[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 40 (Monday, March 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10198-10200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5323]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 022398B]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Receipt of four applications for scientific research permits 
(1119, 1134, 1135, 1136) and an application for a scientific research/
enhancement permit (1118).

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Mid-Columbia River Fishery Resource Office at Leavenworth, WA 
(FWS), the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission at Portland, OR 
(CRITFC),

[[Page 10199]]

the U.S. Geological Survey at Cook, WA (USGS), and the Oregon 
Cooperative Fishery and Wildlife Research Unit at Oregon State 
University, Corvallis, OR (OCFWRU) have applied in due form for permits 
that would authorize takes of ESA-listed anadromous fish species for 
the purpose of scientific research.

DATES: Written comments or requests for a public hearing on any of the 
applications must be received on or before April 1, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The applications and related documents are available for 
review in the following office, by appointment:
    Protected Resources Division (PRD), F/NWO3, 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, Protected Resources Division, Portland.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For Applications 1118 and 1119: Tom 
Lichatowich (503-230-5438). For Applications 1134, 1135, and 1136: 
Robert Koch (503-230-5424).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FWS, CRITFC, USGS, and OCFWRU 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 requests a 5-year permit (1118) for an annual direct take of 
endangered, naturally produced and artificially propagated, upper 
Columbia River steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) associated with a 
supplementation program at Winthrop Hatchery on the Methow River in WA. 
FWS proposes to receive ESA-listed steelhead eggs and/or juveniles from 
the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Wells Hatchery 
supplementation program, rear the fish in the hatchery, and release the 
fish when they are ready to outmigrate. WDFW is authorized takes of 
ESA-listed steelhead under permit 1094, issued on February 4, 1998 (63 
FR 8435, February 19, 1998). The Winthrop Hatchery supplementation 
program is well-suited to aid in the recovery of endangered steelhead 
because the hatchery is located in the fish's historical upriver 
habitat. In addition, transfers of ESA-listed juvenile steelhead from 
WDFW to FWS' Winthrop Hatchery will spread the risk of a catastrophic 
accident at any one facility which could have serious consequences to 
one specific brood year. FWS also requests an annual incidental take of 
ESA-listed species associated with fish releases from the 
supplementation program.
    FWS requests a 5-year permit (1119) for an annual take of adult and 
juvenile, endangered, upper Columbia River steelhead associated with 
two scientific research studies. The purpose of Study 1 is to gather 
data on emigrating juvenile salmon and steelhead. The purpose of Study 
2 is to conduct snorkel surveys in various watersheds as part of 
inventory and artificial structure monitoring projects. The data 
obtained from both studies will be used to determine the survival and 
contribution of chinook salmon and steelhead released from FWS' 
mitigation hatchery programs in central WA and to provide technical 
assistance to agencies, tribes, and interest groups using and managing 
aquatic resources in the mid to upper-Columbia River Basin. ESA-listed 
adult and juvenile fish are proposed to be observed during snorkel 
surveys. ESA-listed juvenile fish are proposed to be captured with 
screw traps, handled, and released. ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect 
mortalities associated with the scientific research activities are also 
requested.
    CRITFC requests a 5-year permit (1134) that would authorize annual 
takes of juvenile, endangered, Snake River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus 
nerka); adult and juvenile, threatened, naturally-produced and 
artificially-propagated, Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon 
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha); adult and juvenile, threatened, Snake River 
fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha); adult and juvenile, 
endangered, naturally-produced and artificially-propagated, upper 
Columbia River steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss); and adult and juvenile, 
threatened, Snake River steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) associated with 
scientific research in the Columbia and Snake River Basins in the 
Pacific Northwest. CRITFC also requests an annual take of adult and 
juvenile lower Columbia River steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) which is 
currently proposed as threatened. CRITFC proposes to conduct eight 
research tasks: (1) Juvenile chinook salmon, steelhead, and coho salmon 
surveys; (2) juvenile anadromous salmonid outmigration studies; (3) 
chinook salmon and steelhead escapement surveys; (4) scale sampling at 
Bonneville Dam; (5) cryopreservation of chinook salmon and steelhead 
gametes; (6) gas bubble trauma sampling; (7) subyearling fall chinook 
salmon research; and (8) westslope cutthroat trout genetic inventory. 
CRITFC proposes to observe/harass ESA-listed fish during surveys and 
redd counts, to collect tissue/scale samples and biological information 
from ESA-listed fish during escapement and carcass surveys, to collect 
gametes from post-spawned ESA-listed adult fish, and to employ seines, 
traps, and electrofishing to capture ESA-listed juvenile fish to apply 
passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and other marks for migration 
studies. A lethal take of juvenile, ESA-listed, Snake River fall 
chinook salmon is requested. ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect 
mortalities associated with the research activities are also requested.
    USGS requests a 5-year scientific research permit (1135) for annual 
takes of juvenile lower Columbia River steelhead, currently proposed as 
threatened. The purpose of the research is to examine the hypothesis 
that individual juvenile steelhead must grow to a critical size during 
their first and second summers to survive harsh winter conditions in 
streams. The results of this research will provide data and models that 
demonstrate how habitat conditions, such as temperature, influence fish 
growth and potential survival in natal streams, particularly in the 
Wind River Basin. Juvenile fish are proposed to be collected from 
streams in the Wind River Basin using electrofishing, anesthetized, 
handled to acquire biological data, allowed to recover from the 
anesthetic, and released. A lethal take of juvenile fish is requested. 
Indirect mortalities of juvenile fish associated with the research 
activities are also requested.
    OCFWRU requests a 3-year permit (1136) for annual takes of 
juvenile, endangered, Snake River sockeye salmon; juvenile, threatened, 
naturally produced and artificially propagated, Snake River spring/
summer chinook salmon; juvenile, threatened, Snake River fall chinook 
salmon; juvenile, endangered, naturally produced and artificially 
propagated, upper Columbia River steelhead; and juvenile, threatened, 
Snake River steelhead associated with research designed to compare 
biological and physiological indices of wild and hatchery juvenile fish 
exposed to stress from bypass, collection, and transportation 
activities at the dams on the Snake and Columbia Rivers in the Pacific 
Northwest. The purpose of the research is to determine effects of 
manmade structures and management activities on outmigrating salmonids 
and to provide information to improve their survival. ESA-listed 
juvenile fish are proposed to be captured using lift nets or dipnets at 
Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River and McNary Dam on the Columbia 
River or acquired from Smolt Monitoring

[[Page 10200]]

Program personnel, operating under the authority of a separate permit, 
at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. Captured ESA-listed fish are 
proposed to be examined and released or tagged with radio transmitters, 
held for as long as 24 hours, released, and tracked electronically. 
Some lethal take is requested. ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect 
mortalities associated with research activities are also requested.
    To date, protective regulations for threatened Snake River 
steelhead under section 4(d) of the ESA have not been promulgated by 
NMFS. This notice of receipt of applications requesting takes of this 
species is issued as a precaution in the event that NMFS issues 
protective regulations that prohibit takes of Snake River steelhead. 
The initiation of a 30-day public comment period on the applications, 
including their proposed takes of Snake River steelhead, does not 
presuppose the contents of the eventual protective regulations. To 
date, a listing determination for lower Columbia River steelhead under 
the ESA has not been promulgated by NMFS. This notice of receipt of 
applications requesting takes of this species is issued as a precaution 
in the event that NMFS issues a listing determination. The initiation 
of a 30-day public comment period on the applications, including their 
proposed takes of lower Columbia River steelhead, does not presuppose a 
listing determination. Those individuals requesting a hearing on any of 
the applications should set out the specific reasons why a hearing 
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 the above application 
summaries are those of the applicants and do not necessarily reflect 
the views of NMFS.

    Dated: February 23, 1998.
Nancy I. Chu,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-5323 Filed 2-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F