[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 93 (Monday, May 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28402-28404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-11553]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R2-ES-2012-N087; FXES11130200000F5-123-FF02ENEH00]


Endangered and Threatened Species Permit Applications

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications; request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to 
comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities 
with endangered or threatened species. The Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (Act), prohibits activities with endangered and 
threatened species unless a Federal permit allows such activities. The 
Act and the National Environmental Policy Act also require that we 
invite public comment before issuing these permits.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be received on or 
before June 13, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Marty Tuegel, Section 10 Coordinator, by U.S. mail at 
Division of Endangered Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. 
Box 1306, Room 6034, Albuquerque, NM 87107 at (505) 248-6920. Please 
refer to the respective permit number for each application when 
submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Jacobsen, Chief, Endangered 
Species Division, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM 87103; (505) 248-6651.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Availability of Comments

    The Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) prohibits activities with 
endangered and threatened species unless a Federal permit allows such 
activities. Along with our implementing regulations in the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR part 17, the Act provides for 
permits, and requires that we invite public comment before issuing 
these permits.
    A permit granted by us under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Act 
authorizes applicants to conduct activities with U.S. endangered or 
threatened species for scientific purposes, enhancement of survival or 
propagation, or interstate commerce. Our regulations regarding 
implementation of section 10(a)(1)(A) 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.

Applications Available for Review and Comment

    We invite local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies, and the 
public to comment on the following applications. Please refer to the 
appropriate permit number (e.g., Permit No. TE-123456) when requesting 
application documents and when submitting comments.
    Documents and other information the applicants have submitted with 
these applications are available for review, subject to the 
requirements of the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Freedom of 
Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).

Permit TE-67487A

    Applicant: Rogelio M. Rodriguez, Denver, Colorado.
    Applicant requests a new permit for research and recovery purposes 
to conduct presence/absence surveys for lesser long-nosed bat 
(Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae) and Mexican long-nosed bat 
(Leptonycteris nivalis) within Arizona and New Mexico.

Permit TE-67491A

    Applicant: Permits West, Inc., Edgewood, New Mexico.
    Applicant requests a new permit for research and recovery purposes 
to

[[Page 28403]]

conduct presence/absence surveys of southwestern willow flycatcher 
(Empidonax traillii extimus) within Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.

Permit TE-67494A

    Applicant: Melanie Snyder, Lockhart, Texas.
    Applicant requests a new permit for research and recovery purposes 
to conduct presence/absence surveys of black-capped vireo (Vireo 
atricapilla), golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia), and 
Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis) within Texas.

Permit TE-70795A

    Applicant: Bowers Environmental Consulting, Tucson, Arizona.
    Applicant requests a new permit for research and recovery purposes 
to conduct presence/absences surveys of the following wildlife species, 
and leaf and flower collection of the following plant species across 
their ranges, as appropriate, within Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas:
     Arizona hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus var. 
arizonicus)
     Black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes)
     Gila topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis)
     Huachuca water umbel (Lilaeopsis schaffneriana spp. 
recurva)
     Kearney's blue star (Amsonia kearneyana)
     Lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae)
     Loach minnow (Tiaroga cobitis)
     Nichol's Turk's head cactus (Echinocactus horizonthalonius 
var. nicholii)
     Pima pineapple cactus (Coryphantha scheeri var. 
robustispina)
     Razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus)
     Southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii 
extimus)
     Spikedace (Meda fulgida)
     Yaqui topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis sonorensis)
     Yuma clapper rail (Rallus longirostris yumanensis)

Permit TE-71473A

    Applicant: Richard Sherwin, Newport News, Virginia.
    Applicant requests a new permit for research and recovery purposes 
to conduct presence/absence surveys of lesser long-nosed bat 
(Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae) and Mexican long-nosed bat 
(Leptonycteris nivalis) within Arizona and New Mexico.

Permit TE-71618A

    Applicant: Museum of Southwestern Biology University of New Mexico 
Herbarium, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
    Applicant requests a new permit for research and recovery purposes 
to conduct presence/absence surveys; collect flowers, seeds, and 
voucher specimens; conduct genetic analysis; and conduct a pollinator 
study of the following endangered plants within New Mexico:
     Argemone pleiacantha ssp. pinnatisecta (Sacramento prickly 
poppy)
     Astragalus humillimus (Mancos milkvetch)
     Coryphantha sneedii var. sneedii (Sneed's pincushion 
cactus)
     Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri (Kuenzler's hedgehog 
cactus)
     Hedeoma todsenii (Todsen's pennyroyal)
     Ipomopsis sancti-spiritus (Holy Ghost ipomopsis)
     Pediocactus knowltonii (Knowlton's cactus)

Permit TE-001623

    Applicant: American Southwest Ichthyological Researchers, LLC, 
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
    Applicant requests an amendment to a current permit for research 
and recovery purposes to conduct distributional investigations, 
population monitoring, population estimation, spawning activities 
documentation, movement studies, genetic studies, habitat association 
studies, and life history studies of Gila chub (Gila intermedia), loach 
minnow (Tiaroga cobitis), and spikedace (Meda fulgida) within New 
Mexico.

Permit TE-43746A

    Applicant: Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona.
    Applicant requests an amendment to a current permit for research 
and recovery purposes to conduct presence/absence surveys for 
southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) within 
Nevada and Utah.

Permit TE-71870A

    Applicant: Western Area Power Administration, Phoenix, Arizona.
    Applicant requests a new permit for research and recovery purposes 
to conduct presence/absence surveys of southwestern willow flycatcher 
(Empidonax traillii extimus) and Yuma clapper rail (Rallus longirostris 
yumanensis) within Arizona.

Permit TE-026711

    Applicant: U.S. Department of Agriculture--Forest Service, 
Flagstaff, Arizona.
    Applicant requests an amendment to a current permit for research 
and recovery purposes to conduct presence/absence surveys and 
monitoring for repatriation of loach minnow (Tiaroga cobitis) and 
spikedace (Meda fulgida) within the Coconino National Forest.

Permit TE-66055A

    Applicant: SWCA Inc., Flagstaff, Arizona.
    Applicant requests an amendment to a current permit for research 
and recovery purposes to conduct presence/absence surveys and 
monitoring of loach minnow (Tiaroga cobitis) and spikedace (Meda 
fulgida) within Arizona.

Permit TE-72065A

    Applicant: Prescott National Forest, Prescott, Arizona.
    Applicant requests a new permit for research and recovery purposes 
to conduct presence/absence surveys of the following species within 
Arizona:
     Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius)
     Desert pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius)
     Gila chub (Gila intermedia)
     Gila topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis occidentalis)
     Loach minnow (Tiaroga cobitis)
     Razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus)
     Southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii 
extimus)
     Spikedace (Meda fulgida)

Permit TE-72079A

    Applicant: John Rinne, Flagstaff, Arizona.
    Applicant requests a new permit for research and recovery purposes 
to conduct presence/absence surveys of loach minnow (Tiaroga cobitis) 
and spikedace (Meda fulgida) within New Mexico.

Permit TE-800611

    Applicant: SWCA, Inc., San Antonio, Texas.
    Applicant requests a new permit for research and recovery purposes 
to conduct presence/absence surveys of Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) and 
gray bat (Myotis grisescens) throughout the species' ranges, as 
appropriate, within Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, 
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New 
York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, 
Virginia, and West Virginia.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

    In compliance with NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), we have made an 
initial

[[Page 28404]]

determination that the proposed activities in these permits are 
categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental 
assessment or environmental impact statement (516 DM 6 Appendix 1, 
1.4C(1)).

Public Availability of Comments

    All comments and materials we receive in response to this request 
will be available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal 
business hours at the address listed in the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice.
    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.

    Authority: We provide this notice under section 10 of the Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)

    Dated: April 30, 2012.
Joy E. Nicholopoulos,
Acting Regional Director, Southwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2012-11553 Filed 5-11-12; 8:45 am]
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