# 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. 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 7, 2024.
**ADDRESSES:**
*Document availability and comment submission:* Submit requests for copies of the applications and related documents and submit any comments by one of the following methods. All requests and comments should specify the applicant name(s) and application number(s) ( *e.g.,* XXXXXX or PER0001234).
• *Email: [email protected].*
• *U.S. Mail:* Susie Tharratt, Regional Recovery Permit Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-2606, Sacramento, CA 95825.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Susie Tharratt, via phone at 916-414-6561, or via email at *[email protected].* 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 the public to comment on applications for permits under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 *et seq.* ). The requested permits would allow the applicants to conduct activities intended to promote recovery of species that are listed as endangered or threatened under the ESA.
**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 such activities as pursuing, harassing, trapping, capturing, or collecting, in addition to hunting, shooting, harming, wounding, or killing.
A recovery permit issued by us under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA authorizes the permittee to conduct activities with endangered or threatened species for scientific purposes that promote recovery or for enhancement of propagation or survival of the species. These activities often include such prohibited actions as capture and collection. Our regulations implementing section 10(a)(1)(A) for these permits are found in the Code of Federal Regulations 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**
Proposed activities in the following permit requests are for the recovery and enhancement of propagation or survival of the species in the wild. 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.
| Application No. | Applicant, city, state | Species | Location | Take activity | Permit |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 17211C | San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, California | • San Diego button-celery (
var.
) | CA | Collect herbarium and genetic samples, conduct establishment and maintenance of a living collection or seed bank, conduct propagation, conduct pollination, and do genetic research | Amend. |
| PER4776540 | Emme Nix, Davis, California | • Blunt-nose leopard lizard (
) | CA | Survey, capture, handle, collect biological samples, tag, and release | New. |
| 081298 | Daniel Weinberg, Albany, California | • California tiger salamander (
), Sonoma County and Santa Barbara County distinct population segments | CA | Survey, capture, handle, release, collect adult vouchers, and collect branchiopod resting eggs | Renew. |
| | | • Longhorn fairy shrimp (
) | | | |
| | | • Vernal pool tadpole shrimp (
) | | | |
| | | • Riverside fairy shrimp (
) | | | |
| | | • San Diego fairy shrimp (
) | | | |
| 75988A | San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego, California | • Cushenbury oxytheca (
var.
) | CA | Remove and reduce to possession | Renew. |
| | | • San Diego ambrosia (
) | | | |
| | | • Del Mar manzanita (
subsp.
) | | | |
| | | • Marsh sandwort (
) | | | |
| | | • Cushenbury milk-vetch (
) | | | |
| | | • Braunton's milk-vetch (
) | | | |
| | | • Coachella Valley milk-vetch (
var.
) | | | |
| | | • Ventura marsh milk-vetch (
var.
) | | | |
| | | • Coastal dunes milk-vetch (
var.
) | | | |
| | | • Triple-ribbed milk-vetch (
) | | | |
| | | •
var.
(San Jacinto Valley crownscale) | | | |
| | | • Nevin's barberry (
) | | | |
| | | • Catalina Island mountain-mahogany (
) | | | |
| | | • Salt marsh bird's-beak (
subsp.
) | | | |
| | | • Orcutt's spineflower (
) | | | |
| | | • Slender-horned spineflower (
) | | | |
| | | • Santa Ana River woolly-star (
subsp.
) | | | |
| | | • Cushenbury buckwheat (
var.
) | | | |
| | | • San Diego button-celery (
var.
) | | | |
| | | • Mexican flannelbush (
) | | | |
| | | • San Clemente Island woodland-star (
) | | | |
| | | • Willowy monardella (
) | | | |
| | | • Gambel's watercress (
[Nasturtium
]) | | | |
| | | • California orcutt grass (
) | | | |
| | | • Lyon's pentachaeta (
) | | | |
| | | • San Bernardino Mountains bladderpod (
subsp.
) | | | |
| | | • San Bernardino bluegrass (
) | | | |
| | | • San Diego mesa-mint (
) | | | |
| | | • Otay mesa-mint (
) | | | |
| | | • Santa Cruz Island rockcress (
) | | | |
| | | • Pedate checker-mallow (
) | | | |
| | | • California taraxacum (
) | | | |
| | | • Slender-petaled mustard (
) | | | |
| 11840D | Josh Weinik, Fairfax, California | • Palos Verdes blue butterfly (
) | CA | Survey by pursuit | Renew. |
| 095858 | Arianne Preite, Orange, California | • Conservancy fairy shrimp (
) | CA | Survey, survey using recorded vocalizations, survey by pursuit, capture, handle, release, collect adult vouchers, and collect branchiopod resting eggs | Renew. |
| | | • San Diego fairy shrimp (
) | | | |
| | | • Quino checkerspot butterfly (
) | | | |
| | | • Light-footed Ridgway's rail (
) | | | |
| | | • Southwestern willow flycatcher (
) | | | |
| 14749C | Lorena Bernal, San Diego, California | • Conservancy fairy shrimp (
) | CA | Survey, survey by pursuit, capture, handle, release, collect adult vouchers, and collect branchiopod resting eggs | Renew. |
| | | • Riverside fairy shrimp (
) | | | |
| | | • San Diego fairy shrimp (
) | | | |
| | | • Quino checkerspot butterfly (
) | | | |
| 14231A | Caesara Brungraber, Bend, Oregon | • Conservancy fairy shrimp (
) | CA | Survey, survey by pursuit, capture, handle, release, collect adult vouchers, and collect branchiopod resting eggs | Renew. |
| | | • Riverside fairy shrimp (
) | | | |
| | | • San Diego fairy shrimp (
) | | | |
| | | • Quino checkerspot butterfly (
) | | | |
| PER5167328 | Bernie Villanueva-Grzecka, San Juan Capistrano, California | • Pacific pocket mouse (
) | CA | Conduct track tube surveys | New. |
| PER5174348 | Michael Voeltz, Walnut Creek, California | • Conservancy fairy shrimp (
) | CA | Survey, capture, handle, release, and collect adult vouchers | New. |
| | | • Vernal pool tadpole shrimp (
) | | | |
| | | • Riverside fairy shrimp (
) | | | |
| | | • San Diego fairy shrimp (
) | | | |
| PER4775202-0 | Krystal Pulsipher, Sacramento, California | • Conservancy fairy shrimp (
) | CA | Survey, capture, handle, release, and collect adult vouchers | Renew. |
| | | • Vernal pool tadpole shrimp (
) | | | |
| | | • Riverside fairy shrimp (
) | | | |
| | | • San Diego fairy shrimp (
) | | | |
| PER4775159 | Andrew Kort, La Mesa, California | • Conservancy fairy shrimp (
) | CA | Survey, capture, handle, release, collect adult vouchers, and collect branchiopod resting eggs | New. |
| | | • Riverside fairy shrimp (
) | | | |
| | | • San Diego fairy shrimp (
) | | | |
| PER4775578 | California State Parks, Felton, California | • San Francisco garter snake (
) | CA | Survey, capture, handle, collect biological samples, and release | New. |
| 84156D | Stephen Gergeni, Sacramento, California | • Foothill yellow-legged frog (
) South Sierra and South Coast distinct population segments | CA | Survey, capture, handle, and release | Amend. |
| 48210A | Area West Environmental, Inc., Orangevale, California | • Foothill yellow-legged frog (
) South Sierra and South Coast distinct population segments | CA | Survey, capture, handle, and release | Amend. |
| PER7646004 | Imperiled Species Breeding Program at Larry Ellison Conservation Center for Wildlife Care, Saratoga, California | • Santa Cruz long-toed salamander (
) | CA | Capture, handle, release, relocate, collect genetic material, keep, breed, and study in captivity | 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. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of 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.* ).
Rachel Henry,
Acting Regional Ecological Services Program Manager, Pacific Southwest Region, Sacramento, California.