How does the Public Resource Depredation Order differ from prior double-crested cormorant depredation?
Before the Public Resource Depredation Order, action agencies had to receive take authority through a federal depredation permit on a case by case basis to lethally take birds, their eggs or nests. The Service issued these permits only if damage was demonstrated, a variety of non-lethal control methods had been attempted and shown to be ineffective, the proposed control had a reasonable chance to resolve the damage, and control would not negatively effect the DCCO population. Also, the Service did not issue permits to take cormorants negatively impacting other fish and wildlife species unless those species were protected by state or federal endangered species acts or other designations relating to low numbers and high risks. Q. Will the Service continue to issue depredation permits? Yes, the Service will continue to issue depredation permits to address cormorant depredation on non-public natural resources (like economic impacts on private property) and in the states where the Public Re
