[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 144 (Friday, July 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48907-48908]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-16057]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2023-0147; FXIA16710900000-234-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 August 28, 2023.
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-2023-0147.
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-2023-0147.
U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS-HQ-IA-2023-0147; 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: Timothy MacDonald, by phone at 703-
358-2185 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:
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.
Applicant: Fresno Chaffee Zoo Corporation, Fresno, CA; Permit No.
PER3130634
The applicant requests a permit to import one live female captive-
born Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) from the Toronto Zoo, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada for the purpose of enhancing the
[[Page 48908]]
propagation or survival of the species. This notification is for a
single import.
Applicant: Toledo Zoological Gardens, Toledo, OH; Permit No. PER0047082
The applicant requests authorization to export up to 4,000 captive-
bred Kihansi spray toads (Nectophrynoides asperginis) for the purpose
of enhancement of the survival of the species. This notification covers
activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History,
Washington, DC; Permit No. PER3560967
The applicant requests the renewal of their permit to export and
re-import non-living museum/herbarium specimens of endangered and
threatened species previously legally accessioned into the permittee's
collection for scientific research. This notification covers activities
to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
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 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.
Timothy MacDonald,
Government Information Specialist, Branch of Permits, Division of
Management Authority.
[FR Doc. 2023-16057 Filed 7-27-23; 8:45 am]
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