[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 117 (Wednesday, June 18, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 33038-33039]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15923]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
RIN 1018-AE28
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Threatened Status
for the Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast Evolutionarily
Significant Unit of Coho Salmon
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is adding the Southern
Oregon/Northern California Coast Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU)
of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) to the List of Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife (List) as a threatened species in accordance with
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This amendment to
the List includes all coho salmon naturally reproduced in streams
between Cape Blanco in Curry County, Oregon and Punta Gorda in Humboldt
County, California. This amendment is based on a determination by the
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, which has
jurisdiction for this species.
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 5, 1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: E. LaVerne Smith, Chief, Division of
Endangered Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax
Drive, Mail Stop 452, Arlington, Virginia 22203 (703/358-2171).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Act and the
Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970, NMFS has jurisdiction over the coho
salmon. Under section 4(a)(2) of the Act, NMFS must decide whether a
species under its jurisdiction should be classified as endangered or
threatened. The Service is responsible for the actual amendment of the
List in 50 CFR 17.11(h).
On July 25, 1995, NMFS published a proposed rule to list as
threatened three ESUs or distinct vertebrate population segments of the
coho salmon in California and Oregon, including the Southern Oregon/
Northern California Coast ESU (60 FR 38011). The proposed rule
solicited comments from peer reviewers, the public, and all other
interested parties. On May 6, 1997, NMFS published a final rule to list
the Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast ESU of the coho salmon as
threatened (62 FR 24588). The final rule addressed the comments
received in response to the proposed rule. Because NMFS provided a
public comment period on the proposed rule, and because this action of
the Service to amend the List in accordance with the determination by
NMFS is nondiscretionary, the Service has omitted the notice and public
comment procedures of 5 U.S.C. 553(b) for this action.
National Environmental Policy Act
The Service has determined that an Environmental Assessment, as
defined under the authority of the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, need not be prepared in connection with regulations adopted
pursuant to section 4(a) of the Act. A notice outlining the Service's
reasons for this determination was published in the Federal Register on
October 25, 1983 (48 FR 49244).
Required Determinations
The Service has examined this regulation under the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 and found it to contain no information collection
requirements.
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and threatened species, Export, Import, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.
Regulation Promulgation
PART 17--[AMENDED]
Accordingly, part 17, subchapter B of chapter I, title 50 of the
Code of Federal Regulations, is amended as set forth below:
1. The authority citation for part 17 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544; 16 U.S.C.
4201-4245; Pub. L. 99-625, 100 Stat. 3500, unless otherwise noted.
Sec. 17.11 [Amended]
2. Section 17.11(h) is amended by adding the following, in
alphabetical order under FISHES, to the List of Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Vertebrate
-------------------------------------------------------- population where Critical Special
Historic range endangered or Status When listed habitat rules
Common name Scientific name threatened
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * * * *
Fishes
* * * * * * *
Salmon, coho..................... Oncorhynchus kisutch North Pacific Basin U.S.A. (natural T 618 NA NA
from U.S.A. (CA to populations in
AK) to Russia to river basins
Japan. between Cape
Blanco in Curry
County, OR and
Punta Gorda in
Humboldt County,
CA).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 33039]]
Dated: May 30, 1997.
John G. Rogers,
Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 97-15923 Filed 6-17-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
