[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 17 (Thursday, January 25, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4968-4970]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-01373]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2023-0255; FXIA16710900000-234-FF09A30000]


Wild Bird Conservation Act; 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 (Service), invite the 
public to comment on permit applications regarding foreign bird species 
covered under the Wild Bird

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Conservation Act (WBCA). With some exceptions, the WBCA prohibits 
certain activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is 
issued that allows such activities. The WBCA also requires that we 
invite public comment before issuing permits for any activity it 
otherwise prohibits.

DATES: We must receive comments by February 26, 2024.

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-2023-0255. 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-2023-0255.
     U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. 
FWS-HQ-IA-2023-0255; 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 112(4) of the Wild Bird 
Conservation Act of 1992 (WBCA; 16 U.S.C. 4901-4916), we invite public 
comments on permit applications before final action is taken. With some 
exceptions, the WBCA prohibits certain activities with listed species 
unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such activities. 
Service regulations regarding permits for any activity otherwise 
prohibited by the WBCA with respect to any wild birds are available in 
title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations in part 15.

III. Permit Applications

    We invite comments on the following applications.

Applicant: Vernon Padgett, Sandy Springs, GA; Permit No. PER2919227

    The applicant, along with member Dick Schroeder, and the Zoological 
Association of America as the oversight committee, wishes to establish 
a new Cooperative Breeding Program under 50 CFR 15.26 covering the 
species below. This notification covers activities to be conducted by 
the applicant over a 2-year period:

    Stella's lorikeet (Charmosyna stellae), yellow-bibbed lory 
(Lorius chlorocercus), chattering lory (Lorius garrulus), dusky lory 
(Pseudeos fuscata), cardinal lory (Pseudeos cardinalis), black lory 
(Chalcopsitta atra), yellow-streaked lory (Chalcopsitta sintillata), 
ornate lorikeet (Saudareos ornata), coconut lorikeet (Trichoglossus 
haematodus), blue-streaked lory (Eos reticulata), red lory (Eos 
rubra), black-winged lory (Eos cyanogenia), and violet necked lory 
(Eos squamata).

Applicant: Vernon Padgett, Sandy Springs, GA; Permit No. PER2858327

    The applicant, along with member Dallas World Aquarium, and the 
Zoological Association of America as the oversight committee, wishes to 
establish a new Cooperative Breeding Program under 50 CFR 15.26 
covering the species below. This notification covers activities to be 
conducted by the applicant over a 2-year period:

    Toco toucan (Ramphastos toco), white-throated toucan (Ramphastos 
tucanus), channel billed toucan (Ramphastos vitellinus), red-
breasted toucan (Ramphastos dicolorus), green aracari (Pteroglossus 
viridis), saffron toucanet (Baillonius bailloni), rufous hornbill 
(Buceros hydrocorax), Papuan hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus), 
wreathed hornbill (Rhyticeros undulatus), and knobbed hornbill 
(Aceros cassidix).

Applicant: The Peregrine Fund, Boise, ID; Permit No. 77797D

    The applicant wishes to establish a new Cooperative Breeding 
Program (CBP) under 50 CFR 15.26 covering the Taita falcon (Falco 
fasciinucha). The applicant previously held CBP-039, for the same 
species. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the 
applicant over a 2-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

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this document. For example, to find information about the potential 
issuance of Permit No. 12345A, you would go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for ``12345A''.

V. Authority

    We issue this notice under the authority of the implementing 
regulations and under the authority of the Wild Bird Conservation Act 
of 1992 (16 U.S.C. 4901-4916). This notice is provided pursuant to 
section 112(4) of the Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992, 50 CFR 
15.26(c).

Timothy MacDonald,
Government Information Specialist, Branch of Permits, Division of 
Management Authority.
[FR Doc. 2024-01373 Filed 1-24-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P