[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 199 (Wednesday, October 15, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53596-53597]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-27162]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 100397B]
Endangered Species; Permits
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Receipt of applications for modifications to incidental take
permits 901 and 902.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife at Olympia, WA (WDFW) has applied in due form for
modifications to permits that would provide authorization for
incidental takes of an endangered anadromous fish species.
DATES: Written comments or requests for a public hearing on either of
these applications must be received on or before November 14, 1997.
ADDRESSES: The applications and related documents are available for
review in the following offices, by appointment:
Office of Protected Resources, F/PR3, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway,
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226 (301-713-1401); and
Protected Resources Division, F/NWO3, 525 NE Oregon Street, Suite
500, Portland, OR 97232-4169 (503-230-5400).
Written comments or requests for a public hearing should be
submitted to the Chief, Protected Resources Division in Portland, OR.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: WDFW requests modifications to permits under
the authority of section 10 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA)
(16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) and the NMFS regulations governing ESA-listed
fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 217-227).
Permits 901 and 902 authorize WDFW incidental takes of endangered
Snake River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka); threatened, naturally-
produced and artificially-propagated, Snake River spring/summer chinook
salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha); and threatened Snake River fall
chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) associated with numerous non-
listed fish hatchery complexes and educational projects throughout the
state of WA. These artificial propagation projects may result in
incidental takes of ESA-listed species from ecological and/or genetic
interactions and from hatchery operations. Impacts on ESA-listed
juvenile fish may include competition for food and habitat, disease
transmission, predation by non-listed hatchery fish, and an increased
vulnerability to predation by other predators. Non-listed, hatchery-
produced fish may also impact the ESA-listed species through
interbreeding, which could result in a loss of genetic variability in
the ESA-listed fish populations.
The modifications of permits 901 and 902 are required to authorize
the incidental takes of endangered upper Columbia River steelhead trout
(Oncorhynchus mykiss) and threatened Snake River steelhead trout
(Oncorhynchus mykiss) associated with: 1) the operation of non-listed
fish hatchery facilities and educational programs in the Columbia River
Basin, 2) the on-station releases or transfers of non-listed fish
produced from those facilities, and 3) the operation of tributary smolt
traps in the Columbia River Basin for non-listed fish hatchery program
research and evaluation purposes. WDFW has submitted revised
conservation plans in the permit modification applications that specify
steps proposed to be taken to monitor, minimize, and mitigate impacts
to ESA-listed fish. In the permit modification applications, WDFW
included descriptions of incidental takes of lower Columbia River
steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in anticipation of a possible
listing determination of this Evolutionarily Significant Unit by NMFS
in 1998. The modifications to permits 901 and 902 are requested to be
valid for the duration of the permits. Permits 901 and 902 both expire
on December 31, 1998.
Those individuals requesting a hearing (see ADDRESSES) should set
out the specific reasons why a hearing on either of these applications
would be appropriate. The holding of such hearing is at the discretion
of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA. All statements and
opinions contained in these application summaries are those of the
applicant and do not necessarily reflect the views of NMFS.
[[Page 53597]]
Dated: October 7, 1997.
Nancy Chu,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-27162 Filed 10-14-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
