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 Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R2-ES-2023-N073; FXES11130200000-234-FF02ENEH00]
 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 the following applications for a permit to conduct activities intended to recover and enhance endangered species survival. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits certain activities that may impact endangered species, unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.
 DATES: To ensure consideration, please submit your written comments by October 25, 2023.
 ADDRESSES:  *Document availability:*
                         Request documents from the contact in the 
                        **FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT**
                         section. *Comment submission:*
                         Submit comments by email to 
                        *fw2_te_permits@fws.gov.*
                         Please specify the permit application you are interested in by number (
                        *e.g.,*
                         Permit Record No. PER1234567).
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marty Tuegel, Supervisor, Environmental Review Division, by phone at 505-248-6651, or via email at 
                        *marty_tuegel@fws.gov.*
                         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: Background With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 
                    *et seq.*), 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 hunting, shooting, harming, wounding, or killing, and also such activities as pursuing, harassing, trapping, capturing, or collecting. The ESA and our implementing regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at title 50, part 17, provide for issuing such permits and require that we invite public comment before issuing permits for activities involving listed species. A recovery permit we issue under the ESA, section 10(a)(1)(A), authorizes the permittee to conduct activities with endangered or threatened species for scientific purposes that promote recovery or enhance the species' propagation or survival. These activities often include such prohibited actions as capture and collection. 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 Documents and other information submitted with these applications are available for review by any party who submits a request as specified in 
                    **ADDRESSES**
                    . Our release of documents is subject to Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) requirements.
                    ( print page 65740) Proposed activities in the following permit requests are for the recovery and enhancement of propagation or survival of the species in the wild. 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. Please refer to the permit record number when submitting comments. Permit 
                             record No.
Applicant
Species
Location
Activity
Type of take
Permit actionPER2682699
Grouse Mountain Environmental Consultants, LLC.; Buffalo, Wyoming
Lesser prairie chicken (
                            *Tympanuchus pallidicinctus*)
Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Presence/absence surveys, lek surveys
Harass, harm
Amend.PER2691439
Zara Environmental, LLC.; Manchaca, Texas
Golden-cheeked warbler (
                            *Setophaga chrysoparia*), Comanche Springs pupfish (
                            *Cyprinodon elegans*), Pecos gambusia (
                            *Gambusia nobilis*), Mexican blindcat (
                            *Prietella phreatophila*), fountain darter (
                            *Etheostoma fonticola*), San Marcos gambusia (
                            *Gambusia georgei*), smalleye shiner (
                            *Notropis buccula*), sharpnose shiner (
                            *Notropis oxyrhynchus*), Barton Springs salamander (
                            *Eurycea sosorum*), Austin blind salamander (
                            *Eurycea waterlooensis*), Texas blind salamander (
                            *Eurycea rathbuni*), Comal Springs riffle beetle (
                            *Heterelmis comalensis*), Comal Springs dryopid beetle (
                            *Stygoparnus comalensis*), Peck's cave amphipod (
                            *Stygobromus pecki*), Bee Creek Cave harvestman (
                            *Texella reddelli*), Bone Cave harvestman (
                            *Texella reyesi*), Cokendolpher Cave harvestman (
                            *Texella cokendolpheri*), Government Canyon Bat Cave meshweaver (
                            *Cicurina vespera*), Government Canyon Bat Cave spider (
                            *Tayshaneta microps*), Madla Cave meshweaver (
                            *Cicurina madla*), Robber Baron Cave meshweaver (
                            *Cicurina baronia*), Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion (
                            *Tartarocreagris texana*), Tooth Cave spider (
                            *Tayshaneta myopica*), Beetle (
                            *Rhadine infernalis*), Beetle (
                            *Rhadine exilis*), Coffin Cave mold beetle (
                            *Batrisodes texanus*), Helotes mold beetle (
                            *Batrisodes venyivi*), Kretschmarr Cave mold beetle (
                            *Texamaurops reddelli*), Tooth Cave ground beetle (
                            *Rhadine persephone*), phantom tryonia (
                            *Tryonia cheatumi*), phantom springsnail (
                            *Pyrgulopsis texana*), diminutive amphipod (
                            *Gammarus hyalleloides*), Texas hornshell (
                            *Popenaias popeii*), Ouachita rock pocketbook (
                            *Arcidens wheeleri*), scaleshell (
                            *Leptodea leptodon*), winged mapleleaf (
                            *Quadrula fragosa*)
Oklahoma, Texas
Presence/absence surveys, habitat assessments, voucher specimen collection, collection, biomonitoring
Harass, harm, kill
Renew/Amend.PER0052843
Pernicano, Martina; Golden, Colorado
Southwestern willow flycatcher (
                            *Empidonax traillii extimus*)
Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas
Presence/absence surveys
Harass, harm
Renew/Amend.PER3012383
Nueces County Coastal Parks; Corpus Christi, Texas
Kemp's ridley sea turtle (
                            *Lepidochelys kempii*), hawksbill sea turtle (
                            *Eretmochelys imbricata*), leatherback sea turtle (
                            *Dermochelys coriacea*)
Texas
Document, examine, and salvage stranded sea turtles; capture/handle, transport, and release rehabilitated sea turtles; tissue/blood sample collection; educational display
Harass, harm, capture, collect
New.PER2756918
Courage, Susan; San Antonio, Texas
Golden-cheeked warbler (
                            *Setophaga chrysoparia*)
Texas
Presence/absence surveys, habitat assessments
Harass, harm
Renew.PER3111685
Boeing, Wiebke; Las Cruces, New Mexico
Pecos assiminea (
                            *Assiminea pecos*)
New Mexico
Salvage relic shells
Collect
Amend.( print page 65741)PER3115282
Karraker, Nancy; Kingston, Rhode Island
Jemez Mountains salamander (
                            *Plethodon neomexicanus*)
New Mexico
Presence/absence surveys, capture, handle, bio-sample, and release
Harass, harm, capture
Renew.PER3856727
City of Austin—Watershed Protection Department; Austin, Texas
Barton Springs salamander (
                            *Eurycea sosorum*), Austin blind salamander (
                            *Eurycea waterlooensis*), Tooth Cave spider (
                            *Tayshaneta myopica*), Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion (
                            *Tartarocreagris texana*), Bee Creek Cave harvestman (
                            *Texella reddelli*), Kretschmarr Cave mold beetle (
                            *Texamaurops reddelli*), Tooth Cave ground beetle (
                            *Rhadine persephone*), Bone Cave harvestman (
                            *Texella reyesi*), Coffin Cave mold beetle (
                            *Batrisodes texanus*), ground beetle (
                            *Rhadine exilis*), ground beetle (
                            *Rhadine infernalis*), Helotes mold beetle (
                            *Batrisodes venyivi*), Cokendolpher Cave harvestman (
                            *Texella cokendolpheri*), Robber Baron Cave meshweaver (
                            *Cicurina baronia*), Madla Cave meshweaver (
                            *Cicurina madla*), Government Canyon Bat Cave meshweaver (
                            *Cicurina vespera*), Government Canyon Bat Cave spider (
                            *Neoleptoneta microps*)
Texas
Presence/absence surveys, handling, capture, voucher specimen collection
Harass, harm, kill, capture
Renew.PER3324977
Savarino, Patrick; Dripping Springs, Texas
Lesser prairie chicken (
                            *Tympanuchus pallidicinctus*)
Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Presence/absence surveys, habitat assessments
Harass, harm
New.PER4208629
Turtles Fly Too; Boise, Idaho
Kemp's ridley sea turtle (
                            *Lepidochelys kempii*); leatherback sea turtle (
                            *Dermochelys coriacea*); Olive ridley sea turtle (
                            *Lepidochelys olivacea*); hawskbill sea turtle (
                            *Eretmochelys imbricata*)
Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Transport
Harass, harm
New.
 Public Availability of Comments All comments we receive become part of the public record associated with this action. Requests for copies of comments will be handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and Service and Department of the Interior policies and procedures. 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 ask us 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. Authority We provide this notice under section 10 of the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 
                    *et seq.*). Amy Lueders, Regional Director, Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.


[FR Doc. 2023-20614 Filed 9-22-23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4333-15-P