[Nhcoll-l] USFWS seizure of imports

[Timothy Whitfeld]

Hi Chris,
Thank you for the information and the update. Let's hope you're able to
resolve this issue. Do you happen to know if a 3-177 is also required for
returning loans of herbarium specimens (plants,fungi, lichen) coming back
to the US from other countries?
Thanks,
Tim


On Tue, Jun 24, 2025 at 6:22 PM Chris Grinter <cgrinter at calacademy.org>
wrote:

> Hi everyone,
> As an update to our issue with USFWS, there is no news nor return of
> specimens. Our loan has been seized and a formal petition to the USFWS for
> return of property has been met with silence. The package was declared, but
> written in Mandarin and was not translated by CBP. The box did lack a
> 3-177, which is why they are citing us in violation of the CFR, Lacey Act,
> and Endangered Species Act. We haven't gotten criminal or civil charges
> from this import, but it's not out of scope for the current administration
> to enforce. On top of packages being seized, please note that students or
> immigrant visa holders entering the US should avoid carrying specimens at
> all times. Failure to declare or failure to "properly declare" has now been
> used by customs and border to detain at least one student, who is facing
> federal criminal charges for smuggling frog embryo slides before her
> eventual deportation.
>
> This is just a reminder in the current climate that all paperwork must be
> accurate and submitted well in advance for all wildlife transactions into
> and out of the US. As Dirk mentioned in a followup, it is much preferred to *send
> parcels into the US via private carrier* and not through national postal
> mail. Offices in NY are particularly intense right now and are screening
> packages entering via USPS from Europe and China. And for anyone entering
> with hand-carried specimens into LAX airport, they also require an
> in-person 3-hour scheduled meeting with USFWS officers to clear your
> hand-carry. If you schedule ahead there is a good chance officers will
> waive your inspection, but failure to schedule will result in seizures and
> possible detention. If your flight arrives after hours you are required to
> pay overtime fees for this inspection, or schedule your meeting during
> business hours.
>
> Hope this helps,
> Chris
>
> Christopher C. Grinter
> Senior Collection Manager of Entomology
> Secretary, The Lepidopterists’ Society
> Subject Editor: Lepidoptera, The Pacific Coast Entomological Society
> California Academy of Sciences
> 55 Music Concourse Dr
> San Francisco, CA 94118
> T 415.379.5320
> We regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and
> collaboration.
> Learn more at calacademy.org <http://www.calacademy.org/>
> <https://www.instagram.com/calacademy/>
>
>
> On Mon, Apr 21, 2025 at 1:54 PM Chris Grinter <cgrinter at calacademy.org>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>> I want to give everyone a warning that the NY USFWS office has been
>> seizing packages that do not contain pre-cleared 3-177 documents. I've just
>> received an official notice of seizure for a loan that came back from China
>> (via NY for some reason). The package was clearly labeled with a
>> declaration of specimens, loan for systematic research, etc—however the
>> agents at JFK seized the material as a violation of the Lacey Act, failure
>> to mark appropriately (lacking 3-177 is how I interpret this), and failure
>> to obtain clearance. The package was intercepted in September 2024 and I
>> got notice today. No one at the NY office will pick up the phone or return
>> my messages.
>>
>> If you're receiving material from anywhere abroad it's critical to get a
>> pre-cleared 3-177 and keep a close eye on the tracking number.
>> Unfortunately if a package is seized by USFWS there is no update posted to
>> USPS, it just shows as "in transit".
>>
>> Chris
>>
>> Christopher C. Grinter
>> Senior Collection Manager of Entomology
>> Secretary, The Lepidopterists’ Society
>> Subject Editor: Lepidoptera, The Pacific Coast Entomological Society
>> California Academy of Sciences
>> 55 Music Concourse Dr
>> San Francisco, CA 94118
>> T 415.379.5320
>> We regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and
>> collaboration.
>> Learn more at calacademy.org <http://www.calacademy.org/>
>> <https://www.instagram.com/calacademy/>
>>
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-- 
Timothy J. S. Whitfeld, PhD
Collections Manager
Bell Museum Herbarium (MIN)
University of Minnesota
1445 Gortner Avenue
St. Paul, Minnesota 55108-1095
USA
(612) 625-0215

https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/plants/
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