[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 156 (Tuesday, August 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65921-65922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17939]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R3-ES-2024-N044; FXES11130300000-245-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.

DATES: We must receive your written comments on or before September 12, 
2024.

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.

[[Page 65922]]

Permit Applications Available for Review and Comment

    The ESA requires that we invite public comment before issuing 
permits. Accordingly, we invite local, State, Tribal, and Federal 
agencies and the public to submit written data, views, or arguments 
with respect to the applications in table 1. 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.

                                                          Table 1--Permit Applications Received
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     Application No.           Applicant             Species              Location             Activity           Type of take         Permit action
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ES04397C................  Giorgianna Auteri,   Add new species--    AL, AR, CT, DE, DC,  Conduct presence/    Add new activity--   Amend.
                           Columbus, IN.        tricolored bat       GA, IL, IN, IA,      absence surveys,     harp trap--to
                                                (Perimyotis          KS, KY, LA, ME,      document habitat     existing
                                                subflavus)--to       MD, MA, MI, MN,      use, conduct         authorized
                                                existing             MS, MO, MT, NE,      population           activities:
                                                authorized           NH, NJ, NY, NC,      monitoring, and      capture, handle,
                                                species: Indiana     ND, OK, OH, PA,      evaluate impacts.    band, bio-sample,
                                                bat (Myotis          RI, SC, SD, TN,                           radio-tag, release.
                                                sodalis), gray bat   VT, VA, WV, WI, WY.
                                                (M. grisescens),
                                                and northern long-
                                                eared bat (M.
                                                septentrionalis).
ESPER11684859...........  Natural Power        Indiana bat (Myotis  CO, CT, DE, DC, FL,  Conduct presence/    Capture with mist    New.
                           Consultants, LLC.,   sodalis), northern   IA, KY, LA, ME,      absence surveys,     nets, handle,
                           Saratoga Springs,    long-eared bat (M.   MD, MA, MI, MN,      document habitat     radio-tag, release.
                           NY.                  septentrionalis),    MT, NE, NH, NJ,      use, conduct
                                                and tricolored bat   NM, NY, ND, OH,      population
                                                (Perimyotis          PA, RI, SC, SD,      monitoring, and
                                                subflavus).          TX, VT, WV, WI, WY.  evaluate impacts.
ES64081B................  Joseph Hoyt,         Indiana bat (Myotis  Add NY to IL, MI,    Conduct presence/    Add mist netting     Amend.
                           Blacksburg, VA.      sodalis) and         and WI.              absence surveys,     and pit tagging to
                                                northern long-                            document habitat     capture, handle,
                                                eared bat (M.                             use, conduct         enter hibernacula,
                                                septentrionalis).                         population           bio sample and
                                                                                          monitoring, and      release.
                                                                                          evaluate impacts.
ES217351................  U.S. Forest          Add new species--    IL, KY, OH.........  Conduct presence/    Capture with mist    Amend.
                           Service,             tricolored bat                            absence surveys,     nets or harp
                           Nelsonville, OH.     (Perimyotis                               document habitat     traps, handle,
                                                subflavus)--to                            use, conduct         identify, radio-
                                                existing                                  population           tag, band, collect
                                                authorized                                monitoring, and      non-intrusive
                                                species: Indiana                          evaluate impacts.    measurements,
                                                bat (Myotis                                                    collect bio
                                                sodalis), gray bat                                             samples, enter
                                                (M. grisescens),                                               hibernacula, and
                                                and northern long-                                             release.
                                                eared bat (M.
                                                septentrionalis).
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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. 2024-17939 Filed 8-12-24; 8:45 am]
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