[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 46 (Thursday, March 8, 2018)] [Notices] [Pages 9863-9865] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2018-04648] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R6-ES-2017-N174; FXES11130600000-189-FF06E00000] U.S. Endangered Species; Receipt of Recovery Permit Applications AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of receipt of permit applications; request for comments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on applications for permits to conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), prohibits activities that constitute take of listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that allows such activity. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits. DATES: We must receive your written comments by April 9, 2018. ADDRESSES: Document availability: Documents and other information submitted with the applications are available for review, subject to the requirements of the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), by any party who submits a written request for a copy of such documents to the following office within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice (see DATES): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office, Ecological Services, [INSERT REGION-SPECIFIC ADDRESS], (Attn: [INSERT COORDINATOR'S NAME], Permit Coordinator). Submitting comments: You may submit comments by one of the following methods. Please specify applicant name(s) and application number(s) to which your comments pertain (e.g., TE-XXXXXX).Email: permitsR6ES@fws.gov. Please refer to the respective permit number (e.g., Application No. TE-XXXXXX) in the subject line of your email message. U.S. Mail: Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 25486-DFC, Denver, CO 80225. Hand-delivery, Pickup, or Viewing: Call 303-236-4224 to make an appointment during regular business hours between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays, at 134 Union Blvd., Suite 645, Lakewood, CO 80228. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathy Konishi, Recovery Permits [[Page 9864]] Coordinator, Ecological Services, 303-236-4224 (phone); permitsR6ES@fws.gov (email). Individuals who are hearing or speech impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY assistance. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; ESA) prohibits certain activities with endangered and threatened species unless authorized by a Federal permit. The ESA and our implementing regulations in part 17 of title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) provide for the issuance of such permits and require that we invite public comment before issuing permits for activities involving endangered species. A recovery permit issued under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA authorizes the permittee to conduct activities with endangered species for scientific purposes that promote recovery or for enhancement of propagation or survival of the species. Our regulations implementing section 10(a)(1)(A) for these permits are found at 50 CFR 17.22 for endangered wildlife species, 50 CFR 17.32 for threatened wildlife species, 50 CFR 17.62 for endangered plant species, and 50 CFR 17.72 for threatened plant species. Permit Applications Available for Review and Comment We invite local, State and Federal agencies, Tribes, and the public to comment on the following applications. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Applicant, city, Application No. state Species Location Activity Type of take Permit action -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TE106182-2............... Denver Botanic Eriogonum Colorado, New Seed, fruit Remove and reduce Renew. Gardens, Denver, CO. pelinophilum (Clay- Mexico, Utah. collection, bio to possession. loving wild samples, collect buckwheat), voucher specimens, Phacelia submutica. propagation. (Mancos milk-vetch), Phacelia formosula (North Park phacelia), Astragalus osterhoutii (Osterhout milkvetch). Ipomopsis polyantha (Pagosa skyrocket). Penstemon penlandii (Penland beardtongue), Pediocactus despainii (San Rafael cactus). TE064680-2............... Capitol Reef Hesperidanthus Utah................ Seed, fruit Remove and reduce Renew. National Park, barnebyi (Barneby collection, bio to possession. Torrey, UT. reed-mustard), samples, collect Sclerocactus voucher specimens. wrightiae (Wright's fishhook cactus). TE067486-2............... University of Pallid sturgeon Nebraska............ Implant radio Capture, handle, Renew. Nebraska, Lincoln, (Scaphirhynchus telemetry tags to and radio tag. NE. albus). track spawning migration in the Missouri River basin. TE66511C-0............... Milu S. Velardi, New Mexico meadow Colorado, New Mexico Survey and monitor Capture and handle. New. Denver, CO. jumping mouse to determine (Zapus hudsonius baseline population luteus). numbers. TE68706C-0............... Christopher Guy, Pallid sturgeon Montana............. Survey, monitor, Capture and handle. New. Bozeman, MT. (Scaphirhynchus collect bio samples albus). to analyze pallid sturgeon reproduction in the Missouri River above Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana. TE98708A-2............... State of South Topeka shiner South Dakota........ Survey and monitor Capture and handle. Renew. Dakota (Notropis topeka). to determine Environmental baseline population Agency, Pierre, SD. numbers. TE64613B-2............... Andrew Phillips, Southwestern willow Arizona, New Mexico, Survey and monitor Disturbance........ Amend. Colorado Springs, flycatcher Texas, Utah, to determine CO. (Empidonax traillii California, Nevada. baseline population extimus). numbers. TE72607C-0............... New Century Interior least tern Nebraska............ Survey and monitor Disturbance........ New. Environmental, LLC, (Sternula to determine Columbus, NE. antillarum baseline population athalassos). numbers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Availability of Comments Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time. If you submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal identifying information, you may request at the top of your document that we withhold this information from public review; however, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Contents of Public Comments Please make your comments as specific as possible. Please confine your comments to issues for which we seek comments in this notice, and explain the basis for your comments. Include sufficient information with your comments to allow us to authenticate any scientific or commercial data you include. The comments and recommendations that will be most useful and likely to influence agency decisions are: (1) Those supported by quantitative information or studies; and (2) Those that include citations to, and analyses of, the applicable laws and regulations. Next Steps If we decide to issue permits to any of the applicants listed in this notice, we will publish a notice in the Federal Register. Authority We publish this notice under section 10(c) of the Endangered Species Act of [[Page 9865]] 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.,) Michael Thabault, Assistant Regional Director, Mountain-Prairie Region. [FR Doc. 2018-04648 Filed 3-7-18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4333-15-P