jfseaman
05-29-2011, 08:39 PM
Greetings:
I'm Bill Murphy, president of the California Hawking Club.
Without question the most important issue facing California falconers is the adoption of the revised federal falconry regulations. In California, due
to our legal and regulatory structure, the process is long, arduous, and riddled with hurdles but we are confident that California will complete the
process before the deadline. To this point, only 14 states have adopted the revised regulations, leaving us among 36 others who have not.
The California Hawking Club has been asked by the California Department of Fish and Game to act as the focal point in communicating with falconers
regarding implementation of the revised regulations. In these budget restricted times, the department resources are stretched thin and the volunteers
of the club are ready and willing to field questions about the revised regulations from anyone, non-members included and forward your concerns to the
department. We will be conducting a survey of all California falconers on your desires for any changes to California's implementation of the revised
regulations. We have a new web site that allows non-members to sign up for e-mail notices and will be sending updates on the survey and regulatory
progress. Please sign up now at www.calhawkingclub.org. There is no obligation for membership.
Many falconers may be under the impression that the revised regs are dramatically different from that currently in place will be surprised at how few
substantial changes have been made. To clear up confusion, I have included a chart prepared by the USFWS comparing the present regulations with the
new ones. A few concerns, including an extended trapping season and multi-year permits are not on this chart as but we intend to pursue revision of
the present statutes on those subjects. After you have an opportunity to examine this information, the California Hawking Club will send out a
questionnaire, asking you to prioritize what changes you feel are most important so that the CHC can accurately reflect your concerns.
For the record, the California Hawking Club will request that the revised regs be adopted in their entirety, but if bargaining becomes necessary, we
want to best represent the interests of California falconers. Without your input we cannot include your views. Please look at the changes carefully
and let us know where your priorities lie. Please sign up for the e-mail updates at www.calhawkingclub.org ( http://www.calhawkingclub.org/ ) so that
we can get you information regarding the survey ASAP.
In closing, I want to announce that our annual field meet will be held at the Sacramento Red Lion Inn between the 25th and 28th of January, 2012. More
information will follow.
Good hawking,
Bill Murphy
SUMMARY OF MAJOR CHANGES OF THE REVISED FEDERAL FALCONRY REGULATIONS
Changes to the federal regulations governing falconry were finalized and published on October 8, 2008 (Federal Register Volume 73, pages 59448-59477).
It allows states or tribes to adopt their own regulations that meet the standards in the final rule. The new regulations, however, do not take effect
until the state or tribe adopts it own regulations and certify to the USFWS Director that their regulations comply with the federal requirements. The
‘Service’ must approve the certification. Upon certification, the federal falconry permit requirement will be eliminated for that state.
Although the federal falconry permit will be eliminated, USFWS will continue to have oversight responsibility for falconry, including enforcement
authority over most aspects of falconry. The ‘Service’ will continue to compile and evaluate information on all reported takes of raptors from the
wild for falconry purposes.
The biggest change is the elimination of a federal permit, which would give all authority for falconry permitting to the states. The other major
changes in the new federal regulations from the old regulations are described in the following table, taken from the USFWS document entitled Revised
Federal Falconry
Regulations Questions and Answers:
Issue Old Regulations1 New Regulations2
-------------------------------------------------
Apprentice Level
-------------------------------------------------
Age 14 12 (ages 12-17 parent
or guardian must co-sign
application & be
responsible for
your activities)
-------------------------------------------------
Possession 1 | 1
limit |
-------------------------------------------------
Species American kestrel, |All Strigiformes
red-tailed hawk, |& falconiformes,
red-shouldered |EXCEPT eagles;
hawk; in Alaska, |American
goshawk |swallow-tailed kite;
|Swainson's &
|ferruginous hawks;
|prairie & peregrine
|falcons; northern
|harrier; flammulated,
|burrowing & short-eared
|owl.
-------------------------------------------------
Source Wild-caught |Wild-caught or captive
|bred (non-imprint)
-------------------------------------------------
Taken from May not obtain |Up to 2 annually
the wild more than 1 |
raptor for |
Replacement during|
any 12-month |
period |
-------------------------------------------------
Duration At least 2 years |At least 2 years
before |(including at least
upgrade |4 months each year)
-------------------------------------------------
General Level
-------------------------------------------------
Age 18 |16 (ages 16-17 parent
|or legal guardian must
|cosign application &
|be responsible for
|your activities)
-------------------------------------------------
Possession 2 | 3
limit |
-------------------------------------------------
Species All except eagles |All except eagles
-------------------------------------------------
Source Wild or |Wild or
captive-bred |captive-bred
-------------------------------------------------
Taken from Up to 2 annually |Up to 2 annually
the wild |
-------------------------------------------------
Duration At least 5 years |At least 5 years
before |
upgrade |
-------------------------------------------------
Master Level
-------------------------------------------------
Possession 3 |5 wild raptors, 3 of
limit |which may be golden
|eagles. Unlimited
|captive-bred raptors
|(excluding eagles) if
|used for falconry.
-------------------------------------------------
Species All species; |All species, including
golden eagle with |golden eagles
22.24 |
authorization |
-------------------------------------------------
Taken from Up to 2 annually |Up to 2 annually
the wild |
-------------------------------------------------
I'm Bill Murphy, president of the California Hawking Club.
Without question the most important issue facing California falconers is the adoption of the revised federal falconry regulations. In California, due
to our legal and regulatory structure, the process is long, arduous, and riddled with hurdles but we are confident that California will complete the
process before the deadline. To this point, only 14 states have adopted the revised regulations, leaving us among 36 others who have not.
The California Hawking Club has been asked by the California Department of Fish and Game to act as the focal point in communicating with falconers
regarding implementation of the revised regulations. In these budget restricted times, the department resources are stretched thin and the volunteers
of the club are ready and willing to field questions about the revised regulations from anyone, non-members included and forward your concerns to the
department. We will be conducting a survey of all California falconers on your desires for any changes to California's implementation of the revised
regulations. We have a new web site that allows non-members to sign up for e-mail notices and will be sending updates on the survey and regulatory
progress. Please sign up now at www.calhawkingclub.org. There is no obligation for membership.
Many falconers may be under the impression that the revised regs are dramatically different from that currently in place will be surprised at how few
substantial changes have been made. To clear up confusion, I have included a chart prepared by the USFWS comparing the present regulations with the
new ones. A few concerns, including an extended trapping season and multi-year permits are not on this chart as but we intend to pursue revision of
the present statutes on those subjects. After you have an opportunity to examine this information, the California Hawking Club will send out a
questionnaire, asking you to prioritize what changes you feel are most important so that the CHC can accurately reflect your concerns.
For the record, the California Hawking Club will request that the revised regs be adopted in their entirety, but if bargaining becomes necessary, we
want to best represent the interests of California falconers. Without your input we cannot include your views. Please look at the changes carefully
and let us know where your priorities lie. Please sign up for the e-mail updates at www.calhawkingclub.org ( http://www.calhawkingclub.org/ ) so that
we can get you information regarding the survey ASAP.
In closing, I want to announce that our annual field meet will be held at the Sacramento Red Lion Inn between the 25th and 28th of January, 2012. More
information will follow.
Good hawking,
Bill Murphy
SUMMARY OF MAJOR CHANGES OF THE REVISED FEDERAL FALCONRY REGULATIONS
Changes to the federal regulations governing falconry were finalized and published on October 8, 2008 (Federal Register Volume 73, pages 59448-59477).
It allows states or tribes to adopt their own regulations that meet the standards in the final rule. The new regulations, however, do not take effect
until the state or tribe adopts it own regulations and certify to the USFWS Director that their regulations comply with the federal requirements. The
‘Service’ must approve the certification. Upon certification, the federal falconry permit requirement will be eliminated for that state.
Although the federal falconry permit will be eliminated, USFWS will continue to have oversight responsibility for falconry, including enforcement
authority over most aspects of falconry. The ‘Service’ will continue to compile and evaluate information on all reported takes of raptors from the
wild for falconry purposes.
The biggest change is the elimination of a federal permit, which would give all authority for falconry permitting to the states. The other major
changes in the new federal regulations from the old regulations are described in the following table, taken from the USFWS document entitled Revised
Federal Falconry
Regulations Questions and Answers:
Issue Old Regulations1 New Regulations2
-------------------------------------------------
Apprentice Level
-------------------------------------------------
Age 14 12 (ages 12-17 parent
or guardian must co-sign
application & be
responsible for
your activities)
-------------------------------------------------
Possession 1 | 1
limit |
-------------------------------------------------
Species American kestrel, |All Strigiformes
red-tailed hawk, |& falconiformes,
red-shouldered |EXCEPT eagles;
hawk; in Alaska, |American
goshawk |swallow-tailed kite;
|Swainson's &
|ferruginous hawks;
|prairie & peregrine
|falcons; northern
|harrier; flammulated,
|burrowing & short-eared
|owl.
-------------------------------------------------
Source Wild-caught |Wild-caught or captive
|bred (non-imprint)
-------------------------------------------------
Taken from May not obtain |Up to 2 annually
the wild more than 1 |
raptor for |
Replacement during|
any 12-month |
period |
-------------------------------------------------
Duration At least 2 years |At least 2 years
before |(including at least
upgrade |4 months each year)
-------------------------------------------------
General Level
-------------------------------------------------
Age 18 |16 (ages 16-17 parent
|or legal guardian must
|cosign application &
|be responsible for
|your activities)
-------------------------------------------------
Possession 2 | 3
limit |
-------------------------------------------------
Species All except eagles |All except eagles
-------------------------------------------------
Source Wild or |Wild or
captive-bred |captive-bred
-------------------------------------------------
Taken from Up to 2 annually |Up to 2 annually
the wild |
-------------------------------------------------
Duration At least 5 years |At least 5 years
before |
upgrade |
-------------------------------------------------
Master Level
-------------------------------------------------
Possession 3 |5 wild raptors, 3 of
limit |which may be golden
|eagles. Unlimited
|captive-bred raptors
|(excluding eagles) if
|used for falconry.
-------------------------------------------------
Species All species; |All species, including
golden eagle with |golden eagles
22.24 |
authorization |
-------------------------------------------------
Taken from Up to 2 annually |Up to 2 annually
the wild |
-------------------------------------------------