# 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 of 1973. 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 March 24, 2023.
**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.,* ESXXXXXX; see table in *SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION* ):
• *Email (preferred method): [email protected].* Please refer to the respective application number ( *e.g.,* Application No. ESXXXXXX) 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); *[email protected]* (email). Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services offered within their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite review and comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies on applications we have received for permits to conduct certain activities with endangered and threatened species under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 *et seq.* ), and our regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR part 17. Documents and other information submitted with the applications are available for review, subject to the requirements of the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act.
**Background**
The ESA 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**
The ESA requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits. Accordingly, 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. Proposed activities in the following permit requests are for the recovery and enhancement of propagation or survival of the species in the wild.
| Application No. | Applicant | Species | Location | Activity | Type of take | Permit |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| TE 19208C | Ashley Reed, Bloomington, IN | Indiana bat (
), gray bat (
), and Northern long-eared bat (
) | AL, AR, CT, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, and WV | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture with mist-nets and harp traps, handle, identify, radio-tag, band, collect nonintrusive measurements, and release | Renew. |
| TE 207526 | U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia, MO | Pallid sturgeon (
) | IA, IL, KS, MO, NE, and SD | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture, handle, hold, transport, tag, sample, culture, collect nonintrusive measurements, and release | Renew and amend. |
| TE 151109 | Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Columbus, OH | American burying beetle (
) | OH and NE | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture with pitfall traps, handle, collect nonintrusive measurements, transport, hold, salvage, captively propagate, augment wild populations, and release | Renew and amend. |
| TE37601C | University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN | Rusty patched bumble bee (
) | MN | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture, handle, hold, collect nonintrusive measurements, and release | Amend. |
| TE 212440 | Bat Conservation and Management, Inc., Carlisle, PA | Indiana bat (
), gray bat (
), and Northern long-eared bat (
) | AL, AR, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, and WV | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture with mist-nets, handle, identify, radio-tag, band, collect nonintrusive measurements, and release | Renew and amend. |
| TE 11135C | Herpetological Resource and Management, LLC, Grass Lake, MI | Animals: Eastern massasauga rattlesnake (
) and Copperbelly water snake (
) Plants: Pitcher's thistle (
), Dwarf lake iris (
), eastern prairie fringed orchid (
) | IL, IN, MI, OH, and WI | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture, handle, hold, mark, collect nonintrusive measurements, and release | Renew and amend. |
| ES69825D | Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI | Add new species—Mitchell's satyr butterfly (
)—to existing authorized species: Poweshiek skipperling (
) | MI | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture, handle, collect eggs, headstart, hold, release | Amend. |
| ES21829B | Laura Bishop-Boros, Williamsburg, VA | Add new species—Mexican long-nosed bat (
) and Hawaiian hoary bat (
)—to existing authorized species: Indiana bat (
), gray bat (
), and Northern long-eared bat (
) | Add new locations-HI, LA, IL, NM, MT, TX-to existing authorized States: AL, AR, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IN, IA, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NE, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV, and WY | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture with mist-nets, handle, identify, radio-tag, band, collect nonintrusive measurements, collect bio-samples, enter hibernacula, and release | Renew and amend. |
| ES90090B | Power Engineers Inc., Richmond, VA | Northern long-eared bat (
) | DE, KS, ME, MA, MN, MT, NE, NH, ND, SD, RI, OK, WI, and WY | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture with mist-nets, handle, identify, collect nonintrusive measurements, and release | Renew. |
| ESPER0107276 | Sarah Stankavich, Columbus, OH | Indiana bat (
), gray bat (
) and Northern long-eared bat (
) | AL, AR, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MA, ME, MD, MI, MI, MS, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VT, VA, WI, WV, and WY | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture with mist-nets, handle, identify, radio-tag, band, collect nonintrusive measurements, collect bio-samples, enter hibernacula, and 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, Midwest Region.