[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 22, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10927-10929]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03637]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R3-ES-2023-N007; FXES11130300000-234-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.

[[Page 10928]]


DATES: We must receive your written comments on or before March 24, 
2023.

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 ESA 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 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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TE38085B..............  Mountain State         Indiana bat (Myotis   AL, AR, FL, GA, IA,   Conduct presence/     Capture with mist     Renew.
                         Biosurveys, LLC,       sodalis), gray bat    IL, IN, KY, LA, MI,   absence surveys,      nets or harp traps,
                         Glenwood, WV.          (M. grisescens),      MN, MO, MS, NC, OH,   document habitat      handle, identify,
                                                northern long-eared   SC, TN, WI.           use, conduct          radio tag, band,
                                                bat (M.                                     population            collect
                                                septentrionalis).                           monitoring, and       nonintrusive
                                                                                            evaluate impacts.     measurements, and
                                                                                                                  release.
PER0036813............  Adam Benshoff, Kent,   Roanoke logperch      AL, AR, CT, DC, GA,   Conduct presence/     Capture, handle,      New.
                         OH.                    (Percina rex); 32     IA, KS, KY, IL, IN,   absence surveys,      release, and
                                                freshwater mussel     LA, MA, MD, MI, MN,   document habitat      relocate due to
                                                species.              MO, MS, NC, NE, NH,   use, conduct          stranding.
                                                                      NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA,   population
                                                                      SC, SD, TN, VA, VT,   monitoring, and
                                                                      WI, WV.               evaluate impacts.
TE11170C..............  Ashleigh Cable,        Indiana bat (Myotis   AL, AR, CT, DE, FL,   Conduct presence/     Capture with mist     Renew and amend.
                         Richmond, KY.          sodalis), gray bat    GA, IA, IL, IN, KS,   absence surveys,      nets or harp traps,
                                                (M. grisescens),      LA, MA, MD, ME, MI,   document habitat      handle, identify,
                                                and northern long-    MN, MO, MS, NC, ND,   use, conduct          radio tag, band,
                                                eared bat (M.         NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH,   population            collect
                                                septentrionalis).     OK, PA, RI, SC, SD,   monitoring, and       nonintrusive
                                                                      TN, VI, VT, WI, WV.   evaluate impacts.     measurements,
                                                                                                                  collect hair,
                                                                                                                  guano, fungal lift
                                                                                                                  tape, swab and wing
                                                                                                                  biopsy sample,
                                                                                                                  collect skin scrape
                                                                                                                  samples, conduct
                                                                                                                  hibernacula
                                                                                                                  surveys, salvage
                                                                                                                  dead bats, and
                                                                                                                  release.

[[Page 10929]]

 
TE64986C..............  Jeffrey, Gordon,       Clubshell             OH..................  Conduct presence/     Capture, handle,      Renew.
                         Columbus, OH.          (Pleurobema clava),                         absence surveys,      release, and
                                                Fanshell                                    document habitat      relocate due to
                                                (Cyprogenia                                 use, conduct          stranding.
                                                stegaria), Northern                         population
                                                riffleshell                                 monitoring, and
                                                (Epioblasma                                 evaluate impacts.
                                                torulosa rangiana),
                                                Purple cat's paw
                                                pearlymussel (E.
                                                obliquata
                                                obliquata),
                                                Snuffbox mussel (E.
                                                triquetra), White
                                                catspaw
                                                (pearlymussel) (E.
                                                obliquata
                                                perobliqua), Pink
                                                mucket
                                                (pearlymussel)
                                                (Lampsilis
                                                abrupta),
                                                Rabbitsfoot
                                                (Quadrula
                                                cylindrica
                                                cylindrica), Rayed
                                                bean (Villosa
                                                fabalis), Sheepnose
                                                mussel (Plethobasus
                                                cyphyus).
ES38856A..............  Skelly and Loy, Inc.,  Indiana bat (Myotis   IA, MI, CT, MD, NJ,   Conduct presence/     Capture with mist     Renew.
                         Harrisburg, PA.        sodalis), northern    NY, PA, VT.           absence surveys,      nets or harp traps,
                                                long-eared bat (M.                          document habitat      handle, identify,
                                                septentrionalis).                           use, conduct          radio tag, band,
                                                                                            population            collect
                                                                                            monitoring, and       nonintrusive
                                                                                            evaluate impacts.     measurements, and
                                                                                                                  release.
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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 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, USFWS Region 3.
[FR Doc. 2023-03637 Filed 2-21-23; 8:45 am]
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