# Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 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 March 2, 2020.
**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) at 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 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-798998 | Horizon Environmental Services, Inc.; Austin, Texas | Golden-cheeked warbler (
); interior least tern (
); Houston toad (
); American burying beetle (
); ground beetles, no common name (
); Helotes mold beetle (
); Cokendolpher Cave harvestman (
); Robber Baron Cave meshweaver (
); Madla Cave meshweaver (
); Bracken Bat Cave meshweaver (
); Government Canyon Bat Cave meshweaver (
); Government Canyon Bat Cave spider (
); Tooth Cave spider (
); Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion (
); Bee Creek Cave harvestman (
); Kretschman Cave mold beetle (
); Tooth Cave ground beetle (
); Bone Cave harvestman (
); Coffin Cave mold beetle (
) | Oklahoma, Texas | Presence/absence surveys, habitat surveys | Capture, harm, harass, injury, death | Renewal. |
| TE-39186D | Malaney, Jason L.; Albuquerque, New Mexico | New Mexico meadow jumping mouse (
) | Arizona, New Mexico | Collection | Capture, collect, harm, harass, injury, death | New. |
| TE-071287-2 | Christman, Bruce; Albuquerque, New Mexico | New Mexican ridge-nosed rattlesnake (
), Narrow-headed gartersnake, Northern Mexican gartersnake (
), Chiricahua leopard frog (
), Jemez Mountains salamander (
) | Arizona, New Mexico | Presence/absence surveys | Capture, injury, death | Renewal. |
| TE-078189-1 | Adkins Consulting Inc.; Durango, Colorado | Southwestern Willow flycatcher (
), Mexican spotted owl (
) | Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah | Presence/absence surveys | Harm, harass | Renewal. |
| TE-36648D | Camba, Matthew O.; Mesa, Arizona | Yellow-billed cuckoo (
) | Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Wyoming | Presence/absence surveys | Harass, harm | New. |
| TE-30425B | Hagyari, David; Broken Arrow, Oklahoma | American burying beetle (
) | Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Capture, injury, death | Renewal. |
| TE-076050 | McAlester Army Ammunition Plant; McAlester, Oklahoma | American burying beetle (
) | Oklahoma | Presence/absence surveys | Capture, injury, death | Renewal. |
| TE-037155 | Bio-West (Oborny); Roound Rock, Texas | Comal Springs riffle beetle (
), Comal Springs dryopid beetle (
), Peck's Cave amphipod (
(=
)
), southwestern willow flycatcher (
), Georgetown salamander (
), Salado salamander (
), San Marcos salamander (
), Colorado pikeminnow (
), Rio Grande silvery minnow (
), sharpnose shiner (
), smalleye shiner (
),Texas hornshell (
) | California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Utah | Presence/absence surveys, capture, collection | Capture, harass, injury, death | Renewal. |
| TE-17907C | Landhawk Consulting LLC; Pharr, Texas | Ocelot (
(=
)
), Gulf Coast jaguarundi (
(
) yagouaroundi cacomitli), piping plover (
), red knot (
), Louisiana pine snake (
), star cactus (
), Zapata bladderpod (
), ashy dogweed (
), Walker's manioc (
), South Texas ambrosia (
), Slender rush-pea (
), Texas snowbells (
), black lace cactus (
var.
), Tobusch fishhook cactus (
ssp.
), Houston toad (
) | Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Masachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas | Presence/absence surveys, biomonitoring, habitat assessment, nest monitoring | Harass, harm | Amendment. |
| TE-232639 | DESCO Environmental Consultants; Magnolia, Texas | American burying beetle (
), red-cockaded woodpecker (
) | Oklahoma, Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Capture, harass, harm, injury, death | Renewal. |
| TE-13914B | Coons, Justin H.; Skiatook, Oklahoma | American burying beetle (
) | Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma | Presence/absence surveys | Capture, harm, injury, death | Renewal. |
| TE-078347 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 2, Cabeza Prienta National Wildlife Refuge; Ajo, Arizona | Sonoran pronghorn (
) | Arizona | Captive propagation | Capture, harm, harass, injury, death | Renewal. |
| TE-103314 | Tanner, Jon Matthew; McGregor, Texas | Interior least tern (
) | New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Harass | Renewal. |
| TE-818118 | Henson, Jeremy; Georgetown, Texas | Texas hornshell (
), clubshell (
), fanshell (
), fat pocketbook (
), Higgins eye (
), northern riffleshell (
), orangefoot pimpleback (
), pink mucket (
), purple cat's paw (
), rayed bean (
), scaleshell mussel (
), sheepnose mussel (
), snuffbox mussel (
), spectaclecase (
), white catspaw (
) | Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin | Presence/absence surveys | Capture, harm, harrass | Amendment. |
| TE57462D | Souther, Sara; Flagstaff, Arizona | Kearney's blue-star (
) | Arizona | Breeding system assessment, structured seed augmentation, species introduction | Harm, death | New. |
| TE57474D | Lassiter, Timonthy; Boerne, Texas | Golden-cheeked warbler (
) | Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Harm, harass | New. |
| TE57474D | Putnam, Stephanie; Austin, Texas | Golden-cheeked warbler (
) | Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Harm, harass | New. |
| TE236730 | Bonner, Timothy; San Marcos, Texas | Comal Springs riffle beetle (
), Devils River minnow (
), fountain darter (
), San Marcos salamander (
), San Marcos gambusia (
), Texas wild-rice (
) | Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Harm, harass | Renewal. |
| TE40886B | Biological Resources, LLC; Durango, Colorado | Black-footed ferret (
), southwestern willow flycatcher (
), Mexican spotted owl (
), New Mexico meadow jumping mouse (
) | Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah | Presence/absence surveys | Harm, harass | Renewal. |
| TE37416B | Cambrian Environmental; Austin, Texas | Houston toad (
), San Marcos salamander (
), Texas blind salamander (
) | Texas | Presence/absence surveys, monitor, capture, handle, measure | Harm, harass | Renewal. |
| TE43754A | Turner Endangered Species Fund; Bozeman, Montana | Chiricahua leopard frog (
), Chupadera springsnail (
) | New Mexico | Presence/absence surveys | Harm, harass | Renewal. |
| TE57477D | WSP\|Parsons Brinckerhoff; Albuquerque, New Mexico | Southwestern willow flycatcher (
), Mexican spotted owl (
), Chiricahua leopard frog (
), yellow-billed cuckoo (
), Jemez Mountains salamander (
) | Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico | Presence/absence surveys | Harm, harass | New. |
| TE800900 | Lower Colorado River Authority; Austin, Texas | Golden-cheeked warbler (
), interior least tern (
), Houston toad (
), southwestern willow flycatcher (
), piping plover (
) | Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Harm; harass | Renewal. |
| TE819491 | Ecosphere Environmental; Durango, Colorado | Southwestern willow flycatcher (
), Mexican spotted owl (
), Chiricahua leopard frog (
), yellow-billed cuckoo (
), black-footed ferret (
) | Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah | Presence/absence surveys | Harm, harass | Renewal. |
| TE08394B | USFS, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest; Springerville, Arizona | Southwestern willow flycatcher (
), Mexican spotted owl (
), Chiricahua leopard frog (
), Gila chub (
), spikedace (
), loach minnow (
), razorback sucker (
), Three Forks springsnail (
) | Arizona | Presence/absence surveys | Harm, harass | Renewal. |
| TE942425B | Powers, Jarrod; Stillwater, Oklahoma | Neosho mucket (
), Ouachita rock pocketbook (
), scaleshell (
), winged mapleleaf (
) | Oklahoma | Presence/absence surveys | Harm, harass | Amendment. |
| TE160521 | Tetra Tech; Salt Lake City, Utah | Southwestern willow flycatcher (
) | Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah | Presence/absence surveys | Harass | Renewal. |
| TE44542B | Olsson Associates; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Gray bat (
), Neosho mucket (
) | Illinois, Indiana, Missouri | Presence/absence surveys | Harm/harass | Amendment. |
| TE59346D | Johnson, Matthew; Austin, Texas | Freshwater mussel spp | Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin | Presence/absence surveys | Harm/harass | New. |
| TE103314 | Tanner, Matthew; McGregor, Texas | Least tern (
) | Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Harass | Renewal. |
| TE59554D | Stanek, Jenna; Los Alamos, New Mexico | Southwestern willow flycatcher (
) | New Mexico | Presence/absence surveys | Harass | New. |
| TE053085 | Bureau of Reclamation, Boulder City, Nevada | Southwestern willow flycatcher (
), bonytail chub (
), razorback sucker (
) | Arizona | Presence/absence surveys | Harm/harass | Renewal. |
| TE819451 | Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources | Golden-cheeked warbler (
), Karst spp | Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Harm/harass | Renewal. |
| TE822908 | Caesar Kleburg Wildlife Research Institute; Kingsville, Texas | Ocelot (
(=
)
), jaguarundi (
) | Texas | Collect blood, semen samples, and fecal materials | Harm/harass | Renewal. |
| TE59909D | Bell, Leslie; Austin, Texas | Karst spp | Texas | Presence/absence surveys | Harm/harass | New. |
| TE060125 | Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District; Phoenix, Arizona | Southwestern willow flycatcher (
) | Arizona | Presence/absence surveys | Harm/harass | Renewal. |
| TE63216D | Porter, James Mark; Claremont, California | Sneed pincushion cactus (
[
]
) | New Mexico, Texas | Seed collection | Harm | New. |
| TE63430D | Hamilton, Gregor; Albuquerque, New Mexico | spikedace (
), loach minnow (
) | New Mexico | Presence/absence surveys, collect scale clips | Harm, harass | New. |
**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: January 27, 2020.
Amy L. Lueders,
Regional Director, Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.