[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 201 (Wednesday, October 16, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53899-53900]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-26388]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 100296J]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Receipt of an application for an enhancement permit (P45W) and 
an application for a scientific research permit (P622).

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
in Sacramento, CA (FWS) has applied in due form for an enhancement 
permit and the California Department of Fish and Game in Sacramento, CA 
(CDFG) has applied in due form for a scientific research permit 
authorizing takes of an endangered species.

DATES: Written comments or requests for a public hearing on either of 
these applications must be received on or before November 15, 1996.

ADDRESSES: The applications and related documents are available for 
review in the following offices, by appointment:
    Office of Protected Resources, F/PR3, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226 (301-713-1401); and
    Director, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, 
Long Beach, CA 90802-4213 (310-980-4016).
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing should be 
submitted to the Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of 
Protected Resources.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FWS and CDFG request 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 ESA-listed fish 
and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 217-227).
    FWS (P45W) requests a 5-year enhancement permit for annual takes of 
adult and juvenile, endangered, Sacramento River winter-run chinook 
salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) associated with a propagation program 
at FWS's Coleman National Fish Hatchery and a captive broodstock 
program at Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco and the Bodega Marine 
Laboratory in Bodega Bay. Takes of ESA-listed winter-run chinook salmon 
associated with the propagation and captive broodstock programs is 
currently authorized under permit 747. Permit 747 was issued to FWS on 
August 8, 1991 and will expire on November 30, 1996.
    The objective of the propagation program is to supplement the wild 
population. ESA-listed, naturally-produced and artificially-propagated 
adults are proposed to be captured, transported, maintained, and 
spawned annually in a protected hatchery environment. The progeny of 
the captured adults will be adipose fin-clipped, tagged with coded 
wires, and released into the wild or transferred to the captive 
broodstock program. To monitor the propagation program, carcasses of 
the adult, ESA-listed fish that return to spawn in the wild are 
proposed to be collected from the mainstem Sacramento River and Battle 
Creek and sampled for tissues and tags. The purpose of the captive 
broodstock program is to maintain the genetic integrity of the ESA-
listed salmon species in a hatchery environment. The captive broodstock 
program will provide: Protection against loss of genetic material, a 
source of gametes for the propagation program, a source of progeny to 
supplement the wild fish, security until the habitat conditions in the 
Sacramento River improve, egg and fry for experimental purposes, and a 
potential tool to assist in the recovery of the species.
    CDFG (P622) requests a one-year scientific research permit for 
takes of adult and juvenile, endangered, Sacramento River winter-run 
chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) associated with two studies. 
Any juvenile, ESA-listed, artificially-propagated, winter-run chinook 
salmon taken during both studies will be sacrificed, frozen, and 
provided to FWS for research. For Study 1, CDFG propose to establish a 
pilot program at Knights Landing on the Sacramento River for monitoring 
juvenile anadromous fish migration. The purpose of the monitoring 
program is to evaluate the utility of the site and various sampling 
protocols in determining the timing and abundance of juvenile 
anadromous salmonids emigrating to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. 
Juvenile,

[[Page 53900]]

ESA-listed, naturally-produced, juvenile fish are proposed to be 
captured (with rotary screw traps, fyke traps, and a kodiak trawl), 
anesthetized, handled, allowed to recover from the anesthetic, and 
released. Associated indirect mortalities of juvenile, ESA-listed fish 
are also requested.
    For Study 2, CDFG propose to determine the relationship between 
manageable physical habitat attributes (flow, temperature, channel 
aspects) and anadromous salmonids within the upper reaches of the 
Sacramento River and throughout the river system up to ocean entry. 
Information relating spawning distribution (temporal and spatial), 
spawning success, juvenile survival, production, and emigration will be 
determined relative to habitat conditions. This information will be 
used to identify management actions required for the survival of 
anadromous fish resources. Carcasses of adult, ESA-listed fish (both 
in-river and hatchery-reared) are proposed to be recovered and sampled 
for tissues and tags. Juvenile, ESA-listed, naturally-produced, fish 
are proposed to be captured (with rotary screw traps, a beach seine, 
and a kodiak trawl), anesthetized, handled, allowed to recover from the 
anesthetic, and released. Associated indirect mortalities of juvenile, 
ESA-listed fish are also requested.
    Those individuals requesting a hearing should set out the specific 
reasons why a hearing on any of the applications would be appropriate 
(see ADDRESSES). The holding of such a 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: October 9, 1996.
Robert C. Ziobro,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-26388 Filed 10-15-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F