[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 26 (Friday, February 7, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5801-5802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-3090]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 020397E]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Issuance of permit 1,025 (P622) and permit 1,027 (P45W).

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued two permits that 
authorize takes of an Endangered Species Act-listed species for the 
purpose of scientific research/enhancement, subject to certain 
conditions set forth therein, to the California Department of Fish and 
Game (CDFG) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) at Sacramento, 
CA.

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
    Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, NOAA, 501 West Ocean Blvd., 
Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213 (562-980-4016).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The permits were 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 ESA-listed fish and 
wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 217-222).
    Notice was published on October 16, 1996 (61 FR 53899) that an 
application had been filed by CDFG (P622) for a scientific research 
permit. Permit 1,025 was issued to CDFG on January 10, 1997. Permit 
1,025 authorizes CDFG takes of adult and juvenile, endangered, 
Sacramento River winter-run chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) 
associated with two scientific research studies. For Study 1, CDFG will 
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. 
For Study 2, CDFG will 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, and emigration will be determined relative to 
habitat conditions. Permit 1,025 expires on June 30, 2001.
    Notice was published on October 16, 1996 (61 FR 53899) that an 
application had been filed by FWS (P45W) for an enhancement permit. 
Permit 1,027 was

[[Page 5802]]

issued to FWS on January 31, 1997. Permit 1,027 authorizes FWS takes of 
adult and juvenile, endangered, Sacramento River winter-run chinook 
salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) associated with artificial 
propagation and captive broodstock programs. Permit 1,027 replaces 
Permit 747, which was amended to expire on January 31, 1997 (61 FR 
68721, December 30, 1996). FWS has proposed to develop a genetic 
testing protocol to identify the origin of returning adults so as to 
prevent hybridization problems. FWS has also proposed to acquire a 
hatchery facility on the mainstem Sacramento River to avoid imprinting 
problems. Until the proposed genetic testing protocol has been reviewed 
and approved by NMFS, and the mainstem river hatchery facility has been 
acquired, tested with non-winter-run chinook salmon, and approved by 
NMFS, the collection of ESA-listed adult fish for broodstock is not 
authorized. Any captured hatchery progeny suspected of being spring-
run/winter-run hybrids will be destroyed. To monitor the propagation 
program, carcasses of the adult, ESA-listed fish that return to spawn 
in the wild will be collected from the mainstem Sacramento River and 
Battle Creek and sampled for tissues and tags. Permit 1,027 expires on 
July 31, 2001.
    Issuance of the permits, as required by the ESA, was based on a 
finding that such permits: (1) Were requested in good faith, (2) will 
not operate to the disadvantage of the ESA-listed species that is the 
subject of the permits, and (3) are consistent with the purposes and 
policies set forth in section 2 of the ESA and the NMFS regulations 
governing ESA-listed species permits.

    Dated: February 3, 1997.
Robert C. Ziobro,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-3090 Filed 2-6-97; 8:45 am]
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