Endangered and Threatened Species; Receipt of Recovery Permit Applications
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received applications for permits to conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of endangered or threatened ...
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 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 April 4, 2024.
ADDRESSES:
Document availability and comment submission:
Submit requests for copies of the applications and related documents and submit any comments by one of the following methods. All requests and comments should specify the applicant name(s) and application number(s) (
e.g.,
XXXXXX or PER0001234).
U.S. Mail:
Susie Tharratt, Regional Recovery Permit Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-2606, Sacramento, CA 95825.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Susie Tharratt, via phone at 916-414-6561, or via email at
permitsR8ES@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:
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on applications for permits under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531et seq.). The requested permits would allow the applicants to conduct activities intended to promote recovery of species
( printed page 15883)
that are listed as endangered or threatened under the ESA.
Background
With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits activities that constitute take of listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that allows such activity. The ESA's definition of “take” includes such activities as pursuing, harassing, trapping, capturing, or collecting, in addition to hunting, shooting, harming, wounding, or killing.
A recovery permit issued by us under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA authorizes the permittee to conduct activities with endangered or threatened species for scientific purposes that promote recovery or for enhancement of propagation or survival of the species. These activities often include such prohibited actions as capture and collection. Our regulations implementing section 10(a)(1)(A) for these permits are found in the Code of Federal Regulations 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
Proposed activities in the following permit requests are for the recovery and enhancement of propagation or survival of the species in the wild. 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.
Survey using recorded vocalizations, locate and monitor nests, and remove brown-headed cowbird (
Molothrus ater) eggs and chicks from parasitized nests, capture, handle, band and color-band adults, band nestlings, and release
Renew.
203081
John Labonte, Goleta, California
• California tiger salamander (
Ambystoma californiense), Santa Barbara County distinct population segment
• Conservancy fairy shrimp (
Branchinecta conservatio)
• Longhorn fairy shrimp (
Branchinecta longiantenna)
• Vernal pool tadpole shrimp (
Lepidurus packardi)
• Riverside fairy shrimp (
Streptocephalus woottoni)
• San Diego fairy shrimp (
Branchinecta sandiegonensis)
• El Segundo blue butterfly (
Euphilotes battoides allyni)
• Conservancy fairy shrimp (
Branchinecta conservatio)
• Longhorn fairy shrimp (
Branchinecta longiantenna)
• Vernal pool tadpole shrimp (
Lepidurus packardi)
• Riverside fairy shrimp (
Streptocephalus woottoni)
• San Diego fairy shrimp (
Branchinecta sandiegonensis)
• San Diego button-celery (
Eryngium aristulatum
var.
parishii)
• San Diego mesa-mint (
Pogogyne abramsii)
• California Orcutt grass (
Orcuttia californica)
• Willowy monardella (
Monardella viminea)
CA
Survey, handle, collect vouchers, collect branchiopod resting eggs, process vernal pool soil samples, and culture and hatch out branchiopod resting eggs for species identification, remove and reduce to possession from lands under Federal jurisdiction
• Mountain yellow-legged frog (
Rana muscosa) northern distinct population segment
• Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (
Rana sierrae)
CA
Survey, capture, handle, swab, measure, collect biological samples, insert passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags, release, collect specimens for voucher and disease analysis and treatment, transport, translocate, captive rear, immunize, conduct research, transport captive reared individuals, and release
Renew.
80906C
Katherine Smith, San Rafael, California
• Salt marsh harvest mouse (
Reithrodontomys raviventris)
CA
Capture, handle, mark, collect hair, ear clip, ear tag, radio collar, and release
Renew and amend.
PER0121458
Donald Hardeman Jr., Cedar Hills, Texas
• California tiger salamander (
Ambystoma californiense), Santa Barbara County distinct population segment
• Foothill yellow-legged frog (
Rana boylii), South Sierra and South Coast distinct population segments
CA
Survey, capture, handle, swab, and release
Amend.
PER6121753
Andrew Motto, San Ramon, California
• Foothill yellow-legged frog (
Rana boylii), South Sierra and South Coast distinct population segments
CA
Survey, capture, handle, swab, and release
New.
71409C
Juliana Woodruff, Benicia, California
• California tiger salamander (
Ambystoma californiense), Santa Barbara County and Sonoma County distinct population segments
• Foothill yellow-legged frog (
Rana boylii), South Sierra and South Coast distinct population segments
• Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (
Rana sierrae)
• California tiger salamander (
Ambystoma californiense), Santa Barbara County and Sonoma County distinct population segments
CA
Survey, capture, handle, swab, and release
Renew.
PER8717669
Mello Dee Hrdlicka, Riverside, California
• San Bernardino Merriam's kangaroo rat (
Dipodomys merriami parvus)
CA
Survey, capture, handle, and release
New.
068745
Jeffrey Wilcox, Vallejo, California
• Foothill yellow-legged frog (
Rana boylii), South Sierra and South Coast distinct population segments
CA
Survey, capture, handle, swab, collect tail tissue, mark with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag and visual implant elastomer (VIE), attach radio transmitters, release, and conduct training workshops for
Amend.
012137
U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hunter Liggett, Fort Hunter Liggett, California
• Conservancy fairy shrimp (
Branchinecta conservatio)
• Longhorn fairy shrimp (
Branchinecta longiantenna)
• Vernal pool tadpole shrimp (
Lepidurus packardi)
• Riverside fairy shrimp (
Streptocephalus woottoni)
• San Diego fairy shrimp (
Branchinecta sandiegonensis)
• Least Bell's vireo (
Vireo bellii pusillus)
• Foothill yellow-legged frog (
Rana boylii), South Coast distinct population segment
CA
Survey, capture, band, handle, photograph, collect tail tip or salvaged tissue samples, head-start tadpoles in situ, rescue, transport, temporarily keep in captivity, release, collect adult vouchers, and collect branchiopod resting eggs
Survey using recorded vocalizations, locate and monitor nests, and remove brown-headed cowbird (
Molothrus ater) eggs and chicks from parasitized nests
Amend.
PER8721022
Shane Emerson, Sacramento, California
• Conservancy fairy shrimp (
Branchinecta conservatio)
• Longhorn fairy shrimp (
Branchinecta longiantenna)
• Vernal pool tadpole shrimp (
Lepidurus packardi)
• Riverside fairy shrimp (
Streptocephalus woottoni)
• San Diego fairy shrimp (
Branchinecta sandiegonensis)
• California tiger salamander (
Ambystoma californiense), Santa Barbara County and Sonoma County distinct population segments
CA
Survey, capture, handle, swab, release, and collect adult vouchers
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. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of 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. 1531et seq.).