Notice2026-09807
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 15, 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 94 (Friday, May 15, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 94 (Friday, May 15, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27977-27979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-09807]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2026-0298; 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 15, 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-2026-0298.
Comment submission: All submissions must include the docket number
[FWS-HQ-IA-2026-0298] for 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-
0298, 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-2026-0298, 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
[[Page 27978]]
will be able to do so. For more information, see Public Comment
Procedures under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy MacDonald, by phone at 703-
358-2185 or via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c0848d81869280a6b7b3eea7afb6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="94d0d9d5d2c6d4f2e3e7baf3fbe2">[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:
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 hard copy 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, Part 17.
III. Permit Applications
We invite comments on the following applications.
Applicant: Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley, MN; Permit No. PER26188753
The applicant requests authorization to import up to 25 live,
captive-bred larvae of Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek) from
Assiniboine Park Zoo, Canada annually for the purpose of enhancing the
propagation or survival of the species. This notification covers
activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: John Ball Zoo, Grand Rapids, MN; Permit No. PER27754098
The applicant requests authorization to import up to 25 live,
captive-bred larvae of Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek) from
Assiniboine Park Zoo, Canada annually for the purpose of enhancing the
propagation or survival of the species. This notification covers
activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: St. Augustine Alligator Farm, St. Augustine, FL; Permit No.
PER21244412
The applicant requests a permit to export one live, captive-bred
female African slender-snouted crocodile (Crocodylus cataphractus) to
Bristol Zoological Society in Bristol, United Kingdom, for the purpose
of enhancing the propagation or survival of the species. This
notification is for a single export.
Applicant: St. Augustine Alligator Farm, St. Augustine, FL; Permit No.
PER21244411
The applicant requests a permit to export two live, captive-bred
male African slender-snouted crocodile (Crocodylus cataphractus) to
Selwa Adventura in Estepona, Spain, for the purpose of enhancing the
propagation or survival of the species. This notification is for a
single export.
Applicant: Henry Vilas Zoo, Madison, WI; Permit No. PER27541931
The applicant requests a permit to export one live, captive-bred
male golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) to Zoo de Granby in
Granby, Canada, for the purpose of enhancing the propagation or
survival of the species. This notification is for a single export.
Applicant: Turtle Survival Alliance, North Charleston, SC; Permit No.
PER27332264
The applicant requests authorization to import, annually,
biological samples derived from up to 1,500 individuals, wild or
captive-born, of Testudines species, including those that are listed
under the Endangered Species Act, from each country within their native
range for the purpose of scientific research. This notification covers
activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Turtle Conservancy, Ojai, CA; Permit No. PER27229456
The applicant requests a captive-bred wildlife registration under
50 CFR 17.21(g) for the Galapagos tortoise (Geochelone nigra) and
radiated tortoise (Geochelone radiata), to enhance the propagation or
survival of the species. This notification covers activities to be
conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman, OK;
Permit No. PER25540581
The applicant requests authorization to export and re-import
nonliving museum specimens of endangered
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species previously accessioned into the applicant's collection for
scientific research. This notification covers activities to be
conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
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: Craig Keller, Tunkhannock, PA; Permit No.
PER25338256
<bullet> Applicant: Brandon Isenhour, Hickory, NC; Permit No.
PER26245660
<bullet> Applicant: Stephen Isenhour, Hickory, NC; Permit No.
PER26245661
<bullet> Applicant: Vicki Lynn Lee, Ft. Collins, CO; Permit No.
PER26618348
<bullet> Applicant: George Sammut, Morgan Hill, CA; Permit No.
PER26821388
<bullet> Applicant: Collin Griffiths, Missoula, MT; Permit No.
PER26935891
<bullet> Applicant: Charlie Dally, Rathdrum, ID; Permit No. PER27974123
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 Chief, Branch of Permits, Division of Management Authority.
[FR Doc. 2026-09807 Filed 5-14-26; 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.