Introduction
This GIS dataset offers links to the online application system for Authorizations and Permits for Protected Species (APPS) hosted by NOAA NMFS summarized by HUC (8 digit USGS hydrologic units). This system covers NOAA Fisheries permits and authorizations for federally protected species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
For more information on the APPS system please visit the NOAA APPS site.
Permits enable the public to engage in legitimate activities that would otherwise be prohibited by law. Permit programs ensure that such activities are carried out in a manner that safeguards the animals and the environment that are the subject of the activities, or that might be incidentally affected by such activities. Additionally, some permits promote conservation efforts by authorizing scientific research, enhancement, and/or allowing management activities to go forward. The online application system includes scientific research permits, enhancement permits, 4(d) research authorizations, incidental take permits, incidental take authorizations, photography permits, general authorizations, permits to import/export parts for scientific research, authorization to import/export pre-Act parts, authorization to receive U.S. stranded marine mammal parts for scientific research or education, or permits related to public display.
What This Information Can Indicate
These NOAA Authorizations and Permits for protected species are required for activities such as scientific research, and enhancement projects which may involve incidental take. Since many anadromous fish are protected the permit information presented by this system can provide really useful information about anadromous fish research, and monitoring that is occurring or has occurred in an area of interest.
How to Access the Information
The feature attributes for each HUC 8 digit geographic unit in this dataset contain two link fields that return query results from the NOAA APPS database site for the watershed of interest. The first is simply named LINK and the information returned by the query results linked from this field represent the records for Approved Reports from the database. The Approved Reports records represent permit information for work that has been completed in the watershed. The second link field is named LINK_Active and the information returned by the query results linked from this field represents the records for approved applications for Active Permits from the database. The Active Permits records represent permit information for work that is currently occurring in the watershed of interest. Visit the NOAA APPS database search form to review the full variety of parameters that can be used to refine the search of NOAA authorizations and permits for protected species.
Use Limitations
It should be noted that there are a few factors contributing to some possible deficiencies in this dataset. Currently the APPS database only includes data for permits and authorizations that may be applied for online. Please note that information in APPS has been pulled from multiple databases, which did not all collect the same information. Thus, some data may be missing or incomplete. The current APPS database went live in California in 2008. Data from a previous version of the database was pulled into the new database at that time. Additionally, some permits are issued for large geographic areas and therefore may not appear in the list of search results by HUC (watershed) even though their geographic footprint includes the HUC of interest.