78376 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 15, 2023 / Notices 

variation by using the relationship 

estimated in the linear regression and 

applies this adjustment factor to the 

earnings performance measure for each 

PHA, resulting in an adjusted Earnings 

Performance Measure that is used to 

determine the PHA’s score for the 

earnings component of the FAM Score. 

Going forward, to improve year-to-year 

stability of scores, HUD will implement 

this adjustment to ensure the average of 

the adjusted earnings measure is the 

same as the average of the unadjusted 

measure. 

D. HUD adjusted and clarified how 

joint FSS grantees are counted across 

years. For each of the three years 

included in the measures, calculations 

are made at the joint applicant level so 

that each PHA in a joint funding group 

has the same measure for the year. 

Because the component calculations are 

made during each of the three years, 

joint funding recipients are only 

included in a group for the time period 

associated with the measure in the 

year(s) when they are part of the joint 

funding group. As a result, PHAs in 

joint FSS programs without stable 

agency membership will have members 

with different measures and scores 

when averaging across all three years of 

calculation to produce composite 

measures, scores, and components. 

E. Using the revised year-year average 

score methodology for the baseline year 

ending December 31, 2019 (reflecting 

the average of scores for 2019, 2018, and 

2017), HUD has recalibrated the 

thresholds for converting the Earnings 

and Graduation measures into scores 

and specified the updated thresholds 

below. Going forward, these thresholds 

will be fixed to allow HUD and PHAs 

to gauge the extent to which individual 

PHAs and the entire FSS program as a 

whole are making progress toward 

higher performance levels. The only 

exceptions are the thresholds for 

determining Earnings Performance 

Scores, which shall be adjusted 

annually. This annual adjustment will 

account for changes in the average 

earnings using a custom inflation index 

based on the weighted hourly series for 

the first (lowest) quartile of wage 

earners within the wage growth data 

from the Federal Reserve Bank of 

Atlanta. This will help ensure that the 

thresholds for determining Earnings 

Performance Scores keep pace with 

wage inflation over time. 

III. Revised Thresholds 

The following are the updated 

thresholds HUD will use to compute a 

FAM Score for each PHA. 

1. Step One: Assigning Scores to Each 

of the Three Measures 

In Step One, HUD will assign a score 

of 0 to 10 to each PHA’s FSS program 

for each of the three measures. Scores 

will be assigned using the thresholds 

and procedures described below. The 

ranges for awarding points between two 

values include those values as well as 

all intermediary values. 

a. Earnings Performance Measure 

(50% of final score): 

• 10 points: three-year average 

Earnings Performance Measure of 

$6,315 or higher. 

• 7.5 points: three-year average 

Earnings Performance Measure between 

$4,795 and $6,314.99. 

• 0 points: three-year average 

Earnings Performance Measure below 

$2,283 and a p-value of <.10 on a 

statistical test measuring the likelihood 

that a PHA’s three-year average Earnings 

Performance Measure is significantly 

lower than the median measure of 

$4,247 (see December 12, 2017 Federal 

Register Notice at page 82 FR 58437 for 

an explanation of this statistical test). 

• 5 points: All PHAs that do not 

qualify for a 10, 7.5, or a 0. 

• These thresholds will apply to 

Earnings Performance Measures for the 

2019 audit year, which reflect an 

average of Earnings Performance 

Measures for the 2017, 2018 and 2019 

calendar years. As described above, to 

keep pace with inflation, HUD will 

adjust the thresholds used to compute 

Earnings Performance Scores annually 

to reflect changes in the weighted 

hourly series for the first (lowest) 

quartile of wage earners in the wage 

growth data from the Federal Reserve 

Bank of Atlanta. 

b. FSS Graduation Rate (30% of final 

score): 

• 10 points: three-year average FSS 

Graduation Rate of 42% or higher. 

• 7.5 points: three-year average FSS 

Graduation Rate between 32% and 

41.99%. 

• 0 points: FSS Graduation Rate 

below 15%. 

• 5 points: All PHAs that do not 

qualify for a 10, 7.5, or a 0. 

c. Participation Rate (20% of final 

score): 

• 10 points: participation rate of 2.20 

or higher. 

• 9 points: participation rate between 

1.95 and 2.19. 

• 8 points: participation rate between 

1.70 and 1.94. 

• 7 points: participation rate between 

1.45 and 1.69. 

• 6 points: participation rate between 

1.2 and 1.44. 

• 5 points: participation rate between 

.95 and 1.19. 

• 0 points: participation rate of lower 

than .95. 

2. Step Two: Developing the Final FAM 

Score and Ranking 

In Step Two, after computing 

individual scores for each of the three 

measures, HUD will aggregate each 

PHA’s scores using the weights noted 

above to develop a final FAM Score 

from 0 to 10. Based on this score, HUD 

will assign the following ranking to the 

PHA’s FAM Score: 

• Category 1: FAM Score of 7.9 or 

higher. 

• Category 2: FAM Score between 4.0 

and 7.89. 

• Category 3: FAM Score between 3.5 

and 3.99. 

• Category 4: FAM Score of less than 

3.5. 

IV. Environmental Impact 

This notice does not direct, provide 

for assistance or loan and mortgage 

insurance for, or otherwise govern or 

regulate, real property acquisition, 

disposition, leasing, rehabilitation, 

alteration, demolition, or new 

construction, or establish, revise or 

provide for standards for construction or 

construction materials, manufactured 

housing, or occupancy. Accordingly, 

under 24 CFR 50.19(c)(1), this notice is 

categorically excluded from 

environmental review under the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321). 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary 

for Public and Indian Housing, Richard 

J. Monocchio, having reviewed and 

approved this document, is delegating 

the authority to electronically sign this 

document to submitter, Aaron Santa 

Anna, who is the Federal Register 

Liaison for HUD, for purposes of 

publication in the Federal Register. 

Aaron Santa Anna, 

Federal Register Liaison for the Department 

of Housing and Urban Development. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25231 Filed 11–14–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–67–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[Docket No. FWS–HQ–IA–2023–0223; 

FXIA16710900000–234–FF09A30000] 

Foreign Endangered Species; Receipt 

of Permit Applications 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of receipt of permit 

applications; request for comments. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 15, 2023 / Notices 78377 

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 

December 15, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: 

Obtaining Documents: The 

applications, application supporting 

materials, and any comments and other 

materials that we receive will be 

available for public inspection at 

https://www.regulations.gov in Docket 

No. FWS–HQ–IA–2023–0223. 

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: https://

www.regulations.gov. Search for and 

submit comments on Docket No. FWS– 

HQ–IA–2023–0223. 

• U.S. Mail: Public Comments 

Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS–HQ– 

IA–2023–0223; U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service Headquarters, MS: PRB/3W; 

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– 

2185 or via email at DMAFR@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-ofcontact in the United States. 

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 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 https://

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 https://

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: Miami-Dade Zoological Park 

and Gardens, Miami, FL; Permit No. 

PER5156259 

The applicant requests a permit to 

import from Canada one greater onehorned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros 

unicornis), for the purpose of enhancing 

the propagation or survival of the 

species. This notification is for a single 

import. 

Applicant: Midwestern University, 

Glendale, AZ; Permit No. PER5156944 

The applicant requests authorization 

to import scientific samples collected 

from wild salvaged mantled howler 

monkey (Alouatta palliata), blackhanded spider monkey (Ateles 

geoffroyi), red-backed squirrel monkey 

(Saimiri oerstedii), and ocelot 

(Leopardus pardalis), all of which are 

found in Costa Rica, for the purpose of 

scientific research. This notification 

covers activities to be conducted by the 

applicant over a 5-year period. 

Applicant: Tulane University, New 

Orleans, LA; Permit No. PER5230668 

The applicant requests a permit to 

import biological samples collected 

from wild live or salvaged South 

American tapir (Tapirus terrestris) from 

Brazil for the purpose of enhancing the 

survival of the species through scientific 

research. This notification is for a single 

import. 

Applicant: Ryder Scientific, R.L.L.L.P., 

dba Ryder Scientific, Putnam Valley, 

NY; Permit No. PER5322138 

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. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
78378 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 15, 2023 / Notices 

Common name Scientific name 

Nile crocodile .................................................................................................................................................................. Crocodylus niloticus. 

Cuban crocodile .............................................................................................................................................................. Crocodylus rhombifer. 

Siamese crocodile .......................................................................................................................................................... Crocodylus siamensis. 

West African dwarf crocodile .......................................................................................................................................... Osteolaemus tetraspis. 

Saltwater crocodile ......................................................................................................................................................... Crocodylus porosus. 

Galapagos tortoise .......................................................................................................................................................... Chelonoidis niger. 

Military macaw ................................................................................................................................................................ Ara militaris. 

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. 

• Jeffrey Becker, Forsyth, IL; Permit No. 

PER5225366 

• John Bethany, Arlington Heights, IL; 

Permit No. PER5225407 

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 https://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. 

Brenda Tapia, 

Supervisory Program Analyst/Data 

Administrator, Branch of Permits, Division 

of Management Authority. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25165 Filed 11–14–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R1–ES–2023–N081; 

FXES11130100000–234–FF01E00000] 

Endangered 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 and survival of endangered 

species under the Endangered Species 

Act. We invite the public and local, 

State, Tribal, and Federal agencies to 

comment on these applications. Before 

issuing 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 December 15, 

2023. 

ADDRESSES: 

Document availability and comment 

submission: Submit a request for a copy 

of the application and related 

documents and submit any comments 

by one of the following methods. All 

requests and comments should specify 

the applicant name and application 

number (e.g., Dana Ross, ES001705): 

• Email: permitsR1ES@fws.gov. 

• U.S. Mail: Marilet Zablan, Regional 

Program Manager, Restoration and 

Endangered Species Classification, 

Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Pacific Regional 

Office, 911 NE 11th Avenue, Portland, 

OR 97232–4181. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Karen Colson, Regional Recovery Permit 

Coordinator, Ecological Services, (503) 

231–6283 (telephone); permitsR1ES@

fws.gov (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-ofcontact 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 of 1973, 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 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 (CFR) 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. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1