# U.S. Endangered Species; 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, invite the public to comment on the following applications for a permit to conduct activities intended to recover and enhance endangered species survival. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), prohibits certain activities that may impact endangered species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.
**DATES:**
To ensure consideration, please send your written comments by April 9, 2018.
**ADDRESSES:**
Request documents or submit comments to Susan Jacobsen, Chief, Classification and Restoration Division, by U.S. mail at Classification and Recovery Division, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM 87103. Please specify the permit you are interested in by number ( *e.g.,* Permit No. TE-123456).
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Susan Jacobsen, Chief, Classification and Restoration Division, by U.S. mail at P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM 87103; or by telephone at 505-248-6641.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
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 recover and enhance endangered species survival. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 *et seq.;* ESA), prohibits certain activities that may impact endangered species, unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.
**Background**
The ESA prohibits certain activities with endangered and threatened species unless a Federal permit authorizes them. The ESA and our implementing regulations in Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) title 50, part 17, provide for issuing such permits and require that we invite public comment before issuing permits for activities involving endangered species.
A recovery permit we issue under the ESA, section 10(a)(1)(A), authorizes the permittee to conduct activities with endangered or threatened species for scientific purposes that promote recovery or enhance the species' propagation or survival. 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.
In accordance with the ESA, section 10(c), we invite public comment on these permit applications before we take final action.
**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 for the application when submitting comments.
Documents and other information submitted with these applications are available for review by any party who submits a written request to the Program Manager for Restoration and Endangered Species Classification at the address in the *ADDRESSES* section. Requests must be submitted within 30 days of this notice's publication date. Releasing documents is subject to Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) requirements.
**Permit Applications**
Proposed activities in the following permit requests are for the species' recovery and survival enhancement.
| Application | Applicant | Species | Location | Activity | Type of take | Permit |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| TE-58221C | Jorge A. DaSilva, Weslaco, Texas | (Walker's manioc) | Texas | Collection of seed and propagation | Harm | New. |
| TE-55633C | Jacob D. Owen, Austin, Texas | Golden-cheeked warbler (
), Black-capped vireo (
), Georgetown salamander (
), Jollyville Plateau salamander (
), Salado salamander (
), San Marcos salamander (
), Texas blind salamander (
), Barton Springs salamander (
), and Austin blind salamander (
) | Texas | Presence/absence surveys; nest monitoring; bird banding | Harm and Harass | New. |
| TE-099278 | Fred Phillips Consulting, Flagstaff, Arizona | Huachuca water umbel (
var.
) | Arizona, New Mexico | Presence/absence surveys | Harm | Amend. |
| TE-33177C | Newgord, Gary, Austin, Texas | Golden-cheeked warbler (
), Black-capped vireo (
), Houston toad (
), Interior least tern (
), Northern aplomado falcon (
), and Red-cockaded woodpecker (
) | Texas, Oklahoma | Presence/absence surveys | Harm | New. |
| TE-009926 | Gulf South Research Corporation, Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Reticulated flatwoods salamander (
) | Florida | Presence/absence surveys | Capture and harass; harm | Amend. |
| TE-799103 | Hicks and Company, Austin, Texas | Houston toad (
) | Texas | Live capture and handling | Capture and harass; harm | Amend. |
| TE-037155 | Bio-West, Inc., Round Rock, Texas | Sharpnose shiner (
), smalleye shiner (
) | Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Capture and harass; harm | Amend. |
| TE-59231C | Laurel L. Moulton, Austin, Texas | Golden-cheeked warbler (
) | Texas | DNA; blood sampling | Capture, harm, and harass | New. |
| TE-63022C | Nancy Karraker, Kingston, Rhode Island | Jemez Mountains salamander (
) | New Mexico | Presence/absence surveys | Capture, harm, and harass | New. |
| TE-48900C | Keith Geluso, Kearney, Nebraska | Lesser long-nosed bat (
), Mexican long-nosed bat (
), northern Mexican gartersnake (
), narrow-headed gartersnake (
) | Arizona | Presence/absence surveys | Capture, harm, and harass | New. |
| TE-87818B | Melanie L. Gregory, | Indiana bat (
), gray bat (
) | Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia | Presence/absence surveys | Capture, harm, and harass | Amend. |
| TE-037155 | Bio-West, Inc. Round Rock, Texas | Smalleye shiner, sharpnose shiner | Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Capture, harm, and harass | Amend. |
**Public Availability of Comments**
All comments and materials we receive in response to these requests will be available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the address listed 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: November 30, 2017.
Amy Lueders,
Regional Director, Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.