Permits

Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires hunters to obtain a permit before they can import their listed trophies into the U.S. Before an import permit is issued, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) must determine whether issuing the permit will "enhance the propagation or survival of the affected species." Applications for permits for both endangered and threatened species are governed by 50 C.F.R. § 17.22 and 50 C.F.R. § 17.32, respectively. Particularly for threatened species listed under Section 4(d) of the ESA, there are specific rules for individual species and for specific countries. This aspect of permitting renders the process even more complex. Since the decision in Safari Club International v. Zinke, 878 F.3d 316 (2017), the USFWS has moved to a case-by-case basis decision making process. Meaning, rather than simply clearing permits for species from countries as a whole, the USFWS now reviews each individual application to see if the harvesting of that specific animal enhanced the local and regional population of the species. The permitting process and rules have grown too complicated for hunters to simply file their own permits. The permitting team at Orion Permit Co. is well suited to navigate the complex process of filing ESA import permit applications on behalf of clients. This includes working with outfitters and import agents to compile the necessary information and documents; working and communicating with USFWS agents; and staying up to date on changes in regulatory requirements for imports of different species. We can help clients get trophy import permits for the following species:

Species we provide trophy permitting for: