Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permit Applications

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 153 (Tuesday, August 9, 2016)

Federal Register Volume 81, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 9, 2016)

Notices

Pages 52708-52710

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov

FR Doc No: 2016-18819

=======================================================================

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

FWS-R3-ES-2016-N123; FXES11130300000-167-FF03E00000

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permit Applications

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications for a permit to conduct activities intended to enhance the survival of endangered or threatened species. Federal law prohibits certain activities with endangered species unless a permit is obtained.

DATES: We must receive any written comments on or before September 8, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments by U.S. mail to the Regional Director, Attn: Carlita Payne, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, 5600

Page 52709

American Blvd. West, Suite 990, Bloomington, MN 55437-1458; or by electronic mail to permitsR3ES@fws.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carlita Payne, (612) 713-5343.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), prohibits certain activities with endangered and threatened species unless the activities are specifically 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 permit granted by us under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA authorizes the permittee to conduct activities with U.S. endangered or threatened species for scientific purposes, enhancement of propagation or survival, or interstate commerce (the latter only in the event that it facilitates scientific purposes or enhancement of propagation or survival). 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.

Applications Available for Review and Comment

We invite local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies and the public to comment on the following applications. Please refer to the permit number when you submit comments. Documents and other information the applicants have submitted with the applications are available for review, subject to the requirements of the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).

Permit Applications

Proposed activities in the following permit requests are for the recovery and enhancement of survival of the species in the wild.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Application No. Applicant Species Location Activity Type of take Permit action

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TE217351............... U.S. Department of Indiana bat (Myotis OH, KY, IL......... Conduct presence/ Capture, handle, Amend, renew.

Agriculture sodalis), northern absence surveys, radio-tag, release.

(USDA)--Forest long-eared bat document habitat

Service, (Myotis use, conduct

Nelsonville, OH. septentrionalis), population

gray bat (Myotis monitoring,

grisescens). evaluate impacts.

TE03495B............... Kristina Hammond, Indiana bat, Rangewide.......... Conduct presence/ Capture, handle, Amend, renew.

Cheyenne, WY. northern long- absence surveys, radio-tag, release.

eared bat. document habitat

use, conduct

population

monitoring,

evaluate impacts.

TE64238B............... Jocelyn Karsk, Ball Indiana bat, Rangewide.......... Conduct presence/ Capture, handle, Amend.

State University, northern long- absence, radio-tag, release.

Muncie, IN. eared bat. migration, and

telemetry surveys.

TE10887A............... U.S. Geological Karner blue WI................. Establish captive Capture, collect, Amend, renew.

Survey, butterfly colony for climate obtain eggs,

Chesterton, IN. (Lycaeides melissa change research. maintain/rear in

samuelis). captivity.

TE77313A............... Egret Environmental Indiana bat, Rangewide.......... Conduct presence/ capture, handle, Amend.

Consulting, LLC. northern long- absence surveys, radio-tag, release.

eared bat, gray document habitat

bat, Hine's use, conduct

emerald dragonfly population

(Somatochlora monitoring,

hineana). evaluate impacts.

TE31355B............... Brooke Hines, Indiana bat, Rangewide.......... Conduct presence/ Capture, handle, Amend, renew.

Paris, KY. northern long- absence surveys, radio-tag, release.

eared bat, gray document habitat

bat, Virginia big- use, conduct

eared bat population

(Plecotus monitoring,

townsendii evaluate impacts.

virginianus),

Ozark big-eared

bat (Plecotus

townsendii ingens).

TE049738............... Third Rock Indiana bat, AL, FL, GA, IA, IL, Conduct presence/ Capture, handle Amend, renew.

Consultants, LLC, northern long- IN, KY, MI, MO, absence surveys, (bats); harass

Lexington, KY. eared bat, gray MS, NC, OH, SC, TN. document habitat (mussels and

bat, Virginia big- use, conduct fish); capture,

eared bat, Ozark population handle, release

big-eared bat, monitoring, (beetle).

American burying evaluate impacts.

beetle

(Nicrophorus

americanus), 18

fish species, and

50 mussel species.

TE98294A............... Normandale Indiana bat, IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, Conduct presence/ Capture, handle, Amend, renew.

Associates Inc., northern long- MO, OH, WI. absence surveys. radio-tag, release.

Stowe, PA. eared bat.

TE01322C............... USDA--Forest Indiana bat, Rangewide.......... Conduct presence/ Capture, handle, New.

Service, Northern northern long- absence surveys, radio-tag, band,

Research Station, eared bat. conduct population collect samples,

Rhinelander, WI. monitoring, release.

conduct white-nose

syndrome research.

TE01320C............... Kristi Confortin, Indiana bat, IL, IN............. Conduct presence/ Capture, handle, New.

Ball State northern long- absence surveys, radio-tag, band,

University, eared bat. conduct population collect samples,

Muncie, IN. monitoring, release, salvage.

conduct white-nose

syndrome research.

TE01311C............... Shawn McKinley, Indiana bat, OH................. Conduct presence/ Capture, band, New.

Grafton, WV. northern long- absence surveys. release.

eared bat, gray

bat, Virginia big-

eared bat.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Page 52710

National Environmental Policy Act

The proposed activities in the requested permits qualify as categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act, as provided by Department of the Interior implementing regulations in part 46 of title 43 of the CFR (43 CFR 46.205, 46.210, and 46.215).

Public Availability of Comments

We seek public review and comments on these permit applications. Please refer to the permit number when you submit comments. Comments and materials we receive in response to this notice are available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the address listed above in ADDRESSES.

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.

Authority

We provide this notice under section 10 of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Dated: July 29, 2016.

Sean Marsan,

Acting Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Midwest Region.

FR Doc. 2016-18819 Filed 8-8-16; 8:45 am

BILLING CODE 4333-15-P