[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 221 (Thursday, November 17, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69037-69039]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-25021]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2022-N064; FXES11140400000-223-FF04E00000]


Endangered Species; 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, permit renewals, and/or permit amendments to 
conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of 
endangered 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 written data or comments on the applications by 
December 19, 2022.

ADDRESSES: 
    Reviewing Documents: Submit requests for copies of applications and 
other information submitted with the applications to Karen Marlowe (see 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). All requests and comments should 
specify the applicant name and application number (e.g., Mary Smith, 
ESPER0001234).
    Submitting Comments: If you wish to comment, you may submit 
comments by one of the following methods:
     Email (preferred method): [email protected]. Please 
include your name and return address in your email message. If you do 
not receive a confirmation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that 
we have received your email message, contact us directly at the 
telephone number listed in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
     U.S. mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office, 
Ecological Services, 1875 Century Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30345 (Attn: 
Karen Marlowe, Permit Coordinator).

[[Page 69038]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Marlowe, Permit Coordinator, 
404-679-7097 (telephone) or [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 of 1974, as amended (5 
U.S.C. 552a) and the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).

Background

    With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits take of listed species 
unless a Federal permit is issued that authorizes such take. The ESA's 
definition of ``take'' includes hunting, shooting, harming, wounding, 
or killing, and also such activities as pursuing, harassing, trapping, 
capturing, or collecting.
    A recovery permit issued by us under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA 
authorizes the permittee to take endangered or threatened species while 
engaging in activities that are conducted for scientific purposes that 
promote recovery of species or for enhancement of propagation or 
survival of species. These activities often include the capture and 
collection of species, which would result in prohibited take if a 
permit were not issued. 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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 Permit application
         No.               Applicant                Species                Location             Activity           Type of take         Permit action
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ES03305C-1..........  U.S. Army Corps of   Chipola slabshell         Alabama. Arkansas,   Presence/probable    Capture, handle,     Renewal and
                       Engineers, Memphis   (Elliptio                 Florida, Illinois,   absence surveys.     identify, and        amendment.
                       District; Memphis,   chipolaensis),            Iowa, Kentucky,                           release.
                       TN.                  clubshell (Pleurobema     Louisiana,
                                            clava), Curtis            Mississippi,
                                            pearlymussel              Missouri,
                                            (Epioblasma florentina    Tennessee, and
                                            curtisii), fanshell       Wisconsin.
                                            (Cyprogenia stegaria),
                                            fat pocketbook
                                            (Potamilus capax), fat
                                            threeridge (Amblema
                                            neislerii), Higgins eye
                                            (Lampsilis higginsii),
                                            inflated heelsplitter
                                            (Potamilus inflatus),
                                            Louisiana pearlshell
                                            (Margaritifera
                                            hembeli), northern
                                            riffleshell (Epioblasma
                                            rangiana), orangefoot
                                            pimpleback (Plethobasus
                                            cooperianus), Ouachita
                                            rock pocketbook
                                            (Arcidens wheeleri),
                                            oval pigtoe (Pleurobema
                                            pyriforme), ovate
                                            clubshell (Pleurobema
                                            perovatum), pink mucket
                                            (Lampsilis abrupta),
                                            purple bankclimber
                                            (Elliptoideus
                                            sloatianus),
                                            rabbitsfoot (Quadrula
                                            cylindrica cylindrica),
                                            rayed bean (Villosa
                                            fabalis), ring pink
                                            (Obovaria retusa),
                                            rough pigtoe
                                            (Pleurobema plenum),
                                            scaleshell (Leptodea
                                            leptodon), sheepnose
                                            (Plethobasus cyphyus),
                                            snuffbox (Epioblasma
                                            triquetra), southern
                                            clubshell (Pleurobema
                                            decisum), spectaclecase
                                            (Cumberlandia
                                            monodonta), white
                                            wartyback (Plethobasus
                                            cicatricosus), and
                                            winged mapleleaf
                                            (Quadrula fragosa).
ES55292B-3..........  University of        Everglade snail kite      Florida............  Demographic and      Install cameras at   Amendment.
                       Florida;             (Rostrhamus sociabilis                         movement studies,    nests and collect
                       Gainesville, FL.     plumbeus).                                     genetic analyses,    deceased
                                                                                           and avian vacuolar   individuals,
                                                                                           myelinopathy         unviable eggs, and
                                                                                           research.            eggshells.
ES011542-11.........  Conservation         Barrens topminnow         Tennessee..........  Presence/probable    Capture, handle,     Amendment.
                       Fisheries, Inc.;     (Fundulus julisia).                            absence surveys.     identify, and
                       Knoxville, TN.                                                                           release.

[[Page 69039]]

 
PER0055231-0........  Matthew A. Bolton;   Fishes: amber darter      Georgia............  Presence/probable    Fishes: Capture,     New.
                       Gainesville, GA.     (Percina antesella),                           absence surveys.     handle, identify,
                                            blue shiner (Cyprinella                                             and release;
                                            caerulea), Cherokee                                                 Mussels: Remove
                                            darter (Etheostoma                                                  from substrate,
                                            scotti), Conasauga                                                  handle, identify,
                                            logperch (Percina                                                   release, and
                                            jenkinsi), Etowah                                                   salvage relic
                                            darter (Etheostoma                                                  shells.
                                            etowahae), goldline
                                            darter (Percina
                                            aurolineata), snail
                                            darter (Percina
                                            tanasi), and trispot
                                            darter (Etheostoma
                                            trisella); Mussels:
                                            Alabama moccasinshell
                                            (Medionidus
                                            acutissimus), Altamaha
                                            spinymussel (Elliptio
                                            spinosa), Atlantic
                                            pigtoe (Fusconaia
                                            masoni), Coosa
                                            moccasinshell
                                            (Medionidus parvulus),
                                            fat threeridge (Amblema
                                            neislerii), finelined
                                            pocketbook (Hamiota
                                            altilis), Georgia
                                            pigtoe (Pleurobema
                                            hanleyianum), Gulf
                                            moccasinshell
                                            (Medionidus
                                            penicillatus),
                                            Ochlockonee
                                            moccasinshell
                                            (Medionidus
                                            simpsonianus), ovate
                                            clubshell (Pleurobema
                                            perovatum), oval pigtoe
                                            (Pleurobema pyriforme),
                                            purple bankclimber
                                            (Elliptoideus
                                            sloatianus), shinyrayed
                                            pocketbook (Hamiota
                                            subangulata), southern
                                            acornshell (Epioblasma
                                            othcaloogensis),
                                            southern clubshell
                                            (Pleurobema decisum),
                                            southern pigtoe
                                            (Pleurobema
                                            georgianum), Suwannee
                                            moccasinshell
                                            (Medionidus walkeri),
                                            and triangular
                                            kidneyshell
                                            (Ptychobranchus
                                            greenii).
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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 ask us in your comment 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.

Next Steps

    If we decide to issue a permit to an applicant 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.).

John Tirpak,
Deputy Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Southeast 
Region.
[FR Doc. 2022-25021 Filed 11-16-22; 8:45 am]
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