[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 19 (Monday, January 30, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5624-5625]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-2100]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 122095E]


Endangered Species; Permits

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of two applications for scientific research 
permits (P504F and P563A) and receipt of an application for 
modification 1 to scientific research permit 911 (P560).

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    Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 
Walla Walla, WA (Corps) and the Northern Wasco County People's Utility 
District in The Dalles, OR (NWCPUD) have applied in due form for 
scientific research permits (P504F and P563A) and that Oregon State 
University in Corvallis, OR (OSU) has applied in due form for 
Modification 1 to scientific research Permit 911 (P560) to take listed 
species as authorized by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 
U.S.C. 1531-1543) and the NMFS regulations governing listed fish and 
wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 217-227).
    The Corps requests authorization to capture, tag, release, 
recapture, and re-release juvenile, endangered, artificially propagated 
spring/summer chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) as part of a 
turbine passage survival study at Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River 
in WA. The purpose of the proposed research is to determine the 
immediate and delayed (48- to 120 -hour) survival rates of run-of-river 
chinook salmon smolts passing through a turbine at the dam under 
different locations and operating conditions. This information will be 
used to: (1) Develop a turbine model study, which is part of a Corps 
project to minimize fish turbine passage mortality; (2) refine normal 
dam operations to minimize adverse effects to migrating juvenile fish, 
and; (3) provide a baseline for turbine survival estimates needed under 
the changing conditions of a reservoir drawdown. The duration of the 
study will be from April 15 to June 10 in 1995 only.
    NWCPUD requests a permit to conduct research with a take of the 
following endangered species: Juvenile Snake River sockeye salmon 
(Oncorhynchus nerka), juvenile, naturally produced and artificially 
propagated, Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus 
tshawytscha), and juvenile Snake River fall chinook salmon 
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). NWCPUD will capture and handle these fish 
as part of an annual study to assess the run-of-river juvenile 
anadromous fish condition after passage through the screened turbine 
intake channel at Dalles Dam, located on the Columbia River. Continued 
observation of juvenile fish passing through the screened intake 
channel during the smolt migration provides specific information on 
possible unsuitable passage conditions below the water surface which 
are not directly observable. The duration of the permit will be 5 
years. The research will take place from April to September each year.
    Permit 911 authorizes OSU to harass, capture, and handle juvenile 
and adult, endangered, Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon 
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) as part of a 2-year study to investigate the 
potential effects of climate change on thermal complexity and biotic 
integrity of Oregon rivers and streams, with an emphasis on the 
seasonal intrusion and resulting competition and predation of non-
native coolwater and warmwater fish species into the historic habitats 
of native salmonids. For Modification 1, OSU requests an increase in 
the 2-year take of juvenile, endangered, Snake River spring/summer 
chinook salmon because they encountered larger fish densities than were 
expected in 1994 and they expect to exceed their current authorized 
juvenile take in 1995. OSU will be conducting their 1995 research 
activities from May 15 to September 30. Permit 911 expires on September 
30, 1995.
    Written data or views, or requests for a public hearing on this 
application should be submitted to the Chief, Endangered Species 
Division, Office of Protected Resources, F/PR8, NMFS, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226, within 30 days of the 
publication of this notice. Those individuals requesting a hearing 
should set out the specific reasons why a hearing on this particular 
application would be appropriate. The holding of such hearing is at the 
discretion of the [[Page 5625]] Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 
NOAA. All statements and opinions contained in this application summary 
are those of the applicant and do not necessarily reflect the views of 
NMFS.
    Documents submitted in connection with the above application are 
available for review by interested persons in the following offices by 
appointment:
    Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226 (301-713-1401); and
    Environmental and Technical Services Division, NMFS, NOAA, 525 
North East Oregon St., Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232 (503-230-5400).

    Dated: January 23, 1995.
Patricia A. Montanio,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-2100 Filed 1-27-95; 8:45 am]
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