(a) In generalThe Secretary of Agriculture may conduct a program of wildlife services with respect to injurious animal species and take any action the Secretary considers necessary in conducting the program.
(b) AdministrationThe Secretary shall administer the program in a manner consistent with all of the wildlife services authorities in effect on the day before October 28, 2000.
(c) Action by FWSThe Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service shall use the most expeditious procedure practicable to process and administer permits for take of—(1) a depredating eagle under the Act of June 8, 1940 (commonly known as the “Bald Eagle Protection Act”) (54 Stat. 250, chapter 278; 16 U.S.C. 668 et seq.), or sections 22.11 through 22.32 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations) (including depredation of livestock, wildlife, and species protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) or any other Federal management program); or
(2) a migratory bird included on the list under section 10.13 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations) that is posing a conflict.
(Mar. 2, 1931, ch. 370, § 1, 46 Stat. 1468; Pub. L. 102–237, title X, § 1013(d), Dec. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1901; Pub. L. 106–387, § 1(a) [title VII, § 767], Oct. 28, 2000, 114 Stat. 1549, 1549A–44; Pub. L. 115–270, title IV, § 4307, Oct. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 3886.)
Editorial Notes
References in TextThe Act of June 8, 1940 (commonly known as the Bald Eagle Protection Act), referred to in subsec. (c)(1), is act June 8, 1940, ch. 278, 54 Stat. 250, which is classified generally to subchapter II of chapter 5A (§ 668 et seq.) of Title 16, Conservation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973, referred to in subsec. (c)(1), is Pub. L. 93–205, Dec. 28, 1973, 87 Stat. 884, which is classified principally to chapter 35 (§ 1531 et seq.) of Title 16, Conservation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1531 of Title 16 and Tables.
Codification
Section was formerly classified to section 426 of this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.
Amendments2018—Pub. L. 115–270 designated first and second sentences as subsecs. (a) and (b), respectively, inserted subsec. headings, and added subsec. (c).
2000—Pub. L. 106–387 inserted section catchline and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized and directed to conduct such investigations, experiments, and tests as he may deem necessary in order to determine, demonstrate, and promulgate the best methods of eradication, suppression, or bringing under control on national forests and other areas of the public domain as well as on State, Territory, or privately owned lands of mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, bobcats, prairie dogs, gophers, ground squirrels, jack rabbits, brown tree snakes, and other animals injurious to agriculture, horticulture, forestry, animal husbandry, wild game animals, fur-bearing animals, and birds, and for the protection of stock and other domestic animals through the suppression of rabies and tularemia in predatory or other wild animals; and to conduct campaigns for the destruction or control of such animals: Provided, That in carrying out the provisions of this section the Secretary of Agriculture may cooperate with States, individuals, and public and private agencies, organizations, and institutions.”
1991—Pub. L. 102–237 inserted “brown tree snakes,” after “rabbits,”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Transfer of Functions
Functions of Secretary of Agriculture administered through Bureau of Biological Survey, relating to conservation of wildlife, game, and migratory birds, transferred to Secretary of the Interior by 1939 Reorg. Plan No. II, § 4(f), eff. July 1, 1939, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. See also sections 401 to 404 of said plan for provisions relating to transfer of functions, records, property, personnel, and funds.
Pub. L. 99–190, § 101(a) [H.R. 3037, title I, § 101], Dec. 19, 1985, 99 Stat. 1185; Pub. L. 100–202, § 106, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–433, provided in part: “That effective upon the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 19, 1985] and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the authorities of the Secretary of Agriculture under the Act of March 2, 1931 (46 Stat. 1468; 7 U.S.C. 426–426b) [now 7 U.S.C. 8351, 8352], (transferred to the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to section 4(f) of 1939 Reorganization Plan No. II) and all personnel, property, records, unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations and other funds of the Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Department of the Interior used, held, available or to be made available in connection with the administration of such Act, are hereby transferred from the Secretary of the Interior to the Secretary of Agriculture, and this appropriation shall be available to carry out such authorities.”
Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot ProgramPub. L. 115–334, title II, § 2408, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4574, as amended by Pub. L. 118–22, div. B, title I, § 102(d)(1)(C), Nov. 17, 2023, 137 Stat. 116; Pub. L. 119–21, title I, § 10601(f), July 4, 2025, 139 Stat. 108, provided that:
“(a) In General.—The Secretary [of Agriculture] shall establish a feral swine eradication and control pilot program to respond to the threat feral swine pose to agriculture, native ecosystems, and human and animal health.
“(b) Duties of the Secretary.—In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall—“(1) study and assess the nature and extent of damage to the pilot areas caused by feral swine;
“(2) develop methods to eradicate or control feral swine in the pilot areas;
“(3) develop methods to restore damage caused by feral swine; and
“(4) provide financial assistance to agricultural producers in pilot areas.
“(c) Assistance.—The Secretary may provide financial assistance to agricultural producers under the pilot program to implement methods to—“(1) eradicate or control feral swine in the pilot areas; and
“(2) restore damage caused by feral swine.
“(d) Coordination.—The Secretary shall ensure that the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service coordinate for purposes of this section through State technical committees established under section 1261(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3861(a)).
“(e) Pilot Areas.—The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program in areas of States in which feral swine have been identified as a threat to agriculture, native ecosystems, or human or animal health, as determined by the Secretary.
“(f) Cost Sharing.—“(1) Federal share.—The Federal share of the costs of activities under the pilot program may not exceed 75 percent of the total costs of such activities.
“(2) In-kind contributions.—The non-Federal share of the costs of activities under the pilot program may be provided in the form of in-kind contributions of materials or services.
“(g) Funding.—“(1) Mandatory funding.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section $75,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2024, and $105,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2031.
“(2) Distribution of funds.—Of the funds made available under paragraph (1)—“(A) 50 percent shall be allocated to the Natural Resources Conservation Service to carry out the pilot program, including the provision of financial assistance to producers for on-farm trapping and technology related to capturing and confining feral swine; and
“(B) 50 percent shall be allocated to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to carry out the pilot program, including the use of established, and testing of innovative, population reduction methods.
“(3) Limitation on administrative expenses.—Not more than 10 percent of funds made available under this section may be used for administrative expenses of the pilot program.”
Wolf Livestock Loss Demonstration ProjectPub. L. 111–11, title VI, subtitle C, Mar. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 1170, provided that: