[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 94 (Thursday, May 15, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26780-26781]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-12803]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 050997B]
Endangered Species; Permits
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Issuance of permit 1034 (P770#72), permit 1035 (P45Y), permit
1036 (P45X), and modification 1 to permit 994 (P497D).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued a permit to the
Coastal Zone and Estuarine Studies Division, Northwest Fisheries
Science Center, NMFS at Seattle, WA (CZESD); two permits to the
Columbia River Research Laboratory, U.S. Geological Survey at Cook, WA
(USGS); and a modification to a permit to the Idaho Cooperative Fish
and Wildlife Research Unit at Moscow, ID (ICFWRU) that authorize takes
of Endangered Species Act-listed species for the purpose of scientific
research, subject to certain conditions set forth therein.
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
Environmental and Technical Services Division, 525 NE Oregon
Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-4169 (503-230-5400).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The permits and modification to a permit
were issued 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 217-222).
Notice was published on February 28, 1997 (62 FR 9178) that an
application had been filed by CZESD (P770#72) for a scientific research
permit. Permit 1034 was issued to CZESD on April 15, 1997. Permit 1034
authorizes CZESD takes of juvenile, threatened, naturally-produced and
artificially-propagated, Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha); juvenile, threatened, Snake River fall
chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha); and juvenile, endangered,
Snake River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) associated with two
juvenile fish bypass studies at McNary Dam on the Columbia River. Study
1 is an evaluation of vertical barrier screens and outlet flow-control
devices. Study 2 will establish design criteria for improved wet-
separator efficiency and high-velocity flume development. Based on the
results from these bypass studies, guidance devices and bypass system
components can be redesigned, modified, or deployed using specific
configurations to enhance juvenile fish passage at hydroelectric
powerhouses. Permit 1034 is valid in 1997 only.
Notice was published on March 11, 1997 (62 FR 11158) that an
application had been filed by USGS (P45Y) for a scientific research
permit. Permit 1035 was issued to USGS on April 17, 1997. Permit 1035
authorizes USGS annual takes of juvenile, threatened, artificially-
propagated, Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus
tshawytscha) associated with two studies designed to monitor juvenile
fish health and passage efficiency at Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake
River. For Study 1, ESA-listed juvenile fish will be tagged with radio
transmitters and tracked electronically to measure the vertical and
horizontal distribution of juvenile salmonids exposed to high levels of
total dissolved gas in an effort to assess the risk of mortality from
gas bubble disease. For Study 2, ESA-listed juvenile fish will be
tagged with radio transmitters and tracked electronically to measure
fish passage success at Ice Harbor Dam. CZESD is authorized to act as
an agent of USGS under the permit in the conduct of Study 2. Permit
1035 expires on December 31, 1999.
Notice was published on March 11, 1997 (62 FR 11158) that an
application had been filed by USGS (P45X) for a scientific research
permit. Permit 1036 was issued to USGS on April 17, 1997. Permit 1036
authorizes USGS annual
[[Page 26781]]
takes of adult and juvenile, threatened, Snake River fall chinook
salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and juvenile, threatened, Snake River
spring/summer chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) associated with
a study designed to determine the post-release attributes and survival
of hatchery and natural fall chinook salmon in the Snake River. The
study consists of eight assessment tasks: (1) Life cycle, (2) redd
counts, (3) food and growth, (4) habitat use, (5) predation, (6)
temperature response, (7) migratory behavior, and (8) race and
residualism. Permit 1036 expires on December 31, 2001.
Notice was published on January 17, 1997 (62 FR 2657) that an
application had been filed by ICFWRU (P497D) for modification 1 to
scientific research permit 994. Modification 1 to permit 994 was issued
to ICFWRU on April 2, 1997. Permit 994 authorizes ICFWRU annual takes
of adult, threatened, Snake River spring/summer and fall chinook salmon
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) associated with a study designed to assess
the passage success of migrating adult salmonids at the four dams and
reservoirs in the lower Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest, to
evaluate fish responses to specific flow and spill conditions, and to
evaluate measures to improve fish passage. For modification 1, adult
sockeye salmon will be included in the study, a percentage of which
will be adult, endangered, Snake River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus
nerka). Modification 1 is valid for the duration of the permit. Permit
994 expires on December 31, 2000.
Issuance of the permits and the modification to a permit, as
required by the ESA, was based on a finding that such actions: (1) Were
requested/proposed in good faith, (2) will not operate to the
disadvantage of the ESA-listed species that are the subject of the
permits, and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policies set
forth in section 2 of the ESA and the NMFS regulations governing ESA-
listed species permits.
Dated: May 9, 1997.
Nancy Chu,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-12803 Filed 5-14-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
