[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 9, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11444-11445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5796]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 030199D]
Endangered Species; Permits
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Receipt of applications for new scientific research permits
(1202, 1203), receipt of an amendment to an application for a
scientific research permit (1129), and receipt of a request to modify
an existing scientific research permit (1114).
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the following actions regarding
permits for takes of endangered and threatened species for the purposes
of scientific research and/or enhancement: NMFS has received new permit
applications from the U.S. Forest Service in Corvallis, OR (USFS)
(1202) and from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in
Olympia, WA (WDFW)(1203); NMFS has received an amendment to a pending
application from WDFW (1129); and NMFS has received a request to modify
an existing permit from WDFW (1114).
DATES: Written comments or requests for a public hearing on any of the
new applications or modification requests must be received on or before
April 8, 1999.
ADDRESSES: The applications and related documents are available for
review in the following office, by appointment: Protected Resources
Division, F/NWO3, 525 NE Oregon Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-
4169 (503-230-5400).
All documents may also be reviewed by appointment in the Office of
Protected Resources, F/PR3, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver
Spring, MD 20910-3226 (301-713-1401).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For permit 1129: Leslie Schaeffer,
Portland, OR (503-230-5433).
For permits 1114, 1202, and 1203: Tom Lichatowich, Portland, OR
(503-230-5438)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority
Issuance of permits and permit modifications as required by the
ESA, is based on a finding that such permits/modifications: (1) Are
applied for in good faith; (2) would not operate to the disadvantage of
the listed species which are the subject of the permits; and (3) are
consistent with the purposes and policies set forth in section 2 of the
ESA. Permits and modifications are issued in accordance with and are
subject to parts 217-222 of Title 50 CFR, the NMFS regulations
governing listed species permits.
Species Covered in this Notice
The following species and evolutionarily significant units (ESU's)
are covered in this notice:
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Upper Columbia River
(UCR) spring, Snake River (SnR) spring/summer and Steelhead trout (O.
mykiss): Lower Columbia River (LCR), UCR.
To date, neither a listing determination for UCR spring chinook
salmon under the ESA, nor protective regulations for threatened LCR
steelhead under section 4(d) of the ESA have been promulgated by NMFS.
This notice of receipt of applications requesting takes of these
species is issued as a precaution in the event that NMFS issues an UCR
spring chinook salmon listing determination and/or LCR steelhead
protective regulations. The initiation of a 30-day public comment
period on the applications, including their proposed takes of UCR
spring chinook salmon and/or LCR steelhead, does not presuppose a
listing determination or the contents of the eventual protective
regulations, respectively.
New Applications Received
USFS (1202) requests a 5-year permit authorizing direct takes of
juvenile, threatened, LCR steelhead associated with three salmonid
monitoring studies in the Clackamas River and tributaries. In study 1,
USFS proposes to evaluate the downstream migration of juvenile
salmonids. The fish will be captured with screw traps, anesthetized,
tagged with passive integrated transponders (PIT) tags, and released.
For study 2, USFS proposes to conduct a catch and effort study.
Juvenile salmonids will be captured with fly fishing gear,
anesthetized, PIT tagged, and released. In study 3, USFS proposes to
use snorkel surveys to count juvenile salmonids. Data from these three
studies will be used to assess the survival of downstream salmonids as
they pass through various habitats. USFS has also requested some
indirect mortalities of the ESA-listed, juvenile fish associated with
the research.
WDFW (1203) requests a 5-year permit, for takes of adult and
juvenile, UCR spring chinook salmon associated with five research
studies in UCR tributaries and the mainstem river in anticipation of a
possible listing decision of this species by NMFS. In study 1, WDFW
proposes to assess migrating juvenile salmonid populations. The fish
will be captured with screw traps, anesthetized, sampled for biological
data and released downstream. In study 2, WDFW proposes to trap
returning adults at fish ladders, record biological information, and
release them upstream. In study 3, WDFW proposes to survey the spawning
grounds to identify redds and collect biological data from carcasses.
In study 4, WDFW proposes to assess the capacity of salmonid habitat.
Juvenile salmonids will be captured using electroshockers, seines, and
other techniques; anesthetized; sampled for biological data; and
released. In study 5, WDFW proposes to conduct presence/absence studies
by using electroshockers to determine the distribution of salmonids in
various watersheds. Data from these five studies will provide managers
valuable information that will be used to assess the survival of
migrating juvenile salmonids, the abundance of adults on spawning
grounds, the annual success of spawners, and the relative abundance of
salmonids in the available habitat. WDFW has also requested some
indirect mortalities of the ESA-listed, juvenile fish associated with
the research.
Amended Application
On March 24, 1998, a notice was published (63 FR 14069) that NMFS
had received an application (1129) for a 5-year permit from WDFW that
would authorize takes of adult and juvenile, threatened, naturally
produced and artificially propagated, SnR spring/summer chinook salmon
associated with a supplementation program at the Tucannon River and
Lyons Ferry Hatcheries. NMFS has received an amendment to that
application requesting the initiation of a captive broodstock program
for Tucannon River spring chinook salmon. The goal of the captive
broodstock program is for the short term rebuilding of the Tucannon
River spring chinook salmon run because of poor expected runs through
the year 2001. Supplementation fish are
[[Page 11445]]
proposed to be selected for the captive broodstock program. The
amendment also requests the use of remote site incubators to reseed the
uppermost reaches of the Tucannon River with spring chinook salmon to
aid in the long term recovery and rebuilding of the spring chinook
salmon run. Eggs for these incubators would come from the Tucannon
River spring chinook supplementation program or from the captive
broodstock program. WDFW has also requested some indirect mortalities
of the ESA-listed, juvenile fish associated with the research/
enhancement activities.
Modification Request Received
WDFW requests modification 2 to permit 1114, which authorizes
annual direct takes of adult and juvenile, endangered, naturally
produced and artificially propagated, UCR steelhead associated with a
smolt monitoring program at Rock Island Dam. For modification 2, WDFW
requests takes of juvenile, UCR spring chinook salmon in anticipation
of a possible listing decision of this species by NMFS. The requested
takes are associated with a proposed research program designed to
collect information on juvenile salmonid migration timing, survival,
travel timing, and general fish health. The data will be used to make
in-season adjustments to water releases from upstream reservoirs that
optimize downstream migration conditions. Juvenile salmonids will be
collected in a permanent inclined screen trap, anesthetized, examined
and/or PIT tagged, allowed to recover from the anesthetic, and
released. WDFW has also requested some indirect mortalities of the ESA-
listed, juvenile fish associated with the research/enhancement
activities. Modification 2 is requested to be valid for the duration of
the permit, which expires on December 31, 2002.
Dated: March 2, 1999.
Margaret Lorenz,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-5796 Filed 3-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
