2021-17664. Endangered and Threatened Species; Receipt of Recovery Permit Applications

AGENCY:

Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:

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 September 17, 2021.

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., TEXXXXXX; see table in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION):

• Email: [e-mail]. Please refer to the respective application number (e.g., Application No. TEXXXXXX) 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); [e-mail] (email). Individuals who are hearing or speech impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), 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 Code of Federal Regulations (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

We invite local, State, and Federal agencies; Tribes; and the public to comment on the following applications:

Application No.	Applicant	Species	Location	Activity	Type of take	Permit action
ES06778A	USDA Forest Service, Shawnee National Forest, Vienna, IL	Gray bat (Myotis grisescens), Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis)	IL, IN, MO, OH	Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, evaluate impacts	Capture, handle, mist-net, band, attach radio transmitters, nonintrusive measurements, collect hair, fungal lift tape, swab, and wing biopsy samples, release, salvage	Renew.
PER0015167	Michael Whitby, Lincoln, NE	Gray bat (Myotis grisescens), Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis)	AL, AR, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MA, MD, MI, MO, MN, MS, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VT, VA, WV, WI, WY	Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, evaluate impacts	Capture, handle, mist-net, band, attach radio transmitters, release	Renew.
PER0011986	Lindsey Jakovljevic, Kirtland, OH	Clubshell (Pleurobema clava), fanshell (Cyprogenia stegaria), fat pocketbook (Potamilus capax), Higgins' eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsii), Neosho mucket (Lampsilis rafinesqueana), northern riffleshell (Epioblasma torulosa rangiana), orangefoot pimpleback (pearlymussel) (Plethobasus cooperianus), pink mucket (pearlymussel) (Lampsilis abrupta), purple cat's paw (Epioblasma obliquata obliquata), rabbitsfoot (Quadrula cylindrica cylindrica), rayed bean (Villosa fabalis), ring pink (Obovaria retusa), rough pigtoe (Pleurobema plenum), scaleshell (Leptodea leptodon), sheepnose (Plethobasus cyphyus), snuffbox (Epioblasma triquetra), speckled pocketbook (Lampsilis strecken), spectaclecase (Cumberlandia monodonta), winged mapleleaf (Quadrula fragosa), white cat's paw (Epioblasma obliquata perobliqua)	AL, AK, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, MS, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, TN, WI, WV	Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, evaluate impacts	Capture, handle, observe, release, survey	New.
PER0013263	Marion Wells, Springboro, OH	Clubshell (Pleurobema clava), Curtis pearlymussel (Epioblasma florentina curtisii), fanshell (Cyprogenia stegaria), fat pocketbook (Potamilus capax), Neosho mucket (Lampsilis rafinesqueana), northern riffleshell (Epioblasma torulosa rangiana), pink mucket (pearlymussel) (Lampsilis abrupta), purple cat's paw (Epioblasma obliquata obliquata), rabbitsfoot (Quadrula cylindrica cylindrica), rayed bean (Villosa fabalis), scaleshell (Leptodea leptodon), sheepnose (Plethobasus cyphyus), snuffbox (Epioblasma triquetra), spectaclecase (Cumberlandia monodonta), winged mapleleaf (Quadrula fragosa), white cat's paw (Epioblasma obliquata perobliqua)	OH, MO	Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, evaluate impacts	Capture, handle, observe, release, survey	Renew.
PER0015171	Cory Suski, Urbana, IL	Higgins' eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsii)	IL	Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, evaluate impacts, conduct research	Collect, handle, hold, kill, 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 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. 1531 et seq.).

Lori Nordstrom,

Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services.