[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 146 (Tuesday, August 1, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35817-35818]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-16121]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2017-0038; FXIA16710900000-178-FF09A30000]


Foreign Endangered Species; 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) prohibits 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 31, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Submitting Comments: You may submit comments by one of the 
following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-
IA-2017-0038.
     U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, 
Attn: Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2017-0038, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
MS: BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
    When submitting comments, please indicate the name of the applicant 
and the PRT# you are commenting on. We will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any 
personal information you provide us (see the Public Comments section 
for more information).
    Viewing Comments: Comments and materials we receive will be 
available for public inspection on http://www.regulations.gov, or by 
appointment, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of 
Management Authority, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803; 
telephone 703-358-2095.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joyce Russell, Government Information 
Specialist, Division of Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service Headquarters, MS: IA; 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 
22041-3803; telephone 703-358-2023; facsimile 703-358-2280.

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 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 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.), 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; Jan. 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.

III. Permit Applications

    We invite the public to comment on applications to conduct certain 
activities with endangered and threatened species. With some 
exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; ESA) 
prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization 
is acquired that allows such activities.

Applicant: University of Texas-Austin, Austin, TX PRT-124346

    The applicant requests a permit to import tissue samples of 
Verreaux's sifaka
    (Propithecus verreauxi) from Morondava, Madagascar, for scientific 
research. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the 
applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Wildlife & Environmental Conservation, Inc., Moorpark, CA; 
PRT-29610C

    The applicant requests a permit to purchase in interstate commerce 
two captive-born male cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) from Metro Richmond 
Zoo, Moseley, Virginia, to enhance the propagation or survival of the 
species.

Applicant: Veterinary Initiative for Endangered Wildlife, Bozeman, MT; 
PRT-75654B

    The applicant requests amendment of their permit to import 
biological samples from the Ministry of Forestry & Soil Conservation, 
Chitwan, Nepal, to include the following species: Asian elephant 
(Elephas maximus), Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), pygmy hog 
(Sus salvanius), Alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster), black musk 
deer (Moschus fuscus), seladang (Bos gaurus), Chiru (Pantholops 
hodgsonii), Himalayan

[[Page 35818]]

goral (Nemorhaedus goral), Himalayan serow (Capricornis thar), 
barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii, listed as swamp deer (Cervus 
duvauceli)), Indochina hog deer (Axis porcinus), hispid hare 
(Caprolagus hispidus), snow leopard (Panthera uncia), spotted linsang 
(Prionodon pardicolor), Kashmir gray langur (Semnopithecus ajax), Terai 
grey langur (Semnopithecus hector), and Nepal grey langur 
(Semnopithecus schistaceus) for the purpose of scientific research. 
This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant 
over a 4-year period.

Applicant: Naples Zoo, Inc., Naples, FL; PRT-30387C

    The applicant requests a renewal and amendment to a captive-bred 
wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for the following species: 
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), slender-horned gazelle (Gazella 
leptoceros), radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata), siamang 
(Symphalangus syndactylus), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), tiger 
(Panthera tigris), northern plains gray langur (Semnopithecus 
entellus), Francois' langur (Trachypithecus francoisi), white-headed 
lemur (Eulemur albifrons), red-collared lemur (Eulemur collaris), ring-
tailed lemur (Lemur catta), red ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra), red-
cheeked gibbon (Nomascus gabriellae), lar gibbon (Hylobates lar), and 
cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus), to enhance the propagation or 
survival of the species. This notification covers activities to be 
conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Palfam Ranch Management LLC, Giddings, TX; PRT-64738A

    The applicant requests a renewal of the permit authorizing the cull 
of excess barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii) and red lechewe (Kobus 
leche) from the captive herd maintained at their facility, to enhance 
the species' propagation and survival. This notification covers 
activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA; PRT-32285C

    The applicant requests a permit to import the olive ridley sea 
turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) plasma and gonad samples from the 
Conservation Area, Tempisque, Guancaste, Costa Rica, for the purpose of 
scientific research. This notification covers activities to be 
conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Michael Wallace, Mineral, VA; PRT-32834C

    The applicant requests a permit to export `olulu (Brighamia 
insignis) to Loei, Thailand, to enhance the propagation or survival of 
the species. This notification is for a single export.

Applicant: Xiaobo Chu, San Ramon, CA; PRT-62256A

    The applicant requests a renewal and amendment to a captive-bred 
wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for the radiated tortoise 
(Astrochelys radiata), to enhance the propagation or survival of the 
species. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the 
applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Jack L. Phillips, Gladewater, TX; PRT-195823

    The applicant requests a renewal to a captive-bred wildlife 
registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for the red lechwe (Kobus leche), to 
enhance the propagation or survival of the species. This notification 
covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year 
period. This applicant was published in the Federal Register on March 
22, 2017. We are providing current application material for the 
public's review and comment.

Applicant: Michael A. Soupios, East North Port, NY; PRT-18167C

    The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 
50 CFR 17.21(g) for the Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra) to 
enhance species propagation or survival. This notification covers 
activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Safari West, Santa Rosa, CA; PRT-27040C

    The applicant requests a renewal and amendment to a captive-bred 
wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for the following species: 
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita), 
ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta), and the black and white ruffed lemur 
(Varecia variegata), to enhance the propagation or survival of the 
species. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the 
applicant over a 5-year period.
Trophy Applicants
    The following applicants each request a permit to import sport-
hunted trophies of a 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 enhancing the 
propagation or survival of the species.

Applicant: Chadwick Derral King, Seminole, TX; PRT-30891C
Applicant: Robert Earl Anderson, Jr., Georgetown, KY; PRT-30893C
Applicant: Arnulfo Rodriguez, Spring, TX; PRT-20528C
Applicant: Corey Schaefer, Mountain Home, TX; PRT-24114C
Applicant: Amanda Henson, Carrollton, TX; PRT-32538C

IV. Next Steps

    If the Service decides to issue permits to any of the applicants 
listed in this notice, we will publish a notice in the Federal 
Register. You may locate the Federal Register notice announcing the 
permit issuance date by searching in www.regulations.gov under the 
permit number listed in this document.

V. Public Comments

    You may submit your comments and materials concerning this notice 
by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. We will not consider 
comments sent by email or fax or to an address not listed in ADDRESSES.
    If you submit a comment via http://www.regulations.gov, your entire 
comment, including any personal identifying information, will be posted 
on the Web site. If you submit a hardcopy comment that includes 
personal identifying information, you may request at the top of your 
document that we withhold this information from public review. However, 
we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    We will post all hardcopy comments on http://www.regulations.gov.

VI. Authorities

    Endangered Species Act of 1973, (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Joyce Russell,
Government Information Specialist, Branch of Permits, Division of 
Management Authority.
[FR Doc. 2017-16121 Filed 7-31-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P