[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 212 (Thursday, November 3, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66321-66323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-23969]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R3-ES-2022-N061; FXES11130300000-223-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 December 5, 
2022.

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., ESXXXXXX; see table in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION):
     Email (preferred method): [email protected]. Please 
refer to the respective application number (e.g., Application No. 
ESXXXXXX) 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 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: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
invite review and comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and 
Federal agencies on applications we have received for permits to 
conduct certain activities with endangered and threatened species under 
section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 
(ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and our regulations in the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR part 17. Documents and other 
information submitted with the applications are available for review, 
subject to the requirements of the Privacy Act and the Freedom of 
Information Act.

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

    The ESA requires that we invite public comment before issuing these 
permits. Accordingly, 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. Proposed 
activities in the following permit requests are for the recovery and 
enhancement of propagation or survival of the species in the wild.

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   Application No.         Applicant                Species               Location            Activity          Type of take          Permit action
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TE 71680A...........  Megan Martin,        Indiana bat (Myotis       Add: KS, LA, ME,    Conduct presence/   Capture with mist-  Amend and renew.
                       Indianapolis, IN.    sodalis), gray bat (M.    NE, ND, and SD to   absence surveys,    nets, handle,
                                            grisescens), and          existing            document habitat    identify, radio-
                                            northern long-eared bat   authorized          use, conduct        tag, band,
                                            (M. septentrionalis).     locations:          population          collect
                                                                     AL, AR, CT, DE,      monitoring, and     nonintrusive
                                                                      FL, GA, IL, IN,     evaluate impacts.   measurements, and
                                                                      IA, KY, MA, MD,                         release.
                                                                      MI, MN, MO, MS,
                                                                      NC, NH, NJ, NY,
                                                                      OK, OH, PA, RI,
                                                                      SC, TN, VA, VT,
                                                                      WI, WV.
TE 35518B...........  Jeremy Sheets,       Indiana bat (Myotis       AL, AR, CT, DE,     Conduct presence/   Capture with mist-  Renew.
                       Plymouth, IN.        sodalis), gray bat (M.    FL, GA, IL, IN,     absence surveys,    nets, handle,
                                            grisescens), northern     IA, KS, KY, LA,     document habitat    identify, radio-
                                            long-eared bat (M.        MA, MD, MI, MN,     use, conduct        tag, band,
                                            septentrionalis), and     MO, MS, NC, ND,     population          collect
                                            Virginia big-eared bat    NE, NH, NJ, NY,     monitoring, and     nonintrusive
                                            (Corynorhinus             OH, OK, PA, RI,     evaluate impacts.   measurements, and
                                            townsendii virginianus).  SC, SD, TN, VA,                         release.
                                                                      VT, WI, WV.

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TE30313C............  Doug Wynn, LLC,      Eastern massasauga        IN, MI, OH, PA....  Conduct presence/   Capture, handle,    Renew.
                       Russells Point, OH.  rattlesnake (Sistrurus                        absence surveys,    temporarily hold,
                                            catenatus).                                   document habitat    collect tissue/
                                                                                          use, conduct        blood samples,
                                                                                          population          radio-tag, mark,
                                                                                          monitoring,         release, and
                                                                                          monitor health      salvage.
                                                                                          and disease, and
                                                                                          evaluate impacts.
TE04397C............  Giorgianna Auteri,   Indiana bat (Myotis       AL, AR, CT, DC,     Conduct presence/   Capture with mist-  Renew.
                       Columbus, IN.        sodalis), gray bat (M.    DE, GA, IL, IN,     absence surveys,    nets, handle,
                                            grisescens), northern     IA, KS, KY, LA,     document habitat    identify, radio-
                                            long-eared bat (M.        MA, MD, ME, MI,     use, conduct        tag, band,
                                            septentrionalis).         MN, MO, MS, MT,     population          collect
                                                                      NC, ND, NE, NH,     monitoring, and     nonintrusive
                                                                      NJ, NY, OH, OK,     evaluate impacts.   measurements,
                                                                      PA, RI, SC, SD,                         collect hair
                                                                      TN, VA, VT, WI,                         samples, collect
                                                                      WV, WY.                                 wing biopsy
                                                                                                              tissue, light
                                                                                                              tag, and release.
TE26856C............  Sean Langley,        Indiana bat (Myotis       AL, AR, CT, DE,     Conduct presence/   Capture with mist-  Renew.
                       Indianapolis, IN.    sodalis), gray bat (M.    FL, GA, IA, IL,     absence surveys,    nets, handle,
                                            grisescens), northern     IN, KY, KS, OK,     document habitat    identify, radio-
                                            long-eared bat (M.        MA, MD, MI, MN,     use, conduct        tag, band,
                                            septentrionalis).         MO, MS, MT, NC,     population          collect
                                                                      ND, NE, NH, NJ,     monitoring, and     nonintrusive
                                                                      NY, OH, PA, RI,     evaluate impacts.   measurements, and
                                                                      SC, SD, TN, VA,                         release.
                                                                      VT, WI, WV, WY.
TE71821A............  David Zanatta,       Northern riffleshell      OH, MI, WI........  Conduct presence/   Capture, handle,    Renew.
                       Mount Pleasant, MI.  (Epioblasma torulosa                          absence surveys,    hold, relocate,
                                            rangiana), clubshell                          document habitat    and release.
                                            (Pleurobema clava),                           use, conduct
                                            snuffbox (Epioblasma                          population
                                            triquetra), rayed bean                        monitoring,
                                            (Villosa fabalis),                            relocate to
                                            white catspaw                                 enhance survival,
                                            (Epioblasma obliquata                         and evaluate
                                            perobliqua),                                  impacts.
                                            rabbitsfoot (Quadrula
                                            cylindrica).
TE40128B............  Charles Morgan,      Add: Round hickorynut     Add KS, OK, NE,     Conduct presence/   Capture, handle,    Amend and renew.
                       Murray, KY.          (Obovaria subrotunda)     and SD to           absence surveys,    and release.
                                            and longsolid             existing            document habitat
                                            (Fusconaia subrotunda)    authorized          use, conduct
                                            to 27 currently           locations: LA,      population
                                            authorized freshwater     AR, FL, GA, IA,     monitoring,
                                            mussel species.           IN, IL, KY, LA,     relocate to
                                                                      MI, MN, MO, MS,     enhance survival,
                                                                      OH, PA, TN, WI,     and evaluate
                                                                      WV.                 impacts.
TE27007C............  Christopher Smith,   Rusty patched bumble bee  MN................  Conduct presence/   Capture, handle,    Renew.
                       Lakeland, MN.        (Bombus affinis) and                          absence surveys,    and release.
                                            northern long-eared bat                       document habitat
                                            (Myotis                                       use, conduct
                                            septentrionalis).                             population
                                                                                          monitoring,
                                                                                          relocate to
                                                                                          enhance survival,
                                                                                          and evaluate
                                                                                          impacts.
ES40247C............  Minnesota            Rusty patched bumble bee  MN................  Conduct presence/   Add new activity--  Amend and renew.
                       Department of        (Bombus affinis).                             absence surveys,    DNA sampling--to
                       Natural Resources,                                                 document habitat    existing
                       Saint Paul, MN.                                                    use, conduct        authorized
                                                                                          population          activities:
                                                                                          monitoring,         Capture, handle,
                                                                                          relocate to         and release.
                                                                                          enhance survival,
                                                                                          and evaluate
                                                                                          impacts.
ES64081B............  Joseph Hoyt,         Indiana bat (Myotis       IL, MI, WI........  Conduct presence/   Enter hibernacula   Renew.
                       Blacksburg, VA.      sodalis) and Northern                         absence surveys,    and collect
                                            long-eared bat (M.                            document habitat    biological
                                            septentrionalis).                             use, conduct        samples.
                                                                                          population
                                                                                          monitoring,
                                                                                          relocate to
                                                                                          enhance survival,
                                                                                          and evaluate
                                                                                          impacts.
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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.

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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

    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, Bloomington, 
Minnesota.
[FR Doc. 2022-23969 Filed 11-2-22; 8:45 am]
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