[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 73 (Monday, April 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22604-22606]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9035]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-IA-2012-N085; FXIA16710900000P5-123-FF09A30000]


Endangered Species; Marine Mammals; Receipt of Applications for 
Permit

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications for permit.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to 
comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities 
with endangered species, marine mammals, or both. With some exceptions, 
the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act 
(MMPA) prohibits activities with listed

[[Page 22605]]

species unless Federal authorization is acquired that allows such 
activities.

DATES: We must receive comments or requests for documents on or before 
May 16, 2012. We must receive requests for marine mammal permit public 
hearings, in writing, at the address shown in the ADDRESSES section by 
May 16, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Lisa Lierheimer, Division of Management Authority, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 212, Arlington, VA 
22203; fax (703) 358-2280; or email [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Lierheimer, (703) 358-2104 
(telephone); (703) 358-2280 (fax); [email protected] (email).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Public Comment Procedures

A. How do I request copies of applications or comment on submitted 
applications?

    Send your request for copies of applications or comments and 
materials concerning any of the applications to the contact listed 
under ADDRESSES. Please include the Federal Register notice publication 
date, the PRT-number, and the name of the applicant in your request or 
submission. We will not consider requests or comments sent to an email 
or address not listed under ADDRESSES. If you provide an email address 
in your request for copies of applications, we will attempt to respond 
to your request electronically.
    Please make your requests or comments as specific as possible. 
Please confine your comments to issues for which we seek comments in 
this notice, and explain the basis for your comments. Include 
sufficient information with your comments 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. We 
will not consider or include in our administrative record comments we 
receive after the close of the comment period (see DATES) or comments 
delivered to an address other than those listed above (see ADDRESSES).

B. May I review comments submitted by others?

    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the street address listed under 
ADDRESSES. The public may review documents and other information 
applicants have sent in support of the application unless our allowing 
viewing would violate the Privacy Act or Freedom of Information Act. 
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.

II. Background

    To help us carry out our conservation responsibilities for affected 
species, and in consideration of section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and the 
Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et 
seq.), along with Executive Order 13576, ``Delivering an Efficient, 
Effective, and Accountable Government,'' and the President's Memorandum 
for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies of January 21, 
2009--Transparency and Open Government (74 FR 4685; January 26, 2009), 
which call on all Federal agencies to promote openness and transparency 
in Government by disclosing information to the public, we invite public 
comment on these permit applications before final action is taken. 
Under the MMPA, you may request a hearing on any MMPA application 
received. If you request a hearing, give specific reasons why a hearing 
would be appropriate. The holding of such a hearing is at the 
discretion of the Service Director.

III. Permit Applications

A. Endangered Species

Applicant: Wild Acres Ranch, Sandusky, OH; PRT-64940A
    The applicant requests a permit to import four captive-bred 
cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), one male and three females, from Bester 
Birds and Animals Zoo Park, Pretoria, South Africa, for the purpose of 
enhancement of the survival of the species through captive breeding and 
zoological exhibition.
Applicant: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Corpus Christi, TX; PRT-
71576A
    The applicant requests a permit to import one Kemp's ridley sea 
turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) found stranded in the Netherlands for the 
purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species.
 Applicant: The Dallas World Aquarium, Dallas, TX; PRT-71351A
    The applicant requests a permit to import two captive-bred Harpy 
eagles (Harpia harpyja), one male and one female, from UMA Vida 
Silvestre Jesus Estudillo Lopez, Ixtapaluca, Mexico, for the purpose of 
enhancement of the survival of the species through captive breeding and 
zoological exhibition.
Multiple Applicants
    The following applicants each request a permit to import the sport-
hunted trophy of one 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 enhancement of the 
survival of the species.
Applicant: Jon W. Holman, West Fargo, ND; PRT-47905A
Applicant: Billy R. Hablinski, Athens, TX; PRT-71492A

B. Endangered Marine Mammals

Applicant: Edmund Gerstein, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, 
FL; PRT-063561
    The applicant requests a renewal of the permit to take Florida 
manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) for the purpose of scientific 
research. The applicant is requesting no changes to his permit but an 
extension of time to allow him to complete a study to archive and 
evaluate manatee responses to controlled boat approaches; his research 
was hampered by weather and other circumstances beyond his control. 
This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant 
over a 2-year period.
Applicant: Dr. Milton Levin, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT; 
PRT-48161A
    The applicant requests a permit to acquire biological samples from 
polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus 
latirostris) held in captivity and to import biological samples from 
polar bears in the wild for the purpose of scientific research. This 
notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 
5-year period.
    Concurrent with publishing this notice in the Federal Register, we 
are forwarding copies of the above applications to the Marine Mammal 
Commission and the Committee of Scientific Advisors for their review.


[[Page 22606]]


    Dated: April 6, 2012.
Lisa J. Lierheimer,
Supervisory Policy Specialist, Branch of Permits, Division of 
Management Authority.
[FR Doc. 2012-9035 Filed 4-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P