Cormorant Relief Act of 2025 in plain language
1: Short title
This section would give the Act the short title "Cormorant Relief Act of 2025."
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Cormorant Relief Act of 2025 .
2: Regulations relating to taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities
This section would require the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to reissue the depredation order for double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities that was contained in section 21.47 of title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations as that order was in effect on January 1, 2016. The reissued order would have to be the same as that original order, except for two additions. First, it would have to apply to the States of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, on top of and in the same way as the states the original order already covered. Second, it would have to apply to lake managers and pond managers, on top of and in the same way as the entities the original order already covered. A lake manager is defined as a person licensed by a state regulatory agency to manage a private lake, and a pond manager is defined as a person licensed by a state regulatory agency to manage a private pond.
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2. Regulations relating to taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities (a) In general The Secretary shall reissue the original depredation order in accordance with subsection (b). (b) Requirements The depredation order reissued under subsection (a) shall be the same as the original depredation order, except that the depredation order reissued under subsection (a)— (1) shall apply to each of the States of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in addition to and in the same manner as each of the States to which the original depredation order applied; and (2) shall apply to lake managers and pond managers in addition to and in the same manner as each of the entities to which the original depredation order applied. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Lake manager The term lake manager means a person that is licensed by a State regulatory agency to manage a private lake. (2) Original depredation order The term original depredation order means the depredation order for double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities contained in section 21.47 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on January 1, 2016). (3) Pond manager The term pond manager means a person that is licensed by a State regulatory agency to manage a private pond. (4) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.