[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 147 (Monday, August 2, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 41835-41839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19712]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
RIN 1018-AF70
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing of Nine
Evolutionarily Significant Units of Chinook Salmon, Chum Salmon,
Sockeye Salmon, and Steelhead
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is adding several
Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus
tshawytscha), chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), sockeye salmon
(Oncorhynchus nerka), and steelhead
[[Page 41836]]
(Oncorhynchus mykiss) to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
(List) in accordance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (Act). The Puget Sound chinook salmon ESU in Washington, the
Lower Columbia River chinook salmon ESU in Washington and Oregon, and
the Upper Willamette spring-run chinook salmon ESU in Oregon are added
as threatened; the Upper Columbia River spring-run chinook salmon ESU
in Washington is added as endangered; the Hood Canal summer-run chum
salmon ESU in Washington and the Columbia River chum salmon ESU in
Washington and Oregon are added as threatened; the Ozette Lake sockeye
salmon ESU in Washington is added as threatened; and the Middle
Columbia River steelhead ESU in Washington and Oregon and the Upper
Willamette River steelhead ESU in Oregon are added as threatened. This
amendment is based on determinations by the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Department of Commerce, which has jurisdiction for these species,
published in the Federal Register on March 24, 1999 (64 FR 14308), and
March 25, 1999 (64 FR 14508, 64 FR 14517, 64 FR 14528).
DATES: The effective date for listing of these ESUs is May 24, 1999.
The amendments to the list in 50 CFR 17.11(h) are effective August 2,
1999.
ADDRESSES: Division of Endangered Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop 420, Arlington, Virginia
22203.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard E. Hannan, Acting Chief,
Division of Endangered Species, at the above address or telephone 703-
358-2171.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In accordance with the Act and Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970,
NMFS has jurisdiction over west coast steelhead. 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 March 24, 1999 (64 FR 14308), NMFS published a final rule
listing four chinook salmon ESUs as threatened; the Puget Sound chinook
salmon ESU in Washington, the Lower Columbia River chinook salmon ESU
in Washington and Oregon, and the Upper Willamette spring-run chinook
salmon ESU in Oregon; the Upper Columbia River spring-run chinook
salmon ESU in Washington was listed as endangered. On March 25, 1999
(64 FR 14508), NMFS published a final rule listing two chum salmon ESUs
as threatened; the Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon ESU in Washington
and the Columbia River chum salmon ESU in Washington and Oregon. On
March 25, 1999 (64 FR 14528), NMFS published a final rule listing one
sockeye salmon ESU; the Ozette Lake sockeye salmon ESU in Washington as
threatened. On March 25, 1999 (64 FR 14517), NMFS published a final
rule listing two steelhead ESUs as threatened; the Middle Columbia
River steelhead ESU in Washington and Oregon and the Upper Willamette
River steelhead ESU in Oregon. NMFS had previously issued proposed
listing rules for the chinook salmon ESUs on March 9, 1998 (63 FR
11482), for the chum salmon ESUs on March 10, 1998 (63 FR 11774), for
the sockeye salmon ESU on March 10, 1998 (63 FR 11750), and for the
steelhead ESUs on March 10, 1998 (63 FR 11798).
The proposed rules identified above solicited comments from peer
reviewers, the public, and all other interested parties. The final
rules addressed the comments received in response to the proposed
rules. Because NMFS provided public comment periods on the proposed
rules, and because this action of the Service to amend the List in
accordance with the determinations by NMFS is administrative and
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. The Service published a notice
outlining its reasons for this determination in the Federal Register on
October 25, 1983 (48 FR 49244).
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.
Regulation Promulgation
Accordingly, the Service amends part 17, subchapter B of chapter I,
title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:
PART 17--[AMENDED]
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.
2. Amend Sec. 17.11(h) by adding the following, in alphabetical
order under FISHES, to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife:
Sec. 17.11 Endangered and threatened wildlife.
* * * * *
(h) * * *
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Species Vertebrate
-------------------------------------------------------- population where Critical Special
Historic range endangered or Status When listed habitat rules
Common name Scientific name threatened
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* * * * * * *
Fishes
[[Page 41837]]
* * * * * * *
Salmon, chinook.................. Oncorhyncus North America from U.S.A. (WA) all T 664 NA NA
tshawytscha. Ventura R. in naturally spawned
California to populations from
Point Hope, Alaska rivers and streams
and the Mackenzie flowing into Puget
R. area in Canada, Sound, including
Northeast Asia the Straits of
from Hokkaido, Juan De Fuca from
Japan to the the Elwha R.
Anadyr R., Russia. eastward, and Hood
Canal, South
Sound, North Sound
and the Strait of
Georgia.
Salmon, chinook.................. Oncorhyncus North America from U.S.A. (OR, WA) all T 664 NA NA
tshawytscha. Ventura R. in naturally spawned
California to populations from
Point Hope, Alaska the Columbia R.
and the Mackenzie and its
R. area in Canada, tributaries
Northeast Asia upstream from its
from Hokkaido, mouth to a point
Japan to the east of the Hood
Anadyr R., Russia. R. and White
Salmon R.,
including the
Willamette R. to
Willamette Falls
in Oregon,
excluding the
spring run in the
Clackamas R.
Salmon, chinook.................. Oncorhyncus North America from U.S.A. (OR) all T 664 NA NA
tshawytscha. Ventura R. in naturally spawned
California to populations in the
Point Hope, Alaska Clackamas R. and
and the Mackenzie the Willamette R.
R. area in Canada, and its
Northeast Asia tributaries above
from Hokkaido, Willamette Falls.
Japan to the
Anadyr R., Russia.
Salmon, chinook.................. Oncorhyncus North America from U.S.A. (WA) all E 664 NA N
tshawytscha. Ventura R. in naturally spawned
California to populations in the
Point Hope, Alaska Columbia R.
and the Mackenzie tributaries
R. area in Canada, upstream of Rock
Northeast Asia Island Dam and
from Hokkaido, downstream of
Japan to the Chief Joseph Dam,
Anadyr R., Russia. excluding the
Okanogan R., and
the Columbia R.
from a line
between the west
end of Clatsop
jetty, OR, and the
west end of
Peacock jetty, WA,
upstream to Chief
Joseph Dam,
including spring-
run hatchery
stocks (and their
progeny) in
Chiwawa R., Methow
R., Twisp R.,
Chewuch R., White
R., and Nason
Creek.
[[Page 41838]]
Salmon, chum..................... Oncorhyncus keta.... North Pacific Rim U.S.A. (WA) all T 664 NA NA
from Korea and the naturally spawned
Japanese Island of summer-run
Honshu east to populations in
Monterey Bay, Hood Canal and its
California, Arctic tributaries and
Ocean from the Olympic Peninsula
Laptev Sea in rivers between
Russia to Hood Canal and
Mackenzie R. in Dungeness Bay.
Canada.
Salmon, chum..................... Oncorhyncus keta.... North Pacific Rim U.S.A. (OR, WA) all T 664 NA NA
from Korea and the naturally spawned
Japanese Island of populations in the
Honshu east to Columbia R. and
Monterey Bay, its tributaries.
California; Arctic
Ocean from the
Laptev Sea in
Russia to
Mackenzie R. in
Canada.
* * * * * * *
Salmon, sockeye.................. Oncorhyncus nerka... North Pacific Basin U.S.A. (WA) all T 664 NA NA
from U.S.A. (CA) naturally spawned
to Russia. populations in
Ozette Lake and
its tributary
streams.
* * * * * * *
Steelhead........................ Oncorhyncus mykiss.. North Pacific Ocean U.S.A. (OR) all T 664 NA NA
from the Kamchatka naturally spawned
Peninsula in Asia winter-run
to the northern populations in the
Baja Peninsula. Willamette R. and
its tributaries
from Willamette
Falls to the
Calapooia R.,
inclusive.
Steelhead........................ Oncorhyncus mykiss.. North Pacific Ocean U.S.A. (OR, WA) All T 664 NA NA
from the Kamchatka naturally spawned
Peninsula in Asia populations in
to the northern streams above and
Baja Peninsula. excluding the Wind
R. in Washington,
and the Hood R. in
Oregon, upstream
to, and including,
the Yakima R.
Excluded are
steelhead from the
Snake R. Basin.
* * * * * * *
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[[Page 41839]]
Dated: July 12, 1999.
Marshall P. Jones,
Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 99-19712 Filed 7-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-U
