[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 3 (Thursday, January 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-99]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 122795B]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Issuance of an amendment of permit 747 (P45H).

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued an amendment to a 
permit that authorizes a take of listed species for the purpose of 
scientific research and enhancement, subject to certain conditions set 
forth therein, to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) located in 
Red Bluff, CA.

ADDRESSES: The action request and related documents are available for 
review in the following offices, by appointment:
Office of Protected Resources, F/PR8, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226 (301-713-1401); and
Director, Southwest Region, NMFS, NOAA, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 
4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213 (310-980-4016).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The amendment of permit 747 was issued under 
the authority of section 10 of 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 217-222).
    The amendment of permit 747 was issued on December 20, 1995. Permit 
747 authorizes FWS to take endangered Sacramento River winter-run 
chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) associated with scientific 
research and enhancement activities. The amendment provides an 
extension of the permit for 90 days; a moratorium on the collection of 
adult listed fish for broodstock for the duration of the permit; and 
authorization to release juvenile, listed, artificially-propagated, 
winter-run chinook salmon in December, 1995, rather than January, 1996 
as previously authorized.
    Permit 747 was to expire on December 31, 1995. An extension of the 
permit is necessary to allow FWS to continue research and enhancement 
activities until new permits replace permit 747 and to have an 
opportunity to address technical concerns with FWS' listed fish 
artificial propagation program, as proposed in their new section 10 
enhancement permit application, P45V (60 FR 58334, November 27, 1995). 
Genetics research has found that FWS' artificial propagation of winter-
run chinook salmon has likely resulted in some hybridization with 
spring-run chinook salmon. In addition, hatchery-produced winter-run 
chinook salmon have not been returning to the mainstem Sacramento River 
as intended, but rather have been returning to Battle Creek where 
Coleman National Fish Hatchery is located, apparently as a result of 
imprinting on Battle Creek water.
    The purpose of the moratorium on the collection of adult listed 
fish for broodstock is to avoid compromising the genetic integrity of 
the winter-run chinook salmon population due to the present 
circumstances and to avoid a significant drain on the 1996 spawning 
population if juveniles continue to imprint exclusively on Battle 
Creek. The earlier juvenile fish release is an attempt to improve the 
likelihood that the fish will imprint on mainstem Sacramento River 
water. Any suspected progeny of hybrid crosses between winter-run 
chinook salmon and spring-run chinook salmon will not be released. The 
amendment is in effect for the duration of the permit. The new 
expiration date of permit 747 is March 31, 1996.
    Issuance of the amendment, as required by the ESA, was based on a 
finding that such action: (1) Was requested in good faith, (2) will not 
operate to the disadvantage of the listed species that is the subject 
of the permit, and (3) is consistent with the purposes and policies set 
forth in section 2 of the ESA and the NMFS regulations governing listed 
species permits.

    Dated: December 27, 1995.
Ann D. Terbush,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-99 Filed 1-3-96; 8:45 am]
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