[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 186 (Monday, September 27, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51959-51960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25070]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 092199B]
Endangered Species; Permits
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Receipt of an application to modify scientific research permit
1134.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received an application
to modify scientific research permit 1134 from the Columbia River
Inter-Tribal Fish Commission at Portland, OR (CRITFC).
DATES: Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this
modification request must be received on or before October 27, 1999.
ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for
review in the following office, by appointment:
Protected Resources Division, F/NWO3, 525 NE Oregon Street, Suite
500, Portland, OR 97232-4169 (503-230-5400).
Documents may also be reviewed by appointment in the Office of
Protected Resources, F/PR3, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver
Spring, MD 20910-3226 (301-713-1401).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leslie Schaeffer, Portland, OR (503-
230-5433).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority
Issuance of permit modifications, as required by the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) (ESA), is based on a finding
that such modifications: (1) Are applied for in good faith; (2) would
not operate to the disadvantage of the listed species which are the
subject of the permits; and (3) are consistent with the purposes and
policies set forth in section 2 of the ESA. Authority to take listed
species is subject to conditions set forth in the permits.
Modifications are issued in accordance with and are subject to the ESA
and NMFS regulations governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR
parts 222-226).
Those individuals requesting a hearing on the application listed in
this notice should set out the specific reasons why a hearing on the
application would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). The holding of such
hearings is at the discretion of the Assistant Administrator for
Fisheries, NOAA. All statements and opinions contained in the permit
action summary are those of the applicant and do not necessarily
reflect the views of NMFS.
Species Covered in This Notice
The following species and evolutionarily significant units (ESU's)
are covered in this notice:
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Lower Columbia River
(LCR), Snake River (SnR) spring/summer, SnR fall, Upper Columbia River
(UCR) spring.
Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka): SnR
Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): LCR, SnR, UCR.
To date, protective regulations for threatened LCR steelhead under
section 4(d) of the ESA have been not promulgated by NMFS. This notice
of receipt of an application for a permit modification requesting take
of LCR steelhead is issued as a precaution in the event that NMFS
issues LCR steelhead protective regulations. The initiation of a 30-day
public comment period on the application, including the proposed take
of LCR steelhead, does not presuppose the contents of the eventual
protective regulations.
Modification Request Received
CRITFC requests modifications to scientific research permit 1134.
Permit 1134 authorizes CRITFC annual takes of juvenile, endangered, SnR
sockeye salmon; adult and juvenile, threatened, SnR fall chinook
salmon; adult and juvenile, threatened, naturally produced and
artificially propagated, SnR spring/summer chinook salmon; and adult
and juvenile, endangered, naturally produced and artificially
propagated, UCR steelhead associated with 8 research projects in the
Snake and Columbia River Basins in the Pacific Northwest. For the
modifications, CRITFC proposes an increase in the annual take of ESA-
listed adult and juvenile fish associated with the projects and with 3
new projects: (1) biological and chemical monitoring, and physical
habitat assessment in steelhead waters; (2) tagging juvenile Hanford
Reach upriver bright fall chinook salmon; and (3) SnR steelhead kelt
identification study. CRITFC proposes to employ seines and
electrofishing to capture ESA-listed juvenile fish, tag ESA-listed
juvenile fish, and capture and handle post-spawned ESA-listed adult
fish. An increase in take of ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect
mortalities is also requested, as well as annual takes of adult and
juvenile, endangered, naturally produced and artificially propagated
UCR spring chinook salmon
[[Page 51960]]
and adult and juvenile, threatened, LCR chinook salmon associated with
the research. The modifications are requested to be valid for the
duration of the permit which expires on December 31, 2002.
Dated: September 21, 1999.
Barbara A. Schroeder,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-25070 Filed 9-27-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
