[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 60 (Monday, March 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16694-16695]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07218]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-IA-2015-N061; FXIA16710900000-156-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 
April 29, 2015. We must receive requests for marine mammal permit 
public hearings, in writing, at the address shown in the ADDRESSES 
section by April 29, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Brenda Tapia, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of 
Management Authority, Branch of Permits, MS: IA, 5275 Leesburg Pike,

[[Page 16695]]

Falls Church, VA 22041; fax (703) 358-2281; or email [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brenda Tapia, (703) 358-2104 
(telephone); (703) 358-2281 (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: Houston Zoo Inc., Houston, TX; PRT-45248B
    The applicant requests a permit to export one female curassow (Crax 
alberti) from Houston Zoo, Houston, Texas to Nago Zoological and 
Botanical Gardens, Okinawa, Japan, for the purpose of scientific 
research. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the 
applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Disney's Animal Kingdom, Bay Lake, FL; PRT-53174B
    The applicant requests a permit to export feathers from captive-
bred pink pigeons (Nesoenas mayeri) for the purpose of scientific 
research.
Applicant: The Wild Animal Park, Chittenango, NY; PRT-56456B
    The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 
50 CFR 17.21(g) for giant tortoises (Chelonoidis nigra), radiated 
tortoises (Astrochelys radiata), ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta), snow 
leopards (Uncia uncia), and leopards (Panthera pardus) to enhance the 
species' propagation or survival. This notification covers activities 
to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: USFWS/Ecological Services Field Office, Cheyenne, WY; PRT-
219999
    The applicant requests renewal of their permit to export to and 
import from Toronto Zoo, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, captive hatched 
Wyoming toads (Bufo hemiophrys baxteri) for the purposes of enhancement 
of the survival of the species. This notification covers activities to 
be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Edgar Hinkle, Lexington, NC; PRT-59964B
    The applicant requests a permit to import a 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.

B. Endangered Marine Mammals and Marine Mammals

Applicant: Tom Smith, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT; PRT-225854
    The applicant requests a renewal of the permit to authorize 
harassment of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) by adjusting the video 
camera equipment, conducting aerial surveys, and conducting ground-
truth surveys with snowmobiles near dens for the purpose of scientific 
research. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the 
applicant over the remainder of the 5-year period of the permit.
    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. 2015-07218 Filed 3-27-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-55-P