82 FR 40594 - Foreign Endangered Species; Marine Mammals; Issuance of Permits

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 164 (August 25, 2017)

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have issued the following permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species, marine mammals, or both. We issue these permits under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 164 (Friday, August 25, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40594-40595]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18038]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2017-0046; FXIA16710900000-156-FF09A30000]


Foreign Endangered Species; Marine Mammals; Issuance of Permits

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of issuance of permits.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have issued 
the following permits to conduct certain activities with endangered 
species, marine mammals, or both. We issue these permits under the 
Endangered Species Act (ESA).

ADDRESSES: Documents and other information submitted with these 
applications are available for review, subject to the requirements of 
the Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act, by any party who 
submits a written request for a copy of such documents to the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, Division of Management Authority, Branch of 
Permits, MS: IA, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041; fax (703) 
358-2281. To locate the Federal Register notice that announced our 
receipt of the application for each permit listed in this document, go 
to www.regulations.gov and search on the permit number provided in 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joyce Russell, (703) 358-2023 
(telephone); (703) 358-2281 (fax); or [email protected] (email).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On the dates below, as authorized by the 
provisions of the ESA, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and/or the 
Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et 
seq.), we issued requested permits subject to certain conditions set 
forth therein. For each permit for an endangered species, we found that 
(1) the application was filed in good faith, (2) the granted permit 
would not operate to the disadvantage of the endangered species, and 
(3) the granted permit would be consistent with the purposes and policy 
set forth in section 2 of the ESA.

Emergency Permit Issuances

    Permit numbers 19807C and 38670C were issued under emergency 
provisions, with waivers of the 30-day comment period, in accordance 
with 50 CFR 17.22. Permit number 19807C was issued for the import of 
diagnostic samples of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in Sierra 
Leone due to a disease outbreak, because diagnosis of the disease is 
necessary to prevent future deaths of individuals of the species. 
Permit number 38670C was issued for the import of piping plover 
(Charadrius melodus) eggs that had been salvaged from an abandoned nest 
in the wild, in order to hatch the eggs in captivity and release 
fledged birds into the wild. In both cases, these permits were issued 
in emergency situations where the lives and health of endangered 
animals were threatened and no reasonable alternatives were available 
to the applicants.
    Permit number 14762C was issued in accordance with section 
104(c)(3) of the MMPA, with a waiver of the full 30-day comment period, 
in order to authorize the U.S. National Park Service to conduct aerial 
surveys of northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) in Glacier Bay, 
Alaska, a unique research opportunity that would be lost if permit 
issuance were to be delayed.

[[Page 40595]]

    The current notice announces waiver of the 30-day comment period 
for each of these three permit applications.

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                                                      Receipt of application
         Permit No.                Applicant          Federal Register notice         Permit issuance  date
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                                               Endangered Species
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04186C.....................  Columbus Zoo &         81 FR 90863; December 15,   May 3, 2017.
                              Aquarium.              2016.
04257C.....................  Columbus Zoo &         81 FR 86723; December 1,    May 9, 2017.
                              Aquarium.              2016.
06738C.....................  Wildlife Conservation  81 FR 95628; December 28,   May 25, 2017.
                              Society.               2016.
19807C.....................  University of          Waived....................  May 19, 2017.
                              Wisconsin-Madison.
38670C.....................  U.S. Fish and          Waived....................  June 6, 2017.
                              Wildlife Service.
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                                                 Marine Mammals
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14762C.....................  U.S. National Park     82 FR 24381; May 26, 2017.  June 1, 2017.
                              Service.
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Joyce Russell,
Government Information Specialist, Branch of Permits, Division of 
Management Authority.
[FR Doc. 2017-18038 Filed 8-24-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P