Endangered and Threatened Species; Receipt of Recovery Permit Applications
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...
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 September 29, 2025.
ADDRESSES:
Document availability and comment submission:
Submit requests for copies of the applications and related documents, as well as any comments, by one of the following methods. All requests and comments should specify the applicant name(s) and application number(s) (
e.g.,
ESXXXXXX; see table in
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
):
Email (preferred method): permitsR3ES@fws.gov.
Please refer to the respective application number (
e.g.,
Application No. ESXXXXXX) in the subject line of your email message.
U.S. Mail:
Regional Director, Attn: Nathan Rathbun, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, 5600 American Blvd. West, Suite 990, Bloomington, MN 55437-1458.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nathan Rathbun, 612-713-5343 (phone);
permitsR3ES@fws.gov
(email). 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. 1539(c)). 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.
( printed page 42262)
Application No.
Applicant
Species
Location
Activity
Type of take
Permit
action
ES75495D
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council; Petoskey, MI
Hungerford's crawling water beetle (
Brychius hungerfordi)
MI
Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts
Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts
Capture, handle, collect non-intrusive measurements, relocate under special circumstances, release
New.
ES049738
Third Rock Consultants, LLC; Lexington, KY
Add new species—tri-colored Bat (
Perimyotis subflavus), longsolid (
Fusconaia subrotunda), round hickorynut (
Obovaria subrotunda)—to existing authorized species: nine freshwater fish species, 50 freshwater mussel species, Indiana bat (
Myotis sodalis), gray bat (
M. grisescens), northern long-eared bat (
M. septentrionalis), Ozark big-eared bat (
Corynorhinus townsendii ingens), Virginia big-eared bat (
C. t. virginianus), big sandy crayfish (
Cambarus callainus), American burying beetle (
Nicrophorus Americanus)
AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, MS, MI, MN, MO, NC, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV, WI
Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts
Capture, handle, collect non-intrusive measurements, relocate under special circumstances, release, conduct radiotelemetry, mist net, harp trap
Amend.
ES72093B
Rebecca Winterringer; Euclid, OH
Add new species—longsolid (
Fusconaia subrotunda), round hickorynut (
Obovaria subrotunda)—to existing 35 authorized freshwater mussel species
AL, AR, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MS, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OK, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WI
Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts
Capture, handle, relocate, release
Renew and amend.
( printed page 42263)
ES33467D
Aaron McAlexander; Unionville, IN
Indiana bat (
Myotis sodalis), northern long-eared bat (
M. septentrionalis), and gray bat (
M. grisescens)
AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VT, VA, WV, WI,
Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts
Capture with mist nets, handle, collect non-intrusive measurements, release
Add new locations—IN, IL, OH, MN, TX, WI—to existing authorized locations: MI
Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts
Add new activities—collect voucher specimens, relocate, relocate due to stranding, mark, tag—to existing authorized activities: capture, handle, release
Renew and amend.
ES12174D
Joshua Allen; Easton, KS
Add new species—tricolored bat (
Perimyotis subflavus)—to existing authorized species: Indiana bat (
Myotis sodalis), northern long-eared bat (
M. septentrionalis), gray bat (
M. grisescens)
AL, AR, CN, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, VT, VA, WV, WI, WY
Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts
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)).