# 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 November 9, 2018.
**ADDRESSES:**
*Document availability:* Request documents by phone or email: Susan Jacobsen, 505-248-6641, *[email protected].*
*Comment submission:* Submit comments by U.S. mail to Susan Jacobsen, 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, 505-248-6641.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
**Background**
With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits activities that constitute take of listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that allows such activity. The ESA's definition of “take” includes hunting, shooting, harming, wounding, or killing but also such activities as pursuing, harassing, trapping, capturing, or collecting.
The ESA and our implementing regulations in the 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. These activities often include such prohibited actions as capture and collection. 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**
Documents and other information submitted with these applications are available for review by any party who submits a request as specified in *ADDRESSES* . Releasing documents is subject to the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) requirements.
Proposed activities in the following permit requests are for the recovery and enhancement of propagation or survival of the species in the wild. We invite local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies and the public to submit written data, views, or arguments with respect to these applications. The comments and recommendations that will be most useful and likely to influence agency decisions are those supported by quantitative information or studies. Please refer to the application number when submitting comments.
| Application No. | Applicant | Species | Location | Activity | Type of take | Permit action |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| TE-93531C | Stewart, Justin; Austin, Texas | Golden-cheeked Warbler (
) | Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Harm, harass | New. |
| TE-85341C | Ward, William A.; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | American Burying Beetle (
) | Oklahoma | Presence/absence surveys, habitat surveys | Capture, injury, death | New. |
| TE-85337C | Barnes, Bradley W.; Moore, Oklahoma | American Burying Beetle (
) | Oklahoma | Presence/absence surveys, habitat surveys | Capture, injury, death | New. |
| TE-85444C | Chickasaw Nation; Ada, Oklahoma | American Burying Beetle (
) | Oklahoma, Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Capture, injury, death | New. |
| TE-038055 | University of New Mexico, Dr. Turner; Albuquerque, New Mexico | Rio Grande Silvery Minnow (
), Spikedace (
), Loach Minnow (
) | New Mexico, Arizona | Aquatic sampling/surveying (electrofishing, seines, dip-nets, block nets, and kick seines, others methods as approved), collect fin-clips | Capture, injury, death, collect | Renew. |
| TE-023159B | Southwestern Ornithological Research and Adventures (SORA), Albuquerque, New Mexico | Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo (
), Lesser Prairie-Chicken (
s), Mexican Spotted Owl (
), Northern Aplomado Falcon (
s), Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (
) | New Mexico, Texas | Ground surveys, presence/absence surveys, breeding surveys | Harm, harass, injury, death | Renew. |
| TE-082492 | Hancock, Charles Dean; Youngsville, New Mexico | Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (
s), Mexican Spotted Owl (
), Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo (
), Jemez Mountain Salamander (
) | New Mexico | Presence/absence surveys, mist-netting, nest boxes, hand capture | Capture, collect, harm, harass, injury, death | Renew. |
| TE-85591C | Jarrell, Jared M.; Tulsa, Oklahoma | American Burying Beetle (
) | Oklahoma | Presence/absence surveys | Capture, injury, death | New. |
| TE-001623 | American Southwest Ichthyological Researchers (ASIR), Dr. Dudley; Albuquerque, New Mexico | Arkansas River Shiner (
), Colorado Pikeminnow (
), Razorback Sucker (
), Humpback Chub (
), Gila Chub (
), Rio Grande Silvery Minnow (
), Spikedace (
), Loach Minnow (
) | Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah | Population monitoring, spawning activities, downstream transport studies, surveys, collection, fin clips, salvage, seines, dip nets, electrofishing | Capture, collect, injury, death | Renewal. |
| TE-837751 | U.S Bureau of Reclamation; Glendale, Arizona | Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (
), Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo (
), Northern Mexican gartersnake (
), Narrow-headed gartersnake (
), Chiricahua Leopard Frog (
), Pima Pineapple Cactus (
), Yuma Clapper Rail (
s), Desert Pupfish (
s), Gila Topminnow (
), Colorado Pikeminnow (
), Spikedace (
), Loach Minnow (
), Razorback Sucker (
), Woundfin (
) | Arizona | Surveys, Trapping, Capture, Electrofishing | Collect, harass, injury, death | Amend. |
| TE-88641C | Perkins, Steve; Farmington, New Mexico | Knowlton's Cactus (
), Kuenzler Hedgehog Cactus (
), Lee Pincushion Cactus (
), Mesa Verde Cactus (
), Sneed Pincushion Cactus (Escobaria sneedii var. sneedii), Zuni Fleabane (
), Holy Ghost Ipomopsis (
), Mancos Milkvetch (
), Todsen's Pennyroyal (
), Sacramento Prickly Poppy (
), Pecos Sunflower (
), Sacramento Mountains Thistle (
), Gypsum Wild-Buckwheat ( | New Mexico | Presense/absence surveys | N/A | New. |
| TE-819458 | National Park Service, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument); Ajo, Arizona | Sonoyta Mud Turtle (
) | Arizona | Population surveys, trapping | Trap, injury, death | Amend. |
| TE-00974A | McLean, Jesse M.; Dallas Texas | Golden-cheeked Warbler (
) | Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Harass, injury, death | Renew. |
| TE-85338C | McCoy, Chad B.; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | American Burying Beetle (
) | Oklahoma | Presence/absence surveys, habitat surveys | Capture, injury, death | New. |
| TE-041875 | University of Arizona, Dr. Koprowski; Tucson, Arizona | Sonoran Tiger Salamander (
), Mount Graham Red Squirrel (
) | Arizona | Trap, tissue sample, radio-collar, mark, release, monitor, recapture | Capture, collect, injury, death | Renew. |
| TE-64710A | Jackson, Jacob T.; Austin, Texas | Houston Toad (
) | Texas | Surveys, capture, relocation/salvage | Capture, collect, injury, death | Renew. |
| TE-90005C | Patterson, Rande; Houston, Texas | American Burying Beetle (
) | Oklahoma, Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Capture, injury, death | New. |
| TE-93537C | Turtle Island Restoration Network; Galveston, Texas | Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (
), Green Sea Turtle (
), Loggerhead Sea Turtle (
), Hawksbill Sea Turtle (
), Leatherback Sea Turtle (
) | Texas | Nesting surveys, capture, relocation and release, sample collection | Capture, collect, injury, death | New. |
| TE-053109 | Stefferud, Sally E.; Phoenix, Arizona | Desert Pupfish (
s), Gila Topminnow (
) | Arizona | Surveys, Trapping, Capture, Electrofishing | Collect, harass, injury, death | Renew. |
| TE-79697C | Clark, Barrett R.; Kyle, Texas | Coffin Cave mold beetle (
), Helotes mold beetle (
), Robber Baron Cave meshweaver (
), Madla Cave meshweaver (
), Bracken Bat Cave meshweaver (
), Government Canyon Bat Cave spider (
), Tooth Cave spider (
), ground beetle (
), ground beetle (
), Kretschmarr Cave mold beetle (
), Cokendolpher Cave harvestman (
), Bee Creek Cave harvestman (T
), Bone Cave harvestman (
), diminutive amphipod (
), Pecos amphipod (
), Comal Springs riffle beetle (
), Peck's Cave amphipod (
), Comal Springs dryopid beetle (
) | Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Harm and harass | New. |
| TE-833851 | City of Austin; Austin, Texas | Barton Springs salamander (
), Austin blind salamander (
), Jollyville Plateau salamander (E. tonkawae), San Marcos salamander, (
) | Texas | Surveys, Marking, Tail-clipping | Collect, harass, injury, death | Renew. |
| TE-069320 | Groundwater and Environmental Services, Inc.; Lewisville, Texas | Interior least tern (
), piping plover (
), red-cockaded woodpecker (
), American Burying Beetle (
), fountain darter (
) | Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Harm and Harass | Renew. |
| TE-00975A | Osage Nation; Pawhuska, Oklahoma | American Burying Beetle (
) | Oklahoma | Presence/absence surveys | Capture, injury, death | Renew. |
| TE-800611 | SWCA; Austin, Texas | Whooping Crane (
), Karst Invertebrates, Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (
), American Burying Beetle (
), Louisiana Pine Snake (
), Texas Hornshell (
), Golden-cheeked Warbler (
), Interior Least Tern (
), Houston Toad (
) | Arkansas, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas | Presence/absence surveys, habitat assessments | Capture, collect, injury, death | Amend. |
| TE-08832A | Utah State University; Logan, Utah | Rio Grande Silvery Minnow (
) | New Mexico | Surveys, Trapping, Capture, Electrofishing | Collect, harass, injury, death | Renew. |
| TE-86070C | Cincinnati Zoo; Cincinnati, Ohio | Todsen's Pennyroyal ( | New Mexico | Presence/absence surveys | N/A | New. |
| TE-169770 | NMOSE/ISC; Los Lunas, New Mexico | Rio Grande Silvery Minnow (
) | New Mexico | Captive propagation, culture, holding and research | Injury, death | Renew. |
**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: July 19, 2018.
Amy Lueders,
Regional Director, Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.