83 FR 14283 - Endangered Species; Receipt of Permit Applications

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 64 (April 3, 2018)

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on applications to conduct certain activities with foreign endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 3, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14283-14284]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06680]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2017-0098; Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2017-0064; 
FXIA16710900000-178-FF09A30000]


Endangered Species; Receipt of Permit Applications

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of permit applications.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to 
comment on applications to conduct certain activities with foreign 
endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act 
(ESA) prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal 
authorization is acquired that allows such activities. The ESA also 
requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

DATES: We must receive comments by May 3, 2018.

ADDRESSES: 
    Document availability: The applications, as well as any comments 
and other materials that we receive, will be available for public 
inspection online in Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2017-0098 or Docket No. FWS-
HQ-IA-2017-0064 (as appropriate) at http://www.regulations.gov.
    Submitting Comments: You may submit comments by one of the 
following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-
IA-2017-####. (Search under appropriate docket number, which can be 
found under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, III., Permit Applications.)

[[Page 14284]]

     U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, 
Attn: Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2017-####; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
Headquarters, MS: BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-
3803. (Note: Insert appropriate docket number, which can be found under 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, III., Permit Applications.)
    When submitting comments, please indicate the name of the applicant 
and the PRT# at the beginning of your comment. We will post all 
comments on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we 
will post any personal information you provide us (see SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for more information).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joyce Russell, 703-358-2280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Public Comment Procedures

A. How do I comment on submitted applications?

    You may submit your comments and materials by one of the methods 
listed under Submitting Comments in the ADDRESSES section. We will not 
consider comments sent by email or fax, or to an address not in the 
ADDRESSES section.
    Please make your requests or comments as specific as possible, 
confine your comments to issues for which we seek comments in this 
notice, and explain the basis for your comments. Include sufficient 
information with your comments 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 to, and analyses of, the applicable laws and regulations. We 
will not consider or include in our administrative record comments we 
receive after the close of the comment period (see DATES) or comments 
delivered to an address other than those listed above in ADDRESSES).

B. May I review comments submitted by others?

    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the street address listed under 
ADDRESSES. The public may review documents and other information 
applicants have sent in support of the application unless our allowing 
viewing would violate the Privacy Act or Freedom of Information Act. 
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.

C. Who will see my comments?

    If you submit a comment via http://www.regulations.gov, your entire 
comment, including any personal identifying information, will be posted 
on the website. If you submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal 
identifying 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 review. However, we cannot guarantee that 
we will be able to do so.

II. Background

    To help us carry out our conservation responsibilities for affected 
species, and in consideration of section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; ESA), we 
invite public comment on these permit applications before final action 
is taken.

III. Permit Applications

    We invite the public to comment on applications to conduct certain 
activities with endangered species. With some exceptions, the ESA 
prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization 
is acquired that allows such activities.

Applicant: B Bryan Preserve LLC, Point Arena, CA; PRT-MA117577 (Docket 
No. FWS-HQ-IA-2017-0098)

    The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 
50 CFR 17.21(g) for the following species to enhance species 
propagation or survival: Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi), Hartmann's 
mountain zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae), and eastern black rhinoceros 
(Diceros bicornis michaeli). This notification covers activities to be 
conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Tanganyika Wildlife Foundation, Goddard, KS; PRT-MA724896 
(Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2017-0098)

    The applicant requests a renewal/amendment to a captive-bred 
wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for the following species 
to enhance species propagation or survival: African penguin (Spheniscus 
demersus), ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta), red-ruffed lemur (Varecia 
rubra), Diana monkey (Cercopithecus diana diana), mandrill (Mandrillus 
sphinx), lar gibbon (Hylobates lar), siamang (Hylobates syndactylus), 
clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), snow leopard (Uncia uncia), 
spotted leopard (Panthera pardus), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), Asian 
tapir (Tapirus indicus), black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), Indian 
rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), southern white rhinoceros 
(Ceratotherium simum simum), Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi), Arabian oryx 
(Oryx leucoryx), and red lechwe (Kobus lechwe). This notification 
covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year 
period.

Applicant: Denver Zoological Foundation, d/b/a Denver Zoo, Denver, CO; 
PRT-32977C (Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2017-0064)

    In the Federal Register of October 23, 2017 (82 FR 49041), we 
published a notice inviting the public to comment on an application 
that we received from Denver Zoological Foundation, Denver, CO. We are 
reopening the comment period on that application. The applicant 
requests a permit to import two male captive-bred Asian elephants 
(Elephas maximus) from African Lion Safari, Ontario, Canada, to enhance 
the propagation or survival of the species. This notification is for a 
single import.
    If you wish to make comments, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal 
(http://www.regulations.gov) and follow the instructions for submitting 
comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2017-0064. Note: We are not reopening 
the comment periods of any of the other applications announced in the 
Federal Register notice of October 23, 2017.

IV. Next Steps

    If the Service decides to issue permits to any of the applicants 
listed in this notice, we will publish a notice in the Federal 
Register. You may locate the Federal Register notice announcing the 
permit issuance date by searching in www.regulations.gov under the 
permit number listed in this document (e.g., PRT-12345X).

VI. Authority

    Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Joyce Russell,
Government Information Specialist, Branch of Permits, Division of 
Management Authority.
[FR Doc. 2018-06680 Filed 4-2-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P