# 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 ESA. 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 September 27, 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ES98298A | Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Columbus, OH | Add new species—round hickorynut (
), pink mucket (
), and longsolid (
)—to existing authorized 10 freshwater mussel species | OH | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture, handle, release | Amend. |
| ES206781 | EcoAnalysts, Inc., O'Fallon, MO | Add new species—round hickorynut (
) and longsolid (
)—to existing authorized 60 freshwater mussel species | AR, CO, CT, DE, IA, IN, IL, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture, handle, release, and relocate under special circumstances | Amend. |
| ES48835A | Applied Science & Technology, Inc., Brighton, MI | Add new species—round hickorynut (
) and longsolid (
)—to existing authorized eight freshwater mussel species | MI, OH | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture, handle, release, and relocate under special circumstances | Amend. |
| ES53616C | Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, IL | Rusty patched bumble bee (
) | IL | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture, handle, sample, salvage, and release | Renew and amend. |
| PER3213383 | Heidi McMullin, Poplar Bluff, MO | Indiana bat (
), northern long-eared bat (
), gray bat (
), Virginia big-eared bat (
), and Ozark big-eared bat (
) | AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MS, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture with mist nets or harp traps, identify, handle, collect non-intrusive measurements, band, radio-tag, and release | New. |
| ESPER0011986 | Lindsey Jakovljavic, Kirtland, OH | Add new species—round hickorynut (
) and longsolid (
)—to existing authorized 20 freshwater mussel species | OK, IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI, AL, AR, KY, MS, TN, NJ, NY, PA, WV, KS | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture, handle, release, and relocate under special circumstances | Amend. |
| PER3542792 | Burke Engineering, Rosemont, IL | Sheepnose mussel (
) | IL | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture, handle, release, and relocate under special circumstances | New. |
| ESPER1224186 | Greg Gaulke, Madison, WI | Add new species—sheepnose (
), clubshell, (
), fanshell (
), northern riffleshell (
), purple cat's paw pearlymussel (
), rayed bean (
), white cat's paw (
), round hickorynut (
), pyramid pigtoe (
), longsolid (
)—to six existing authorized freshwater mussel species | IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture, handle, release, and relocate under special circumstances | Amend. |
| ES81968B | Curtis Hart, Hudson, MI. | Indiana bat (
), northern long-eared bat (
), gray bat (
), Virginia big-eared bat (
), and Ozark big-eared bat (
) | OK, IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI, AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, CT, DE, DC, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, VA, WV, KS, MT, NE, ND, SD, WY | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Add New Activities—Collect wing punches and tissue samples—to existing authorized activities: Capture with mist nets, identify, handle, collect non-intrusive measurements, band, radio-tag, and release | Amend. |
| ES70488C | Scott Bergeson, Fort Wayne, IN | Add new species—tri-colored bat (
)—to existing authorized species: Indiana bat (
), northern long-eared bat (
), and gray bat (
) | AL, AR, CT, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, ME, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VT, VA, WI, 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, enter hibernacula, collect nonintrusive measurements, and release | Amend. |
| ES62048D | Carly Kalina, Des Moines, IA | Indiana bat (
), northern long-eared bat (
), and gray bat (
) | AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, ME, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VT, VA, WI, WV, WY | Conduct presence/absence surveys, document habitat use, conduct population monitoring, and evaluate impacts | Capture with mist-nets, handle, identify, radio-tag, band, enter hibernacula, collect nonintrusive measurements, collect tissue/fecal samples, and release | Amend. |
**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.