Notice2021-19567
Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Wild Bird Protection Act; Receipt of Permit Applications
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 10, 2021
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentFish and Wildlife Service
Abstract
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (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), foreign or native species for which the Service has jurisdiction under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and foreign bird species covered under the Wild Bird Conservation Act (WBCA). With some exceptions, the ESA, MMPA, and WBCA prohibit activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such activities. These Acts also require that we invite public comment before issuing permits for any activity they otherwise prohibit with respect to any species.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 173 (Friday, September 10, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 173 (Friday, September 10, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50734-50736]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-19567]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0051; FXIA16710900000-212-FF09A30000]
Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Wild
Bird Protection Act; Receipt of Permit Applications
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of permit applications; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (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), foreign or native species for which the Service has
jurisdiction under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and foreign
bird species covered under the Wild Bird Conservation Act (WBCA). With
some exceptions, the ESA, MMPA, and WBCA prohibit activities with
listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such
activities. These Acts also require that we invite public comment
before issuing permits for any activity they otherwise prohibit with
respect to any species.
DATES: We must receive comments by October 12, 2021.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: The applications, application supporting
materials, and any comments and other materials that we receive will be
available for public inspection at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> in Docket
No. FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0051.
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:
<bullet> Internet: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Search for and
submit comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0051.
[[Page 50735]]
<bullet> U.S. Mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0051; 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: Monica Thomas, by phone at 703-358-
2185, via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b2f6fff3f4e0f2d4c5c19cd5ddc4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f0b4bdb1b6a2b0968783de979f86">[email protected]</span></a>, 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 <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, 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.); section
104(c) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA;
16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.); and section 112(4) of the Wild Bird
Conservation Act of 1992 (WBCA; 16 U.S.C. 4901-4916), we invite public
comments on permit applications before final action is taken. With some
exceptions, these Acts prohibit 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.
Service regulations regarding permits for any activity otherwise
prohibited by the MMPA with respect to any marine mammals are available
in title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations in part 18. Service
regulations regarding permits for any activity otherwise prohibited by
the WBCA with respect to any wild birds are available in title 50 of
the Code of Federal Regulations in part 15.
Concurrent with publishing this notice in the Federal Register, we
are forwarding copies of the marine mammal applications to the Marine
Mammal Commission and the Committee of Scientific Advisors for their
review.
III. Permit Applications
We invite comments on the following applications.
A. Endangered Marine Mammals and Marine Mammals
Applicant: Titan Productions, Monterey, CA; Permit No. PER0004910
The applicant requests a permit to photograph (video and still
photography) northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) in Alaska and
southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) in California, for the
purpose of commercial photography. This notification covers activities
to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: BBC Studios Productions Ltd, Los Angeles CA; Permit No.
PER0003402
The applicant requests a permit to photograph (video and still
photography) southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) in California,
for the purpose of commercial photography. This notification covers
activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation, Monterey, CA; Permit No.
186914
The applicant requests a permit to renew their permit to take
rescued southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) in California, for
the purpose of scientific research. This notification covers activities
to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
B. Wild Bird Conservation Act
The public is invited to comment on the following application for
approval to conduct certain activities with bird species covered under
the Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992 (16 U.S.C. 4901-4916). This
notice is provided pursuant to section 112(4) of the Wild Bird
Conservation Act of 1992 (50 CFR 15.26(c)).
Applicant: David Kanellis, Las Vegas, NV; Permit No. 10109C
The applicant wishes to renew and amend the cooperative breeding
program, CB030 Raptor Cooperative Breeding Program, by including the
following species: Verreaux's eagle-owl (Bubo lacteus), importing to
the United States 16 birds (8 males and 8 females); spectacled owl
(Pulsatrix perspicillata), importing to the United States 20 birds (10
males and 10 females); and boobook owl (Ninox boobook), importing to
the United States 24 birds (14 males and 10 females). If the amendment
is approved, the program will be overseen by the California Hawking
Club, Sacramento, California.
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
[[Page 50736]]
Register. You may locate the notice announcing the permit issuance by
searching <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> 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 <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> 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, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended
(16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and its implementing regulations and section
112(4) of the Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992 (50 CFR 15.26(c)).
Monica Thomas,
Management Analyst, Branch of Permits, Division of Management
Authority.
[FR Doc. 2021-19567 Filed 9-9-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
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