U.S. Endangered Species; Recovery Permit Applications

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R2-ES-2017-N082; FXES11130200000-178-FF02ENEH00]

U.S. Endangered Species; Recovery Permit Applications

AGENCY:

Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of receipt of permit applications; request for comments.

SUMMARY:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications for a permit to conduct activities intended to recover and enhance the survival of endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), prohibits certain activities that may impact endangered species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

DATES:

To ensure consideration, please send your written comments by September 21, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

Request documents or submit comments to Susan Jacobsen, Chief, Division of Classification and Restoration, by U.S. mail at Division of Classification and Recovery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM 87103. Please specify the permit you are interested in by number (

e.g.,

Permit No. TE-123456).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Susan Jacobsen, Chief, Division of Classification and Restoration, by U.S. mail at P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM 87103; or by telephone at 505-248-6641.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications for a permit to conduct activities intended to recover and enhance the survival of endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531

et seq.;

ESA), prohibits certain activities that may impact endangered species, unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

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 or threatened 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.

In accordance with section 10(c) of the ESA; Executive Order 13576, “Delivering an Efficient, Effective, and Accountable Government”; and the President's Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies of January 21, 2009, “Transparency and Open Government” (74 FR 4685; January 26, 2009), all of which call on Federal agencies to promote openness and transparency in Government by disclosing information to the public, we invite public comment on these permit applications before final action is taken.

Applications Available for Review and Comment

We invite local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies and the public to comment on the following applications. Please refer to the permit number for the application when submitting comments.

Documents and other information submitted with these applications are available for review by any party who submits a written request to the Program Manager for Restoration and Endangered Species Classification at the address listed in the

ADDRESSES

section. Requests must be submitted within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice. Release of documents is subject to the requirements of the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).

Permit Applications

Proposed activities in the following permit requests are for the recovery and enhancement of survival of the species.

Application No.

Applicant

Species

Location

Activity

Type of take

Permit action

TE-22964C

Memphis Zoo, Memphis, Tennessee

Houston toad (

Bufo houstonensis

)

Tennessee

Captive propagation and genetic research

Harm and harass

New.

TE-25105C

Heidi Kloeppel Trathnigg, Flagstaff, Arizona

Southwestern willow flycatcher (

Empidonax traillii extimus

)

Arizona

Presence/absence surveys

Harass

New.

TE-829761

Bureau of Land Management, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Gila chub (

Gila intermedia

)

New Mexico

Presence/absence surveys

Capture and harass

Amend.

TE-216075

Martin R. Heaney, Rosenberg, Texas

Pink mucket (

Lampsilis abrupta

) and winged mapleleaf (

Quadrula fragosa

)

Arkansas

Presence/absence surveys

Capture and harass

Amend.

TE-048464

Joanne M. Roberts, Hereford, Arizona

Lesser long-nosed bat (

Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae

), southwestern willow flycatcher (

Empidonax traillii extimus

), and

Lilaeopsis schaffneriana

var.

recurva

(Huachuca water umbel)

Arizona

Presence/absence surveys

Capture, harm, and harass

Amend and Renew.

TE-29890C

Matrix Consulting NM, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Southwestern willow flycatcher (

Empidonax traillii extimus

)

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah

Presence/absence surveys

Harass

New.

TE-794593

Texas State Aquarium, Corpus Christi, Texas

Masked bobwhite quail (

Colinus virginianus ridgwayi

)

Texas

Enhancement of propagation or survival of species

None

Amend.

TE-232639

DESCO Environmental Consultants, LP, Magnolia, Texas

American burying beetle (

Nicrophorus americanus

)

Oklahoma and Texas

Presence/absence surveys

Capture and harass

Amend.

TE-21840C

Wildwood Environmental Credit Company, Tyler, Texas

Gray bat (

Myotis grisescens

), Indiana bat (

Myotis sodalis

), Ozark big-eared bat (

Corynorhinus (=plecotus) townsendii ingens

), and Virginia big-eared bat (

Corynorhinus (=plecotus) townsendii virginianus

)

Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas

Presence/absence surveys

Capture, harm, and harass

New.

TE-72079A

John N. Rinne, Flagstaff, Arizona

Loach minnow (

Tiaroga cobitis

), and spikedace (

Meda fulgida

)

New Mexico

Presence/absence surveys

Capture, harm, and harass

Renew.

TE-32832C

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, Sasabe, Arizona

Masked bobwhite (

Colinus virginianus ridgwayi

)

Arizona

Captive propagation, research, and reintroduction

Capture, harm, and harass

New.

TE-32916C

G.M. Sutton Avian Research Center

Masked bobwhite (

Colinus virginianus ridgwayi

)

Oklahoma

Captive breeding, and subsequent tracking and monitoring of released birds

Capture, harm, and harass

New.

TE-32917C

Ashley M. Long

Golden-cheeked warbler (

Setophaga chrysoparia

), Black-capped vireo (

Vireo atricapilla

)

Texas

Presence/absence surveys, mist netting and banding, use of geolocators and radiotrackers

Capture, harm, and harass

New.

TE-40886B

Jennifer Zahratka, Durango, Colorado

New Mexico meadow jumping mouse (

Zapus hudsonius luteus

)

Colorado, New Mexico

Radio-collaring and collecting tissue samples to confirm taxonomic identification with genetic analysis

Capture, harm, and harass

Amend.

TE43754A

Turner Endangered Species Fund, Bozeman, Montana

Chupadera springsnail (

Pyrgulopsis chupaderae

)

New Mexico

Monitor, survey, handle, and collect

Capture, harm, and harass.

Amend.

TE34460C

Grouse Mountain Environmental Consultants, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Southwestern willow flycatcher (

Empidonax traillii extimus

)

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Wyoming

Presence/absence surveys

Harm and harass

New.

TE35802C

Geodata Crawler Research Institute, Fort Smith, Arkansas

American burying beetle (

Nicrophorus americanus

)

Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas

Presence/absence surveys

Harm and harass

New.

TE00479C

Kevin Johnson, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

American burying beetle (

Nicrophorus americanus

), Red cockaded woodpecker (

Picoides borealis)

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia

Presence/absence surveys

Harm and harass

New.

Public Availability of Comments

All comments and materials we receive in response to these requests will be available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the address listed in

ADDRESSES

.

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 ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Authority

We provide this notice under section 10 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531

et seq.

).

Dated: June 7, 2017.

Benjamin N. Tuggle,

Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 2017-17710 Filed 8-21-17; 8:45 am]

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