On May 25, 2016, the District Court for the District of Columbia ordered that both the Aquaculture Depredation Order and the Public Resources Depredation Order for double-crested cormorants be vacated until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) performs a new and legally adequate environmental assessment or environmental impact statement for national cormorant management orders in compliance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act.  The court concluded that the Service did not take careful enough consideration of the effects of the depredation orders on cormorant populations and other affected resources (fisheries, vulnerable species, and habitats) and failed to consider a range of reasonable alternatives in the remanded 2014 environmental assessment. Therefore, this rule removes the regulations setting forth the provisions of the orders at 50 CFR 21.47 and 21.48. Entities seeking to conduct activities that were covered under the orders will now have to apply for permits.