[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 223 (Monday, November 21, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70860-70861]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-25320]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0153; FXIA16710900000-223-FF09A30000]
Foreign Endangered Species; Receipt of Permit Applications
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of permit applications; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to
comment on applications to conduct certain activities with foreign
species that are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act
(ESA). With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits activities with listed
species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such
activities. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before
issuing permits for any activity otherwise prohibited by the ESA with
respect to any endangered species.
DATES: We must receive comments by December 21, 2022.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: The applications, application supporting
materials, and any comments and other materials that we receive will be
available for public inspection at https://www.regulations.gov in
Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0153.
Submitting Comments: When submitting comments, please specify the
name of the applicant and the permit number at the beginning of your
comment. You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
Internet: https://www.regulations.gov. Search for and
submit comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0153.
U.S. Mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0153; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS:
PRB/3W; 5275 Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
For more information, see Public Comment Procedures under
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brenda Tapia, by phone at 703-358-2185
or via email at DMAFR@fws.gov. 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:
I. Public Comment Procedures
A. How do I comment on submitted applications?
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.
You may submit your comments and materials by one of the methods in
ADDRESSES. We will not consider comments sent by email or to an address
not in ADDRESSES. We will not consider or include in our administrative
record comments we receive after the close of the comment period (see
DATES).
When submitting comments, please specify the name of the applicant
and the permit number at the beginning of your comment. Provide
sufficient information 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.
B. May I review comments submitted by others?
You may view and comment on others' public comments at https://www.regulations.gov unless our allowing so would violate the Privacy
Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) or Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).
C. Who will see my comments?
If you submit a comment at https://www.regulations.gov, your entire
comment, including any personal identifying information, will be posted
on the website. If you submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal
identifying information, such as your address, phone number, or email
address, 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. 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.
II. Background
To help us carry out our conservation responsibilities for affected
species, and in consideration of section 10(c) of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), we
invite public comments on permit applications before final action is
taken. With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits certain activities with
listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such
activities. Permits issued under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA allow
otherwise prohibited activities for scientific purposes or to enhance
the propagation or survival of the affected species. Service
regulations regarding prohibited activities with endangered species,
captive-bred wildlife registrations, and permits for any activity
otherwise prohibited by the ESA with respect to any endangered species
are available in title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations in part
17.
III. Permit Applications
We invite comments on the following applications.
[[Page 70861]]
Endangered Species
Applicant: Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute,
Washington, DC; Permit No. PER0054384
The applicant requests a permit to import biological samples
derived from wild black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) taken in Kruger
National Park, South Africa, for the purpose of scientific research.
This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant
over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute,
Washington, DC; Permit No. PER0054387
The applicant requests a permit to import biological samples
derived from wild mountain tapirs (Tapirus pinchaque) taken in Ecuador
for the purpose of scientific research. This notification covers
activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Cornell University Animal Health Diagnostic Center and NYS
Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Ithaca, NY; Permit No. PER0042576
The applicant requests a permit to import biological samples
derived from captive-bred African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) from the
United Kingdom, for the purpose of scientific research. This
notification is for a single import. This notification covers
activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 1-year period.
Applicant: USGS Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego, CA;
Permit No. PER0054702
The applicant requests authorization to import blood samples
derived from wild light-footed clapper rail (Rallus longirostris
levipes) from Ensenada, Mexico, for the purpose of enhancing the
propagation or survival of the species through scientific research.
This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant
over a 5-year period.
Applicant: U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center,
Madison, WI; Permit No. PER0040855
The applicant requests authorization to import biological samples
for all wildlife species, both of wild-origin and captive-held or
captive-bred, for the purpose of scientific research. This notification
covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year
period.
Applicant: Safari Wild Animal Park, Como, MS; Permit No. PER0036455
The applicant requests a permit to purchase in interstate commerce
15 captive-born juvenile Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis niger) from
Jerry Fife, Laveen, AZ, for the purpose of enhancing the propagation or
survival of the species. This notification is for a single interstate
commerce activity.
Applicant: Russell B. Kimbrell, Mountain Home, TX; Permit No.
PER0025148
The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under
50 CFR 17.21(g) for Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) to enhance the
propagation and survival of the species. This notification covers
activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Audubon Nature Institute, New Orleans, LA; Permit No.
PER0054404
The applicant requests to amend its captive-bred wildlife
registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) to add the following species, in
order to enhance the propagation or survival of the species. This
notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a
5-year period.
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Common name Scientific name
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Blue throated macaw....................... Ara Glaucogularis.
Bali starling............................. Leucopsar Rothschildi.
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Applicant: Safari Game Search Foundation, Winston, OR; Permit No.
PER0036502
The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under
50 CFR 17.21(g) for the following species, to enhance the propagation
or survival of the species. This notification covers activities to be
conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
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Common name Scientific name
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Cheetah................................... Acinonyx jubatus.
Maned wolf................................ Chrysocyon brachyurus.
White-naped crane......................... Grus vipio.
Ring-tailed lemur......................... Lemur catta.
Red-ruffed lemur.......................... Varecia rubra.
African elephant.......................... Loxodonta africana.
White-cheeked gibbon...................... Nomascus leucogenys.
Lion...................................... Panthera leo.
Cotton-topped tamarin..................... Saguinus Oedipus.
Sumatran tiger............................ Panthera tigris sumatrae.
Southern white rhinoceros................. Ceratotherium simum simum.
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Applicant: Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI; Permit No.
PER0054866
The applicant requests authorization to export and re-import
nonliving museum specimens of endangered species previously accessioned
into the applicant's collection for scientific research. This
notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a
5-year period.
Multiple Trophy Applicants
The following applicants request permits to import sport-hunted
trophies of male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled from a
captive herd maintained under the management program of the Republic of
South Africa, for the purpose of enhancing the propagation or survival
of the species.
Applicant: William Byron Taylor, Jr., Henderson, TX; Permit No.
PER0055329
Applicant: Benjamin Caleb Wright, Montgomery, TX; Permit No. PER0056018
IV. Next Steps
After the comment period closes, we will make decisions regarding
permit issuance. If we issue permits to any of the applicants listed in
this notice, we will publish a notice in the Federal Register. You may
locate the notice announcing the permit issuance by searching https://www.regulations.gov for the permit number listed above in this
document. For example, to find information about the potential issuance
of Permit No. 12345A, you would go to https://regulations.gov and
search for ``12345A''.
V. Authority
We issue this notice under the authority of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and its implementing
regulations.
Brenda Tapia,
Supervisory Program Analyst/Data Administrator, Branch of Permits,
Division of Management Authority.
[FR Doc. 2022-25320 Filed 11-18-22; 8:45 am]
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