16 U.S.C. § 668ee — Definitions

For purposes of this Act: (1) The term “compatible use” means a wildlife-dependent recreational use or any other use of a refuge that, in the sound professional judgment of the Director, will not materially interfere with or detract from the fulfillment of the mission of the System or the purposes of the refuge. (2) The terms “wildlife-dependent recreation” and “wildlife-dependent recreational use” mean a use of a refuge involving hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, or environmental education and interpretation. (3) The term “sound professional judgment” means a finding, determination, or decision that is consistent with principles of sound fish and wildlife management and administration, available science and resources, and adherence to the requirements of this Act and other applicable laws. (4) The terms “conserving”, “conservation”, “manage”, “managing”, and “management”, mean to sustain and, where appropriate, restore and enhance, healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants utilizing, in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws, methods and procedures associated with modern scientific resource programs. Such methods and procedures include, consistent with the provisions of this Act, protection, research, census, law enforcement, habitat management, propagation, live trapping and transplantation, and regulated taking. (5) The term “Coordination Area” means a wildlife management area that is made available to a State— (A) by cooperative agreement between the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and a State agency having control over wildlife resources pursuant to [section 664 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title16-section664&num=0&edition=prelim); or (B) by long-term leases or agreements pursuant to title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (50 Stat. 525; [7 U.S.C. 1010](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section1010&num=0&edition=prelim) et seq.). (6) The term “Director” means the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service or a designee of that Director. (7) The terms “fish”, “wildlife”, and “fish and wildlife” mean any wild member of the animal kingdom whether alive or dead, and regardless of whether the member was bred, hatched, or born in captivity, including a part, product, egg, or offspring of the member. (8) The term “person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, or association. (9) The term “plant” means any member of the plant kingdom in a wild, unconfined state, including any plant community, seed, root, or other part of a plant. (10) The terms “purposes of the refuge” and “purposes of each refuge” mean the purposes specified in or derived from the law, proclamation, executive order, agreement, public land order, donation document, or administrative memorandum establishing, authorizing, or expanding a refuge, refuge unit, or refuge subunit. (11) The term “refuge” means a designated area of land, water, or an interest in land or water within the System, but does not include Coordination Areas. (12) The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior. (13) The terms “State” and “United States” mean the several States of the United States, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the territories and possessions of the United States. (14) The term “System” means the National Wildlife Refuge System designated under [section 668dd(a)(1) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title16-section668dd/a/1&num=0&edition=prelim). (15) The terms “take”, “taking”, and “taken” mean to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, or kill, or to attempt to pursue, hunt, shoot, capture, collect, or kill.