[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 150 (Friday, August 3, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46514-46516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19007]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-IA-2012-N189; 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.

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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 species, marine mammals, or both. With some exceptions, 
the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act 
(MMPA) prohibit activities with listed species unless Federal 
authorization is acquired that allows such activities.

DATES: We must receive comments or requests for documents on or before 
September 4, 2012. We must receive requests for marine mammal permit 
public hearings, in writing, at the address shown in the ADDRESSES 
section by September 4, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Brenda Tapia, 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: Brenda Tapia, (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

[[Page 46515]]

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: Miami-Dade Zoological Parks and Gardens (Zoo Miami), Miami, 
FL; PRT-75942A
    The applicant requests a permit to import two male cheetahs 
(Acinonyx jubatus) that were bred in captivity in South Africa at the 
Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre for the purpose of enhancement of the 
survival of the species.
Applicant: Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Columbia, SC; PRT-74896A
    The applicant requests a permit to import one male captive-born 
Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) from Toronto Zoo, Ontario, CA, for 
the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species.
Applicant: Indianhead Ranch, Inc., Del Rio, TX; PRT-67596A
    The applicant requests a permit to export the sport-hunted trophy 
of one male Addax (Addax nasomaculatus) culled from a captive herd 
maintained in the state of Texas, for the purpose of enhancement of the 
survival of the species.
Applicant: Wildlife Artistry Taxidermy, Centreville, MD; PRT-77276A
    The applicant requests a permit to export the sport-hunted trophy 
of one male Addax (Addax nasomaculatus) culled from a captive herd 
maintained in the state of Texas, for the purpose of enhancement of the 
survival of the species.
Applicant: Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, CA; PRT-186914
    The applicant requests a permit to take up to 10 southern sea 
otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) annually from the wild (animals that are 
rescued for rehabilitation and release) for the purpose of scientific 
research on the pharmacokinetics of the antibiotic cefovecin. This 
notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over 
the remainder of the 5-year period for which the permit would be valid.
Applicant: Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY; PRT-033594
    The applicant requests renewal of their permit to import biological 
samples collected from wild, captive-held, and/or captive-born 
specimens of endangered animal species from worldwide locations, for 
the purpose of scientific research. No animals may be intentionally 
killed for the purpose of collecting such samples. Any invasively 
collected samples can only be collected by trained personnel. This 
notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 
5-year period.
Applicant: A.C. Ranch, Sonora, TX; PRT-73894A
    The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 
50 CFR 17.21(g) for the addax (Addax nasomaculatus), to enhance their 
propagation or survival. This notification covers activities to be 
conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: A.C. Ranch, Sonora, TX; PRT-73893A
    The applicant requests a permit authorizing interstate and foreign 
commerce, export, and cull of excess addax (Addax nasomaculatus) from 
the captive herd maintained at their facility, 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: Dub Wallace Ranch LLC, Sonora, TX; PRT-75592A
    The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 
50 CFR 17.21(g) for the scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah), to enhance 
their propagation or survival. This notification covers activities to 
be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Dub Wallace Ranch LLC, Sonora, TX; PRT-75535A
    The applicant requests a permit authorizing interstate and foreign 
commerce, export, and cull of excess scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx 
dammah), from the captive herd maintained at their facility, 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.

B. Endangered Marine Mammals and Marine Mammals

Applicant: U.S. Geological Service, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, 
AK; PRT-690038
    The applicant requests to renew the permit for to take polar bears 
(Ursus maritimus) in Alaska and to import and export biological samples 
for the purpose of scientific research. The take activities include 
capture, recapture, and release; tag, mark, and radio collar; 
administer oxytocin to females, biopsy dart, conduct bio-electrical 
impedance analysis, administer doubly-labeled water; survey maternal 
dens; aerial survey; and collection of biometrics and biological 
samples from both live and dead animals. This notification covers 
activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Darlene Ketten, Ph.D., Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, 
Woods Hole, MA; PRT-130062
    On July 27, 2012, (77 FR 44264), we published a notice receipt of 
permit applications for that contained incorrect information for the 
applicant. The correct information should read as follows:
    The applicant requests renewal of the permit to authorize import, 
export, and acquisition of dead specimens, including whole carcasses, 
heads, and temporal bones from marine otter (Lontra felina), all sea 
otters (Enhydra lutris), walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), polar bear (Ursus 
maritimus), all manatee species (Trichechus spp.), and

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dugongs (Dugong dugon) for the purpose of scientific research on the 
hearing physiology of marine mammals. 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.

Brenda Tapia,
Program Analyst/Data Administrator, Branch of Permits, Division of 
Management Authority.
[FR Doc. 2012-19007 Filed 8-2-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P