Endangered Species; Receipt of Applications for Permit

AGENCY:

Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of receipt of applications for permit.

SUMMARY:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities.

DATES:

We must receive comments or requests for documents on or before October 30, 2013.

ADDRESSES:

Brenda Tapia, Division of Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 212, Arlington, VA 22203; fax (703) 358-2280; or email DMAFR@fws.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Brenda Tapia, (703) 358-2104 (telephone); (703) 358-2280 (fax); DMAFR@fws.gov (email).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Public Comment Procedures

A. How do I request copies of applications or comment on submitted applications?

Send your request for copies of applications or comments and materials concerning any of the applications to the contact listed under ADDRESSES. Please include the Federal Register notice publication date, the PRT-number, and the name of the applicant in your request or submission. We will not consider requests or comments sent to an email or address not listed under ADDRESSES. If you provide an email address in your request for copies of applications, we will attempt to respond to your request electronically.

Please make your requests or comments as specific as possible. Please confine your comments to issues for which we seek comments in this notice, and explain the basis for your comments. Include sufficient information with your comments 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. We will not consider or include in our administrative record comments we receive after the close of the comment period (see DATES) or comments delivered to an address other than those listed above (see ADDRESSES).

B. May I review comments submitted by others?

Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the street address listed under ADDRESSES. The public may review documents and other information applicants have sent in support of the application unless our allowing viewing would violate the Privacy Act or Freedom of Information Act. 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 in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

II. Background

To help us carry out our conservation responsibilities for affected species, and in consideration of section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), along with Executive Order 13576, “Delivering an Efficient, Effective, and Accountable Government,” and the President's Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies of January 21, 2009—Transparency and Open Government (74 FR 4685; January 26, 2009), which call on all Federal agencies to promote openness and transparency in Government by disclosing information to the public, we invite public comment on these permit applications before final action is taken.

III. Permit Applications

A. Endangered Species

Applicant: DDR Rock Ranch LLC, Floresville, TX; PRT-08353B

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

Applicant: Hill Country Trophy Hunting, Mountain Home, TX; PRT-08670B

The applicant requests a permit authorizing interstate and foreign commerce, export, and cull of excess for scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) and addax (Addax nasomaculatus) from the captive herd maintained at their facility, for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species. This notification covers activities over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Blackbrush Ridge Ranch, Brackettville, TX; PRT-15315B

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

Appplicant: Blackbrush Ridge Ranch, Brackettville, TX; PRT-15322B

The applicant requests a permit authorizing interstate and foreign commerce, export, and cull of excess for scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) from the captive herd maintained at their facility, for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species. This notification covers activities over a 5-year period.

Applicant: David Reisman, Howard Beach, NY; PRT-16461B

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

Applicant: Judy May, Water Valley, TX; PRT-16838B

The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii), Eld's deer (Rucervus eldii), scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah), Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx), addax (Addax nasomaculatus), dama gazelle (Nanger dama), and red lechwe (Kobus leche) to enhance the species' propagation or survival. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Judy May, Water Valley, TX; PRT-16848B

The applicant requests a permit authorizing interstate and foreign commerce, export, and cull of excess barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii), Eld's deer (Rucervus eldii), scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah), Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx), addax (Addax nasomaculatus), dama gazelle (Nanger dama), and red lechwe (Kobus leche) from the captive herd maintained at their facility, for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species. This notification covers activities over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Michael Birdsall, Port St. Lucie, FL; PRT-16914B

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

Applicant: Ruth Ranch LLC, Knippa, TX; PRT-16806B

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

Appplicant: Ruth Ranch LLC, Knippa, TX; PRT-16805B

The applicant requests a permit authorizing interstate and foreign commerce, export, and cull of excess for scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) from the captive herd maintained at their facility, for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species. This notification covers activities over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Christopher Leone, Howell, NJ; PRT-233243

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

Applicant: Zoological Society of San Diego, San Diego, CA; PRT-17017B

The applicant requests a permit to export one male captive-bred giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) born at the zoo in 2009, which is owned by the Government of China, to the Wolong Nature Reserve Giant Panda Bifengxia Base. This export is under the terms of San Diego's loan agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association, and the State Forestry Administration. The export is part of the approved loan program for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species through scientific research as outlined in San Diego's original permit.

Applicant: Friedel Ranches, Copperas Cove, TX; PRT-69093A

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

Applicant: Christopher Lee, Rochester Hills, MI; PRT-16925B

The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata), spotted pond turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii), and African dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis) to enhance the species' propagation or survival. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

Applicant: Donald Robillard, Plano, TX; PRT-13373B

The applicant requests a permit to import a sport-hunted trophy of one 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 enhancement of the survival of the species