Endangered and Threatened Species; Receipt of Recovery Permit Applications

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R6-ES-2025-N034; FXES11130600000-267-FF06E00000]

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.

SUMMARY:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received applications for permits to conduct scientific research to promote conservation or other 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 written data or comments on the applications by April 17, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

Document availability and comment submission:

Use one of the following methods to request documents or submit comments. Requests and comments should specify the applicant name(s) and application number(s) (

e.g.,

Smith, PER0123456 or Jones, ES-056001):

•

Email: permitsR6ES@fws.gov.

•

U.S. Mail:

Tom McDowell, Division Manager, Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 25486 DFC, Denver, CO 80225.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robert Krijgsman, Recovery Permits Coordinator, Ecological Services, 303-236-4347 (phone) or

permitsR6ES@fws.gov

(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

With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits take of listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that authorizes such take. The ESA's definition of “take” includes hunting, shooting, harming, wounding, or killing, and also such activities as pursuing, harassing, trapping, capturing, or collecting.

A recovery permit issued by us under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA authorizes the permittee to take endangered or threatened species while engaging in activities that are conducted for scientific purposes that promote recovery of species or for enhancement of propagation or survival of species. These activities often include the capture and collection of species, which would result in prohibited take if a permit were not issued. 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.

Permit No.

Applicant

Species

Location

Activity

Permit action

ES59243C

Revive & Restore, Sausalito, CA

• Black-footed ferret (

Mustela nigripes

)

Laboratories in CA, NY, TX, and IA

Genetics research in lab settings using cell lines; store and transfer genetic material; cell culturing; and use of interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer technique with surrogate domestic ferrets

Renewal.

ES26376D

Steve Forrest, Truckee, CA

• Black-footed ferret (

Mustela nigripes

)

MT, SD, and KS

Capture, handle, mark, vaccinate, release, reintroduce, and monitor populations

Renewal.

PER0012679

University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO

• Knowlton's cactus (

Pediocactus knowltonii

)

• San Rafael cactus (

Pediocactus despainii

)

• Wright fishhook cactus (

Sclerocactus wrightiae

)

CO, NM, and UT

Remove and reduce to possession from lands under Federal jurisdiction

Renew and amend.

ES66330D

Martin & Nicholson Environmental Consultants, LLC

• Southwestern willow flycatcher (

Empidonax traillii extimus

)

CO and UT

Survey and play taped vocalizations

Renew and amend.

PER22707976

Donald Gilbert, Loveland, OH

• Southwestern willow flycatcher (

Empidonax traillii extimus

AZ, CA, CO, NV, NM, TX, UT, MT, and WY

Survey and play taped vocalizations

New.

PER17870208

Watershed Institute, Inc., Belton, MO

• Neosho Mucket (

Lampsilis rafinesqueana

)

KS

Survey, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, capture, handle, release, and relocate under special circumstances

New.

ES79842A

Jeremy White, Omaha, NE

• Northern long-eared bat (

Myotis septentrionalis

)

• Indiana bat (

Myotis sodalis

)

• Gray bat (

Myotis grisescens

)

NE and IA

Capture, handle, band, tag, collect tissue samples, and conduct radio telemetry for research studies and population monitoring

Renew.

ES232905

Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, Saint Paul, MN

• Wyoming toad (

Anaxyrus baxteri

)

MN and WY

Survey, capture, handle, transport, captively rear and breed, tag, swab, release, research, and conduct habitat restoration

Renew.

ES67251D

Kelly Haun, Durango, CO

• Southwestern willow flycatcher (

Empidonax traillii extimus

)

CO

Survey and play taped vocalizations

Renew.

ES42721B

City of Fort Collins, Natural Area Department, Fort Collins, CO

• Black-footed ferret (

Mustela nigripes

)

CO

Survey, capture, anesthetize, vaccinate, mark, tag, collect biological samples, research, and monitor populations

Renew.

PER19682189

Melissa Giuffre, Kanab, UT

• Southwestern willow flycatcher (

Empidonax traillii extimus

)

UT

Survey and play taped vocalizations

New.

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 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. 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 a permit to an applicant 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.

).

Marjorie Nelson,

Assistant Regional Director, Mountain-Prairie Region.

[FR Doc. 2026-05232 Filed 3-17-26; 8:45 am]

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