Eagle Permits; Removal of Regulations Extending Maximum Permit Duration of Programmatic Nonpurposeful Take Permits

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are issuing this final rule to comply with a court order that had the effect of vacating provisions of regulations governing eagle nonpurposeful take permits that extended the maximum term of programmatic permits to 30 years. Pursuant to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California's order dated August 11, 2015, and subsequent order amending judgment dated September 16, 2015, this rule removes regulatory provisions that extended maximum programmatic permit duration1 to 30 years and reinstates the previous 5-year limit.