State permit policies & procedures

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California

Website

Contact

Dale Steele
Phone: (916) 928-5849
Fax: (916)

email: spu@dfg.ca.gov

California Department of Fish and Game
1740 N. Market Blvd.,
Sacramento, CA 95834 

Is a permit required for banding?

Yes. A permit is required to take, collect, capture, mark, or salvage, for scientific, educational, and non-commercial propagation purposes, mammals, birds and their nests and eggs, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and invertebrates (Fish and Game Code Section 1002 and Title 14 Sections 650 and 670.7). These activities require a Scientific Collecting Permit (SCP).  

Permit application forms

Scientific collecting permit, download here or go to:

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/pdffiles/fg1379.pdf

Scientific collecting permit, amendments

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/pdffiles/fg1379e.pdf

NOTE: Notice of Intent to collect – you must fax this form in at least 24 hours before actually collecting.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/research_permit/scp/docs/intent2coll.pdf

Restricted species

Additional authorization is required for protected species. This authorization is known as a Memorandum of Understanding.

See http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/research_permit/mou.html

for a list of the species and the process for obtaining a Memorandum of Understanding. Incidental take of threatened, endangered, or candidate species by a project must be handled through the CEQA/CESA permit process as a “2081(b) permit” (Fish and Game Code 2081(b); also see section 1190). Monitoring of CEQA required mitigation, however, does require a SCP if handling of animals is involved.

For rare, threatened, endangered, or candidate species, the Memorandum of Understanding that must be issued for take also serves as a “2081(a) permit” under CESA (Fish and Game Code 2081(a)).

Note that it will take a minimum of six weeks to obtain a Memorandum of Understanding.

Take of species covered in a Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP) is authorized in the NCCP permit for activities identified in the Plan (Fish and Game Code Section 2835). NCCP take authorization is granted to local governments who may grant take authority to third parties through the local land use planning process.

Note: collecting permits do NOT confer right to salvage. If you want to salvage, be sure to seek authority to salvage.