[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 4, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60196-60197]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21438]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R2-ES-2022-N052 FXES11130200000-223-FF02ENEH00]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 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, invite the public to 
comment on the following applications for a permit to conduct 
activities intended to recover and enhance endangered species survival. 
With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits 
certain activities that may impact endangered species unless a Federal 
permit allows such activity. The ESA also requires that we invite 
public comment before issuing these permits.

DATES: To ensure consideration, please submit your written comments by 
November 3, 2022.

ADDRESSES: 
    Document availability: Request documents by phone or email: Marty 
Tuegel 505-248-6651, [email protected].
    Comment submission: Submit comments by email to 
[email protected]. Please specify the permit application you are 
interested in by number (e.g., Permit Record No. PER1234567).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marty Tuegel, Supervisor, 
Environmental Review Division, 505-248-6651. Individuals in the United 
States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech 
disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access 
telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United 
States should use the relay services offered within their country to 
make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 
amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), 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 
hunting, shooting, harming, wounding, or killing, and also such 
activities as pursuing, harassing, trapping, capturing, or collecting.
    The ESA and our implementing regulations in the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) at title 50, part 17, provide for issuing such 
permits and require that we invite public comment before issuing 
permits for activities involving listed species.
    A recovery permit we issue under the ESA, section 10(a)(1)(A), 
authorizes the permittee to conduct activities with endangered or 
threatened species for scientific purposes that promote recovery or 
enhance the species' propagation or survival. These activities often 
include such prohibited actions as capture and collection. 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

    Documents and other information submitted with these applications 
are available for review by any party who submits a request as 
specified in ADDRESSES. Our release of documents is subject to Privacy 
Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) 
requirements.
    Proposed activities in the following permit requests are for the 
recovery and enhancement of propagation or survival of the species in 
the wild. We invite local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies and the 
public to submit written data, views, or arguments with respect to 
these applications. The comments and recommendations that will be most 
useful and likely to influence agency decisions are those supported by 
quantitative information or studies. Please refer to the permit record 
number when submitting comments.

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   Permit record No.        Applicant              Species                 Location               Activity             Type of take        Permit action
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PER0047822............  Snipes, Katie;     Golden-cheeked warbler  Texas...................  Presence/absence   Harass, harm.............  New.
                         Austin, Texas.     (Setophaga                                        surveys, habitat
                                            chrysoparia),                                     assessment, nest
                                            whooping crane (Grus                              monitoring.
                                            americana), Houston
                                            toad (Bufo
                                            houstonensis), red-
                                            cockaded woodpecker
                                            (Picoides borealis),
                                            Barton Springs
                                            salamander (Eurycea
                                            sosorum), Austin
                                            blind Salamander
                                            (Eurycea
                                            waterlooensis).
PER0051491............  U.S. Army Corps    Rio Grande silvery      Mississippi.............  Research to        Harass, harm, collect,     Amend.
                         of Engineers;      minnow (Hybognathus                               develop eDNA       kill.
                         Albuquerque, New   amarus).                                          markers, collect
                         Mexico.                                                              tissue.

[[Page 60197]]

 
PER0051559............  Texas A&M          Gila topminnow          Arizona.................  Captive            Harass, harm, capture....  New.
                         University--Mate   (Poeciliopsis                                     propagation.
                         os Lab; College    occidentalis).
                         Station, Texas.
PER0051967............  Trathnigg, Heidi;  Southwestern willow     Arizona.................  Presence/absence   Harass, harm.............  Renew.
                         Flagstaff,         flycatcher (Empidonax                             surveys.
                         Arizona.           traillii extimus),
                                            Yuma ridgway's rail
                                            (Rallus obsoletus
                                            yumanensis).
PER0051964............  National Park      Kemp's ridley sea       Texas...................  Document and       Harass, harm, capture,     Renew.
                         Service--Padre     turtle (Lepidochelys                              examine stranded   collect.
                         Island National    kempii), hawksbill                                sea turtles,
                         Seashore; Corpus   sea turtle                                        capture/handle,
                         Christi, Texas.    (Eretmochelys                                     tag, transport,
                                            imbricata),                                       necropsy,
                                            leatherback sea                                   examine gut
                                            turtle (Dermochelys                               contents, track,
                                            coriacea).                                        locate/retrieve/
                                                                                              incubate eggs,
                                                                                              release, collect
                                                                                              tissue/blood
                                                                                              samples,
                                                                                              educational
                                                                                              display.
PER0051968............  Thompson,          Golden-cheeked warbler  Texas...................  Presence/absence   Harass/harm..............  New.
                         Alexandra; San     (Setophaga                                        surveys, nest
                         Marcos, Texas.     chrysoparia).                                     monitoring,
                                                                                              territory
                                                                                              mapping surveys,
                                                                                              habitat
                                                                                              occupancy
                                                                                              surveys, habitat
                                                                                              monitoring
                                                                                              surveys,
                                                                                              baseline
                                                                                              preserve
                                                                                              evaluations,
                                                                                              land management
                                                                                              plans, habitat
                                                                                              determinations.
PER0052329............  Jacobs             Spikedace (Meda         Arizona.................  Presence/absence   Harass/harm..............  Amend.
                         Engineering        fulgida), loach                                   surveys,
                         Group; Tempe,      minnow (Tiaroga                                   exclusion/
                         Arizona.           cobitis).                                         relocation
                                                                                              surveys.
PER0052151............  Thiels, Sabrina;   Big bend gambusia       Texas...................  Presence/absence   Harass/harm..............  New.
                         Rosenberg, Texas.  (Gambusia gaigei),                                surveys,
                                            clear creek gambusia                              relocation.
                                            (Gambusia
                                            heterochir), Comanche
                                            Springs pupfish
                                            (Cyprinodon elegans),
                                            fountain darter
                                            (Etheostoma
                                            fonticola), Pecos
                                            gambusia (Gambusia
                                            nobilis), San Marcos
                                            gambusia (Gambusia
                                            georgei), Leon
                                            Springs pupfish
                                            (Cyprinodon bovinus),
                                            Rio Grande silvery
                                            minnow (Hybognathus
                                            amarus), sharpnose
                                            shiner (Notropis
                                            oxyrhynchus),
                                            peppered chub
                                            (Macrhybopsis
                                            tetranema), smalleye
                                            shiner (Notropis
                                            buccula), Mexican
                                            blindcat (Prietella
                                            phreatophila), Texas
                                            hornshell (Popenaias
                                            popeii).
PER0052259............  Anchor QEA, LLC..  Whooping crane (Grus    Texas, Louisiana........  Presence/absence   Harass/harm..............  Amend.
                                            americana).                                       surveys,
                                                                                              monitoring,
                                                                                              habitat usage,
                                                                                              habitat creation/
                                                                                              enhancement.
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Public Availability of Comments

    All comments we receive become part of the public record associated 
with this action. Requests for copies of comments will be handled in 
accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, National Environmental 
Policy Act, and Service and Department of the Interior policies and 
procedures. 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 to withhold your personal identifying information from public 
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. 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.

Authority

    We provide this notice under section 10 of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 
et seq.).

Amy L. Lueders,
Regional Director, Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-21438 Filed 10-3-22; 8:45 am]
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