[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 110 (Monday, June 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35105-35106]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12321]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R3-ES-2020-N082; FXES11130300000-201-FF03E00000]


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 July 8, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Document availability and comment submission: Submit 
requests for copies of the applications and related documents, as well 
as any comments, by one of the following methods. All requests and 
comments should specify the applicant name(s) and application number(s) 
(e.g., TEXXXXXX; see table in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION):
     Email: [email protected]. Please refer to the respective 
application number (e.g., Application No. TEXXXXXX) in the subject line 
of your email message.
     U.S. Mail: Regional Director, Attn: Nathan Rathbun, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, 5600 American Blvd. 
West, Suite 990, Bloomington, MN 55437-1458.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nathan Rathbun, 612-713-5343 (phone); 
[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:

Background

    The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 
et seq.), prohibits certain activities with endangered and threatened 
species unless 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 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 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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TE73584A...............  Illinois Natural      Add Neosho madtom     Add new locations--   Conduct presence/     Capture, handle,      Amend.
                          History Survey,       (Noturus placidus)    KS, MO, OK--to        absence surveys,      temporary hold, DNA
                          Champaign, IL.        to existing           existing authorized   document habitat      sample, fin clip,
                                                permitted species:    location IL.          use, conduct          release, kill,
                                                15 freshwater                               population            salvage.
                                                mussel species.                             monitoring,
                                                                                            evaluate impacts.
TE76362D...............  Minnesota Zoological  Higgins' eye          IL, IA, MN, WI......  Conduct presence/     Collect, handle,      New.
                          Garden, Apple         (pearlymussel)                              absence surveys,      transport, mark,
                          Valley, MN.           (Lampsilis                                  document habitat      temporary hold,
                                                higginsii),                                 use, conduct          collect tissue and
                                                sheepnose mussel                            population            buccal swab
                                                (Plethobasus                                monitoring,           samples, captive
                                                cyphyus), snuffbox                          evaluate impacts,     propagate,
                                                mussel (Epioblasma                          conduct rearing       headstart
                                                triquetra),                                 methods research.     juveniles, release,
                                                spectaclecase                                                     augment,
                                                (mussel)                                                          reintroduce.
                                                (Cumberlandia
                                                monodonta), winged
                                                mapleleaf (Quadrula
                                                fragosa).
TE31055B...............  Kory Armstrong,.....  Gray bat (Myotis      AL, AR, CT, DE, DC,   Conduct presence/     Capture, handle,      Renew.
                         Atlanta, GA.........   grisescens),          GA, IL, IN, IA, KS,   absence surveys,      mist-net, harp
                                                Indiana bat (M.       KY, LA, ME, MD, MA,   document habitat      trap, band, radio-
                                                sodalis), northern    MI, MN, MS, MO, MT,   use, conduct          tag, release.
                                                long-eared bat (M.    NE, NH, NJ, NY, NC,   population
                                                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).
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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

[[Page 35106]]

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

    We publish this notice under section 10(c) of the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Lori Nordstrom,
Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services.
[FR Doc. 2020-12321 Filed 6-5-20; 8:45 am]
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