[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 11, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15597-15598]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-07446]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R6-ES-2017-N171; FXES11130600000-178-FF06E00000]


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

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

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

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to 
comment on an application for a permit to conduct activities intended 
to enhance the propagation or survival of an endangered species. With 
some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits 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: We must receive your written comments by May 11, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Document availability: The application, as well as any 
comments and other materials that we receive, will be available for 
public inspection in hard copy for viewing by appointment between 8 
a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays, at 
Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 134 Union Blvd., 
Suite 645, Lakewood, CO 80228; telephone 303-236-4224.
    Submitting comments: You may submit comments by one of the 
following methods. Please specify the applicant's name and the 
application number (TE59243C-0).
     Email: [email protected]. Please refer to the permit 
number (Application No. TE59243C-0) 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.
     Hand-delivery, Pickup, or Viewing: Call 303-236-4224 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, 303-236-4224 (phone); 
[email protected] (email).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
invite the public to comment on an application for a permit to conduct 
activities intended to promote recovery of a species that is listed as 
endangered under the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq,; 
ESA). 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.

Background

    The ESA prohibits certain activities with endangered and threatened 
species unless authorized by a Federal permit. A recovery permit issued 
by us under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA authorizes the permittee to 
conduct activities with endangered 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 Application Available for Review and Comment

    We invite local, State, and Federal agencies, Tribes, and the 
public to comment on the following application:

Permit Application Number TE59243C-0

    Applicant: Revive and Restore, Sausalito, CA.
    The applicant requests a permit to conduct ``Phase 1'' of a multi-
phase process to generate disease-resistant black-footed ferrets 
(Mustela nigripes). This phase would involve research in laboratories 
located in North Rose, NY, and San Diego, CA. The studies aim to 
develop, test, and optimize model cisgenic and novel disease-resistance 
pathways in the black-footed ferret, both in vitro and in vivo, 
leveraging domestic ferret resources for comparative genomics, 
comparative proteomics, and interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer 
(iSCNT) reproductive techniques for the purpose of enhancing the 
species' survival.
    Integration of genetically modified black-footed ferrets into wild 
populations would require careful execution and constitutes ``Phase 2'' 
of the long-term program.

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.

[[Page 15598]]

Contents of Public Comments

    Please make your comments as specific as possible and explain the 
basis for your comments. Include sufficient information 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 we decide to issue a permit to the applicant listed in this 
notice, we will publish a notice in the Federal Register.

    Authority:  We publish this notice under 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. 2018-07446 Filed 4-10-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P