(a) General prohibitions. Except as provided in a permit issued pursuant to § 17.62 or § 17.63, it is unlawful for any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to commit, to attempt to commit, to solicit another to commit, or to cause to be committed, any of the acts described in paragraphs (b) through (e) of this section in regard to any endangered plant.

(b) Import or export. It is unlawful to import or to export any endangered plant. Any shipment in transit through the United States is an importation and an exportation, whether or not it has entered the country for customs purposes.

(c) Remove and reduce to possession. (1) It is unlawful to remove and reduce to possession any endangered plant from an area under Federal jurisdiction; maliciously damage or destroy the species on any such area; or remove, cut, dig up, or damage or destroy the species on any other area in knowing violation of any law or regulation of any State or in the course of any violation of a State criminal trespass law.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (c)(1) of this section, any employee or agent of the Service, any other Federal land management agency, or a State conservation agency who is designated by their agency for such purposes may, when acting in the course of official duties, remove and reduce to possession endangered plants from areas under Federal jurisdiction without a permit if such action is necessary to:

(i) Care for a damaged or diseased specimen;

(ii) Dispose of a dead specimen; or

(iii) Salvage a dead specimen that may be useful for scientific study.

(3) Any removal and reduction to possession pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of this section must be reported in writing to the Office of Law Enforcement, via contact methods listed at https://www.fws.gov, within 5 calendar days. The specimen may only be retained, disposed of, or salvaged under directions from the Office of Law Enforcement.

(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (c)(1) of this section, any qualified employee or agent of a State conservation agency that is a party to a cooperative agreement with the Service in accordance with section 6(c) of the Act, who is designated by their agency for such purposes, may, when acting in the course of official duties, remove and reduce to possession from areas under Federal jurisdiction those endangered plants that are covered by an approved cooperative agreement for conservation programs in accordance with the cooperative agreement, provided that such removal is not reasonably anticipated to result in:

(i) The death or permanent damage of the specimens;

(ii) The removal of the specimen from the State where the removal occurred; or

(iii) The introduction of the specimen so removed, or of any propagules derived from such a specimen, into an area beyond the historical range of the species.

(d) Interstate or foreign commerce. It is unlawful to deliver, receive, carry, transport, or ship in interstate or foreign commerce, by any means whatsoever, and in the course of a commercial activity, an endangered plant.

(e) Sale or offer for sale. (1) It is unlawful to sell or to offer for sale in interstate or foreign commerce any endangered plant.

(2) An advertisement for the sale of any endangered plant which carries a warning to the effect that no sale may be consummated until a permit has been obtained from the Service, shall not be considered an offer for sale within the meaning of this paragraph.

Upon receipt of a complete application the Director may issue a permit authorizing any activity otherwise prohibited by § 17.61, in accordance with the issuance criteria of this section, for scientific purposes or for enhancing the propagation or survival of endangered plants. (See § 17.72 for permits for threatened plants.) Such a permit may authorize a single transaction, a series of transactions, or a number of activities over a specified period of time.

(a) Application requirements. A person wishing to get a permit for an activity prohibited by § 17.61 submits an application to conduct activities under this paragraph. For interstate commerce activities the seller gets the permit for plants coming from cultivated stock and the buyer gets the permit if the plants are taken from the wild. The Service provides application Form 3-200, or you may submit the general information and certification required by § 13.12(a) of this subchapter. Application requirements differ for permits issued for plants taken from the wild (excluding seeds), seeds and cultivated plants, or herbarium specimens. You must attach the following information and any other information requested by the Director.

(1) For activities involving plants obtained from the wild (excluding seeds), provide the following information:

(i) The scientific names of the plants sought to be covered by the permit;

(ii) The estimated number of specimens sought to be covered by the permit;

(iii) The year, country, and approximate place where taking occurred or will occur;

(iv) If the activities would involve removal and reduction to possession of a plant from an area under Federal jurisdiction, the year, State, county, or any other description such as place name, township, and range designation that will precisely place the location where the proposed removal and reduction to possession will occur, the name of the Federal entity having jurisdiction over the area, and the name, title, address, and phone number of the person in charge of the area.

(v) The name and address of the institution or other facility where the plant sought to be covered by the permit will be used or maintained;

(vi) A brief description of the applicant's expertise and facilities as related to the proposed activity;

(vii) A statement of the applicant's willingness to participate in a cooperative propagation program, and to maintain or contribute data relating to such efforts; and

(viii) A statement of the reasons why the applicant is justified in obtaining the permit, including:

(A) The activities sought to be authorized by the permit and the relationship of such activities to scientific purposes or enhancing the propagation or survival of the species; and

(B) The planned disposition of such plant upon termination of the activities sought to be authorized.

(2) For activities involving seeds and cultivated plants, provide the following information:

(i) The scientific names of the plants sought to be covered by the permit;

(ii) A statement of the applicant's willingness to participate in a cooperative propagation program, and to maintain or contribute data relating to the success of such efforts;

(iii) A justification of the activities sought to be authorized by the permit and the relationship of such activities to scientific purposes or enhancing the propagation or survival of the species; and

(iv) If the activities would involve seeds obtained from the wild, additional information to evaluate the effects of such taking upon the reproductive potential of the species where the taking will occur.

(v) If the activities would involve removal and reduction to possession of seeds from an area under Federal jurisdiction, the year, State, county or any other description such as place name, township, and range designation that will precisely place the location where the proposed removal and reduction to possession will occur, the name of the Federal entity having jurisdiction over the area and the name, title, address, and phone number of the person in charge of the area.

(3) For importation or exportation involving the non-commercial loan, exchange, or donation of herbarium or other preserved, dried, or embedded museum specimens of any endangered species between scientists or scientific institutions, provide the following information:

(i) The name and address of the institution or other facility where the plants sought to be covered by the permit will be used or maintained; and

(ii) A justification of the activities sought to be authorized by the permit and the relationship of such activities to scientific purposes or enhancing the propagation or survival of the species.

(4) When the activity applied for involves a species also regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, additional requirements in part 23 of this subchapter must be met.

(b) Issuance criteria. Upon receiving an application completed in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section, the Director will decide whether or not a permit should be issued. In making his decision, the Director shall consider, in addition to the general criteria in § 13.21(b) of this subchapter, the following factors:

(1) Whether the purpose for which the permit is requested will enhance the survival of the species in the wild;

(2) Whether the purpose for which the permit is requested will enhance the propagation of the species;

(3) The opinions or views of scientists or other persons or organizations having expertise concerning the plant or other matters germane to the application; and

(4) Whether the expertise, facilities, or other resources available to the applicant appear adequate to successfully accomplish the objectives stated in the application.

(c) Permit conditions. In addition to the general conditions set forth in part 13 of this subchapter, every permit issued under this section shall be subject to the following special conditions:

(1) If requested, the permittee shall submit to the Director a written report of the activities authorized by the permit. Such report must be postmarked by the date specified in the permit or otherwise requested by the Director.

(2) A copy of the permit or an identification label, which includes the scientific name, the permit number, and a statement that the plant is of “wild origin” or “cultivated origin” must accompany the plant or its container during the course of any activity subject to these regulations, unless the specimens meet the special conditions referred to in paragraph (c)(3) of this section.

(3) In the case of plants that are herbarium specimens, or other preserved, dried or embedded museum specimens to be imported or exported as a noncommercial loan, exchange or donation between scientists or scientific institutions, the names and addresses of the consignor and consignee must be on each package or container. A description such as “herbarium specimens” and the code letters assigned by the Service to the scientists or scientific institution must be entered on the Customs declaration form affixed to each package or container. If the specimens are of taxa also regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, specific information must be entered on the Customs declaration label affixed to the outside of each shipping container or package. See part 23 of this subchapter for requirements for trade in CITES specimens between registered scientific institutions.

(d) Duration of permit. The duration of a permit issued under this section shall be designated on the face of the permit.

Upon receipt of a complete application, the Director may issue a permit authorizing any activity otherwise prohibited by § 17.61, in accordance with Section 10(b) of the Act and the issuance criteria of this section, in order to prevent undue economic hardship. No such exemption may be granted for the importation or exportation of a species also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, if the specimen would be used in a commercial activity.

(a) Application requirements. An application for a permit under this section must be submitted to the Director by the person allegedly suffering undue economic hardship because his desired activity is prohibited. The application must be submitted on an official application form (Form 3-200) provided by the Service, or must contain the general information and certification required by § 13.12(a) of this subchapter. It must include, as an attachment, all of the information required in § 17.62 plus the following additional information.

(1) The possible legal or economic alternatives to the activity sought to be authorized by the permit.

(2) A full statement, accompanied by copies of all relevant correspondence, showing the applicant's involvement with the plant sought to be covered by the permit (as well as his involvement with similar plants). The applicant should include information on that portion of his income derived from activities involving such plants in relation to the balance of his income during the calendar year immediately preceding either the Federal Register notice of review of the status of the species or proposed rulemaking to list the species as Endangered, whichever is earlier.

(3) Where applicable, proof of a contract or other binding legal obligation which:

(i) Deals specifically with the plant sought to be covered by the permit;

(ii) Became binding prior to the date of the Federal Register notice of review of the status of the species or proposed rulemaking to list the species as endangered, whichever is earlier; and

(iii) Will cause monetary loss of a given dollar amount if the permit sought under this section is not granted.

(b) Issuance criteria. Upon receiving an application completed in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section, the Director will decide whether or not a permit should be issued for economic hardship, as defined in section 10(b) of the Act. In making his decision, the Director shall consider, in addition to the general criteria in § 13.21(b) of this subchapter, the following factors:

(1) Whether the purpose for which the permit is requested will significantly affect the survival of the species in the wild;

(2) The economic, legal, or other alternatives or relief available to the applicant;

(3) The amount of evidence that the applicant was in fact party to a contract or other binding legal obligation which:

(i) Deals specifically with the plant sought to be covered by the permit; and

(ii) Became binding prior to the date of the Federal Register notice of review of the status of the species or proposed rulemaking to list the species as endangered, whichever is earlier;

(4) The severity of economic hardship which the contract or other binding legal obligation referred to in paragraph (b)(3) of this section would cause if the permit were denied;

(5) Where applicable, the portion of the applicant's income which would be lost if the permit were denied, and the relationship of that portion to the balance of his income.

(c) Permit conditions. In addition to the general conditions set forth in part 13 of this subchapter, every permit issued under this section may be subject to any of the following special conditions:

(1) If requested, the permittee shall submit to the Director a written report of the activities authorized by the permit. Such report must be postmarked by the date specified in the permit or otherwise requested by the Director.

(2) If requested, the permittee shall report to the Service's office designated in the permit the death, destruction or loss of all living plants covered by the permit. Such report must be postmarked by the date specified in the permit or otherwise requested by the Director.

(d) Duration of permit. The duration of a permit issued under this section shall be designated on the face of the permit. No permit issued under this section shall be valid for more than one year from the date of a Federal Register notice of review of the status of the species or proposed rulemaking to list the species as endangered, whichever is earlier.