[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 141 (Thursday, July 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43790-43792]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18041]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-IA-2015-N141; 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

[[Page 43791]]

comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities 
with endangered species, marine mammals. 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 
August 24, 2015. We must receive requests for marine mammal permit 
public hearings, in writing, at the address shown in the ADDRESSES 
section by August 24, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Brenda Tapia, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of 
Management Authority, Branch of Permits, MS: IA, 5275 Leesburg Pike, 
Falls Church, VA 22041; fax (703) 358-2281; or email [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Monica Thomas, (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: Virginia Aquarium and Marine Center Foundation, Virginia 
Beach, VA; PRT-55108B
    The applicant requests a permit to import one male and one female 
captive-bred false gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii) for the purpose of 
enhancement of the survival of the species through captive propagation.
Applicant: Brady Champion Ranch, LLC, Rochelle, TX; PRT-51308B
    The applicant requests a permit authorizing interstate and foreign 
commerce, export, and cull of excess Barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii), 
Eld's deer (Rucervus eldii), and Red lechwe (Kobus lechwe) 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: Lionshare Farm Zoological, LLC, Greenwich, CT; PRT-60641B
    The applicant requests a permit to export one male and one female 
captive-bred cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) for the purpose enhancement of 
the survival of the species through reintroduction to the wild.
Applicant: California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA; PRT-
58979B
    The applicant requests a permit to import one skull of a wild brown 
hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), for the purpose of scientific research. 
This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant 
over a 1-year period.
Applicant: Recordbuck Ranch, Utopia, TX; PRT-64797A
    The applicant requests a permit authorizing interstate and foreign 
commerce, export, and cull of excess Barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii), 
Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx), and Red lechwe (Kobus lechwe) 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: Brady Champion Ranch, LLC, Rochelle, TX; PRT-51130B
    The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 
50 CFR 17.21(g) for the species listed below to enhance species 
propagation or survival: Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi), Hartmann's 
mountain zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae), Przewalski's horse (Equus 
przewalskii), Barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii), Eld's brow-antlered 
deer (Rucervus eldii), Bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus), 
Cuvier's gazelle (Gazella cuvieri), Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx), Red 
lechwe (Kobus lechwe), Seladang (Bos gaurus), and Banteng (Bos 
javanicus). This notification covers activities to be conducted by the 
applicant over a 5-year period.

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Applicant: Washington Park Zoo, IN; PRT-58205B
    The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 
50 CFR 17.21(g) for the following species to enhance species 
propagation or survival: Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) and Cottontop 
tamarin (Saguinus oedipus). This notification covers activities to be 
conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman, OK: 
PRT-075249
    The applicant requests renewal of their permit to export and 
reimport nonliving museum specimens of endangered and threatened 
species previously accessioned into the applicant's collection for 
scientific research. This notification covers activities to be 
conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Timothy Twietmeyer, Weston, FL; PRT-70086B
    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: Melissa McKinney, Storrs, CT; PRT-59633B
    The applicant requests a permit to import and export wild walrus 
(Odobenus rosmarus divergens), (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus), and polar 
bear (Ursus maritimus) biological samples 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.

Brenda Tapia,
Program Analyst/Data Administrator, Branch of Permits, Division of 
Management Authority.
[FR Doc. 2015-18041 Filed 7-22-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P