Scientific and Educational Collecting
- The
Scientific and Educational Collecting Permit authorizes the collecting and
holding of wildlife for zoological, educational, or scientific purposes.
- Scientific
wildlife collecting—means the taking and subsequent possession or
release of protected wildlife specimens for the purposes of conducting
scientific investigations or evaluations for which compensation is received.
- Educational
wildlife collecting—means
the taking and subsequent possession or release of protected wildlife by an
individual or nonprofit organization for use in the bona fide instruction of
students or for a university-related research project.
How
do I get SCIENTIFIC
or EDUCATIONAL COLLECTING PERMITS?
- Fill
out the Scientific and Educational Collecting Permit Application;
- A
“Scientific and Educational Collecting Permit Qualifications Form” for each
person listed on the application, available on our website or by calling
800-852-0942. Qualification
forms only need to be submitted 1 time for each person—once approved, the
forms will be maintained on file. New
qualification forms are only needed if an applicant adds a new group of
protected species that was not on their original Qualification Form;
- If
the applicant(s) are wanting to collect bats, mussels, copperbelly water
snakes, fishes
in a watershed known to harbor federally threatened or endangered fish
species,
or is specifically sampling for federally protected species
of fish or wildlife,
they must also
submit:
- Written
affidavits for each applicant stating that they possess the ability to
identify federally protected species in the field.
Affidavits only
need to be submitted 1 time for each person—once approved, the
affidavits will be maintained on file.
New affidavits are only needed if an applicant adds a new group of
protected species that was not covered by their original affidavit.
- Project
proposal stating the specific goals and locations of the collecting
activities.
- Current
Costs: Educational Collecting Permit is $25; Scientific Collecting Permit is
$250.
- Permit
Renewal:
- Prior
year’s data must be reported prior to application for renewal (see below
for reporting information);
- Applicant
must submit a new application;
- Qualification
forms and affidavits are only needed for new collectors
Other
important facts about SCIENTIFIC or EDUCATIONAL COLLECTING PERMITS….
- A
Scientific and Educational Collecting Permit is valid from January 1 through
December 31 of the same year.
2.
A
department-approved, qualified person as listed on the Scientific or Educational
Collection Permit shall be present at all collection activities involving
bats, mussels, fishes within watersheds known to harbor federally protected
fishes, or when any other federally-protected species is possibly going to be
collected.
3.
At least
one (1) person in a field party shall carry a valid Scientific or Educational
Collecting Permit or a photocopy of the permit.
Each person collecting protected fish and wildlife shall be listed on the
Scientific or Educational Collecting Permit.
4.
A
Scientific or Educational Collecting Permit shall not be used in lieu of a
hunting, fishing, or trapping license.
5.
Federally-threatened
or endangered species may not be killed. Federally
threatened or endangered species inadvertently killed shall be reported to the
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources within twenty-four (24) hours
and all specimens submitted to the department within seven (7) days of taking.
All captured protected wildlife not killed shall be released at the
capture location.
What are reporting
requirements for both types of permits?
1.
All Scientific
Collecting Permit holders must submit a report.
2.
For Educational
Collecting Permits, only university-related research projects are required
to report their data according to the requirements below.
If not related to university research, no data reporting
requirements exist for Educational Collecting Permit holders.
3.
In a
given collection year, if you have “no data”, you have to submit an
official letter to the appropriate Divisional administrative assistants
(Fisheries or Wildlife) stating that no specimens were collected.
The letter will serve as your annual report.
4.
Data must
be submitted annually and prior to renewal of new permits; this applies
even if you have “no data” (see #3 above).
5.
Starting
collection year 2006, data must be reported electronically.
Go to http://fw.ky.gov/verify_permit.aspx
to start the process.
6.
To enter
data, you will need to enter your Permit Number and an Authorization
Code; both can be found on your official permit.
The Permit Number is printed in the top, right corner of your official
permit. The Authorization Code
appears on your official permit, too—it is located on the right-hand side of
the page, between the text explaining what the permit allows at the top, and the
permitee’s name and address.
7.
Data must
be submitted for all vertebrate fish and wildlife species collected, and
data on the following list of invertebrates shall be reported as well:
Mussels (Class Bivalvia), Crayfish (Order Decopoda), and Federally threatened or
endangered invertebrates.
8.
Required
data to
report:
1. Scientific
name (Genus and species) of each species recorded/collected;
2.
Site location including:
a.
County; and
b.
7.5-minute USGS topographic quadrangle name;
3.
Longitude and latitude in degrees/minutes/seconds format North American Datum
1983 of each species occurrence/collection;
4.
Date of occurrence/collection;
5.
Number of individuals recorded/collected for each species;
6.
Observers for each record; and
7.
Disposition of the specimen.