[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 233 (Wednesday, December 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57605-57606]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26200]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R6-ES-2017-N105; FXES11130600000-178-FF06E00000]


U.S. Endangered Species; Receipt of Recovery Permit Applications

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of permit applications; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to 
comment on applications for permits to conduct activities intended to 
enhance the propagation or survival of endangered species. With some 
exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits certain 
activities that constitute take of listed species unless a Federal 
permit is issued that allows such activity. The ESA also requires that 
we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments 
by January 5, 2018.

ADDRESSES: 
    Requesting Copies of Applications or Public Comments: Copies of 
applications or public comments concerning any of the applications in 
this notice may be obtained by any party who submits a written request 
for a copy of such documents to the following office within 30 days of 
the date of publication of this notice, subject to the requirements of 
the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and the Freedom of Information Act 
(5.U.S.C. 552): Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
P.O. Box 25486-DFC, Denver, CO 80225.
    Submitting Comments: You may submit comments by one of the 
following methods. Please specify applicant name(s) and application 
number(s) to which your comments pertain (e.g., TE-XXXXXX).
     Email: [email protected]. Please refer to the respective 
permit number (e.g., Application No. TE-XXXXXX) in the subject line of 
your email message.
     U.S. Mail: Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, P.O. Box 25486-DFC, Denver, CO 80225.
     In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or Pickup: Call (719) 628-
2670 to make an appointment during regular business hours at 134 Union 
Blvd., Suite 645, Lakewood, CO 80228.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathy Konishi, Recovery Permits 
Coordinator, Ecological Services, (719) 628-2670 (phone); 
[email protected] (email).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(Service), invite the public to comment on applications for permits to 
conduct activities intended to promote recovery of endangered species. 
With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits certain activities with 
endangered species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The 
ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these 
permits.

Background

    The ESA prohibits certain activities with endangered and threatened 
species unless authorized by a Federal permit. The ESA and our 
implementing regulations in part 17 of title 50 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) provide for the issuance of such permits and require 
that we invite public comment before issuing permits for activities 
involving endangered species.
    A recovery permit issued by us under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA 
authorizes the permittee to conduct activities with endangered or 
threatened species for scientific purposes that promote recovery or for 
enhancement of propagation or survival of the species. Our regulations 
implementing section 10(a)(1)(A) for these 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.

Permit Applications Available for Review and Comment

    We invite local, State, Tribes, Federal agencies and the public to 
comment on the following applications.

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    Application No.           Applicant              Species               Location              Activity            Type of take        Permit action
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TE046427-1............  Landry's Downtown     Bonytail chub (Gila   CO...................  Captive propagation,  Capture, harass.....  Renew.
                         Aquarium.             elegans), Colorado                           animal husbandry,
                                               pikeminnow                                   educational display.
                                               (Ptychocheilus
                                               lucius), desert
                                               pupfish (Cyprinodon
                                               macularius), green
                                               sea turtle
                                               (Chelonia mydas),
                                               humpback chub (Gila
                                               cypha), razorback
                                               sucker (Xyrauchen
                                               texanus), white
                                               sturgeon (Acipenser
                                               transmontanus).

[[Page 57606]]

 
TE131638-3............  Loveland Living       Bonytail chub (Gila   UT...................  Captive propagation,  Capture, harass.....  Amend.
                         Planet Aquarium.      elegans), Colorado                           animal husbandry,
                                               pikeminnow                                   educational display.
                                               (Ptychocheilus
                                               lucius), desert
                                               pupfish (Cyprinodon
                                               macularius), green
                                               sea turtle
                                               (Chelonia mydas),
                                               humpback chub (Gila
                                               cypha), June sucker
                                               (Chasmistes
                                               liorus), loggerhead
                                               sea turtle (Caretta
                                               caretta), razorback
                                               sucker (Xyrauchen
                                               texanus), Virgin
                                               River chub (Gila
                                               robusta seminuda),
                                               white sturgeon
                                               (Acipenser
                                               transmontanus),
                                               woundfin
                                               (Plagopterus
                                               argentissimus).
TE26584C-1............  Two Dot Consulting..  Southwestern willow   CO, UT...............  Survey and monitor,   Harass..............  Amend.
                                               flycatcher                                   playback calls.
                                               (Empidonax traillii
                                               extimus).
TE704930-2............  Regional Director,    All threatened and    CO, KS, NE, ND, SD,    This permit allows    Purposeful take,      Amend.
                         Region 6, U.S. Fish   endangered species    MT, UT, WY.            Fish and Wildlife     harass, display for
                         and Wildlife          as listed on the                             Service employees,    education,
                         Service.              Region 6 Ecological                          designated agents     photograph, survey,
                                               Service's Web site,                          of the Service, and   capture, monitor,
                                               https://www.fws.gov/                         volunteers to         electrofish,
                                               mountain-prairie/es/                         lawfully conduct      handle, weigh,
                                               endangered.php for                           threatened and        measure, mark,
                                               recovery or                                  endangered species    obtain biological
                                               scientific purposes                          activities, in        samples, breed in
                                               or for the                                   conjunction with      captivity,
                                               enhancement of                               recovery activities   reintroduce,
                                               propagation or for                           throughout the        relocate, remove
                                               enhancing the                                species' range, as    from the wild,
                                               species' survival..                          outlined in Fish      kill, and, for
                                                                                            and Wildlife          plant species only,
                                                                                            Service employees'    remove and reduce
                                                                                            and volunteers'       to possession.
                                                                                            position
                                                                                            descriptions, and
                                                                                            the Service's
                                                                                            Letters of
                                                                                            Authorization for
                                                                                            Designated Agents
                                                                                            of the Service..
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Public Availability of Comments

    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. 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.

Contents of Public Comments

    Please make your 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.

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.

Authority

    Section 10(c) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)

Michael Thabault,
Assistant Regional Director, Mountain-Prairie Region.
[FR Doc. 2017-26200 Filed 12-5-17; 8:45 am]
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