[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 56 (Thursday, March 23, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17599-17601]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-05929]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R3-ES-2023-N031; 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 
ESA. 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 April 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

[[Page 17600]]

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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TE30471C...............  Randy Mitchell,       Rusty patched bumble  OH, WI..............  Conduct presence/     Capture, handle, and  Renew and amend.
                          Akron, OH.            bee (Bombus                                 absence surveys,      release.
                                                affinis).                                   document habitat
                                                                                            use, conduct
                                                                                            population
                                                                                            monitoring, and
                                                                                            evaluate impacts.
PER1867075.............  Jackson County        Rusty patched bumble  IA..................  Conduct presence/     Capture, handle, and  New.
                          Conservation Board,   bee (Bombus                                 absence surveys,      release.
                          Maquoketa, IA.        affinis).                                   document habitat
                                                                                            use, conduct
                                                                                            population
                                                                                            monitoring, and
                                                                                            evaluate impacts.
ES181256...............  Lewis Environmental   Add--Round            AL, AR, FL, GA, IL,   Conduct presence/     Capture, handle, and  Amend.
                          Consulting, Murray,   hickorynut            IN, IA, KY, MI, MO,   absence surveys,      release.
                          KY.                   (Obovaria             MS, OH, PA, TN, WV,   document habitat
                                                subrotunda) and       WI.                   use, conduct
                                                longsolid                                   population
                                                (Fusconaia                                  monitoring, and
                                                subrotunda)--to                             evaluate impacts.
                                                existing authorized
                                                species--60
                                                freshwater mussel
                                                species.
PER1896698.............  Caleb Knerr,          Eleven species......  AR, IA, IL, KS, KY,   Conduct presence/     Capture, handle,      New.
                          Jefferson City, MO.                         MO, NE, OK, TN.       absence surveys,      release, and
                                                                                            document habitat      relocate due to
                                                                                            use, conduct          stranding.
                                                                                            population
                                                                                            monitoring, and
                                                                                            evaluate impacts.
TE11145C...............  Lisa Kleinschmidt,    Indiana bat (Myotis   AL, AR, CT, DE, GA,   Conduct presence/     Capture, handle,      Renew.
                          Syracuse, NY.         sodalis), gray bat    IA, IL, IN, KS, KY,   absence surveys,      band, radio-track,
                                                (M. grisescens),      MD, MA, MI, MN, MS,   document habitat      collect bio-
                                                northern long-eared   MO, NC, ND, NE, NH,   use, conduct          samples, release.
                                                bat (M.               NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA,   population
                                                septentrionalis).     RI, SC, SD, TN, VA,   monitoring, and
                                                                      VT, WV, WI.           evaluate impacts.
ES28570D...............  Midwest Natural       Rusty patched bumble  IL, IN, IA, ME, MD,   Conduct presence/     Capture, handle,      Renew and amend.
                          Resources, St.        bee (Bombus           MA, MN, NC, NY, OH,   absence surveys,      temporary hold,
                          Paul, MN.             affinis), Dakota      TN, VA, WV, WI.       document habitat      release, salvage.
                                                skipper (Hesperia                           use, conduct
                                                dacotae).                                   population
                                                                                            monitoring, and
                                                                                            evaluate impacts.
PER0039255.............  Ryan Schwegman,       Add--Round            AR, DE, IL, IN, IA,   Conduct presence/     Capture, handle,      Amend.
                          College Corner, OH.   hickorynut            KS, KY, MD, MI, MN,   absence surveys,      tag, release.
                                                (Obovaria             MO, NY, OK, OH, PA,   document habitat
                                                subrotunda) and       TX, VA, WV, WI.       use, conduct
                                                longsolid                                   population
                                                (Fusconaia                                  monitoring, and
                                                subrotunda)--to                             evaluate impacts.
                                                existing authorized
                                                species--11
                                                freshwater mussel
                                                species.
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[[Page 17601]]

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. 2023-05929 Filed 3-22-23; 8:45 am]
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