[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 7, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16955-16957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-9083]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 424
[I.D. 032498B]
Endangered and Threatened Species; Notice of Public Hearings on
Proposed Listings and Proposed Designations of Critical Habitat for
West Coast Steelhead, Chinook, Chum, and Sockeye Salmon
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public hearings.
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SUMMARY: NMFS has proposed to list 13 evolutionarily significant units
(ESUs)
[[Page 16956]]
of Pacific salmon and steelhead under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)
of 1973. NMFS has also proposed to designate critical habitat for the
proposed salmon ESUs. NMFS will shortly propose critical habitat for
steelhead ESUs previously listed as threatened or endangered, as well
as for the two steelhead ESUs recently proposed as threatened under the
ESA.
These proposed listings, and proposed and pending designations of
critical habitat include ESUs of west coast steelhead, and chinook,
chum and sockeye salmon in California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
Public hearings are scheduled to provide the public with
opportunities to comment on the proposals and to provide information
and data about these species and their critical habitat.
DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for hearing dates.
ADDRESSES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for hearing addresses.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Garth Griffin, (503) 231-2005; Craig
Wingert, (562) 980-4021; or Joe Blum, (301) 713-1401. Copies of the
Federal Register notices cited herein and additional salmon-related
materials are available via the Internet at www.nwr.noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On February 26, 1998, NMFS issued proposed rules to protect 13 ESUs
of Pacific salmon and steelhead as threatened or endangered under the
ESA (chinook salmon--63 FR 11482, March 9, 1998; sockeye salmon--63 FR
11750, March 10, 1998; chum salmon--63 FR 11774, March 10, 1998; and
steelhead-63 FR 11798, March 10, 1998). The ESUs proposed for listing
include two proposed endangered ESUs: California's Central Valley
spring-run chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and Upper Columbia
River spring-run chinook salmon and 11 proposed threatened ESUs: Upper
Willamette River steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Middle Columbia River
steelhead, California's Central Valley fall-run chinook salmon,
Southern Oregon and California coastal chinook salmon, Puget Sound
chinook salmon, Lower Columbia River chinook salmon, Upper Willamette
River chinook salmon, Columbia River chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta),
Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon, Ozette Lake sockeye salmon
(Oncorhynchus nerka), and a proposal to redefine the listed Snake River
fall-run chinook salmon ESU to include Deschutes River fall chinook
salmon.
In addition, NMFS has proposed the designation of one sockeye
salmon ESU (Baker River) as a candidate for listing because of
uncertainty regarding its status.
NMFS concurrently proposed to designate critical habitat for the
proposed chinook, chum, and sockeye salmon ESUs. Critical habitat for
these species is described in the same Federal Register notices
announcing the proposed listings (see Federal Register notices cited
previously). In a forthcoming Federal Register notice, NMFS will also
propose designating critical habitat for nine ESUs of west coast
steelhead that have been listed or proposed for listing under the ESA.
Public Hearings
Public hearings on the proposed listings provide the opportunity
for the public to give comments and to permit an exchange of
information and opinion among interested parties. The Department of
Commerce's ESA implementing regulations state that the Secretary of
Commerce ``shall promptly hold at least one public hearing if any
person so requests within 45 days of publication of a proposed
regulation to list * * * a species'' (50 CFR section 424.16 (c)(3)).
NMFS encourages public involvement in such ESA matters and has decided
to schedule hearings on these proposals.
NMFS is soliciting specific information, comments, data, and/or
recommendations on any aspect of the aforementioned proposals from all
interested parties. In particular, NMFS is requesting information or
data as described in the Federal Register notices announcing the
proposed listings for each species (see Federal Register notices cited
previously). This information is considered critical in helping NMFS
make final determinations on the proposed listings and proposed
designations of critical habitat. NMFS will consider all information,
comments, and recommendations received during the comment period or at
the public hearings before reaching a final decision.
The public will have the opportunity to provide oral and written
testimony at the public hearings. Written comments on the proposals may
also be submitted (see Federal Register notices cited previously).
Public hearings on the proposed listings will be held as follows:
(1) April 20, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., The Chapel, Fort Warden State
Park, 200 Battery Way, Port Townsend, WA;
(2) April 21, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Bellingham City Hall, Council
Chambers 210, Lottie Street, Bellingham, Washington;
(3) April 22, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Bonneville Power Admin.
Auditorium, 911 NE 11th Ave., Portland, Oregon;
(4) April 28, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Yakima County Courthouse,
Room 420, 128 North 2nd Street, Yakima, Washington;
(5) April 29, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Chelan Center, 317 East
Johnson, Chelan, Washington;
(6) April 29, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Eureka Inn, 518 Seventh
Street, Eureka, California;
(7) April 30, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Columbia River Maritime,
Museum, 1792 Marine Drive, Astoria, Oregon;
(8) April 30, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Double Tree Hotel, 1 Double
Tree Drive, Rohnert Park, California;
(9) May 4, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Lewiston Community Center, 1424
Main Street, Lewiston, Idaho;
(10) May 5, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Natural Resource Center, Bureau
of Land Management, 1387 South Binnell Way, Boise, Idaho;
(11) May 5, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Double Tree Hotel, 1830 Hilltop
Drive, Redding, California;
(12) May 6, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Jackson County Courthouse, 10
South Oakdale, Medford, Oregon;
(13) May 6, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Beverly Garland Hotel, 1780
Tribute Road, Sacramento, California;
(14) May 7, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., City of Gold Beach City Hall,
29592 Ellensburg, Gold Beach, Oregon;
(15) May 7, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Eugene City Hall Council
Chambers, 777 Pearl Street, Eugene, Oregon;
(16) May 7, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Modesto Irrigation District,
1231 11th Street, Modesto, California;
(17) May 11, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., WA State Department of Natural
Resources, Orca Room 1, 411 Tillicum Lane, Forks, Washington;
(18) May 12, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., NMFS NW Fish. Sci. Ctr., 2725
Montlake Blvd. E, Seattle, Washington;
(19) May 13, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., FWS/NMFS offices, Abbott
Raphael Bldg. - Sawyer Hall, 510 Desmond Drive SE, Olympia, Washington;
(20) May 14, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Columbus Gorge Discovery
Center & Wasco Hist. Museum, M.J. Murdock Auditorium, 5000 Discovery
Drive, The Dalles, Oregon.
Special Accommodations
These hearings are physically accessible to people with
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other aids
should be directed to Garth Griffin or Craig
[[Page 16957]]
Wingert (see ADDRESSES) by 7 days prior to each meeting date.
Dated: April 2, 1998
Hilda Diaz-Soltero,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-9083 Filed 4-6-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
