2014-01368. Endangered Species; Marine Mammals Receipt of Applications for Permit

AGENCY:

Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of receipt of applications for permit.

SUMMARY:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities endangered species, marine mammals, or both. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities.

DATES:

We must receive comments or requests for documents on or before February 24, 2014. We must receive requests for marine mammal permit public hearings, in writing, at the address shown in the ADDRESSES section by February 24, 2014.

ADDRESSES:

Brenda Tapia, Division of Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 212, Arlington, VA 22203; fax [phone]; or email [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Brenda Tapia, [phone] (telephone); [phone] (fax); [e-mail] (email).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Public Comment Procedures

A. How do I request copies of applications or comment on submitted applications?

Send your request for copies of applications or comments and materials concerning any of the applications to the contact listed under ADDRESSES. Please include the Federal Register notice publication date, the PRT-number, and the name of the applicant in your request or submission. We will not consider requests or comments sent to an email or address not listed under ADDRESSES. If you provide an email address in your request for copies of applications, we will attempt to respond to your request electronically.

Please make your requests or comments as specific as possible. Please 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 (see 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.

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.), and the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), along with Executive Order 13576, “Delivering an Efficient, Effective, and Accountable Government,” and the President's Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies of January 21, 2009—Transparency and Open Government (74 FR 4685; January 26, 2009), which call on all Federal agencies to promote openness and transparency in Government by disclosing information to the public, we invite public comment on these permit applications before final action is taken. Under the MMPA, you may request a hearing on any MMPA application received. If you request a hearing, give specific reasons why a hearing would be appropriate. The holding of such a hearing is at the discretion of the Service Director.

III. Permit Applications

A. Endangered Species

Applicant: World Class Reptiles, Bastrop, TX; PRT-09757B

The applicant requests amendment to their captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) to include golden parakeet (Guarouba guarouba), Cuban parrot (Amazona leucocephala), salmon-crested cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis), yellow-spotted river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis), tartaruga (Podocnemis expansa), and spotted pond turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii) to enhance the species' propagation or survival. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Zoological Consortium of Maryland, Inc., Thurmont, MD; PRT-10226B

The applicant requests amendment to their captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) to include the following species, to enhance their propagation or survival. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Species

Anoa (Bubalus depressicornis)

Bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus)

Asian wild ass (Equus hemionus)

Woylie (Bettongia penicillata)

Golden parakeet (Guarouba guarouba)

Red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis)

Grand Cayman blue iguana (Cyclura lewisi)

Cayman Brac iguana (Cyclura nubila caymanensis)

Cuban ground iguana (Cyclura nubila)

Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis)

African dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)

Applicant: Godwins Gatorland Inc., Orlando, FL; PRT-093325

The applicant requests renewal of their captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for the family Crocodylidae, to enhance their propagation or survival. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Shawn Heflick, Palm Bay, FL; PRT-28052A

The applicant requests renewal and amendment of their captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for the following species, to enhance their propagation or survival. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Species

African slender-snouted crocodile (Crocodylus cataphractus)

Cuban crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer),

Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)

Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)

Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis)

African dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)

Common caiman (Caiman crocodylus crocodylus)

Brown caiman (Caiman crocodylus fuscus)

Yacare caiman (Caiman yacare)

Broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris)

Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis)

Radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)

Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra)

Cuban ground iguana (Cyclura nubila nubila)

Grand Cayman blue iguana (Cyclura lewisi)

Applicant: James Badman, Mesa, AZ; PRT-099586

The applicant requests renewal and amendment of their captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for the following species, to enhance their propagation or survival. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Species

Spotted pond turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii)

Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra)

Radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)

Bali starling (Leucopsar rothschildi)

Golden parakeet (Guarouba guarouba)

Applicant: Hill Ranch Ltd., Glen Rose, TX; PRT-25042B

The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii), Eld's deer (Rucervus eldii), scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah), Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx), addax (Addax nasomaculatus), dama gazelle (Nanger dama), and red lechwe (Kobus leche) to enhance the species' propagation or survival. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Hill Ranch Ltd., Glen Rose, TX; PRT-25041B

The applicant requests a permit authorizing interstate and foreign commerce, export, and cull of excess scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) from the captive herd maintained at their facility, for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species. This notification covers activities over a 5-year period.

Applicant: John Grigus, Lemont, IL; PRT-25262B

The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata) to enhance the species' propagation or survival. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Kyle Asplundh, New Hope, PA; PRT-25444B

The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra), radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata), spotted pond turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii), yellow-spotted river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis), Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis), African dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis), caiman (Caiman crocodylus), Yacare caiman (Caiman yacare), broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris), and Grand Cayman blue iguana (Cyclura lewisi), to enhance the species' propagation or survival. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: The Zoo Foundation Inc., dba Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, Gulf Shores, AL; PRT-25202B

The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) to include the following species, to enhance the species' propagation or survival. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Species:

Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra)

Radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)

Spotted pond turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii)

Caiman (Caiman crocodylus)

Yacare caiman (Caiman yacare)

Grand Cayman blue iguana (Cyclura lewisi)

Golden parakeet (Guarouba guarouba)

Salmon-crested cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis)

Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta)

Black and white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata)

Red ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra)

Brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus),

Cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus)

Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx)

Lar gibbon (Hylobates lar)

Leopard (Panthera pardus)

Addax (Addax nasomaculatus)

Red lechwe (Kobus leche)

Applicant: James DeWoody, Lafayette, IN; PRT-25261B

The applicant requests a permit to import a sport-hunted trophy of one male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled from a captive herd maintained under the management program of the Republic of South Africa, for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species.

B. Endangered Marine Mammals and Marine Mammals

Applicant: BBC Television, Bristol, England, United Kingdom; PRT-13110B

The applicant requests a permit to photograph northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) in Alaska, from the ground and in the water, for commercial and educational purposes. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 1-year period.

Concurrent with publishing this notice in the Federal Register, we are forwarding copies of the above applications to the Marine Mammal Commission and the Committee of Scientific Advisors for their review.

Brenda Tapia,

Program Analyst/Data Administrator, Branch of Permits, Division of Management Authority.