USFWS outlines permit options, nonlethal tools and limits for raven control

Michelle McDowell, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, told the council the agency is not considering removing migratory‑bird protections for ravens or creating a new national depredation order for corvids. Instead, McDowell described the existing and newly available tools: nonlethal measures (attractant reduction, harassment/hazing, exclusion), depredation permits for entities experiencing damage, the 2024 special‑purpose agency species protection permit (multi‑year, allows additional methods under strict conditions), and a special‑purpose utility permit for emergency nest removal by utilities.