[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 17, 2024)] [Notices] [Pages 58169-58171] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2024-15661] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R2-ES-2024-N030; FXES11130200000-245-FF02ENEH00] Endangered Wildlife; 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 the following applications for a permit to conduct activities intended to recover and enhance endangered species survival. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits certain activities that may impact endangered species, unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits. DATES: To ensure consideration, please submit your written comments by August 16, 2024. ADDRESSES: Document availability: Request documents from the contact in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section. Comment submission: Submit comments by email to [email protected]. Please specify the permit application you are interested in by number (e.g., Permit Record No. PER1234567). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marty Tuegel, Supervisor, Environmental Review Division, by phone at 505-248-6651, or via email at [email protected]. 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: Background With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), prohibits activities that constitute take of listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that allows such activity. The ESA's definition of ``take'' includes hunting, shooting, harming, wounding, or killing, and also such activities as pursuing, harassing, trapping, capturing, or collecting. The ESA and our implementing regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at title 50, part 17, provide for issuing such permits and require that we invite public comment before issuing permits for activities involving listed species. A recovery permit we issue under the ESA, section 10(a)(1)(A), authorizes the permittee to conduct activities with endangered or threatened species for scientific purposes that promote recovery or enhance the species' propagation or survival. These activities often include such prohibited actions as capture and collection. 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 Documents and other information submitted with these applications are available for review by any party who submits a request as specified in ADDRESSES. Our release of documents is subject to Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) requirements. Proposed activities in the following permit requests are for the recovery and enhancement of propagation or survival of the species in the wild. 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. Please refer to the permit record number when submitting comments. [[Page 58170]] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permit record No. Applicant Species Location Activity Type of take Permit action -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PER9229823............. Albuquerque Sacramento Mountains New Mexico......... Capture, captive Harass, harm, Renew/amend. Biological Park; checkerspot butterfly rearing, holding, capture. Albuquerque, New (Euphydryas anicia educational Mexico. cloudcrofti), Koster's display, captive springsnail (Juturnia propagation, kosteri), Roswell headstarting. springsnail (Pyrgulopsis roswellensis), Pecos gambusia (Gambusia nobilis), Zuni bluehead sucker (Catostomus discobolus yarrowi), Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius), razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus), Gila topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis), Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus), Bolson tortoise (Gopherus flavomarginatus), Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). PER2182167............. Johnson, Kevin; Gray bat (Myotis Alabama, Arkansas, Presence/absence Harass, harm....... New. Oklahoma City, grisescens), lesser Colorado, Florida, surveys. Oklahoma. prairie-chicken Georgia, Kansas, (Tympanuchus Kentucky, pallidicinctus), red- Louisiana, cockaded woodpecker Mississippi, New (Picoides borealis). Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia. PER2333296............. Haverland, Matthew; Golden-cheeked warbler New Mexico, Texas.. Presence/absence Harass, harm....... Renew/amend. San Marcos, Texas. (Setophaga surveys. chrysoparia), lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). PER10451034............ The Peregrine Fund Northern aplomado falcon Idaho, Texas....... Capture, captive Harass, harm, Amend. Inc.; Boise, Idaho. (Falco femoralis propagation, capture. septentrionalis). release. PER10643788............ U.S. Army Garrison-- Southwestern willow Arizona............ Presence/absence Harass, harm....... Renew/amend. Ft. Huachuca; Ft. flycatcher (Empidonax surveys. Huachuca, Arizona. traillii extimus), Sonoran tiger salamander (Ambystoma mavortium stebbinsi). PER10081279............ University of Texas Kemp's ridley sea turtle Texas.............. Rehabilitate, Harass, harm, Renew. at Austin--Marine (Lepidochelys kempii), release, capture. Science Institute; hawksbill sea turtle educational Port Aransas, (Eretmochelys display, hold, Texas. imbricata), leatherback tag, bio-sample, sea turtle (Dermochelys capture. coriacea). PER10644977............ ACI Environmental Texas hornshell Texas.............. Presence/absence Harass, harm, Amend. Consulting; (Popenaias popeii). surveys, capture. Austin, Texas. relocations. PER10660560............ University of New Rio Grande silvery Arizona, New Mexico Presence/absence Harass, harm, Renew/amend. Mexico, Department minnow (Hybognathus surveys, bio- capture. of Biology; amarus), spikedace sample. Albuquerque, New (Meda fulgida), loach Mexico. minnow (Tiaroga cobitis). PER10147575............ Tetra Tech, Inc.; Southwestern willow Arizona, Colorado, Nest monitoring.... Harass, harm....... Amend. Albuquerque, New flycatcher (Empidonax New Mexico, Texas. Mexico. traillii extimus). PER9518898............. Texas A&M-- Big bend gambusia Texas.............. Voucher specimen, Harass, harm, New. Department of (Gambusia gaigei), bio-sample. capture, kill. Ecology and Clear Creek gambusia Conservation (Gambusia heterochir), Biology--Conway Comanche Springs Lab; College pupfish (Cyprinodon Station, Texas. elegans), fountain darter (Etheostoma fonticola), Leon Springs pupfish (Cyprinodon bovinus), Mexican blindcat (Prietella phreatophila), pecos gambusia (Gambusia nobilis), peppered chub (Macrhybopsis tetranema), sharpnose shiner (Notropis oxyrhynchus), smalleye shiner (Notropis buccula). PER9357062............. Hardin, Alliah; Lesser prairie-chicken Colorado, Kansas, Presence/absence Harass, harm....... New. Oklahoma City, (Tympanuchus New Mexico, surveys. Oklahoma. pallidicinctus). Oklahoma, Texas. PER3115167............. Beauregard, Southwestern willow Arizona............ Presence/absence Harass, harm....... Amend. Nicholas; flycatcher (Empidonax surveys, nest Flagstaff, Arizona. traillii extimus). monitoring. PER9548837............. La Tierra Northern aplomado falcon Arizona, New Presence/absence Harass, harm....... Renew/amend. Environmental (Falco femoralis Mexico, Texas. surveys. Consulting; Las septentrionalis), Cruces, New Mexico. southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus). [[Page 58171]] PER9657818............. U.S. Fish and Gray wolf (Canis lupus), Colorado, Utah..... Presence/absence Harass, harm, Amend. Wildlife Service, Mexican wolf (Canis surveys, capture. Region 2--Mexican lupus baileyi). management, Wolf Recovery capture, handling, Program; propagation, tag, Albuquerque, New bio-sample, Mexico. translocate. PER9736936............. Becker, Daniel; Indiana bat (Myotis Oklahoma........... Presence/absence Harass, harm, New. Norman, Oklahoma. sodalis), gray bat surveys, bio- capture. (Myotis grisescens). sample, capture. PER9717409............. Fort Worth Black-footed ferret Texas.............. Educational Harass, harm....... Renew/amend. Zoological Park; (Mustela nigripes), display, captive Fort Worth, Texas. Barton Springs propagation, salamander (Eurycea reintroduction, sosorum), Austin blind headstarting. salamander (Eurycea waterlooensis), Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis), hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii). PER9932736............. Roistacher, Alicia; Indiana bat (Myotis Oklahoma........... Presence/absence Harass, harm, New. Norman, Oklahoma. sodalis), gray bat surveys, bio- capture. (Myotis grisescens). sample, capture. PER10418800............ Troilo, Sarah; San Golden-cheeked warbler Texas.............. Presence/absence Harass, harm....... New. Antonio, Texas. (Setophaga chrysoparia). surveys. PER10369722............ Ellisor, Samuel; Golden-cheeked warbler Texas.............. Presence/absence Harass, harm....... New. Wimberley, Texas. (Setophaga chrysoparia). surveys. PER10693070............ Arizona Game and Spikedace (Meda Arizona............ Presence/absence Harass, harm, Amend. Fish Department; fulgida), loach minnow surveys, collect. capture, kill. Phoenix, Arizona. (Tiaroga cobitis). PER0036360............. Aztec Engineering Black-footed ferret Arizona, New Presence/absence Harass, harm....... Renew. Group, Inc.; (Mustela nigripes), Mexico, Texas. surveys, nest Phoenix, Arizona. southwestern willow monitoring. flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus), Yuma Ridgway's rail (Rallus obsoletus yumanensis). PER10420481............ American Southwest Colorado pikeminnow Arizona, Colorado, Presence/absence Harass, harm....... Renew/amend. Ichthyological (Ptychocheilus lucius), New Mexico, Utah. surveys, collect, Researchers; razorback sucker tag. Albuquerque, New (Xyrauchen texanus), Mexico. Gila chub (Gila intermedia), Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus), spikedace (Meda fulgida), loach minnow (Tiaroga cobitis). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Availability of Comments All comments we receive become part of the public record associated with this action. Requests for copies of comments will be handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and Service and Department of the Interior policies and procedures. 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 ask us to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. 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. Authority We provide this notice under section 10 of the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Amy Lueders, Regional Director, Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. 2024-15661 Filed 7-16-24; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4333-15-P