[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 223 (Monday, November 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58275-58277]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-25120]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2018-0052; FXIA16710900000-178-FF09A30000]
Foreign Endangered Species; Marine Mammals; Receipt of Permit
Applications
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of permit applications.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), invite the
public to comment on applications to conduct certain activities with
foreign species that are listed as endangered under the Endangered
Species Act (ESA) and foreign or native species for which the Service
has jurisdiction under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With
some exceptions, the ESA and the MMPA prohibit activities with listed
species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such
activities. The ESA and MMPA also require that we invite public comment
before issuing permits for endangered species or marine mammals.
DATES: We must receive comments by December 19, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: The applications, application
supporting materials, and any comments and other materials that we
receive will be available for public inspection at http://
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www.regulations.gov in Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2018-0052.
Submitting Comments: When submitting comments, please specify the
name of the applicant and the permit number at the beginning of your
comment. You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
Internet: http://www.regulations.gov. Search for and
submit comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2018-0052.
U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing,
Attn: Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2018-0052; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Headquarters, MS: BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041-
3803.
For more information, see Public Comment Procedures under
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brenda Tapia, by phone at 703-358-
2104, via email at [email protected], or via the Federal Relay Service at
800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Public Comment Procedures
A. How do I comment on submitted applications?
You may submit your comments and materials by one of the methods in
ADDRESSES. We will not consider comments sent by email or fax, or to an
address not in ADDRESSES. We will not consider or include in our
administrative record comments we receive after the close of the
comment period (see DATES).
When submitting comments, please specify the name of the applicant
and the permit number at the beginning of your comment. Provide
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.
B. May I review comments submitted by others?
You may view and comment on others' public comments on http://www.regulations.gov, unless our allowing so would violate the Privacy
Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) or Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).
C. Who will see my comments?
If you submit a comment at http://www.regulations.gov, your entire
comment, including any personal identifying information, will be posted
on the website. If you submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal
identifying information, such as your address, phone number, or email
address, 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. Moreover, all submissions from organizations
or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be
made available for public disclosure in their entirety.
II. Background
To help us carry out our conservation responsibilities for affected
species, and in consideration of section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and
section 104(c) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended
(MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), we invite public comments on permit
applications before final action is taken. With some exceptions, the
ESA prohibits/ESA and MMPA prohibit/MMPA prohibits activities with
listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such
activities. Permits issued under section 10 of the ESA allow activities
for scientific purposes or to enhance the propagation or survival of
the affected species. Regulations regarding permit issuance under the
ESA are in title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations in part 17. ESA
permits cover a wide range of activities pertaining to foreign listed
species, including import, export, and activities in the United States.
Concurrent with publishing this notice in the Federal Register, we are
forwarding copies of the marine mammal applications to the Marine
Mammal Commission and the Committee of Scientific Advisors for their
review.
III. Permit Applications
We invite comments on the following applications.
A. Endangered Species
Applicant: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, Omaha, NE; Permit No.
78380C
The applicant requests a permit to import one live captive-bred
male Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) Zoo de Granby, Granby,
Quebec, Canada for the purpose of enhancing the propagation or survival
of the species. This notification is for a single import.
Applicant: U.S. Geological Survey, Missoula, MT; Permit No. 80989C
The applicant requests authorization to import skin and mouth swabs
from wild Sonora tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi),
taken in Sonora, Mexico, for the purpose of scientific research. This
notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a
5-year period.
Applicant: University of Texas at Arlington, Amphibian and Reptile
Diversity Research Center, Arlington, TX, Permit No. 93328C
The applicant requests authorization to export and reimport
nonliving museum specimens of endangered and threatened species
previously accessioned into the applicant's collection for scientific
research. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the
applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: University of Utah dba Natural History Museum of Utah, Salt
Lake City, UT; Permit No. 166772
The applicant requests authorization to export and reimport
nonliving museum specimens of endangered and threatened species
previously accessioned into the applicant's collection for scientific
research. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the
applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Oregon Wildlife Foundation, Douglas, AZ; Permit No. 60203C
The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under
50 CFR 17.21(g) for slender-horned gazelle (Gazella leptoceros) to
enhance the propagation or survival of the species. This notification
covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year
period.
Applicant: Maria de Lourdes Martinez Estevez, University of California
Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA; Permit No. 77865C
The applicant requests a permit to import 189 skin and shell
samples derived from the hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata)
from Grupo Tortuguero de las Californias A.C., La Paz, Baja California
Sur, Mexico, for scientific research purposes. This notification is for
a single import.
Applicant: Arthur Bogan, NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC;
Permit No. 86122C
The applicant requests authorization to export biological samples
from captive bred Louisiana pearlshell mussels (Margaritifera hembeli)
and Alabama pearlshell mussels (Margaritifera marrianae) for the
[[Page 58277]]
purpose of scientific research. This notification covers activities to
be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange, NJ; Permit No. 75693A
The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under
50 CFR 17.21(g) for the following species: Komodo monitor (Varanus
komodoensis), African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), Andean condor
(Vultur gryphus), white-naped crane (Grus vipio), white-cheeked gibbon
(Nomascus leucogenys), maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), snow leopard
(Uncia uncia), spotted leopard (Panthera pardus), and African lion
(Panthera leo), to enhance the propagation or survival of the species.
This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant
over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Great Plains Zoo, Sioux Falls, SD; Permit No. 84932C
The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under
50 CFR 17.21(g) for the following species: Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur
catta), Siamang gibbon (Symphalangus syndactylus), Siberian tiger
(Panthera tigris altaica), snow leopard (uncia uncia), African lion
(Panthera leo), black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), African wild dog
(Lycaon pictus), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), Komodo monitor (Varanus
komodoensis), Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra), Panamanian golden
frog (Atelopus varius zeteki), and Chinese alligator (Alligator
sinensis), to enhance the propagation or survival of the species. This
notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a
5-year period.
Applicant: Surprise Spring Foundation, Prescott, AZ; Permit No. 93748A
The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under
50 CFR 17.21(g) for the following species: radiated tortoise
(Astrochelys radiata), yellow-spot river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis),
Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra), and spotted pond turtle
(Geoclemys hamiltonii) to enhance the propagation or survival of the
species. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the
applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Michael Burroughs, Las Vegas, NV; Permit No. 94167A
The applicant requests renewal of a captive-bred wildlife
registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for radiated tortoise (Astrochelys
radiata) to enhance the propagation or survival of the species. This
notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a
5-year period.
Applicant: Kevin Loewengruber, Southgate, MI; Permit No. 84345C
The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under
50 CFR 17.21(g) for radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata) to enhance
the propagation or survival of the species. This notification covers
activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: H. Yturria Land and Cattle Co., Brownsville, TX; Permit No.
86124C
The applicant requests a permit authorizing the culling of excess
red lechwe (Kobus leche) from the captive herd maintained at their
facility, to enhance the species' propagation and survival. This
notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a
5-year period.
Multiple Applicants
The following applicants request permits to import sport-hunted
trophies of male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled from a
captive herd maintained under the management program of the Republic of
South Africa, for the purpose of enhancing the propagation or survival
of the species.
Applicant: Richard Prager, Greenwich, CT; Permit No. 93301C
Applicant: Roger Bennett, Ardmore, TN; Permit No. 93048C
Applicant: Ronald Williams, Midland, TX; Permit No. 87946C
Applicant: Aaron Kik, Lowell, MI; Permit No. 87966C
Applicant: John Lortscher, Moneta, VA; Permit No. 90004C
Applicant: Mike Cunningham, Georgetown, TX; Permit No. 86992C
B. Endangered Marine Mammals and Marine Mammals
Applicant: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK; Permit No.
82088B
The applicant requests authorization to renew and amend their
permit to conduct research activities on polar bears (Ursus maritimus)
and export and import biological samples for the purpose of scientific
research. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the
applicant over a 5-year period.
IV. Next Steps
If we issue permits to any of the applicants listed in this notice,
we will publish a notice in the Federal Register. You may locate the
notice announcing the permit issuance by searching http://www.regulations.gov for the permit number listed above in this
document. For example, to find information about the potential issuance
of Permit No. 12345A, you would go to regulations.gov and search for
``12345A''.
V. Authority
We issue this notice under the authority of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and its implementing
regulations, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended
(16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and its implementing regulations.
Brenda Tapia,
Program Analyst/Data Administrator, Branch of Permits, Division of
Management Authority.
[FR Doc. 2018-25120 Filed 11-16-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P