Foreign Endangered Species; Receipt of Permit Applications

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2024-0141; FXIA16710900000-245-FF09A30000]

Foreign Endangered Species; Receipt of 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 applications to conduct certain activities with foreign species that are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such activities. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing permits for any activity otherwise prohibited by the ESA with respect to any endangered species.

DATES:

We must receive comments by November 8, 2024.

ADDRESSES:

Obtaining Documents:

The applications, application supporting materials, and any comments and other materials that we receive will be available for public inspection at

https://www.regulations.gov

in Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2024-0141.

Submitting Comments:

When submitting comments, please specify the name of the applicant and the permit number at the beginning of your comment. You may submit comments by one of the following methods:

•

internet: https://www.regulations.gov.

Search for and

submit comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2024-0141.

•

U.S. mail:

Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2024-0141; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS: PRB/3W; 5275 Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

For more information, see Public Comment Procedures under

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Timothy MacDonald, by phone at 703-358-2185 or via email at

DMAFR@fws.gov.

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:

I. Public Comment Procedures

A. How do I comment on submitted applications?

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.

You may submit your comments and materials by one of the methods in

ADDRESSES

. We will not consider comments sent by email or to an address not in

ADDRESSES

. We will not consider or include in our administrative record comments we receive after the close of the comment period (see

DATES

).

When submitting comments, please specify the name of the applicant and the permit number at the beginning of your comment. Provide sufficient information to allow us to authenticate any scientific or commercial data you include. The comments and recommendations that will be most useful and likely to influence agency decisions are: (1) those supported by quantitative information or studies, and (2) those that include citations and analyses of the applicable laws and regulations.

B. May I view comments submitted by others?

You may view and comment on others' public comments at

https://www.regulations.gov

unless our allowing so would violate the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) or Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).

C. Who will see my comments?

If you submit a comment at

https://www.regulations.gov,

your entire comment, including any personal information you include, will be posted on the website.

Regulations.gov

does not require personal information if a submitter chooses to submit a comment anonymously. If you submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal information, such as your address, phone number, or email address, you may request at the top of your document that we withhold this information from public view. However, 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.

II. Background

To help us carry out our conservation responsibilities for affected species, and in consideration of section 10(c) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531

et seq.

), we invite public comments on permit applications before final action is taken. With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits certain activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such activities. Permits issued under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA allow otherwise prohibited activities for scientific purposes or to enhance the propagation or survival of the affected species. Service regulations regarding prohibited activities with endangered species, captive-bred wildlife registrations, and permits for any activity otherwise prohibited by the ESA with respect to any endangered species are available in title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations in part 17 (50 CFR 17).

III. Permit Applications

We invite comments on the following applications.

Applicant: Mitchel Kalmanson, Sorrento, FL; Permit No. PER12003722

The applicant requests a permit to import four male and three female captive-bred African lions (

Panthera leo leo

) from Zoo Animalia, Saint-Edouard-de-Maskinonge, Quebec, Canada, for the purpose of enhancing the propagation or survival of the species. This notification is for a single import.

Applicant: Fresno's Chaffee Zoo, Fresno, CA; Permit No. PER12575644

The applicant requests a permit to import from Singapore one male captive-born tiger (

Panthera tigris

) for the purpose of enhancing the propagation or survival of the species. This notification is for a single import.

Applicant: Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, GA; Permit No. PER12275493

The applicant requests a permit to export biological samples extracted from captive-born giant pandas (

Ailuropoda melanoleuca

) for the purpose of scientific research. This notification is for a single export.

Applicant: Zoological Society of San Diego, San Diego, CA; Permit No. PER12097590

The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for the following species, to enhance the propagation or survival of the species. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Common name

Scientific name

Great green macaw

Ara ambiguus

Blue-throated macaw

Ara glaucogularis

Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus

Bahaman or Cuban parrot

Amazona leucocephala

Chinese alligator

Alligator sinensis

Brush-tailed rat-kangaroo

Bettongia penicillata

Banteng

Bos javanicus

Fiji banded iguana

Brachylophus fasciatus

Lowland anoa

Bubalus depressicornis

White cockatoo

Cacatua alba

Salmon-crested cockatoo

Cacatua moluccensis

White-winged wood duck

Cairina scutulata

Southern white rhino

Ceratotherium simum simum

Galapagos tortoise

Geochelone nigra

Jamaican iguana

Cyclura collei

Maned wolf

Chrysocyon brachyurus

Blue-billed curassow

Crax alberti

Bontebok

Damaliscus pygarus (=dorcas) dorcas

Aye-aye

Daubentonia madagascariensis

Black rhinoceros

Diceros bicornis

Asian Elephant

Elephas maximus

African wild ass

Equus africanus

Przewalski's horse

Equus przewalski

Grevy's zebra

Equus grevyi

Collared brown lemur

Eulemur collaris

Black-footed cat

Felis nigripes

Gavial

Gavialis gangeticus

Slender-horned gazelle

Gazella leptoceras

Madagascar radiated tortoise

Geochelone radiata

Spotted pond turtle

Geoclemys hamiltonii

Northern bald ibis

Geronticus eremita

Gorilla

Gorilla gorilla

Japanese crane

Grus japonensis

Harpy eagle

Harpia harpyja

Red lechwe

Kobus leche

Ring-tailed lemur

Lemur catta

Golden lion tamarin

Leontopithecus rosalia

Rothschild's (myna) starling

Leucopsar rothschildi

Lion-tailed macaque

Macaca silenus

Maleo megapode

Macrocephalon maleo

Parma wallaby

Macropus parma

Mandrill

Mandrillus (=Papio) sphinx

African slender-snouted crocodile

Crocodylus cataphractus

Clouded leopard

Neofelis nebulosa

Red-cheeked gibbon

Nomascus gabriellae

Arabian oryx

Oryx leucoryx

African dwarf crocodile

Osteolaemus tetraspis tetraspis

Pygmy chimpanzee

Pan paniscus

Lion

Panthera leo melanochaita

Leopard

Panthera pardus

Tiger

Panthera tigris

Snow leopard

Uncia (=Panthera) uncia

Yellow-footed rock wallaby

Petrogale xanthopus

Koala

Phascolarctos cinereus

Orangutan

Pongo abelii

Orangutan

Pongo pygmaeus

Coquerel's sifaka

Propithecus coquereli

Rodrigues fruit bat

Pteropus rodricensis

Pudu

Pudu pudu

Blue-throated parakeet

Pyrrhura cruentata

Kagu

Rhynochetos jubatus

Swamp deer

Cervus duvauceli

Eld's brow-antlered deer

Cervus eldi

African penguin

Spheniscus demersus

Siamang

Symphalangus syndactylus

Central American tapir

Tapirus bairdii

Asian tapir

Tapirus indicus

Gelada baboon

Theropithecus gelada

Guam (=Sihek) kingfisher

Todiramphus cinnamominus

Francois' langur

Trachypithecus (=Presbytis) francoisi

Blyth's tragopan pheasant

Tragopan blythii

Komodo Island monitor

Varanus komodoensis

Andean condor

Vultur gryphus

Applicant: Georgia Safari Conservation Park, Madison, GA; Permit No. PER12289890

The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for the Hartmann's mountain zebra (

Equus zebra hartmannae

) and southern white rhinoceros (

Ceratotherium simum simum

), to enhance the propagation or survival of the species. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Multiple Trophy Applicants

The following applicants request permits to import sport-hunted trophies of male bontebok (

Damaliscus pygargus pygargus

) culled from a captive herd maintained under the management program of the Republic of South Africa, for the purpose of enhancing the propagation or survival of the species.

•

Applicant:

Keith R. Warren, Seguin, TX; Permit No. PER12017464

•

Applicant:

Daniel Macerelli, McKeesport, PA; Permit No. PER12034356

•

Applicant:

Robert Arthur Sparks, Empire, CO; Permit No. PER12331219

•

Applicant:

Brian Arnold, Augusta, GA; Permit No. PER12415938

•

Applicant:

Michael Merchant, Oxford, MS; Permit No. PER12428370

•

Applicant:

Drew O'Connor Dennison, St. Louis, MO; Permit No. PER12540160

•

Applicant:

Max S. Buck, Molt, MT; Permit No. PER12540321

IV. Next Steps

After the comment period closes, we will make decisions regarding permit issuance. If we issue permits to any of the applicants listed in this notice, we will publish a notice in the

Federal Register

. You may locate the notice announcing the permit issuance by searching

https://www.regulations.gov

for the permit number listed above in this document. For example, to find information about the potential issuance of Permit No. 12345A, you would go to

regulations.gov

and search for “12345A”.

V. Authority

We issue this notice under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531

et seq.

), and its implementing regulations.

Timothy MacDonald,

Government Information Specialist, Branch of Permits, Division of Management Authority.

[FR Doc. 2024-23344 Filed 10-8-24; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4333-15-P