[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 240 (Friday, December 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59642-59643]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27045]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R3-ES-2017-N155; FXES11130300000-178-FF03E00000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permit 
Applications

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to 
comment on the following applications for a permit to conduct 
activities intended to enhance the survival of endangered or threatened 
species. Federal law prohibits certain activities with endangered 
species unless a permit is obtained.

DATES: We must receive any written comments on or before January 16, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments by U.S. mail to the Regional Director, 
Attn: Carlita Payne, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological 
Services, 5600 American Blvd. West, Suite 990, Bloomington, MN 55437-
1458; or by electronic mail to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carlita Payne, (612) 713-5343.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
invite the public to comment on the following applications for a permit 
to conduct activities intended to enhance the survival of endangered or 
threatened species. Federal law prohibits certain activities with 
endangered species unless a permit is obtained.

Background

    The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.; ESA), prohibits certain activities with endangered and threatened 
species unless the activities are specifically 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 permit granted by us under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA 
authorizes the permittee to conduct activities with U.S. endangered or 
threatened species for scientific purposes, enhancement of propagation 
or survival, or interstate commerce (the latter only in the event that 
it facilitates scientific purposes or enhancement of propagation or 
survival). Our regulations implementing section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA 
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.

Applications Available for Review and Comment

    We invite local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies and the public 
to comment on the following applications. Please refer to the permit 
number when you submit comments. Documents and other information the 
applicants have submitted with the applications are available for 
review, subject to the requirements of the Privacy Act

[[Page 59643]]

(5 U.S.C. 552a) and Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).

Permit Applications

    Proposed activities in the following permit requests are for the 
recovery and enhancement of survival of the species in the wild.

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    Application No.           Applicant               Species                Location              Activity            Type of take       Permit action
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TE207180..............  Ohio Department of     Karner blue butterfly  Ohio.................  Capture,              Capture, handle,      Amend.
                         Natural Resources,     (Lycaeides melissa                            propagation,          hold, release.
                         Columbus, OH.          samuelis).                                    monitoring.
TE53616C..............  Illinois Natural       Rusty patched bumble   Illinois.............  Conduct presence/     Capture, handle.....  New.
                         History Survey,        bee (Bombus affinis).                         absence surveys.
                         Champaign, IL.
TE41689C..............  Leif Richardson,       Rusty patched bumble   Illinois, Indiana,     Conduct presence/     Capture, handle,      New.
                         Montpelier, VT.        bee (Bombus affinis).  Iowa, Maine,           absence surveys.      release.
                                                                       Maryland,
                                                                       Massachusetts,
                                                                       Minnesota, New
                                                                       Jersey, North
                                                                       Carolina, Ohio,
                                                                       Pennsylvania,
                                                                       Tennessee, Vermont,
                                                                       Virginia, West
                                                                       Virginia, Wisconsin.
TE54397C..............  Keifer Titus, Muncie,  Indiana bat (Myotis    Indiana..............  Conduct presence/     Capture, handle,      New.
                         IN.                    sodalis), northern                            absence surveys and   mist-net, radio-
                                                long-eared bat (M.                            winter hibernacula    tag, band, wing
                                                septentrionalis).                             surveys, document     biopsy, collect
                                                                                              habitat use,          hair and fungal
                                                                                              conduct population    lift tape samples,
                                                                                              monitoring,           swab, enter
                                                                                              evaluate impacts.     hibernacula,
                                                                                                                    release, salvage.
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Public Availability of Comments

    We seek public review and comments on these permit applications. 
Please refer to the permit number when you submit comments. Comments 
and materials we receive in response to this notice are available for 
public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the 
address listed in ADDRESSES.
    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.

Authority

    We provide this notice under section 10 of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 
et seq.).

    Dated: November 13, 2017.
Lori H. Nordstrom,
Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2017-27045 Filed 12-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P