[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 40 (Monday, March 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10198-10200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5323]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 022398B]
Endangered Species; Permits
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Receipt of four applications for scientific research permits
(1119, 1134, 1135, 1136) and an application for a scientific research/
enhancement permit (1118).
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Mid-Columbia River Fishery Resource Office at Leavenworth, WA
(FWS), the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission at Portland, OR
(CRITFC),
[[Page 10199]]
the U.S. Geological Survey at Cook, WA (USGS), and the Oregon
Cooperative Fishery and Wildlife Research Unit at Oregon State
University, Corvallis, OR (OCFWRU) have applied in due form for permits
that would authorize takes of ESA-listed anadromous fish species for
the purpose of scientific research.
DATES: Written comments or requests for a public hearing on any of the
applications must be received on or before April 1, 1998.
ADDRESSES: The applications and related documents are available for
review in the following office, by appointment:
Protected Resources Division (PRD), 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, Portland.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For Applications 1118 and 1119: Tom
Lichatowich (503-230-5438). For Applications 1134, 1135, and 1136:
Robert Koch (503-230-5424).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FWS, CRITFC, USGS, and OCFWRU request
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).
FWS requests a 5-year permit (1118) for an annual direct take of
endangered, naturally produced and artificially propagated, upper
Columbia River steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) associated with a
supplementation program at Winthrop Hatchery on the Methow River in WA.
FWS proposes to receive ESA-listed steelhead eggs and/or juveniles from
the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Wells Hatchery
supplementation program, rear the fish in the hatchery, and release the
fish when they are ready to outmigrate. WDFW is authorized takes of
ESA-listed steelhead under permit 1094, issued on February 4, 1998 (63
FR 8435, February 19, 1998). The Winthrop Hatchery supplementation
program is well-suited to aid in the recovery of endangered steelhead
because the hatchery is located in the fish's historical upriver
habitat. In addition, transfers of ESA-listed juvenile steelhead from
WDFW to FWS' Winthrop Hatchery will spread the risk of a catastrophic
accident at any one facility which could have serious consequences to
one specific brood year. FWS also requests an annual incidental take of
ESA-listed species associated with fish releases from the
supplementation program.
FWS requests a 5-year permit (1119) for an annual take of adult and
juvenile, endangered, upper Columbia River steelhead associated with
two scientific research studies. The purpose of Study 1 is to gather
data on emigrating juvenile salmon and steelhead. The purpose of Study
2 is to conduct snorkel surveys in various watersheds as part of
inventory and artificial structure monitoring projects. The data
obtained from both studies will be used to determine the survival and
contribution of chinook salmon and steelhead released from FWS'
mitigation hatchery programs in central WA and to provide technical
assistance to agencies, tribes, and interest groups using and managing
aquatic resources in the mid to upper-Columbia River Basin. ESA-listed
adult and juvenile fish are proposed to be observed during snorkel
surveys. ESA-listed juvenile fish are proposed to be captured with
screw traps, handled, and released. ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect
mortalities associated with the scientific research activities are also
requested.
CRITFC requests a 5-year permit (1134) that would authorize annual
takes of juvenile, endangered, Snake River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus
nerka); adult and juvenile, threatened, naturally-produced and
artificially-propagated, Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha); adult and juvenile, threatened, Snake River
fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha); adult and juvenile,
endangered, naturally-produced and artificially-propagated, upper
Columbia River steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss); and adult and juvenile,
threatened, Snake River steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) associated with
scientific research in the Columbia and Snake River Basins in the
Pacific Northwest. CRITFC also requests an annual take of adult and
juvenile lower Columbia River steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) which is
currently proposed as threatened. CRITFC proposes to conduct eight
research tasks: (1) Juvenile chinook salmon, steelhead, and coho salmon
surveys; (2) juvenile anadromous salmonid outmigration studies; (3)
chinook salmon and steelhead escapement surveys; (4) scale sampling at
Bonneville Dam; (5) cryopreservation of chinook salmon and steelhead
gametes; (6) gas bubble trauma sampling; (7) subyearling fall chinook
salmon research; and (8) westslope cutthroat trout genetic inventory.
CRITFC proposes to observe/harass ESA-listed fish during surveys and
redd counts, to collect tissue/scale samples and biological information
from ESA-listed fish during escapement and carcass surveys, to collect
gametes from post-spawned ESA-listed adult fish, and to employ seines,
traps, and electrofishing to capture ESA-listed juvenile fish to apply
passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and other marks for migration
studies. A lethal take of juvenile, ESA-listed, Snake River fall
chinook salmon is requested. ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect
mortalities associated with the research activities are also requested.
USGS requests a 5-year scientific research permit (1135) for annual
takes of juvenile lower Columbia River steelhead, currently proposed as
threatened. The purpose of the research is to examine the hypothesis
that individual juvenile steelhead must grow to a critical size during
their first and second summers to survive harsh winter conditions in
streams. The results of this research will provide data and models that
demonstrate how habitat conditions, such as temperature, influence fish
growth and potential survival in natal streams, particularly in the
Wind River Basin. Juvenile fish are proposed to be collected from
streams in the Wind River Basin using electrofishing, anesthetized,
handled to acquire biological data, allowed to recover from the
anesthetic, and released. A lethal take of juvenile fish is requested.
Indirect mortalities of juvenile fish associated with the research
activities are also requested.
OCFWRU requests a 3-year permit (1136) for annual takes of
juvenile, endangered, Snake River sockeye salmon; juvenile, threatened,
naturally produced and artificially propagated, Snake River spring/
summer chinook salmon; juvenile, threatened, Snake River fall chinook
salmon; juvenile, endangered, naturally produced and artificially
propagated, upper Columbia River steelhead; and juvenile, threatened,
Snake River steelhead associated with research designed to compare
biological and physiological indices of wild and hatchery juvenile fish
exposed to stress from bypass, collection, and transportation
activities at the dams on the Snake and Columbia Rivers in the Pacific
Northwest. The purpose of the research is to determine effects of
manmade structures and management activities on outmigrating salmonids
and to provide information to improve their survival. ESA-listed
juvenile fish are proposed to be captured using lift nets or dipnets at
Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River and McNary Dam on the Columbia
River or acquired from Smolt Monitoring
[[Page 10200]]
Program personnel, operating under the authority of a separate permit,
at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. Captured ESA-listed fish are
proposed to be examined and released or tagged with radio transmitters,
held for as long as 24 hours, released, and tracked electronically.
Some lethal take is requested. ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect
mortalities associated with research activities are also requested.
To date, protective regulations for threatened Snake River
steelhead under section 4(d) of the ESA have not been promulgated by
NMFS. This notice of receipt of applications requesting takes of this
species is issued as a precaution in the event that NMFS issues
protective regulations that prohibit takes of Snake River steelhead.
The initiation of a 30-day public comment period on the applications,
including their proposed takes of Snake River steelhead, does not
presuppose the contents of the eventual protective regulations. To
date, a listing determination for lower Columbia River steelhead under
the ESA has not been promulgated by NMFS. This notice of receipt of
applications requesting takes of this species is issued as a precaution
in the event that NMFS issues a listing determination. The initiation
of a 30-day public comment period on the applications, including their
proposed takes of lower Columbia River steelhead, does not presuppose a
listing determination. Those individuals requesting a hearing on any of
the applications should set out the specific reasons why a hearing
would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). The holding of such a hearing is
at the discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA.
All statements and opinions contained in the above application
summaries are those of the applicants and do not necessarily reflect
the views of NMFS.
Dated: February 23, 1998.
Nancy I. Chu,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-5323 Filed 2-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
