Reptiles & Amphibians - Authority/Jurisdiction - Iowa

...1. a. The commission may upon its own motion and after an investigation, alter, limit, or restrict the methods or means employed and the instruments or equipment used in taking wild mammals, birds subject to section 481A.48, fish, reptiles, and amphibians, if the investigation reveals that the action would be desirable or beneficial in promoting the interests of conservation, or the commission may, after an investigation when it is found there is imminent danger of loss of fish through natural causes, authorize the taking of fish by means found advisable to salvage imperiled fish populations.

Citation: I.C.A. § 481A.38.

The department shall protect, propagate, increase, and preserve the wild mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians of the state and enforce by proper actions and proceedings the laws, rules, and regulations relating to them. The department shall collect, classify, and preserve all statistics, data, and information as in its opinion tend to promote the objects of this chapter, conduct research in improved conservation methods, and disseminate information to residents and nonresidents of Iowa in conservation matters.

Citation: I.C.A. § 456A.23.

The department is hereby authorized and empowered to:...

2. Acquire by purchase, condemnation, lease, agreement, gift, and devise lands or waters suitable for the purposes hereinafter enumerated, and rights-of-way thereto, and to maintain the same for the following purposes, to wit:...

b. Fish hatcheries, fish nurseries, game farms, and wild mammal, fish, bird, reptile, and amphibian refuges...

4. Capture, propagate, buy, sell, or exchange any species of wild mammal, fish, bird, reptile, and amphibian needed for stocking the lands or waters of the state, and to feed, provide for, and care for them...

8. Control by shooting or trapping any wild mammal, fish, bird, reptile, and amphibian for the purpose of preventing the destruction of or damage to private or public property, but shall not go upon private property for that purpose without the consent of the owner or occupant.

Citation: I.C.A. § 456A.24.

...2. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the natural resource commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A establishing seasons and daily catch limits for the noncommercial harvest of turtles in any waters of the state pursuant to section 483A.28. Seasons established pursuant to this subsection shall not apply to the noncommercial harvest of snapping turtles.

3. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the natural resource commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A establishing seasons and daily catch limits for the commercial harvest of turtles in any waters of the state.

4. Beginning no later than January 1, 2017, and ending no earlier than January 1, 2021, the commission shall conduct a review of the status of the turtle population in the state by region, in cooperation with appropriate organizations and in accordance with sound fish and wildlife management principles, and shall report its recommendations to the general assembly on whether restrictions on noncommercial and commercial turtle harvesting in the state should be revised no later than June 30, 2021. This subsection is repealed effective July 1, 2021.

Citation: I.C.A. § 481A.67.

The department may charge a registration fee for each dangerous wild animal owned or possessed by a person required to be registered pursuant to section 717F.4.

1. The department shall collect an annual registration fee which is an original registration fee or a renewal of an original registration fee. The amount of the renewal registration fee is one-half of the amount of the original registration fee. Moneys collected in registration fees shall be deposited in the dangerous wild animal registration fund created in section 717F.9.

2. The amount of the original registration fees shall be as follows:...

f. One hundred dollars for a member of the order crocodilia, including but not limited to alligators, caimans, crocodiles, and gharials.

g. Fifty dollars for a member of the family varanidae of the order squamata, which are limited to water monitors and crocodile monitors.

h. Fifty dollars for a member of the family atractaspidae, including but not limited to mole vipers and burrowing asps.

i. Fifty dollars for a member of the family helodermatidae, including but not limited to beaded lizards and gila monsters.

j. Fifty dollars for a member of the family elapidae, viperidae, crotalidae, atractaspidae, or hydrophidae which are venomous, including but not limited to cobras, mambas, coral snakes, kraits, adders, vipers, rattlesnakes, copperheads, pit vipers, keelbacks, cottonmouths, and sea snakes.

k. One hundred dollars for a member of the superfamily henophidia, which are limited to reticulated pythons, anacondas, and African rock pythons...

Citation: I.C.A. § 717F.8.

1. The natural resource commission shall observe, administer, and enforce this chapter. The natural resource commission may adopt and enforce rules under chapter 17A as necessary to carry out this chapter.

2. The natural resource commission may:...

d. Prohibit, restrict, or regulate commercial fishing and commercial turtle harvesting in any waters of the state.

f. Regulate the numbers of commercial fishers and commercial turtle harvesters and the amount, type, seasonal use, mesh size, construction and design, manner of use, and other criteria relating to the use of commercial gear for any body of water or part thereof.

g. Establish catch quotas, seasons, size limits, and other regulations for any species of commercial fish or turtles for any body of water or part thereof.

h. Designate by listing species as commercial fish or turtles.

i. Designate any body of water or its part as protected habitat and restrict, prohibit, or otherwise regulate the taking of commercial fish and turtles in protected habitat areas.

3. Employees of the department may lift and inspect any commercial gear at any time and may inspect commercial catches, commercial markets, and landings, and examine sale and purchase records of commercial fishers, commercial turtle harvesters, commercial roe harvesters, commercial turtle buyers, and commercial roe buyers upon demand.

4. Employees of the department may seize and retain as evidence any illegal fish or turtles, or any illegal commercial gear, or any other personal property used in violation of any provision of the Code, and may confiscate any untagged or illegal commercial gear as contraband.

Citation: I.C.A. § 482.1.