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 species under ...
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 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 August 23, 2024.
ADDRESSES:
Reviewing Documents:
Submit requests for copies of applications and other information submitted with the applications to Karen Marlowe (see
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
). All requests and comments should specify the
( printed page 59925)
applicant's name and application number (
e.g.,
Mary Smith, ESPER0001234).
Submitting Comments:
If you wish to comment, you may submit comments by one of the following methods:
Email (preferred method): permitsR4ES@fws.gov.
Please include your name and return address in your email message. If you do not receive a confirmation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that we have received your email message, contact us directly at the telephone number listed in
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
.
U.S. mail:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office, Ecological Services, 1875 Century Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30345 (Attn: Karen Marlowe, Permit Coordinator).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Karen Marlowe, Permit Coordinator, via telephone at 404-679-7097 or via email at
karen_marlowe@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 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. 1531et 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 of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a), and the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).
Background
With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits take of listed species unless a federal permit is issued that authorizes such take. The definition of “take” in the ESA 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) of the ESA 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 application No.
Applicant
Species
Location
Activity
Type of take
Permit action
ES117405-5
Tennessee Valley Authority; Knoxville, TN
Gray bat (
Myotis grisescens), Indiana bat (
Myotis sodalis), northern long-eared bat (
Myotis septentrionalis), tricolored bat (
Perimyotis subflavus), and Virginia big-eared bat (
Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus)
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia
Presence/probable absence surveys
Swabbing
Renewal and amendment.
ES14105A-3
Melissa Littrell; Lexington, KY
Tricolored bat (
Perimyotis subflavus)
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia
Presence/probable absence surveys
Capture with mist nets or harp traps, handle, identify, band, radio tag, and release
Renewal and amendment.
ES237549-3
Cory Holliday; Gainesboro, TN
Tricolored bat (
Perimyotis subflavus)
Tennessee
Presence/probable absence surveys
Enter hibernacula or maternity roost caves, capture with mist nets or harp traps, handle, identify, collect hair samples, swab, band, radio tag, and release
Renewal and amendment.
( printed page 59926)
ES171545-4
Ronald Redman; Benton, AR
Tricolored bat (
Perimyotis subflavus)
Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Wyoming
Presence/probable absence surveys and white-nose syndrome research
Enter hibernacula or maternity roost caves, capture with mist nets or harp traps, handle, identify, band, radio tag, swab, and release
Renewal and amendment.
ES81492B-2
Biotope Forestry and Environmental, LLC; Sylva, NC
Tricolored bat (
Perimyotis subflavus)
Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
Presence/probable absence surveys, habitat use and assessment research, population monitoring, and studies to evaluate potential impacts of white-nose syndrome or other potential threats
Capture with mist nets and harp traps, handle, identify, band, radio tag, and release
Capture, band, monitor nest cavities, construct and monitor artificial nest cavities and restrictors, translocate, and release
Renewal.
ES171518-2
Ouachita National Forest; Hot Springs, AR
Red-cockaded woodpecker (
Picoides borealis) and American burying beetle (
Nicrophorus americanus)
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas
Population management and monitoring and presence/probable absence surveys
Red-cockaded woodpecker: capture, handle, band, monitor nest cavities, construct and monitor artificial nest cavities and restrictors, translocate, and release; American burying beetle: live trap and release
Renewal and amendment.
( printed page 59927)
ES12392A-4
The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies; Gulfport, MS
Green sea turtle (
Chelonia mydas), Kemp's ridley sea turtle (
Lepidochelys kempii), and loggerhead sea turtle (
Caretta caretta)
Mississippi
Scientific research
Attach satellite transmitters to turtles prior to release from rehabilitation facility
Amendment.
PER9860588-0
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; Bellefonte, PA
Captive propagation for reintroduction and research
Collect gravid females, remove glochidia, return females to the wild, retain glochidia in captivity to grow out for reintroduction and research
New.
PER10116282-0
Christopher Thigpen; Jonesboro, AR
Northern long-eared bat (
Myotis septentrionalis)
Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee
Presence/probable absence surveys
Capture with mist nets, handle, identify, band, radio tag, and release
New.
PER10115889-0
Sharna Tolfree; Columbia, SC
Red-cockaded woodpecker (
Picoides borealis)
Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia
Population management and monitoring and presence/probable absence surveys
Capture, handle, band, monitor nest cavities, construct and monitor artificial nest cavities, translocate, and release
New.
PER10145221-0
Bonnie Porter; New Orleans, LA
Gray bat (
Myotis grisescens), Indiana bat (
Myotis sodalis), northern long-eared bat (
Myotis septentrionalis), and tricolored bat (
Perimyotis subflavus)
Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
Presence/probable absence surveys
Capture with mist nets, handle, identify, band, radio tag, and release
New.
PER10145867-0
Mississippi State University; Biloxi, MS
Northern long-eared bat (
Myotis septentrionalis) and tricolored bat (
Perimyotis subflavus)
Mississippi
Presence/probable absence surveys and habitat-use monitoring
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin
Presence/probable absence surveys
Capture, handle, identify, tag, and release
Amendment.
PER10878815-0
HGS Engineering, Inc; Anniston, AL
Red-cockaded woodpecker (
Picoides borealis)
Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina
Presence/probable absence surveys and population monitoring
Examine active cavities with a mirror and droplight or a video probe
New.
PER10877733-0
Nicholas Sharp; Somerville, AL
Gray bat (
Myotis grisescens), Indiana bat (
Myotis sodalis), northern long-eared bat (
Myotis septentrionalis), and tricolored bat (
Perimyotis subflavus)
Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
Presence/probable absence surveys
Enter hibernacula or maternity roost caves, capture with mist nets or harp traps, handle, identify, band, radio tag, and release
Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
Presence/probable absence surveys
Tricolored bat: capture with mist nets or harp traps, handle, identify, band, radio tag, and release; Mussels: capture, identify, mark, release, collect relic shells
Amendment.
PER11108599-0
Julie Weckworth, University of Montana; Missoula, MT
Tricolored bat (
Perimyotis subflavus)
Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin
Scientific research
Capture with harp trap, mist net, or hand-held hoop net, handle, identify, wing punch, swab, PIT tag, and release
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
After the comment period closes, we will make decisions regarding permit issuance. If we issue permits to any of the applicants listed above in this notice, we will publish a subsequent notice in the
Federal Register
. You may locate the notice announcing the permit issuance by searching
https://www.regulations.gov
for the application number listed above in this document. Type in your search exactly as the application number appears above, with spaces and hyphens as necessary. For example, to find information about the potential issuance of Permit No. PER 1234567-0, you would go to
https://www.regulations.gov
and put “PER 1234567-0” in the Search field.
Authority
We publish this notice under section 10(c) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531et seq.).