§ 17-306 — Importation, transportation, release or possession of live wildlife; violations; classification

A. No person shall import or transport into this state or sell, trade or release within this state or have in the person's possession any live wildlife except as authorized by the commission or as defined in title 3, chapter 16.

B. It is unlawful for a person to knowingly and without lawful authority under state or federal law import and transport into this state and release within this state a species of wildlife that is listed as a threatened, endangered or candidate species under the endangered species act of 1973 (P.L. 93-205; 87 Stat. 884; 16 United States Code sections 1531 through 1544).

C. A person who violates subsection B of this section is guilty of a class 6 felony.

D. A person who violates subsection B of this section with the intent to disrupt or interfere with the development or use of public natural resources to establish the presence of the species in an area not currently known to be occupied by that species is guilty of a class 4 felony.