Notice2026-09233
Foreign Endangered Species; 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
May 11, 2026
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). 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 90 (Monday, May 11, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 90 (Monday, May 11, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25593-25595]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-09233]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2026-0760; FXIA16710900000-267-FF09A30000]
Foreign Endangered Species; 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). 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: Comments will be accepted on or before June 10, 2026. Comments
submitted electronically using the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see
ADDRESSES, below) must be received by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on the
closing date.
To ensure your comment is received and considered, you must submit
it using one of the methods identified in the ADDRESSES section of this
document. Comments submitted through any method not authorized in this
document, or sent to an address not listed here, will not be
considered.
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="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> in
Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2026-0760.
Comment submission: All submissions must include the docket number
[FWS-HQ-IA-2026-0760] this document. You must submit comments using one
of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronic submission: Federal eRulemaking Portal at:
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. In the Search box, enter FWS-HQ-IA-2026-
0760, which is the docket number for this action. Then click the Search
button. On the resulting page, you may submit a comment by clicking on
``Comment.'' Please ensure that you have found the correct document
before submitting your comments.
<bullet> U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS-HQ-IA-2026-0760, Policy and Regulations Branch, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church,
VA 22041-3803.
Comments submitted through any method not authorized in this
document, or sent to an address not listed here, will not be
considered. We will not accept comments via email, fax, or hand
delivery. We are not required to consider comments that are submitted
after the comment period ends or that are submitted via a method
outside of these instructions. Comments containing profanity,
vulgarity, threats, or other inappropriate content will not be
considered.
We will post all comments at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. You may
request that we withhold personal identifying information from public
review; however, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy MacDonald, by phone at 703-
358-2185 or via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e6a2aba7a0b4a6809195c8818990"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7c38313d3a2e3c1a0b0f521b130a">[email protected]</span></a>. 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:
[[Page 25594]]
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 <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://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="https://www.regulations.gov">https://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 (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: Carolina Tiger Rescue, Pittsboro, NC; Permit No. PER27263604
The applicant requests a permit to import one captive-born male
tiger (Panthera tigris) from Honduras, 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. PER29395039
The applicant requests a permit to import three live captive-born
pygmy chimpanzees (Pan paniscus) from Belgium for the purpose of
enhancing the propagation or survival of the species. This notification
is for a single import.
Applicant: Sea Turtle Conservancy, Gainesville, FL; Permit No.
PER27322412
The applicant requests a permit to import biological samples
derived from wild hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the
Bahamas for scientific research. This notification covers activities to
be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Powell, OH; Permit No.
PER30305836
The applicant requests a permit to import biological samples
collected from wild mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) and wild
red-backed squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii) for the purpose of
scientific research. This notification is for a single import.
Applicant: B Bryan Preserve, LLC, Point Arena, CA; Permit No.
PER29219928
The applicant requests to amend their captive-bred wildlife
registration (CBW) under 50 CFR 17.21(g) by adding the following
species, to enhance the propagation or survival of the species. This
notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant until
their CBW expires on June 24, 2029.
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Common name Scientific name
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African wild ass.......................... Equus africanus.
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Applicant: Ross Hammock Ranch Inc, Inglis, FL; Permit No. PER30264044
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.
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Common name Scientific name
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Red lechwe................................ Kobus leche.
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Applicant: The M5 Ranch, Breckenridge, TX; Permit No. PER30390600
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.
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Common name Scientific name
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Arabian oryx.............................. Oryx leucoryx.
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Applicant: Ross Hammock Ranch Inc, Inglis, FL; Permit No. PER30264793
The applicant requests a permit authorizing the culling of excess
red lechwe (Kobus leche) from the captive herd maintained at their
facility, to enhance the species' propagation and survival. This
notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a
5-year period.
Applicant: The M5 Ranch, Breckenridge, TX; Permit No. PER30391206
The applicant requests a permit authorizing the culling of excess
Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) from the captive herd maintained at their
facility, to enhance the species' propagation and survival. This
notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a
5-year period.
[[Page 25595]]
Multiple Trophy Applicants
The following applicants request permits to import sport-hunted
trophies of male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled from a
captive herd in the Republic of South Africa, for the purpose of
enhancing the propagation or survival of the species.
<bullet> Applicant: Gregory Peters, Jordan, MN; Permit No. PER28422697
<bullet> Applicant: Julie Waibel, Boerne, TX; Permit No. PER29038832
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 <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://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.
Scott Carleton,
Acting Branch Chief, Branch of Permits, Division of Management
Authority.
[FR Doc. 2026-09233 Filed 5-8-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.