# 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 (Service), have received applications for permits to conduct scientific research to promote conservation or other activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (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 written data or comments on the applications by October 31, 2025.
**ADDRESSES:**
*Reviewing Documents:* Submit requests for copies of applications and other information submitted with the applications to *[email protected]* (see *FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT* ). All requests and comments should specify the applicant's name and application number ( *e.g.,* Mary Smith, ESPER0001234).
*Submitting Comments:* If you wish to comment, you may submit comments by one of the following methods:
• *Email (preferred method): [email protected].* Please include your name and return address in your email message. If you do not receive a confirmation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that we have received your email message, contact us directly at the telephone number listed in *FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT* .
• *U.S. mail:* U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office, Ecological Services, 1875 Century Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30345 (Attn: Kaye London, R4 Recovery Permit Coordinator).
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Kaye London via telephone at 404-679-7097 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 (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 of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a), and the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).
**Background**
With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits take of listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that authorizes such take. The definition of “take” in the ESA includes hunting, shooting, harming, wounding, or killing, and also such activities as pursuing, harassing, trapping, capturing, or collecting, or attempting to engage in any such conduct.
A recovery permit issued by us under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA authorizes the permittee to take endangered or threatened species while engaging in activities that are conducted for scientific purposes that promote recovery of species or for enhancement of propagation or survival of species. These activities often include the capture and collection of species, which would result in prohibited take if a permit were not issued. Our regulations implementing section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA 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.
| Permit application No. | Applicant | Species | Location | Activity | Type of take | Permit action |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ES41955C-2 | Anthony Miller; Lexington, KY | Mammals: Tricolored bat (
); Fishes: Cumberland darter (
), duskytail darter (
), Palezone shiner (
), and relict darter (
); Crustaceans: Big Sandy crayfish (
) | Kentucky | Presence/probable absence surveys | Mammals: enter hibernacula and summer roost caves, capture with mist nets or harp traps, handle, identify, band, radio tag, and release; Fishes: capture via hand nets and seines, handle, identify, and release; Crustaceans: capture, handle, and release | Amendment. |
| ES12174D-1 | Joshua Allen; Easton, KS | Gray bat (
), Indiana bat (
), northern long-eared bat (
), and tricolored bat (
) | Throughout the ranges of the species | Presence/probable absence surveys | Capture with mist nets, handle, identify, band, radio tag, and release | Renewal and amendment. |
| ES16876D-2 | Kristen Clemens; Lexington, KY | Gray bat (
), Indiana bat (
), and northern long-eared bat (
) | Throughout the ranges of the species | Presence/probable absence surveys | Capture with mist nets, handle, identify, band, radio tag, and release | Renewal. |
| ES125521-6 | Department of Natural and Environmental Resources; San Juan, PR | Puerto Rican parrot (
) | Puerto Rico | Captive propagation, translocation, and reintroduction | Remove eggs and chicks from the wild, handle, transport, hold in captivity for over 45 consecutive days, and release | Renewal and amendment. |
| PER14091004-0 | Kelly Wilder; Woodstock, GA | Gray bat (
), Indiana bat (
), northern long-eared bat (
), and tricolored bat (
) | Throughout the ranges of the species | Presence/probable absence surveys | Enter hibernacula, maternity roost caves, or other roosts, capture with mist nets, handle, identify, band, radio tag, swab, and release | New. |
| ES171594-2 | Wetland Sciences, Inc.; Pensacola, FL | Alabama beach mouse (
), Choctawatchee beach mouse (
), and Perdido Key beach mouse (
) | Alabama and Florida | Presence/probable absence surveys | Trap, mark, examine, and release | Renewal. |
| ES37663B-2 | Rebecca Ijames; Central City, KY | Gray bat (
) and tricolored bat (
) | Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee | Presence/probable absence surveys | Enter maternity roost sites, capture, handle, identify, band, radio tag, and release | Renewal and amendment. |
| ES35313B-7 | Emily Willcox; Knoxville, TN | Gray bat (
), Indiana bat (
), and northern long-eared bat (
) | Throughout the ranges of the species | Bat roosting, foraging ecology, and white-nose syndrome studies | Enter hibernacula or maternity roost caves, capture, handle, identify, band, tag, collect biological samples, and release | Renewal. |
| ES059008-11 | CCR Environmental, Inc.; Atlanta, GA | Fishes: Cape Fear shiner (
), Carolina madtom (
), Barrens topminnow (
), Mussels: fluted kidneyshell (
), Canoe Creek clubshell (
), Cumberland pigtoe (
), and southern elktoe (
); Amphibian: black warrior waterdog (
) | Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee | Presence/probable absence surveys | Capture, handle, identify, release, and salvage relic shells | Renewal and amendment. |
| ES100012-7 | Alabama Coastal Foundation; Mobile, AL | Green sea turtle (
), Kemp's ridley sea turtle (
), and loggerhead sea turtle (
) | Alabama | Monitoring and protecting of nests | Locate, monitor, excavate, relocate nests, and release nestlings | Renewal and amendment. |
| ES63633A-7 | Biodiversity Research Institute; Portland, ME | Gray bat (
), Indiana bat (
), northern long-eared bat (
), and tricolored bat (
) | Throughout the ranges of the species | Presence/probable absence surveys and scientific research | Enter hibernacula or maternity roost caves, capture, handle, identify, collect biological samples, band, radio tag, and release | Renewal and amendment. |
| ES41910B-4 | Scott Rush; Starkville, MS | Gray bat (
), Indiana bat (
), and northern long-eared bat (
) | Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee | Presence/probable absence surveys and contaminant studies | Capture, handle, identify, radio tag, and release | Renewal and amendment. |
| ES56515D-2 | Leslie Meade; Richmond, KY | Gray bat (
), Indiana bat (
), northern long-eared bat (
), Ozark big-eared bat (
), and Virginia big-eared bat (
) | Throughout the ranges of the species | Presence/probable absence surveys, studies to document habitat use, population monitoring, and impacts of white-nose syndrome or other threats | Enter hibernacula or maternity roost caves, capture, handle, identify, band, radio tag, collect biological samples, and release | Renewal and amendment. |
| ES02166C-4 | Zoe Bryant; St. Augustine, FL | Gray bat (
), Indiana bat (
), northern long-eared bat (
), Ozark big-eared bat (
), and tricolored bat (
) | Throughout the ranges of the species | Presence/probable absence surveys | Enter hibernacula or maternity roost caves, capture, handle, identify, band, radio tag, and release | Amendment. |
| PER16404210-0 | Jesse Corey; Raleigh, NC | Mammals: gray bat (
), Indiana bat (
), northern long-eared bat (
), tricolored bat (
), and Virginia big-eared bat (
); Carolina northern flying squirrel (
); Salamanders: eastern hellbender (
); Fishes: Carolina madtom (
) | North Carolina | Presence/probable absence surveys and mark-recapture surveys | Bats: enter hibernacula or maternity roost caves, capture, handle, identify, band, radio tag, collect biological samples, and release; Carolina northern flying squirrel: capture, handle, identify, mark, release, and install and maintain nest boxes; Eastern hellbender: capture, mark, collect biological samples, and release; Carolina madtom: capture, handle, identify, and release | New. |
| ES100070-4 | USDA Forest Service; Double Springs, AL | Mammals: gray bat (
), Indiana bat (
), northern long-eared bat (
); Fish: rush darter (
); Black Warrior waterdog (
); Mussels: dark pigtoe (
) and triangular kidneyshell (
); Flowering Plants: fleshy-fruit gladecress (
) | National Forests in Alabama | Presence/probable absence surveys, studies to document habitat use, and population monitoring | Bats: enter hibernacula or maternity roost caves, capture, handle, identify, band, radio tag, collect biological samples, and release; Black Warrior waterdog and rush darter: capture, handle, and release; Mussels: capture, handle, release, and salvage relic shells; Flowering Plants: reduce and remove to possession (collect) | Renewal and amendment. |
| ES32394A-2 | Florida, Department of Environmental Protection; Apopka, FL | Anastasia Island beach mouse (
) and southeastern beach mouse (
) | Florida | Presence probable absence surveys | Trap, mark, examine, and release | Renewal. |
| ES62026D-4 | Catherine Haase; Clarksville, TN | Gray bat (
), Indiana bat (
), tricolored bat (
), and northern long-eared bat (
) | Kentucky and Tennessee | Assess bat community structure and habitat use | Capture, handle, identify, radio tag, and release | Renewal and amendment. |
| ES064856-5 | Trent Farris; Gulf Shores, AL | Alabama beach mouse (
), Choctawatchee beach mouse (
), Perdido Key beach mouse (
), and St. Andrew beach mouse (
) | Alabama and Florida | Presence/probable absence surveys | Trap, mark, examine, and release | Renewal. |
| ES68616B-4 | Carla Atkinson; Tuscaloosa, AL | Mussels: Alabama hickorynut (
), Alabama lampmussel (
), Coosa moccasinshell (
), cracking pearlymussel (
), Cumberlandian combshell (
), dark pigtoe (
), fat threeridge (
), finerayed pigtoe (
), fluted kidneyshell (
), Georgia pigtoe (
), Gulf moccasinshell (
), heavy pigtoe (
), oval pigtoe (
), ovate clubshell (
), oyster mussel (
), pale lilliput (
), ring pink (
), round ebonyshell (
), round hickorynut (
), shiny pigtoe (
), shinyrayed pocketbook (
), slabside pearlymussel (
), snuffbox mussel (
), southern clubshell (
), southern combshell (
), southern pigtoe (
), and triangular kidneyshell (
) | Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee | Qualitative and quantitative surveys, population monitoring, genomic sampling, and excretion/respiration studies | Capture, handle, identify, swab, hold temporarily in containers in stream, and release | Renewal and amendment. |
| ES146761-4 | Big Cypress National Preserve; Ochopee, FL | Florida panther (
) | Florida | Population monitoring, occurrence and monitoring, health and disease surveillance, mark, telemetry, tracking surveys and den surveys | Capture, handle, chemically immobilize, hold temporarily, transport, mark, identify, radio collar, collect biological samples, and release | Renewal. |
| ES824723-13 | Archbold Expeditions, Inc.; Venus, FL | Birds: Florida grasshopper Sparrow (
), Florida scrub jay (
), and red-cockaded woodpecker (
); Reptiles: eastern indigo snake (
); Flowering Plants: Florida perforate cladonia (
), Garrett's mint (
), Lewton's milkworth (
), and Florida ziziphus (
) | Florida | Population management and monitoring, genetic analyses, studies on habitat use, germination experiments, propagation, and reintroduction | Florida grasshopper sparrow:capture, band, radio tag,collect biological samples, salvage non-viable eggs, collect eggs and nestlings to be swapped with captive eggs and/or nestlings; Florida scrub jay: capture, band, collect biological samples, radio tag, provide supplemental food, and administer Ivermectin; Red-cockaded woodpecker: capture, collect biological samples, band, radio tag, construct and monitor artificial nest cavities and restrictors, translocate, and salvage non-viable eggs; Eastern indigo snake: capture, handle, take skin swabs, release, and salvage; Flowering Plants: collect seeds, leaves, stem cuttings, and portions of thallus | Renewal and amendment. |
| CS12767274 | Christopher Knabel; Lexington, KY | Gray bat (
), Indiana bat (
), northern long-eared bat (
), tri-colored bat (
)
and Virginia big-eared bat (
) | Throughout the ranges of the species | Presence/probable absence surveys | Enter hibernacula or maternity roost caves, capture, handle, identify, band, radio tag, collect biological samples, and release | New. |
| ES011542-12 | Conservation Fisheries; Knoxville, TN | Amber darter (
), Barrens topminnow (
), bluemask darter (
boulder darter (
), Cahaba shiner (
), Cape Fear shiner (
), chucky madtom (
), Conasauga logperch (
), Cumberland darter (
), diamond darter (
), duskytail darter (
), laurel dace (
), Palezone shiner (
), pygmy madtom (
), Roanoke logperch (
), rush darter (
), smoky madtom (
), vermilion darter (
), and yellowcheek darter (
) | Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia | Presence/probable absence surveys, population monitoring, research, and captive propagation | Capture, handle, identify, and release | Renewal with amendment. |
| ES697819-7 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Atlanta, GA | All endangered species in the Southeast Region | Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands | All activities in furtherance of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's mission to conserve endangered wildlife and plants and the ecosystems upon which they depend | Conduct take of endangered species of wildlife wherever found and removal and reduction to possession of endangered species of plants from lands under Federal jurisdiction in the Southeast Region | Renewal. |
**Public Availability of Comments**
Written comments that we receive will 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, be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask in your comment to 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 organizations or businesses, will be made available for public disclosure in their entirety.
**Next Steps**
After the comment period closes, we will make decisions regarding permit issuance. If we issue any of the requested permits, we will publish a subsequent notice in the *Federal Register* . The notice announcing the permit issuance may be located by searching *https://www.regulations.gov* for the application number listed above in this document. Enter the search exactly as the application number appears above, with spaces and hyphens as necessary. For example, to find information about the potential issuance of Permit No. PER 1234567-0, go to *https://www.regulations.gov* and enter “PER 1234567-0” in the Search field.
An interested party opposed to our issuance of a recovery permit may object by following the requirements in 50 CFR 17.22(d). The Service will notify the interested party of the Service's decision on the permit application under that section.
**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.* ).
Christopher Cooley,
Deputy Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, USFWS Southeast Region.