to 668ee, amended sections 460k, 696, 696b, 715c, 715i to 715k, 718d, and repealed sections 715d–1, 715d–2, 715l, 715m of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

The Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, referred to in par. (5)(B), is act July 22, 1937, ch. 517, 50 Stat. 522. Title III of the Act is classified generally to subchapter III (§ 1010 et seq.) of chapter 33 of Title 7, Agriculture. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1000 of Title 7 and Tables.

Amendments

1997—Pub. L. 105–57 inserted section catchline and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows:

“(a) The term ‘person’ as used in this Act means any individual, partnership, corporation, or association.

“(b) The terms ‘take’ or ‘taking’ or ‘taken’ as used in this Act mean to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, kill, or attempt to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, or kill.

“(c) The terms ‘State’ and the ‘United States’ as used in this Act mean the several States of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and Guam.”

Credits

1966–1997 · 2 acts
  1. 1966Pub. L. 89–669, § 5, , 80 Stat. 929
  2. 1997Pub. L. 105–57, § 3(a), , 111 Stat. 1253.
Show as published

(Pub. L. 89–669, § 5, , 80 Stat. 929; Pub. L. 105–57, § 3(a), , 111 Stat. 1253.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc16.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-07-16

USLM identifier /us/usc/t16/s668ee