[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 201 (Thursday, October 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72096-72098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23079]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R3-ES-2023-N086; 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

[[Page 72097]]

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 November 20, 
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 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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ES41671D...............  Brian Carlson,        Add clubshell         AL, AR, CT, DE, IL,   Conduct presence/     Add--PIT and shell    Amend.
                          Morgantown, WV.       (Pleurobema clava),   IN, IA, KS, KY, LA,   absence surveys,      tagging--to
                                                northern              MD, MA, MI, MN, MS,   document habitat      existing authorized
                                                riffleshell           MO, NH, NJ, NY, NC,   use, conduct          activites: capture,
                                                (Epioblasma           OK, OH, PA, TN, VT,   population            handle, hold,
                                                torulosa rangiana),   VA, WV, WI.           monitoring, and       relocate due to
                                                round hickorynut                            evaluate impacts.     stranding.
                                                (Obovaria
                                                subrotunda), and
                                                longsolid
                                                (Fusconaia
                                                subrotunda) to
                                                existing authorized
                                                species: 12 species
                                                of freshwater
                                                mussels, big sandy
                                                crayfish (Cambarus
                                                callainus),
                                                Guyandotte River
                                                crayfish (Cambarus
                                                veteranus), candy
                                                darter (Etheostoma
                                                osburni).
ES77530A-3.............  Douglas Kapusinski,   Add new species--     IL, IN, MI, NY, OH,   Conduct presence/     Capture, handle,      Amend.
                          Copley, OH.           round hickorynut      PA, WI, WV.           absence surveys,      release, and
                                                (Obovaria                                   document habitat      relocate under
                                                subrotunda) and                             use, conduct          special
                                                longsolid                                   population            circumstances.
                                                (Fusconaia                                  monitoring, and
                                                subrotunda)--to                             evaluate impacts.
                                                existing authorized
                                                22 freshwater
                                                mussel species.

[[Page 72098]]

 
ES70868B...............  Brian Ortman,         Add new species--     AL, AR, GA, IA, IL,   Conduct presence/     Capture with mist     Amend.
                          Thornville, OH.       tricolored bat        IN, KS, KY, MI, MO,   absence surveys,      nets, identify,
                                                (Perimyotis           MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH,   document habitat      handle, collect non-
                                                subflavus)--to        OK, PA, SC, TN, VA,   use, conduct          intrusive
                                                existing authorized   WV.                   population            measurements, band,
                                                species: Indiana                            monitoring, and       radio-tag, and
                                                bat (Myotis                                 evaluate impacts.     release.
                                                sodalis), northern
                                                long-eared bat (M.
                                                septentrionalis),
                                                gray bat (M.
                                                grisescens).
PER3213383.............  Heidi McMullin,       Tricolored bat        AL, AR, CT, DE, FL,   Conduct presence/     Capture with mist     New.
                          Poplar Bluff, MO.     (Perimyotis           GA, IA, IL, IN, KS,   absence surveys,      nets or harp traps,
                                                subflavus), Indiana   KY, LA, MA, MD, ME,   document habitat      identify, handle,
                                                bat (Myotis           MI, MN, MS, MO, NC,   use, conduct          collect
                                                sodalis), northern    NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH,   population            nonintrusive
                                                long-eared bat (M.    OK, PA, RI, SC, TN,   monitoring, and       measurements, band,
                                                septentrionalis),     TX, VA, VT, WV, WI.   evaluate impacts.     radio-tag, and
                                                gray bat (M.                                                      release.
                                                grisescens), Ozark
                                                big-eared bat
                                                (Corynorhinus
                                                townsendii ingens),
                                                Virginia big-eared
                                                bat (C. townsendii
                                                virginianus).
PER4830512.............  Shaun McCoshum,       Rusty patched bumble  IL, IN, IA, ME, MD,   Conduct presence/     Capture, handle and   New.
                          Odessa, TX.           bee (Bombus           MA, MN, NC, OH, PA,   absence surveys,      release.
                                                affinis).             TN, VA, WV, WI.       document habitat
                                                                                            use, conduct
                                                                                            population
                                                                                            monitoring, and
                                                                                            evaluate impacts.
PER4875044.............  Nathaniel Shoobs,     Lampsilis orbiculata  OH, KY..............  Conduct presence/     Capture, handle and   New.
                          Columbus, OH.         orbiculata, Villosa                         absence surveys,      release.
                                                fabalis, Leptodea                           document habitat
                                                leptodon, Quadrula                          use, conduct
                                                cylindrica                                  population
                                                cylindrica,                                 monitoring, and
                                                Pleurobema clava,                           evaluate impacts.
                                                Cyprogenia
                                                stegaria, Potamilus
                                                capax, Fusconaia
                                                subrotunda,
                                                Epioblasma
                                                rangiana,
                                                Plethobasus
                                                cooperianus,
                                                Pleurobema plenum,
                                                Obovaria
                                                subrotunda,
                                                Plethobasus
                                                cyphyus, Epioblasma
                                                triquetra,
                                                Cumberlandia
                                                monodonta,
                                                Epioblasma
                                                perobliqua,
                                                Plethobasus
                                                cicatricosus,
                                                Epioblasma
                                                obliquata.
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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 Service, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2023-23079 Filed 10-18-23; 8:45 am]
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