2010-11847. 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 with endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits activities with listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that allows such activities. The ESA laws require that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

DATES:

We must receive requests for documents or comments on or before June 17, 2010.

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 e-mail [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

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

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 e-mail 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 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, e-mail 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, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, section 10(a)(1)(A), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) require that we invite public comment before final action on these permit applications.

III. Permit Applications

Endangered Species

Applicant: Zoological Society of San Diego, San Diego, CA; PRT-09145A

The applicant requests a permit to export one female captive bred giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) born at the zoo in 2005 and owned by the Government of China, to the Wolong Nature Reserve, China under the terms of their loan agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. This export is part of the approved loan program for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species through scientific research as outlined in the Zoological Society of San Diego's original permit.

Applicant: George Carden Circus International, Inc., Springfield, MO; PRT -070854, 079868, 079870, 079871, and 079872.

The applicant requests the re-issuance of their permits to re-export and re-import five female Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) to worldwide locations for the purposes of enhancement of the species through conservation education. The permit numbers and animals are: 070854, Bimbo Jr.; 079868, Vickie; 079870, Jenny; 079871, Judy and 079872, Cyd. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a three-year period and the import of any potential progeny born while overseas.

Applicant: University of California, San Diego, CA; PRT-236267

On March 1, 2010, we published a Federal Register notice inviting the public to comment on an application for permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species (75 FR 9251). We made an error and neglected to report one species from which specimens would be obtained. In addition to the three species listed, DNA and/or cell lines from the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) would be obtained for the purpose of scientific research.

Multiple Applicants

The following applicants each request a permit to import the 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.

Applicant: John Turner, Fresco, CA; PRT-02299A

Applicant: Robert Andersen, La Salle, CO; PRT-10431A

Applicant: James Cordock, Indiantown, FL; PRT-11227A

Dated: May 7, 2010

Brenda Tapia

Program Analyst, Branch of Permits, Division of Management Authority