[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 41 (Thursday, February 29, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7776-7777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-4601]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[I.D. 022296B]
Endangered Species; Permits
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Receipt of applications for modifications to three scientific
[[Page 7777]]
research permits (P45K, P45L, and P45S).
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the National Biological Service,
U.S. Department of the Interior at Cook, WA (NBS) has applied in due
form for modifications to permits to take endangered and threatened
species for the purpose of scientific research.
DATES: Written comments or requests for a public hearing on any of
these applications must be received on or before April 1, 1996.
ADDRESSES: The applications and related documents are available for
review in the following offices, by appointment:
Office of Protected Resources, F/PR8, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway,
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226 (301-713-1401); and
Environmental and Technical Services Division, 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, Endangered Species Division, Office of
Protected Resources.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NBS 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 listed fish
and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 217-227).
NBS (P45K) requests modification 5 to permit 817 for an increase in
their annual take of ESA-listed species in association with three
additional scientific research activities under Study 1, originally
entitled ``Identification of the spawning, rearing, and migratory
requirements of fall chinook salmon in the Columbia River Basin.''
Permit 817 authorizes a direct take of juvenile, threatened, Snake
River fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and an indirect
take of juvenile, threatened, Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) for Study 1. NBS proposes to evaluate the
extent, seasonality, and size selectivity of predation on subyearling
fall chinook salmon; estimate food availability and growth of
subyearling fall chinook salmon in nearshore rearing habitats for
eventual use in a bioenergetics model; and relate juvenile fall chinook
salmon survival to physiological development. A greater number of
listed juvenile fish are proposed to be captured, handled, and released
annually with a corresponding increase in indirect mortalities.
Modification 5 would be valid for the duration of the permit. Permit
817 expires on December 31, 1996.
NBS (P45L) requests modification 1 to permit 905 for a change in
the dates and locations of an ongoing scientific research activity and
an increase in their annual take of ESA-listed species in association
with two additional scientific research activities. Permit 905
authorizes a direct take of juvenile, threatened, Snake River fall
chinook salmon and an indirect take of juvenile, threatened, Snake
River spring/summer chinook salmon associated with a scientific study
intended to assess the survival of wild and hatchery juvenile fall
chinook salmon from rearing areas in the free-flowing Snake River
through lower Snake River dams. NBS proposes to expand their annual
collection season and extend their sampling locations to acquire the
juvenile listed fish currently authorized to be taken for
electrophoretic analysis. NBS also proposes to capture, handle, and
release a greater number of listed juvenile fish annually to obtain
non-lethal tissue samples from run-at-large juvenile spring chinook
salmon and fall chinook salmon yearlings for genetic analysis and to
relate juvenile fall chinook salmon survival to physiological
development. Modification 1 would be valid for the duration of the
permit. Permit 905 expires on December 31, 1996.
NBS (P45S) requests modification 1 to permit 956 for changes in
scientific equipment application and sampling techniques and an
increase in their annual take of ESA-listed species in association with
two additional scientific research activities. Permit 956 authorizes a
take of juvenile, threatened, artificially-propagated, Snake River
spring/summer chinook salmon associated with a study designed to
provide managers with data on the distribution, abundance, movement,
and habitat preferences of the anadromous fish that migrate through
Lower Granite Reservoir. NBS has been acquiring the data using radio
transmitter tags applied by gastric insertion. NBS proposes to collect
listed juvenile fish using a purse seine, apply the radio transmitter
tags by surgical implantation, and transport the listed juvenile fish
from the point of capture to an upstream release site. NBS also
proposes to capture, handle, and release a greater number of listed
juvenile fish annually to evaluate the operation of a surface collector
prototype in the forebay of Lower Granite Dam and to use a mid-water
trawl for species verification of hydroacoustic surveys. Modification 1
would be valid for the duration of the permit. Permit 956 expires on
September 30, 1999.
Those individuals requesting a hearing (see ADDRESSES) should set
out the specific reasons why a hearing on any 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
applicants and do not necessarily reflect the views of NMFS.
Dated: February 23, 1996.
Ann D. Terbush,
Chief, Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-4601 Filed 2-28-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
