[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 81 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25681-25682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08912]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R3-ES-2023-N039; 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 May 30, 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 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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PER1896698.....................  Caleb Knerr, Jefferson  Eleven species of  AR, IA, IL, KS,    Conduct presence/  Capture, handle,        New.
                                  City, MO.               freshwater         KY, MO, NE, OK,    absence surveys,   release, and relocate
                                                          mussels.           TN.                document habitat   due to stranding.
                                                                                                use, conduct
                                                                                                population
                                                                                                monitoring, and
                                                                                                evaluate impacts.

[[Page 25682]]

 
PER2362555.....................  Daniel Symonds,         Twenty-two         AL, AR, GA, IL,    Conduct presence/  Capture, handle,        New.
                                  Orient, OH.             species of         IN, IA, KS, KY,    absence surveys,   release, collect
                                                          freshwater         LA, MI, MO, MN,    document habitat   tissue samples, and
                                                          mussels.           MS, NE, NY, NC,    use, conduct       relocate due to
                                                                             OK, OH, PA, TN,    population         stranding.
                                                                             VA, VT, WV, WI.    monitoring, and
                                                                                                evaluate impacts.
PER0009122.....................  Emily Grossman,         Add new species:-- AR, IL, IN, IA,    Conduct presence/  Capture, handle,        Amend.
                                  O'Fallon, MO.           round hickorynut   KS, KY, LA, MI,    absence surveys,   release, and relocate
                                                          (Obovaria          MN, MO, MS, NE,    document habitat   due to stranding.
                                                          subrotunda) and    NY, NC, OK, OH,    use, conduct
                                                          longsolid          PA, SD, WV, WI.    population
                                                          (Fusconaia                            monitoring, and
                                                          subrotunda)--to                       evaluate impacts.
                                                          existing
                                                          authorized 22
                                                          species of
                                                          freshwater
                                                          mussels.
ES194099.......................  Michael Hoggarth,       Add new species:-- IN, KY, MI, NY,    Conduct presence/  Capture, handle,        Amend.
                                  Galena, OH.             round hickorynut   OH, PA, WV.        absence surveys,   release, and relocate.
                                                          (Obovaria                             document habitat
                                                          subrotunda) and                       use, conduct
                                                          longsolid                             population
                                                          (Fusconaia                            monitoring, and
                                                          subrotunda)--to                       evaluate impacts.
                                                          existing 30
                                                          authorized of
                                                          freshwater
                                                          mussels.
PER2372507.....................  Matthew Gilkay, Kent,   Twelve species of  IA, MI, MN, NY,    Conduct presence/  Capture, handle,        New.
                                  OH.                     freshwater         OH, PA, WV, WI.    absence surveys,   release, and relocate
                                                          mussels.                              document habitat   due to stranding.
                                                                                                use, conduct
                                                                                                population
                                                                                                monitoring, and
                                                                                                evaluate impacts.
ES38821A.......................  Stantec Consulting      Add new species:-- AL, AR, CO, CT,    Conduct presence/  Capture, handle, tag,   Amend.
                                  Services, Louisville,   round hickorynut   DE, GA, IL, IN,    absence surveys,   radio track, release,
                                  KY.                     (Obovaria          IA, KS, KY, LA,    document habitat   relocate due to
                                                          subrotunda),       ME, MD, MA, MI,    use, conduct       stranding.
                                                          longsolid          MN, MO, MS, MT,    population
                                                          (Fusconaia         NE, NH, NJ, NY,    monitoring, and
                                                          subrotunda), and   NC, ND, OK, OH,    evaluate impacts.
                                                          Cumberland         PA, RI, SC, SD,
                                                          darter             TN, TX, VT, VA,
                                                          (Etheostoma        WV, WI, WY.
                                                          susanae)--to
                                                          existing
                                                          authorized
                                                          species: 41
                                                          freshwater
                                                          mussel species,
                                                          6 freshwater
                                                          fish species, 5
                                                          bat species,
                                                          copperbelly
                                                          water snake
                                                          (Nerodia
                                                          erythrogaster
                                                          neglecta), and
                                                          Big Sandy River
                                                          crayfish
                                                          (Cambarus
                                                          callianus).
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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. 2023-08912 Filed 4-26-23; 8:45 am]
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