Endangered and Threatened Species; Receipt of Recovery Permit Applications

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-R3-ES-2026-1222; FXES11130300000-267-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.

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 your written comments on or before August 10, 2026. Comments submitted electronically using the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see

ADDRESSES

, below) must be received by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on the closing date.

To ensure your comment is received and considered, you must submit it using one of the methods identified in the

ADDRESSES

section of this document. Comments submitted through any method not authorized in this document, or sent to an address not listed here, will not be considered.

ADDRESSES:

Comment submission:

All submissions must include the docket number [FWS-R3-ES-2026-1222] for this document. You must submit comments using one of the following methods:

•

Electronic submission:

Federal eRulemaking Portal at:

https://www.regulations.gov.

In the Search box, enter FWS-R3-ES-2026-1222, which is the docket number for this action. Then click the Search button. On the resulting page, you may submit a comment by clicking on “Comment.” Please ensure that you have found the correct document before submitting your comments.

•

U.S. mail:

Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS-R3-ES-2026-1222, Policy and Regulations Branch, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

Comments submitted through any method not authorized in this document, or sent to an address not listed here, will not be considered. We will not accept comments via email, fax, or hand delivery. We are not required to consider comments that are submitted after the comment period ends or that are submitted via a method outside of these instructions. Comments containing profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other inappropriate content will not be considered.

We will post all comments at

https://www.regulations.gov.

You may request that we withhold personal identifying information from public review; however, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. See Public Availability of Comments for more information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nathan Rathbun, 612-713-5343 (phone);

permitsR3ES@fws.gov

(email). Submit requests for copies of the applications and related documents, by one of these methods. All requests should specify the applicant name(s) and application number(s) (

e.g.,

ESXXXXXX; see table in

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

). 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 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.

Application No.

Applicant

Species

Location

Activity

Type of take

Permit

action

ESPER30276997

Stephanie Bien, Cincinnati, OH

Indiana bat (

Myotis sodalis

), gray bat (

M. grisescens

), northern long-eared bat (

M. septentrionalis

), tricolored bat (

Perimyotis subflavus

), Ozark big-eared bat (

Corynorhinus townsendii ingens

), and Virginia big-eared bat (

C. townsendii virginianus

)

AL, AR, CT, CO, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NY, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WV, WI, WY

Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts

Capture, handle, band, radiotelemetry, release

New.

ES75401D

U.S. Geological Survey, La Crosse, WI

Winged mapleleaf (

Quadrula fragosa

), snuffbox (

Epioblasma triquetra

), spectaclecase (

Cumberlandia monodonta

), Higgins' eye pearlymussel (

Lampsilis higginsii

), and sheepnose (

Plethobasus cyphyus

)

IA, MN, WI

Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts

Collect, mark, release, captive rear

Renew and amend.

ESPER19855675

Aimee-Christine Bjornstad, Elkhart, IN

Add new species: gray bat (

Myotis grisescens

)—to existing authorized species: Indiana bat (

M. sodalis

) and northern long-eared bat (

M. septentrionalis

)

Add new states: IN, IL, MO—to existing authorized states: IA, MI, OH, PA, WV

Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts

Capture, handle, radiotelemetry, band, release

Amend.

ESPER30623424

United States Geological Survey—Columbia Ecological Research Center, Columbia, MO

Rayed bean (

Villosa fabalis

), northern riffleshell (

Epioblasma rangiana

), and snuffbox (

Epioblasma triquetra

)

MI, OH, MO

Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts

Collect, temporarily hold, captive rear, release

New.

ES38842A

Sanders Environmental Inc., Bellefonte, PA

Indiana bat (

Myotis sodalis

), gray bat (

M. grisescens

), northern long-eared bat (

M. septentrionalis

), Ozark big-eared bat (

Corynorhinus townsendii ingens

), and Virginia big-eared bat (

C. t. virginianus

)

Add new states: CT, DE, DC, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, VA, WV—to existing authorized states: AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NC, ND, OK, OH, SC, SD, TN, TX, WI, WY

Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts

Capture, handle, radiotelemetry, band, biosample, release

Renew and amend.

ESPER30823529

Liesel Fenstermaker, Akron, OH

15 freshwater mussel species

IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, NY, KY, OH, PA, WV, WI

Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts

Capture, handle, tag, relocate, release

New.

ES65584D

Ian Pearse, Fort Collins, CO

Rusty patched bumble bee (

Bombus affinis

)

IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, OH, VA, WI

Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts

Capture, handle, release, biosample, mark

Renew.

ESPER30958222

U.S. Forest Service—Huron Manistee National Forest, Mio, MI

Hungerford's crawling water beetle (

Brychius hungerfordi

)

MI

Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts

Capture, handle, release

New.

ESPER30969571

Scott LaValley, Stow, OH

22 freshwater mussel species

IN, IL, IA, KY, MI, MN, NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WI

Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts

Capture, handle, release, mark, tag, relocate

New.

ESPER31016145

Endangered Resource Services, LLC, Saint Croix Falls, WI

Higgins' eye pearlymussel (

Lampsilis higginsii

), sheepnose (

Plethobasus cyphyus

), spectaclecase (

Cumberlandia monodonta

), snuffbox (

Epioblasma triquetra

), and winged mapleleaf (

Quadrula fragosa

)

MN, WI

Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts

Capture, handle, release

New.

ESPER31458452

Brandon Yates, Galloway, OH

Blackside dace (

Phoxinus cumberlandensis

) and 22 freshwater mussel species

AL, AR, CT, DE, GA, IL, IN, IA, KY, KS, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, NH, NJ, NY, NE, NC, OK, OH, PA, SD, TN, VT, VA, WV, WI

Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts

Capture, handle, release, relocate

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 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. 1539(c)).

Karen Herrington,

Acting Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Service, Midwest Region.

[FR Doc. 2026-13850 Filed 7-8-26; 8:45 am]

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