[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 37 (Friday, February 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11928-11929]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03893]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-ES-2023-N001; FXES11140400000-223-FF04E00000]
Endangered Species; Recovery 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, have received
applications for permits to conduct activities intended to enhance the
propagation or survival of endangered species under the Endangered
Species Act. 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 written data or comments on the applications by
March 27, 2023.
ADDRESSES:
Reviewing Documents: Submit requests for copies of applications and
other information submitted with the applications to Karen Marlowe (see
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). All requests and comments should
specify the applicant name and application number (e.g., Mary Smith,
ESPER0001234).
Submitting Comments: If you wish to comment, you may submit
comments by one of the following methods:
Email (preferred method): permitsR4ES@fws.gov. Please
include your name and return address in your email message. If you do
not receive a confirmation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that
we have received your email message, contact us directly at the
telephone number listed in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office,
Ecological Services, 1875 Century Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30345 (Attn:
Karen Marlowe, Permit Coordinator).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Marlowe, Permit Coordinator,
404-679-7097 (telephone) or karen_marlowe@fws.gov (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 of 1974, as amended (5
U.S.C. 552a) and the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).
Background
With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits take of listed species
unless a Federal permit is issued that authorizes such take. The ESA's
definition of ``take'' includes hunting, shooting, harming, wounding,
or killing, and also such activities as pursuing, harassing, trapping,
capturing, or collecting.
A recovery permit issued by us under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA
authorizes the permittee to take endangered or threatened species while
engaging in activities that are conducted for scientific purposes that
promote recovery of species or for enhancement of propagation or
survival of species. These activities often include the capture and
collection of species, which would result in prohibited take if a
permit were not issued. 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.
[[Page 11929]]
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Permit
application No. Applicant Species Location Activity Type of take Permit action
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ES56588D-2........ Martin Melville; Fishes: Cumberland darter Kentucky............ Presence probable/ Capture, handle, Amendment.
Marietta, GA. (Etheostoma susanae); absence surveys. identify, and
Mussels: clubshell release.
(Pleurobema clava),
cracking pearlymussel
(Hemistena lata),
Cumberland bean (Villosa
trabalis), Cumberland
elktoe (Alasmidonta
atropurpurea),
Cumberlandian combshell
(Epioblasma brevidans),
dromedary pearlymussel
(Dromus dromas),
fanshell (Cyprogenia
stegaria), fat
pocketbook (Potamilus
capax), fluted
kidneyshell
(Ptychobranchus
subtentus), littlewing
pearlymussel (Pegias
fabula), orangefoot
pimpleback (Plethobasus
cooperianus), oyster
mussel (Epioblasma
capsaeformis), pink
mucket (Lampsilis
abrupta), rayed bean
(Villosa fabalis), ring
pink (Obovaria retusa),
rough pigtoe (Pleurobema
plenum), rough
rabbitsfoot (Quadrula
cylindrica strigillata),
sheepnose (Plethobasus
cyphyus), slabside
pearlymussel (Pleuronaia
dolabelloides), snuffbox
(Epioblasma triquetra),
spectaclecase
(Cumberlandia
monodonta), tan
riffleshell (Epioblasma
florentina walkeri [= E.
walkeri]), and winged
mapleleaf (Quadrula
fragosa).
ES079863-4........ Michael Gangloff; Canoe Creek clubshell Alabama, Georgia, Presence/probable Capture, identify, Renewal and
Boone, NC. (Pleurobema athearni), Kentucky, absence surveys. tag, collect buccal amendment.
fluted kidneyshell Tennessee, and swabs, release, and
(Ptychobranchus Virginia. salvage relic
subtentus), Georgia shells.
pigtoe (Pleurobema
hanleyianum), rayed bean
(Villosa fabalis), and
spectaclecase
(Cumberlandia monodonta).
ES31057A-3........ North Carolina Fishes: Cape Fear shiner North Carolina and Scientific research, Collect, transport, Renewal and
Wildlife Resources (Notropis South Carolina. captive hold in captivity amendment.
Commission; mekistocholas), Carolina propagation, and for longer than 45
Raleigh, NC. madtom (Noturus relocation and days, release,
furiosus), and Roanoke reintroduction translocate, and
logperch (Percina rex); activities. euthanize.
Mussels: Appalachian
elktoe (Alasmidonta
raveneliana), Carolina
heelsplitter (Lasmigona
decorata), dwarf
wedgemussel (Alasmidonta
heterodon), James
spinymussel (Parvaspina
collina), littlewing
pearlymussel (Pegias
fabula), and Tar River
spinymussel (Parvaspina
steinstansana).
ES069280-6........ Alabama Department Mammals: Alabama beach Alabama............. Presence/probable Mammals, flattened Renewal.
of Transportation; mouse (Peromyscus absence surveys. musk turtle, and
Montgomery, AL. polionotus ammobates); amphibians:
Reptiles: eastern indigo Capture, handle,
snake (Drymarchon and release; and
couperi), flattened musk eastern indigo
turtle (Sternotherus snake and gopher
depressus), and gopher tortoise: scope
tortoise (Gopherus burrows.
polyphemus); Amphibians:
Red Hills salamander
(Phaeognathus hubrichti).
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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 ask us in your comment 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.
Next Steps
If we decide to issue a permit to an applicant 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.).
John Tirpak,
Deputy Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Southeast
Region.
[FR Doc. 2023-03893 Filed 2-23-23; 8:45 am]
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