[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 46 (Thursday, March 8, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9865-9866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04655]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R2-ES-2017-N163; FXES11130200000-178-FF02ENEH00]


U.S. Endangered Species; 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 the following applications for a permit to conduct 
activities intended to recover and enhance endangered species survival. 
With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 
(ESA), prohibits certain activities that may impact endangered species 
unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The ESA also requires 
that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

DATES: To ensure consideration, please send your written comments by 
April 9, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Request documents or submit comments to Susan Jacobsen, 
Chief, Classification and Restoration Division, by U.S. mail at 
Classification and Recovery Division, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM 87103. Please specify the permit you are 
interested in by number (e.g., Permit No. TE-123456).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Jacobsen, Chief, Classification 
and Restoration Division, by U.S. mail at P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, 
NM 87103; or by telephone at 505-248-6641.

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 recover and enhance endangered 
species survival. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; ESA), prohibits certain 
activities that may impact 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 a Federal permit authorizes them. The ESA and our 
implementing regulations in Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) title 50, 
part 17, provide for issuing such permits and require that we invite 
public comment before issuing permits for activities involving 
endangered species.
    A recovery permit we issue under the ESA, section 10(a)(1)(A), 
authorizes the permittee to conduct activities with endangered or 
threatened species for scientific purposes that promote recovery or 
enhance the species' propagation or survival. 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.
    In accordance with the ESA, section 10(c), we invite public comment 
on these permit applications before we take final action.

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 for the application when submitting comments.
    Documents and other information submitted with these applications 
are available for review by any party who submits a written request to 
the Program Manager for Restoration and Endangered Species 
Classification at the address in the ADDRESSES section. Requests must 
be submitted within 30 days of this notice's publication date. 
Releasing documents is subject to Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and 
Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) requirements.

Permit Applications

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

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     Application No.             Applicant              Species              Location              Activity            Type of take       Permit action
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TE-58221C................  Jorge A. DaSilva,     Manihot walkerae      Texas...............  Collection of seed    Harm...............  New.
                            Weslaco, Texas.       (Walker's manioc).                          and propagation.
TE-55633C................  Jacob D. Owen,        Golden-cheeked        Texas...............  Presence/absence      Harm and Harass....  New.
                            Austin, Texas.        warbler (Setophaga                          surveys; nest
                                                  chrysoparia), Black-                        monitoring; bird
                                                  capped vireo (Vireo                         banding.
                                                  atricapilla),
                                                  Georgetown
                                                  salamander (Eurycea
                                                  naufragia),
                                                  Jollyville Plateau
                                                  salamander (Eurycea
                                                  tonkawae), Salado
                                                  salamander (Eurycea
                                                  chisholmensis), San
                                                  Marcos salamander
                                                  (Eurycea nana),
                                                  Texas blind
                                                  salamander
                                                  (Typhlomolge
                                                  rathbuni), Barton
                                                  Springs salamander
                                                  (Eurycea sosorum),
                                                  and Austin blind
                                                  salamander (Eurycea
                                                  waterlooensis).
TE-099278................  Fred Phillips         Huachuca water umbel  Arizona, New Mexico.  Presence/absence      Harm...............  Amend.
                            Consulting,           (Lilaeopsis                                 surveys.
                            Flagstaff, Arizona.   schaffneriana var.
                                                  recurva).

[[Page 9866]]

 
TE-33177C................  Newgord, Gary,        Golden-cheeked        Texas, Oklahoma.....  Presence/absence      Harm...............  New.
                            Austin, Texas.        warbler (Setophaga                          surveys.
                                                  chrysoparia), Black-
                                                  capped vireo (Vireo
                                                  atricapilla),
                                                  Houston toad (Bufo
                                                  houstonensis),
                                                  Interior least tern
                                                  (Sterna
                                                  antillarum),
                                                  Northern aplomado
                                                  falcon (Falco
                                                  femoralis
                                                  septentrionalis),
                                                  and Red-cockaded
                                                  woodpecker
                                                  (Picoides borealis).
TE-009926................  Gulf South Research   Reticulated           Florida.............  Presence/absence      Capture and harass;  Amend.
                            Corporation, Baton    flatwoods                                   surveys.              harm.
                            Rouge, Louisiana.     salamander
                                                  (Ambystoma bishopi).
TE-799103................  Hicks and Company,    Houston toad (Bufo    Texas...............  Live capture and      Capture and harass;  Amend.
                            Austin, Texas.        houstonensis).                              handling.             harm.
TE-037155................  Bio-West, Inc.,       Sharpnose shiner      Texas...............  Presence/absence      Capture and harass;  Amend.
                            Round Rock, Texas.    (Notropis                                   surveys.              harm.
                                                  oxyrhynchus),
                                                  smalleye shiner
                                                  (Notropis buccula).
TE-59231C................  Laurel L. Moulton,    Golden-cheeked        Texas...............  DNA; blood sampling.  Capture, harm, and   New.
                            Austin, Texas.        warbler (Setophaga                                                harass.
                                                  chrysoparia).
TE-63022C................  Nancy Karraker,       Jemez Mountains       New Mexico..........  Presence/absence      Capture, harm, and   New.
                            Kingston, Rhode       salamander                                  surveys.              harass.
                            Island.               (Plethodon
                                                  neomexicanus).
TE-48900C................  Keith Geluso,         Lesser long-nosed     Arizona.............  Presence/absence      Capture, harm, and   New.
                            Kearney, Nebraska.    bat (Leptonycteris                          surveys.              harass.
                                                  curasoae
                                                  yerbabuenae),
                                                  Mexican long-nosed
                                                  bat (Leptonycteris
                                                  nivalis), northern
                                                  Mexican gartersnake
                                                  (Thamnophis eques
                                                  megalops), narrow-
                                                  headed gartersnake
                                                  (Thamnophis
                                                  rufipunctatus).
TE-87818B................  Melanie L. Gregory,.  Indiana bat (Myotis   Alabama, Arkansas,    Presence/absence      Capture, harm, and   Amend.
                           Austin, Texas.......   sodalis), gray bat    Connecticut,          surveys.              harass.
                                                  (Myotis grisescens).  Florida, Georgia,
                                                                        Illinois, Indiana,
                                                                        Iowa, Kansas,
                                                                        Kentucky, Maryland,
                                                                        Massachusetts,
                                                                        Michigan,
                                                                        Mississippi,
                                                                        Missouri, New
                                                                        Jersey, New York,
                                                                        North Carolina,
                                                                        Ohio, Oklahoma,
                                                                        Pennsylvania,
                                                                        Tennessee, Vermont,
                                                                        Virginia, and West
                                                                        Virginia.
TE-037155................  Bio-West, Inc. Round  Smalleye shiner,      Texas...............  Presence/absence      Capture, harm, and   Amend.
                            Rock, Texas.          sharpnose shiner.                           surveys.              harass.
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Public Availability of Comments

    All comments and materials we receive in response to these requests 
will be 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 30, 2017.
Amy Lueders,
Regional Director, Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-04655 Filed 3-7-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P