Fish and Wildlife Service September 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), withdraw the proposed rule to list the Kenk's amphipod (Stygobromus kenki), an invertebrate from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (Act) as amended. This withdrawal is based on our conclusion that the threats to the species as identified in the proposed rule are not as significant as we previously determined and the proposed listing is not warranted. We base this conclusion on our analysis of new information concerning the results of new surveys, current and future threats, and conservation efforts. We find the best scientific and commercial data available indicate that the Kenk's amphipod does not meet the statutory definitions of an endangered or threatened species. Therefore, we are withdrawing our proposed rule to list the Kenk's amphipod as an endangered species.

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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have issued the following permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species, marine mammals, or both. We issue these permits under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare a joint environmental impact statement (EIS) with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). We are a cooperating agency with the BLM on the development of this EIS. The BLM will be analyzing potential impacts of their decision regarding Hycroft Resource and Development Incorporated's (Hycroft/applicant) proposed expansion as described in BLM's notice of intent published in December 2014. This EIS will also analyze impacts associated with the Service's eagle take permit decisions. The Service will evaluate the applicant's Eagle Conservation Plan (ECP), which describes their request to remove inactive golden eagle nests and their request for incidental take authorization for impacts resulting from removing eagle nests, mining operations, and expansion of the existing facility. We are considering the applicant's request, as allowed under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act), for nest removal for the purpose of resource development and recovery operations and incidental take. The BLM has already conducted public scoping regarding the proposed expansion of the Hycroft mine.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), list the Sonoyta mud turtle (Kinosternon sonoriense longifemorale), a turtle from Arizona in the United States and Sonora in Mexico, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. This rule adds the Sonoyta mud turtle to the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and extends the Act's protections to this subspecies.

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

In December 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service completed an environmental assessment (EA) on the take of peregrine falcons for use in falconry. In 2009 and 2010, we published notices in the Federal Register describing the take limits and geographic allocation of take for first-year fall-migrant (passage) peregrine falcons consistent with the selected alternative in that EA. The overall take limits have remained constant since 2009. This notice is to inform the public that, at the request of the Atlantic, Mississippi and Central Flyway Councils, we have reviewed recent data and are revising the take limits for passage peregrine falcons beginning in the fall of 2017.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have issued the following permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species, marine mammals, or both. We issue these permits under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an application from the San Lorenzo Valley Water District for a 20-year incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The application addresses the potential for ``take'' of the federally endangered Mount Hermon June beetle and Zayante band- winged grasshopper that is likely to occur incidental to the replacement of a water storage tank and infrastructure at the existing water storage tank site in Felton, Santa Cruz County, California. We invite comments from the public on the application package, which includes a low-effect habitat conservation plan.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are making a technical correction to remove the endangered Tonkin snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus) from certain regulations that apply to certain threatened primates. These regulations apply only to threatened species, and Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys were reclassified as an endangered species in 1990. Therefore, the provisions of the regulations for threatened primates do not apply to this species. We are correcting this error in the Code of Federal Regulations.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications for a permit to conduct activities intended to enhance the survival of endangered or threatened species. Federal law prohibits certain activities with endangered species unless a permit is obtained.