Foreign Endangered Species; Receipt of 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 applications to conduct certain activities with foreign species that are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such activities. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing permits for any activity otherwise prohibited by the ESA with respect to any endangered species.

DATES:

We must receive comments by September 16, 2019.

ADDRESSES:

Obtaining Documents: The applications, application supporting materials, and any comments and other materials that we receive will be available for public inspection at http://www.regulations.gov in Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2019-0082.

Submitting Comments: When submitting comments, please specify the name of the applicant and the permit number at the beginning of your comment. You may submit comments by one of the following methods:

• Internet: http://www.regulations.gov. Search for and submit comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2019-0082.
• U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2019-0082; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS: PERMA; 5275 Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

For more information, see Public Comment Procedures under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Brenda Tapia, by phone at 703-358-2104, via email at DMAFR@fws.gov, or via the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Public Comment Procedures

A. How do I comment on submitted applications?

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.

You may submit your comments and materials by one of the methods in ADDRESSES. We will not consider comments sent by email or fax, or to an address not in ADDRESSES. We will not consider or include in our administrative record comments we receive after the close of the comment period (see DATES).

When submitting comments, please specify the name of the applicant and the permit number at the beginning of your comment. Provide sufficient information to allow us to authenticate any scientific or commercial data you include. The comments and recommendations that will be most useful and likely to influence agency decisions are: (1) Those supported by quantitative information or studies; and (2) those that include citations to, and analyses of, the applicable laws and regulations.

B. May I review comments submitted by others?

You may view and comment on others' public comments at http://,www.regulations.gov,, unless our allowing so would violate the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) or Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).

C. Who will see my comments?

If you submit a comment at http://www.regulations.gov,, your entire comment, including any personal identifying information, will be posted on the website. If you submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal identifying information, such as your address, phone number, or email address, you may request at the top of your document that we withhold this information from public review. However, 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.

II. Background

To help us carry out our conservation responsibilities for affected species, and in consideration of section 10(c) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), we invite public comments on permit applications before final action is taken. With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits certain activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such activities. Permits issued under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA allow otherwise prohibited activities for scientific purposes or to enhance the propagation or survival of the affected species. Service regulations regarding prohibited activities with endangered species, captive-bred wildlife registrations, and permits for any activity otherwise prohibited by the ESA with respect to any endangered species are available in title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations in part 17.

III. Permit Applications

We invite comments on the following applications.

Applicant: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Coastal Ecological Services Field Office, Corpus Christi, TX; Permit No. 35574D

The applicant requests a permit to import 9 male and 2 female wild caught Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) from Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands for the purpose of enhancing the propagation or survival of the species. This notification is for a single import.

Applicant: Zoological Society of Philadelphia dba Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia, PA; Permit No. 43693D

The applicant requests a permit to export 2 male captive-born western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) from the Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, PA to the Zoo de Granby in Quebec, Canada for the purpose of enhancing the propagation or survival of the species. This notification is for a single export.

Applicant: 4 J Conservation Center Inc., Dade City, FL; Permit No. 36848D

The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta), black and white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata), and red ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra) to enhance the propagation or survival of the species. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington, DC; Permit No. 46629D

The applicant requests a permit to export one male captive-born giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) to the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, Ya'an City, Sichuan, China, for the purpose of enhancing the propagation or survival of the species. This notification is for a single export.

Applicant: Zoo Foundation dba Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, Gulf Shores, AL; Permit No. 25202B

The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g), to enhance the propagation or survival of the following species: black and white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata), red ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra), ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta), brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus), and leopard (Panthera pardus). This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Potter Park Zoo, Ingham County, Lansing, MI; Permit No. 15052D

The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for the following species, to enhance the propagation or survival of the species. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: John Seymour, Hunt, TX; Permit No. 13263B

The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii) and Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) to enhance the propagation or survival of the species. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Joann Holland, Indianapolis, IN; Permit No. 26837B

The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for golden parakeet (Guarouba guarouba) to enhance the propagation or survival of the species. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, Nashville, TN; Permit No. 95132C

On May 3, 2019, we published a Federal Register notice inviting the public to comment on an application for a captive-bred wildlife registration (84 FR 19103). The comment period closed on June 3, 2019. We are now reopening the comment period for this application, because our May 3, 2019, notice listed seven species, inadvertently omitting one species, the tiger (Panthera tigris). The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for the following eight species, to enhance the propagation or survival of the species. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Multiple Trophy Applicants

The following applicants request permits to import sport-hunted trophies of male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled from a captive herd maintained under the management program of the Republic of South Africa, for the purpose of enhancing the propagation or survival of the species.

Applicant: James Lines, Colleyville, TX; Permit No. 40226D

Applicant: Robert Buker, Moore Haven, FL; Permit No. 41797D

Applicant: Steven Fetters, Saint Joe, IN; Permit No. 46627D

Applicant: Robert Anderson, Deer Island, OR; Permit No. 46994D

Applicant: Bernard McMasters, Belton, TX; Permit No. 46595D

IV. Next Steps

After the comment period closes, we will make decisions regarding permit issuance. If we issue permits to any of the applicants listed in this notice, we will publish a notice in the Federal Register. You may locate the notice announcing the permit issuance by searching http://www.regulations.gov for the permit number listed above in this document. For example, to find information about the potential issuance of Permit No. 12345A, you would go to regulations.gov and search for “12345A”.

V. Authority

We issue this notice under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and its implementing regulations.