U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launches new permitting system

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has launched a new electronic permitting system for dealing with protected species.

The new permitting system, or ePermits, will help simplify and expedite the permitting process,” said Aurelia Skipwith, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in a press release.

This permitting system will affect people applying for permits issued for activities like the import or export of animals, plants or biomedical samples, the rehabilitation of migratory birds, exchange of specimens between museums, scientific research or reintroduction programs.

“Permits from the Service are integral to the work of many ornithologists, so we are excited about the new ePermits system,” said Laura Bies, Executive Director of The Ornithological Council and The Wildlife Society’s government affairs consultant. “This new system has the potential to reduce the paperwork burden for researchers and scientists, and the Ornithological Council looks forward to its implementation.”

The government will continue to make enhancements to the online system through July 2021.