Section 1 of the Act of July 3, 1956, as amended (70 Stat. 492; 7 U.S.C. 442-445) provides that the Commodity Credit Corporation shall make available to the Secretary of the Interior such wheat, corn, or other grains, acquired through price support operations and certified by the Corporation to be available for purposes of the Act or in such condition through spoilage or deterioration as not to be desirable for human consumption, as the Secretary shall requisition for the purpose of preventing crop damage by migratory waterfowl. Section 2 of the Act provides that, upon a finding that any area in the United States is threatened with damage to farmers' crops by migratory waterfowl, the Secretary is authorized and directed to requisition from the Commodity Credit Corporation and to make available to Federal, State, or local governmental bodies or officials, or to private organizations or persons, such grain acquired by the Corporation through price support operations in such quantities and subject to such regulations as the Secretary determines will most effectively lure migratory waterfowl away from crop depredations and at the same time not expose such migratory waterfowl to shooting over areas to which the waterfowl have been lured by such feeding programs.

The authorization contained in the Act limits the availability of grain acquired through price support operations to the prevention of crop damage by migratory waterfowl (brant, wild ducks, geese, and swans) and such grain may not be made available for the feeding of any other species of migratory birds, whether or not such other species of migratory birds are committing or threatening to commit crop damage. Further, the Act does not authorize the use of such grain to conduct a migratory waterfowl feeding program for the purpose of augmenting natural sources of food available to migratory waterfowl, nor for any purpose incident to migratory waterfowl management not related to the prevention of crop damage. Accordingly, such grain shall not be made available pursuant to the Act to augment or to substitute for natural sources of migratory waterfowl food except as may be determined by the Secretary to be necessary to aid in the prevention of crop damage by such birds.

Whenever it is found necessary to conduct feeding programs under this section for the purposes of preventing crop damage by migratory waterfowl, it shall be the policy of the Secretary for the purposes of economy and efficiency to accord preference to feeding programs proposed to be executed through the placement of grain upon wildlife management areas or other lands or waters owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by an agency of the United States or a State.

Any person having an interest in crops being damaged or threatened with damage by migratory waterfowl in circumstances meeting the criteria prescribed in § 90.15 may make application for grain for use in luring such waterfowl away from such crops by submitting a written request to the Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regional office having administrative jurisdiction over the wildlife activities in the State where the affected crops are located. (See § 2.2 for geographical jurisdiction and addresses of regional offices.) Such applications may be in letter form but must contain information disclosing the location, nature, condition and extent of the crops being damaged or threatened, and the particular species of migratory waterfowl committing or threatening to commit damage. For the purposes of this section any authorized official of Federal, State, or local governmental body shall be deemed to be a “person” and to have such an interest in crops threatened with damages as to qualify him as an applicant.

Upon receipt of a written application for such grain for use in preventing crop depredations, the Regional Director shall promptly cause an investigation to be made, when necessary, to determine whether the applicant is in fact entitled to have such grain made available for such purposes. Whenever feasible the required investigation shall be made jointly by a representative of the game department of the State in which the affected crops are located and a representative of the Regional Director. When conducting such investigations, each of the factors set forth in paragraphs (a) to (d) of this section shall be considered separately. An application for grain shall not be approved if it is determined that one or more of these factors minimizes the extent of crop damage or provides another effective method of preventing the complained of damage.

(a) The migratory waterfowl committing or threatening to commit crop damage must be predominantly of a species which are susceptible of being effectively lured away from the crops by the use of such grain.

(b) The crop damage or threatened crop damage must be substantial in nature (when measured by the extent and potential value of the crops involved and the number of birds threatening damage); and must affect growing crops or mature unharvested crops that are in such condition as to be marketable or have value as feed for livestock or other purposes of material value to the applicant.

(c) It must be shown that the damage or threat of damage cannot be abated through the exercise of any of the privileges granted in permits authorized by this chapter I to frighten or otherwise herd migratory waterfowl away from affected crops.

(d) During an open hunting season, it must be shown that the area affected by crop damage has been and is now open to public hunting and there has been a clear demonstration that such hunting is ineffective, and cannot be made effective, to prevent crop damage on such area.

Upon receipt of a report and recommendations based upon an investigation conducted under § 90.15, the Secretary shall make a determination that the applicant meets the qualifications for receiving grain. He shall then determine the quantity of grain, either bagged or in bulk, to be made available; the means of transportation; and the point of delivery in the vicinity of the crop damage. Before receiving delivery of such grain the applicant shall execute and deliver to any officer authorized to enforce this part written assurances as follows:

(a) That grain made available to him under this part will be used exclusively for the prevention and abatement of crop damage by migratory waterfowl and that no portion of such grain will be sold, donated, exchanged, or used as feed for livestock or other domestic animals or for any other purpose;

(b) That consent is granted to any officer authorized to enforce this part, to inspect, supervise or direct the placement and distribution of grain made available under this part for the prevention of crop damage at all reasonable times;

(c) That free and unrestricted access over the premises on which feeding operations have been or are to be conducted shall be permitted at all reasonable times, by any officer authorized to enforce this part and that such information as may be required by the officer will be promptly furnished; and

(d) That the applicant will not take, nor permit his agents, employees, invitees, or other persons under his control to take migratory game birds on or over any lands or waters subject to his control, during the time such grain is placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, scattered, or present upon such lands or waters, nor for a period of 10 days immediately following the consumption or removal of such grain from such lands or waters.

Nothing in this subpart shall be construed to supersede or modify any regulations relating to the hunting of migratory game birds, nor to permit the transportation, installation or use of grain contrary to any applicable Federal, State, or local laws or regulations.