[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 107 (Thursday, June 4, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 30455]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-14870]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Parts 222, 226, and 227
[I.D. 022398C]
Endangered and Threatened Species; Extension of Comment Periods;
and Notice of Public Hearing on Proposed Listing and Proposed
Designation of Critical Habitat for West Coast Chinook, Chum, and
Sockeye and on Proposed Listing of West Coast Steelhead
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule; public hearing and extension of public comment
periods.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is extending the public comment periods and a public
hearing will be held on the proposed listings and designations of
critical habitat for west coast chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha),
sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka), and chum (Oncorhynchus keta) salmon and
on the proposed listings of west coast steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
NMFS has received a request for an additional public hearing to allow
further opportunity for the public to participate in the exchange of
information and opinion among interested parties and to provide oral
and written testimony. NMFS, finding the request reasonable, has
scheduled a public hearing and extended the public comment periods to
facilitate the reception of public views.
DATES: The meeting date is June 11, 1998, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Written
comments on the proposed chinook, sockeye, and chum listing and
critical habitat designation and on the proposed steelhead listing must
be received by June 30, 1998.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at Cunha Intermediate School, Kelly
and Church Streets, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019. Written comments on the
proposed chinook rule and requests for reference materials should be
sent to Chief, Protected Species Division, NMFS, 525 NE Oregon Street,
Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-2737.
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 documents cited herein and additional salmon-related
materials are available via the Internet at www.nwr.noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On March 9, 1998 (63 FR 11482), NMFS issued a proposed rule to list
and designate critical habitat for the California Central Valley,
spring-run and the Washington Upper Columbia River, spring-run
Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) as endangered and for the
Central Valley fall-run, the Southern Oregon and California Coastal,
the Puget Sound, the Lower Columbia River, and the Upper Willamette
River ESUs as threatened, and to redefine the Snake River fall-run
chinook salmon ESU to include fall chinook salmon populations in the
Deschutes River, to list this redefined ESU as threatened, and to
revise its existing critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act
(ESA). That proposal does not affect the current definition and
threatened status of the listed Snake River fall chinook salmon ESU.
On March 10, 1998, NMFS published proposed rules listing the Hood
Canal summer-run and the Columbia River Chum ESUs as threatened and
designating critical habitat (63 FR 11774), listing the Ozette Lake
sockeye as threatened and designating critical habitat (63 FR 11750),
and listing the Middle Columbia River and the Upper Willamette River
ESUs as threatened (63 FR 11798).
Proposed critical habitat for all four species' ESUs is their
current freshwater and estuarine range, certain marine areas for
chinook, and all waterways, substrate, and adjacent riparian zones
below longstanding, impassible, natural barriers.
On April 7, 1998 (63 FR 16955), NMFS announced the schedule for 20
public hearings in the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and
California to discuss the chinook, chum, sockeye, and steelhead
proposals. On May 18, 1998, NMFS received a request for an additional
public hearing for the chinook proposal from the Pacific Coast
Federation of Fishermen's Association. The reason given for the request
was to allow the many fishermen who could be most effected by the
chinook proposed rule and who were participating in the salmon fishery
at the time of the public hearings in California the opportunity to
comment firsthand with NMFS' officials. NMFS finds that the request
reasonable and has scheduled a public hearing, and extended the public
comment period for not only the chinook proposal but also the chum,
sockeye, and steelhead proposals.
NMFS is soliciting specific information, comments, data, and/or
recommendations on any aspect of the March 9 and 10, 1998, proposals
from all interested parties. In particular, NMFS is requesting
information or data as described in the Federal Register notice
announcing the proposed listings and designations of critical habitat
(see 63 FR 11482, 63 FR 11774, 63 FR 11750, and 63 FR 11798). 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.
Dated: May 28, 1998.
Rolland A. Schmitten,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-14870 Filed 6-3-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
