[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 56 (Thursday, March 22, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12586-12588]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-05829]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R3-ES-2017-N173; FXES11130300000-189-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 applications for permits to conduct activities intended to 
enhance the propagation or 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 April 23, 
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].
    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): Regional Director, Attn: Carlita

[[Page 12587]]

Payne, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, 5600 
American Blvd. West, Suite 990, Bloomington, MN 55437-1458.
    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., TEXXXXXX).
     Email: [email protected]. Please indicate the respective 
permit number (e.g., Application No. TEXXXXXX) in the subject line of 
your email message.
     U.S. Mail: Regional Director, Attn: Carlita Payne, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, 5600 American Blvd. 
West, Suite 990, Bloomington, MN 55437-1458.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carlita Payne, 612-713-5343; 
[email protected].

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 propagation or 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 (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 propagation or 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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TE38087B...........  Jessica Hickey-        Add gray bat (Myotis   Add new locations--    Conduct presence/     Add new activity--    Amend, renew.
                      Miller,                grisescens) to         AL, AR, CT, DE, FL,    absence surveys,      band--to existing
                      Independence, Ohio.    existing permitted     GA, IA, KS, LA, MA,    document habitat      authorized
                                             species: Indiana bat   MD, ME, MS, MN, MT,    use, conduct          activities:
                                             (M. sodalis),          NE, NH, NJ, ND, RI,    population            Capture, handle,
                                             northern long-eared    SC, SD, VT, WI, WY--   monitoring,           mist-net, radio-
                                             bat (M.                to existing            evaluate impacts.     tag, release.
                                             septentrionalis).      authorized
                                                                    locations: IL, IN,
                                                                    KY, MI, MO, NY, NC,
                                                                    OH, OK, PA, TN, VA,
                                                                    WV.
TE234121...........  Western EcoSystems     Indiana bat (Myotis    AL, AR, CT, DE, FL,    Conduct presence/     Capture, handle,      Renew.
                      Technology, Inc.,      sodalis), gray bat     GA, IL, IN, IA, KS,    absence surveys,      mist-net, harp
                      Cheyenne, Wyoming.     (M. grisescens),       KY, LA, MA, MD, ME,    document habitat      trap, radio-tag,
                                             northern long-eared    MI, MS, MN, MO, MT,    use, conduct          band, release,
                                             bat (M.                NE, NH, NJ, NY, NC,    population            salvage.
                                             septentrionalis),      ND, OH, OK, PA, RI,    monitoring,
                                             Ozark big-eared bat    SC, SD, TN, VT, VA,    evaluate impacts.
                                             (Corynorhinus          WV, WI, WY.
                                             towsendii ingens),
                                             Virginia big-eared
                                             bat (C.t.
                                             virginianus).
TE64984C...........  Brian Cooper,          Indiana bat (Myotis    IL, MD, MI, NJ, NY,    Conduct presence/     Capture, handle,      New.
                      Philadelphia, PA.      sodalis), gray bat     OH, PA, VA, WV.        absence surveys,      mist-net, harp
                                             (M. grisescens),                              document habitat      trap, radio-tag,
                                             northern long-eared                           use, conduct          band, enter
                                             bat (M.                                       population            hibernacula,
                                             septentrionalis),                             monitoring,           release.
                                             Virginia big-eared                            evaluate impacts.
                                             bat (Corynorhinus
                                             towsendii
                                             virginianus).
TE15664C...........  April McKay,           Add gray bat (Myotis   AL, AR, CT, DE, DC,    Conduct presence/     Add new activities--  Amend.
                      Springville, IN.       grisescens), Ozark     FL, GA, IL, IN, IA,    absence surveys,      wing biopsy,
                                             big-eared bat          KS, KY, LA, MA, MD,    document habitat      collect tissue and
                                             (Corynorhinus          ME, MI, MS, MN, MO,    use, conduct          hair samples,
                                             towsendii ingens),     MT, NE, NH, NJ, NY,    population            salvage--to
                                             Virginia big-eared     NC, ND, OH, OK, PA,    monitoring,           existing authorized
                                             bat (C.t.              RI, SC, SD, TN, VT,    evaluate impacts.     activities:
                                             virginianus) to        VA, WV, WI, WY.                              Capture, handle,
                                             existing permitted                                                  mist-net, radio-
                                             species: Indiana bat                                                tag, band, release.
                                             (M. sodalis),
                                             northern long-eared
                                             bat (M.
                                             septentrionalis).

[[Page 12588]]

 
TE64986C...........  Jeffrey Gordon,        Clubshell (Pleurobema  OH...................  Conduct presence/     Capture, handle,      New.
                      Westerville, OH.       clava), fanshell                              absence surveys,      release, relocate,
                                             (Cyprogenia                                   document habitat      salvage.
                                             stegaria), northern                           use, conduct
                                             riffleshell                                   population
                                             (Epioblasma torulosa                          monitoring,
                                             rangiana), purple                             evaluate impacts.
                                             cat's paw
                                             pearlymussel (E.
                                             obliquata
                                             obliquata), snuffbox
                                             mussel (E.
                                             triquetra), white
                                             catspaw
                                             (pearlymussel) (E.
                                             obliquata
                                             perobliqua), pink
                                             mucket
                                             (pearlymussel)
                                             (Lampsilis abrupta),
                                             rabbitsfoot
                                             (Quadrula cylindrica
                                             cylindrica), rayed
                                             bean (Villosa
                                             fabalis), sheepnose
                                             mussel (Plethobasus
                                             cyphyus).
TE64987C...........  Brooke Daly, San       Indiana bat (Myotis    MO...................  Conduct presence/     Capture, handle,      New.
                      Diego, CA.             sodalis), gray bat                            absence surveys,      mist-net, harp
                                             (M. grisescens),                              document habitat      trap, radio-tag,
                                             northern long-eared                           use, conduct          band, wing biopsy,
                                             bat (M.                                       population            collect tissue and
                                             septentrionalis).                             monitoring,           swab samples,
                                                                                           evaluate impacts.     release.
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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.

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

    Dated: January 9, 2018.
Lori H. Nordstrom,
Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2018-05829 Filed 3-21-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P