Billing Code 4333-15
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2024-0113; FXIA16710900000-245-FF09A30000]
Emergency Exemption: Issuance of Emergency Permit to Import Endangered Species
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of issuance of permit.
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have waived the 30-day public notice
period and have issued an endangered species permit for import of up to 20 viable eggs
salvaged from the nests of wild piping plover (Charadrius melodus), an endangered bird
species. We issue this permit under the Endangered Species Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
ADDRESSES: Materials pertaining to the permit application are available by submitting a
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Service’s FOIA office at
https://www.doi.gov/foia/foia-request-form.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brenda Tapia, by phone at 703-358-2104 or
via email at DMAFR@fws.gov. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, blind, 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: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
have issued an emergency permit to conduct certain activities with the endangered piping
plover (Charadrius melodus) in response to a permit application that we received under the
authority of section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.)
We issued the requested permit subject to certain conditions set forth in the permit. For

the application, we found that (1) the application was filed in good faith, (2) the granted permit
would not operate to the disadvantage of the endangered species, and (3) the granted permit
would be consistent with the purposes and policy set forth in section 2 of the ESA.
Permit Issued Under Emergency Exemption
Permit number

Applicant

Permit
issuance date

PER10966266

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Michigan
Field Office

June 10, 2024

The Service’s Michigan Field Office requested a permit to import up to 20 viable eggs
salvaged from wild piping plover nests collected by the Canadian Wildlife Service and Birds
Canada in Ontario, Canada, due to the nests being abandoned by the parents or the eggs being
buried in sand or partially covered by water. The Service determined that an emergency
affecting the viability of the piping plover eggs existed, and that no reasonable alternative was
available to the applicant.
On June 10, 2024, the Service issued permit no. PER10966266 to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service’s Michigan Field Office, to import up to 20 viable eggs salvaged from wild
piping plover nests for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species. The eggs
were salvaged so that the Michigan Field Office could transfer them to a permitted captiverearing facility in the United States for eventual release of the fledged birds into the wild.
Authority
We issue this notice under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and its implementing regulations.
Brenda Tapia,
Supervisory Program Analyst/Data Administrator,
Branch of Permits, Division of Management Authority.

[FR Doc. 2024-14206 Filed: 6/27/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 6/28/2024]