[NHCOLL-L:2659] Re: USFWS and 3-177 forms

[Brandy K. Jacobsen]

Jamie,

We frequently ship ethanol preserved tissue samples and often need to 
export samples out of the country.  We always take our shipments to the 
local USFWS enforcement office for an inspection and to have the export 
paperwork signed and stamped.  I have always been under the impression 
that inspections were required for export (particularly when dealing 
with CITES registered species).  We prepare the samples and the package 
for shipping at the museum.  We do everything but seal the box here at 
the museum.  We then take the unsealed box, and the paperwork to the 
USFWS office, where the officers usually do no more than peek inside the 
box, ask us what we are shipping, sign and stamp the paperwork and let 
us leave with the box.  We then ship it as we see fit.  They ask to be 
notified of any tracking number for the shipment (which usually we can 
provide during the inspection - i.e. Fed Ex Way bill, or USPS insured 
mail #).  Typically our specimens are tiny bits of tissues in vials, and 
the officers can't tell what they are looking at - they are happy to 
take our word for it.  I was not aware of the requirement that the 
packages be shipped from the enforcement office (I wonder if this is 
just a protocol at your Chicago office...?).  Our enforcement office 
here knows us well and trusts us to do the job properly and follow the 
regulations. 

Good luck!

Brandy

-- 
Brandy K. Jacobsen
Manager, Mammals Collection
University of Alaska Museum of the North
907-474-6947 - office
907-474-5469 - fax
fnbkj at uaf.edu



James B. Ladonski wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> The recent comments on hazmat shipping led me to an off-list 
> discussion regarding the US Fish and Wildlife Service's regulations.  
> Specifically, the topic was the enforcement policies of individual 
> inspectors and offices with respect to the 3-177 form (used to declare 
> imports and exports for wildlife, for those outside the US).  We file 
> most of our 3-177s electronically now ("eDecs"), and we've had several 
> instances recently where inspectors at our local office (Chicago) 
> required us to bring the packages to their office for physical 
> inspection before they will clear the 3-177.  These cases all involved 
> ethanol-preserved specimens, so those of you familiar with such things 
> can imagine the headache of transporting all your loan-packing 
> equipment (heat sealer, bags, ethanol, cheesecloth, labels, peanuts, 
> boxes, etc.) off-site in order to ship your specimens.  In fact, this 
> is what led to our discovery that FedEx will not ship dead animals - 
> we had to call to schedule a pickup because the boxes were being sent 
> from the USFWS office, not from the Museum.
>
> I'm curious to know what experiences others have had, either with 
> USFWS in general or with 3-177s in particular.  It seems most people 
> who work with zoology collections in the US have had run-ins with 
> inspectors at some point, but I'm wondering if this is getting more 
> common.  Feel free to contact me off-list with comments, if you'd prefer.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jamie
>
>
>
> Mr. James B. Ladonski
> Collection Assistant
> Division of Amphibians and Reptiles
> The Field Museum
> 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive
> Chicago, IL  60605-2496  USA
> phone:  312-665-7722
> fax:  312-665-7697
> email:  jladonski at fieldmuseum.org
> http://www.fieldmuseum.org/research_collections/zoology/divisions_amphibians.htm 
>
>