[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 165 (Monday, August 28, 2023)] [Notices] [Pages 58597-58599] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2023-18481] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R3-ES-2023-N069; FXES11130300000-234-FF03E00000] Endangered and Threatened 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, have received applications for permits to conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of endangered or threatened species under the ESA. We invite the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies to comment on these applications. Before issuing any of the requested permits, we will take into consideration any information that we receive during the public comment period. DATES: We must receive your written comments on or before September 27, 2023. ADDRESSES: Document availability and comment submission: Submit requests for copies of the applications and related documents, as well as any comments, by one of the following methods. All requests and comments should specify the applicant name(s) and application number(s) (e.g., ESXXXXXX; see table in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION):Email (preferred method): [email protected]. Please refer to the respective application number (e.g., Application No. ESXXXXXX) in the subject line of your email message. U.S. Mail: Regional Director, Attn: Nathan Rathbun, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, 5600 American Blvd. West, Suite 990, Bloomington, MN 55437-1458. [[Page 58598]] FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nathan Rathbun, 612-713-5343 (phone); [email protected] (email). Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services offered within their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite review and comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies on applications we have received for permits to conduct certain activities with endangered and threatened species under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and our regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR part 17. Documents and other information submitted with the applications are available for review, subject to the requirements of the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act. Background The 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 by us 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 The ESA requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits. Accordingly, we invite local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies and the public to submit written data, views, or arguments with respect to these applications. The comments and recommendations that will be most useful and likely to influence agency decisions are those supported by quantitative information or studies. Proposed activities in the following permit requests are for the recovery and enhancement of propagation or survival of the species in the wild. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Application No. Applicant Species Location Activity Type of take Permit action -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ES98298A........................ Ohio Environmental Add new species-- OH................ Conduct presence/ Capture, handle, Amend. Protection round hickorynut absence surveys, release. Agency, Columbus, (Obovaria document habitat OH. subrotunda), pink use, conduct mucket (Lampsilis population abrupta), and monitoring, and longsolid evaluate impacts. (Fusconaia subrotunda)--to existing authorized 10 freshwater mussel species. ES206781........................ EcoAnalysts, Inc., Add new species-- AR, CO, CT, DE, Conduct presence/ Capture, handle, Amend. O'Fallon, MO. round hickorynut IA, IN, IL, KS, absence surveys, release, and (Obovaria KY, MA, MD, ME, document habitat relocate under subrotunda) and MI, MN, MO, NE, use, conduct special longsolid NH, NJ, NY, OH, population circumstances. (Fusconaia OK, PA, RI, SD, monitoring, and subrotunda)--to TN, TX, VA, VT, evaluate impacts. existing WI, WV. authorized 60 freshwater mussel species. ES48835A........................ Applied Science & Add new species-- MI, OH............ Conduct presence/ Capture, handle, Amend. Technology, Inc., round hickorynut absence surveys, release, and Brighton, MI. (Obovaria document habitat relocate under subrotunda) and use, conduct special longsolid population circumstances. (Fusconaia monitoring, and subrotunda)--to evaluate impacts. existing authorized eight freshwater mussel species. ES53616C........................ Illinois Natural Rusty patched IL................ Conduct presence/ Capture, handle, Renew and amend. History Survey, bumble bee absence surveys, sample, salvage, Champaign, IL. (Bombus affinis). document habitat and release. use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts. PER3213383...................... Heidi McMullin, Indiana bat AL, AR, CT, DE, Conduct presence/ Capture with mist New. Poplar Bluff, MO. (Myotis sodalis), FL, GA, IA, IL, absence surveys, nets or harp northern long- IN, KS, KY, LA, document habitat traps, identify, eared bat (Myotis MA, MD, ME, MI, use, conduct handle, collect septentrionalis), MN, MS, MO, NC, population non-intrusive gray bat (Myotis NE, NH, NJ, NY, monitoring, and measurements, grisescens), OH, OK, PA, RI, evaluate impacts. band, radio-tag, Virginia big- SC, TN, TX, VA, and release. eared bat VT, WI, WV. (Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus), and Ozark big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii ingens). ESPER0011986.................... Lindsey Add new species-- OK, IL, IN, IA, Conduct presence/ Capture, handle, Amend. Jakovljavic, round hickorynut MI, MN, MO, OH, absence surveys, release, and Kirtland, OH. (Obovaria WI, AL, AR, KY, document habitat relocate under subrotunda) and MS, TN, NJ, NY, use, conduct special longsolid PA, WV, KS. population circumstances. (Fusconaia monitoring, and subrotunda)--to evaluate impacts. existing authorized 20 freshwater mussel species. [[Page 58599]] PER3542792...................... Burke Engineering, Sheepnose mussel IL................ Conduct presence/ Capture, handle, New. Rosemont, IL. (Plethobasus absence surveys, release, and cyphyus). document habitat relocate under use, conduct special population circumstances. monitoring, and evaluate impacts. ESPER1224186.................... Greg Gaulke, Add new species-- IL, IN, IA, MI, Conduct presence/ Capture, handle, Amend. Madison, WI. sheepnose MN, MO, OH, WI. absence surveys, release, and (Plethobasus document habitat relocate under cyphyus), use, conduct special clubshell, population circumstances. (Pleurobema monitoring, and clava), fanshell evaluate impacts. (Cyprogenia stegaria), northern riffleshell (Epioblasma rangiana), purple cat's paw pearlymussel (Epioblasma obliquata), rayed bean (Villosa fabalis), white cat's paw (Epioblasma perobliqua), round hickorynut (Obovaria subrotunda), pyramid pigtoe (Pleurobema rubrum), longsolid (Fusconaia subrotunda)--to six existing authorized freshwater mussel species. ES81968B........................ Curtis Hart, Indiana bat OK, IL, IN, IA, Conduct presence/ Add New Amend. Hudson, MI. (Myotis sodalis), MI, MN, MO, OH, absence surveys, Activities--Colle northern long- WI, AL, AR, FL, document habitat ct wing punches eared bat (M. GA, KY, LA, MS, use, conduct and tissue septentrionalis), NC, SC, TN, CT, population samples--to gray bat (M. DE, DC, MD, MA, monitoring, and existing grisescens), NH, NJ, NY, PA, evaluate impacts. authorized Virginia big- RI, VT, VA, WV, activities: eared bat KS, MT, NE, ND, Capture with mist (Corynorhinus SD, WY. nets, identify, townsendii handle, collect virginianus), and non-intrusive Ozark big-eared measurements, bat (C. band, radio-tag, townsendii and release. ingens). ES70488C........................ Scott Bergeson, Add new species-- AL, AR, CT, FL, Conduct presence/ Capture with mist- Amend. Fort Wayne, IN. tri-colored bat GA, IA, IL, IN, absence surveys, nets and harp (Perimyotis KS, KY, LA, MA, document habitat traps, handle, subflavus)--to MD, MI, ME, MN, use, conduct identify, radio- existing MO, MS, MT, NC, population tag, band, enter authorized ND, NE, NH, NJ, monitoring, and hibernacula, species: Indiana NY, OH, OK, PA, evaluate impacts. collect bat (Myotis RI, SC, SD, TN, nonintrusive sodalis), VT, VA, WI, WV. measurements, and northern long- release. eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), and gray bat (Myotis grisescens). ES62048D........................ Carly Kalina, Des Indiana bat AL, AR, CT, DC, Conduct presence/ Capture with mist- Amend. Moines, IA. (Myotissodalis), DE, GA, IA, IL, absence surveys, nets, handle, northern long- IN, KS, KY, LA, document habitat identify, radio- eared bat (Myotis MA, MD, MI, ME, use, conduct tag, band, enter septentrionalis), MN, MO, MS, MT, population hibernacula, and gray bat NC, ND, NE, NH, monitoring, and collect (Myotis NJ, NY, OH, OK, evaluate impacts. nonintrusive grisescens). PA, RI, SC, SD, measurements, TN, VT, VA, WI, collect tissue/ WV, WY. fecal samples, and release. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Availability of Comments Written comments we receive become part of the administrative record associated with this action. 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. While you can request in your comment that we withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Moreover, all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public disclosure in their entirety. 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 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Lori Nordstrom, Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Midwest Region. [FR Doc. 2023-18481 Filed 8-25-23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4333-15-P