[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 27, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7241-7242]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-4336]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[I.D. 022096B]


Endangered Species; Permits

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

[[Page 7242]]
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of applications for a scientific research permit 
(P504G) and modifications to two scientific research permits (P770#66 
and P770#68).

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
at Walla Walla, WA (Corps) has applied in due form for a permit and the 
Coastal Zone and Estuarine Studies Division, NMFS in Seattle, WA 
(CZESD) has applied in due form for modifications to permits to take 
endangered and threatened species for the purpose of scientific 
research.

DATES: Written comments or requests for a public hearing on any of 
these applications must be received on or before March 28, 1996.

ADDRESSES: The applications 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
    Environmental and Technical Services Division, 525 NE Oregon 
Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-4169 (503-230-5400).
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing should be 
submitted to the Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of 
Protected Resources.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Corps requests a permit and CZESD 
requests modifications to permits 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 217-227).
    The Corps (P504G) requests a 5-year permit to directly take 
juvenile, threatened, Snake River spring/summer and fall chinook salmon 
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and juvenile, endangered, Snake River 
sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) and to incidentally take adult, 
threatened, Snake River spring/summer and fall chinook salmon 
associated with a study designed to monitor the operation of the new 
juvenile fish bypass system at Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River in 
Washington. Run-of-the-river juvenile fish, a proportion of which will 
be ESA-listed fish, are proposed to be sampled from the bypass system, 
anesthetized, handled, allowed to recover from the anesthetic, and 
released. The primary purpose of sampling will be to ascertain fish 
condition and thereby certify that the bypass system is functioning 
correctly. Some adult fish, including listed adult salmon, are expected 
to fall back through the juvenile bypass system and are proposed to be 
incidentally captured and handled to return them to the river.
    CZESD (P770#66) requests modification 3 to permit 900 to allow 
their annual take of listed juvenile fish authorized for Study 1, 
Survival Estimates for the Passage of Juvenile Salmonids through Dams 
and Reservoirs, to be supplemented with juvenile, listed, Snake River 
spring/summer chinook salmon captured indirectly by the National 
Biological Service (NBS), in association with a fall chinook salmon 
study, under the authority of permit 817. Permit 900 authorizes CZESD 
to directly take juvenile, threatened, naturally-produced and 
artificially-propagated, Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon and 
incidentally take juvenile, threatened, Snake River fall chinook salmon 
and juvenile, endangered, Snake River sockeye salmon for Study 1. In 
addition, CZESD would like to add the free-flowing Snake River, 
upstream of Lower Granite Reservoir, as a primary release location for 
the listed juvenile fish authorized to be captured and handled for 
Study 1. CZESD also requests a take of listed species associated with 
an additional project under Study 1 designed to evaluate the new 
surface collector at Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River in 
Washington. Modification 3 would be valid for the duration of Study 1 
of the permit. Study 1 of permit 900 expires on December 31, 1998.
    CZESD (P770#68) requests modification 2 to permit 946 to adjust for 
changes in the anticipated 1996 take associated with Study 2, Estuarine 
Recovery of Passive Integrated Transponder-tagged Juvenile Salmonids 
from the Lower Granite Dam Transportation Study. Permit 946 authorizes 
CZESD to take juvenile, threatened, naturally-produced and 
artificially-propagated, Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon and 
juvenile, endangered, Snake River sockeye salmon for Study 2. For the 
modification, CZESD requests an increase in the take of juvenile, 
endangered, Snake River sockeye salmon. Modification 2 would be valid 
for the duration of Study 2 of the permit. Study 2 of permit 946 
expires on December 31, 1999.
    Those individuals requesting a hearing (see ADDRESSES) should set 
out the specific reasons why a hearing on any of these applications 
would be appropriate. The holding of such hearing is at the discretion 
of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA. All statements and 
opinions contained in these application summaries are those of the 
applicants and do not necessarily reflect the views of NMFS.

    Dated: February 20, 1996.
Russell J. Bellmer,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-4336 Filed 2-26-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F