[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 247 (Thursday, December 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70990-70992]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-27727]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R5-ES-2019-N168; FXES11130500000-201-FF05E00000]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Receipt of 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, have received 
applications for permits to conduct activities intended to enhance the 
propagation or survival of endangered or threatened species under the 
Endangered Species Act. We invite the public and local, State, Tribal, 
and Federal agencies to comment on these applications. Before issuing 
any of the requested permits, we will take into consideration any 
information that we receive during the public comment period.

DATES: We must receive your written comments on or before January 27, 
2020.

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following methods to request documents or 
submit comments. Requests and comments should specify the applicant 
name(s) and application number(s) (e.g., TE123456):
     Email: [email protected].
     U.S. Mail: Abby Gelb, Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate Center Dr., Hadley, MA 01035.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Abby Gelb, 413-253-8212 (phone), or 
[email protected] (email). Individuals who are hearing or speech 
impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY 
assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
invite the public to comment on applications for permits under section 
10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The requested permits would allow the applicants 
to conduct activities intended to promote recovery of species

[[Page 70991]]

that are listed as endangered or threatened under the ESA.

Background

    With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits activities that constitute 
take of listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that allows 
such activity. The ESA's definition of ``take'' includes such 
activities as pursuing, harassing, trapping, capturing, or collecting 
in addition to hunting, shooting, harming, wounding, or killing.
    A recovery permit issued by us under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA 
authorizes the permittee to conduct activities with endangered or 
threatened 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 Applications Available for Review and Comment

    We invite local, State, and Federal agencies; Tribes; and the 
public to comment on the following applications.

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     Application No.           Applicant             Species                  Location                Activity          Type of take      Permit  action
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TE60415D................  Mass Audubon         Kemp's ridley sea    Massachusetts..............  Stranding           Salvage, Capture,   New.
                           Wellfleet Bay        turtle                                            Response, Triage    Collect..
                           Wildlife             (Lepidochelys                                     Rehabilitation,
                           Sanctuary, South     kempii);                                          Transport,
                           Wellfleet, MA.       Leatherback sea                                   Necropsy.
                                                turtle
                                                (Dermochelys
                                                coriacea);
                                                Loggerhead sea
                                                turtle (Caretta
                                                caretta); Green
                                                sea turtle
                                                (Chelonia mydas).
TE60419D................  MERR Institute,      Kemp's ridley sea    Delaware...................  Stranding           Salvage, Capture,   New.
                           Lewes, DE.           turtle                                            Response,           Collect.
                                                (Lepidochelys                                     Transport,
                                                kempii);                                          Necropsy.
                                                Leatherback sea
                                                turtle
                                                (Dermochelys
                                                coriacea);
                                                Loggerhead sea
                                                turtle (Caretta
                                                caretta); Green
                                                sea turtle
                                                (Chelonia mydas).
TE60418D................  Marine Mammal        Kemp's ridley sea    New Jersey.................  Stranding           Salvage, Capture,   New.
                           Stranding Center,    turtle                                            Response,           Collect,
                           Brigantine, NJ.      (Lepidochelys                                     Rehabilitation,     Euthanize.
                                                kempii);                                          Transport,
                                                Leatherback sea                                   Necropsy, Release.
                                                turtle
                                                (Dermochelys
                                                coriacea);
                                                Loggerhead sea
                                                turtle (Caretta
                                                caretta); Green
                                                sea turtle
                                                (Chelonia mydas).
TE60434D................  Sea Turtle           Kemp's ridley sea    New Jersey.................  Rehabilitation,     Collect, Euthanize  New.
                           Recovery, Inc.,      turtle                                            Transport,
                           West Orange, NJ.     (Lepidochelys                                     Necropsy, Release.
                                                kempii);
                                                Leatherback sea
                                                turtle
                                                (Dermochelys
                                                coriacea);
                                                Loggerhead sea
                                                turtle (Caretta
                                                caretta); Green
                                                sea turtle
                                                (Chelonia mydas);
                                                Hawksbill sea
                                                turtle
                                                (Eretmochelys
                                                imbricata).
TE60921D................  Pittsburgh Zoo &     Kemp's ridley sea    Pennsylvania...............  Rehabilitation,     Collect, Euthanize  New.
                           PPG Aquarium,        turtle                                            Transport,
                           Pittsburgh, PA.      (Lepidochelys                                     Necropsy, Release.
                                                kempii);
                                                Leatherback sea
                                                turtle
                                                (Dermochelys
                                                coriacea);
                                                Loggerhead sea
                                                turtle (Caretta
                                                caretta); Green
                                                sea turtle
                                                (Chelonia mydas);
                                                Hawksbill sea
                                                turtle
                                                (Eretmochelys
                                                imbricata).
TE60928D................  National Marine      Kemp's ridley sea    Massachusetts..............  Rehabilitation,     Collect, Euthanize  New.
                           Life Center,         turtle                                            Transport,
                           Buzzards Bay, MA.    (Lepidochelys                                     Necropsy, Release.
                                                kempii);
                                                Loggerhead sea
                                                turtle (Caretta
                                                caretta); Green
                                                sea turtle
                                                (Chelonia mydas).
TE60406D................  Atlantic Marine      Kemp's ridley sea    New York...................  Stranding           Salvage, Capture,   New.
                           Conservation         turtle                                            Response, Triage    Wound, Collect.
                           Society, Hampton     (Lepidochelys                                     Rehabilitation,
                           Bays, NY.            kempii);                                          Transport,
                                                Leatherback sea                                   Satellite Tagging.
                                                turtle
                                                (Dermochelys
                                                coriacea);
                                                Loggerhead sea
                                                turtle (Caretta
                                                caretta); Green
                                                sea turtle
                                                (Chelonia mydas).
TE60422D................  Sea Research         Kemp's ridley sea    Connecticut................  Stranding           Salvage, Capture,   New.
                           Foundation, Inc,     turtle                                            Response,           Collect,
                           dba Mystic           (Lepidochelys                                     Rehabilitation,     Euthanize.
                           Aquarium, Mystic,    kempii);                                          Transport,
                           CT.                  Leatherback sea                                   Necropsy, Release.
                                                turtle
                                                (Dermochelys
                                                coriacea);
                                                Loggerhead sea
                                                turtle (Caretta
                                                caretta); Green
                                                sea turtle
                                                (Chelonia mydas);
                                                Hawksbill sea
                                                turtle
                                                (Eretmochelys
                                                imbricata).
TE61005D................  Mark J. Hepner,      Rusty patched        West Virginia..............  Presence/absence    Capture, Collect..  New.
                           Buckhannon, WV.      bumble bee (Bombus                                survey, Research.
                                                affinis).
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[[Page 70992]]

Public Availability of Comments

    Written comments we receive become part of the administrative 
record associated with this action. 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 request in your comment that we 
withhold your personal identifying information from public review, 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.

Next Steps

    If we decide to issue permits to any of the applicants listed in 
this notice, we will publish a notice in the Federal Register.

Authority

    Section 10(c) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Martin Miller,
Chief, Division of Endangered Species, Ecological Services, Northeast 
Region.
[FR Doc. 2019-27727 Filed 12-23-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P