[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 7, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16955-16957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-9083]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 424

[I.D. 032498B]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Notice of Public Hearings on 
Proposed Listings and Proposed Designations of Critical Habitat for 
West Coast Steelhead, Chinook, Chum, and Sockeye Salmon

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: NMFS has proposed to list 13 evolutionarily significant units 
(ESUs)

[[Page 16956]]

of Pacific salmon and steelhead under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) 
of 1973. NMFS has also proposed to designate critical habitat for the 
proposed salmon ESUs. NMFS will shortly propose critical habitat for 
steelhead ESUs previously listed as threatened or endangered, as well 
as for the two steelhead ESUs recently proposed as threatened under the 
ESA.
    These proposed listings, and proposed and pending designations of 
critical habitat include ESUs of west coast steelhead, and chinook, 
chum and sockeye salmon in California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
    Public hearings are scheduled to provide the public with 
opportunities to comment on the proposals and to provide information 
and data about these species and their critical habitat.

DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for hearing dates.

ADDRESSES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for hearing addresses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Garth Griffin, (503) 231-2005; Craig 
Wingert, (562) 980-4021; or Joe Blum, (301) 713-1401. Copies of the 
Federal Register notices cited herein and additional salmon-related 
materials are available via the Internet at www.nwr.noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On February 26, 1998, NMFS issued proposed rules to protect 13 ESUs 
of Pacific salmon and steelhead as threatened or endangered under the 
ESA (chinook salmon--63 FR 11482, March 9, 1998; sockeye salmon--63 FR 
11750, March 10, 1998; chum salmon--63 FR 11774, March 10, 1998; and 
steelhead-63 FR 11798, March 10, 1998). The ESUs proposed for listing 
include two proposed endangered ESUs: California's Central Valley 
spring-run chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and Upper Columbia 
River spring-run chinook salmon and 11 proposed threatened ESUs: Upper 
Willamette River steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Middle Columbia River 
steelhead, California's Central Valley fall-run chinook salmon, 
Southern Oregon and California coastal chinook salmon, Puget Sound 
chinook salmon, Lower Columbia River chinook salmon, Upper Willamette 
River chinook salmon, Columbia River chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), 
Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon, Ozette Lake sockeye salmon 
(Oncorhynchus nerka), and a proposal to redefine the listed Snake River 
fall-run chinook salmon ESU to include Deschutes River fall chinook 
salmon.
    In addition, NMFS has proposed the designation of one sockeye 
salmon ESU (Baker River) as a candidate for listing because of 
uncertainty regarding its status.
    NMFS concurrently proposed to designate critical habitat for the 
proposed chinook, chum, and sockeye salmon ESUs. Critical habitat for 
these species is described in the same Federal Register notices 
announcing the proposed listings (see Federal Register notices cited 
previously). In a forthcoming Federal Register notice, NMFS will also 
propose designating critical habitat for nine ESUs of west coast 
steelhead that have been listed or proposed for listing under the ESA.

Public Hearings

    Public hearings on the proposed listings provide the opportunity 
for the public to give comments and to permit an exchange of 
information and opinion among interested parties. The Department of 
Commerce's ESA implementing regulations state that the Secretary of 
Commerce ``shall promptly hold at least one public hearing if any 
person so requests within 45 days of publication of a proposed 
regulation to list * * * a species'' (50 CFR section 424.16 (c)(3)). 
NMFS encourages public involvement in such ESA matters and has decided 
to schedule hearings on these proposals.
    NMFS is soliciting specific information, comments, data, and/or 
recommendations on any aspect of the aforementioned proposals from all 
interested parties. In particular, NMFS is requesting information or 
data as described in the Federal Register notices announcing the 
proposed listings for each species (see Federal Register notices cited 
previously). This information is considered critical in helping NMFS 
make final determinations on the proposed listings and proposed 
designations of critical habitat. NMFS will consider all information, 
comments, and recommendations received during the comment period or at 
the public hearings before reaching a final decision.
    The public will have the opportunity to provide oral and written 
testimony at the public hearings. Written comments on the proposals may 
also be submitted (see Federal Register notices cited previously). 
Public hearings on the proposed listings will be held as follows:
    (1) April 20, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., The Chapel, Fort Warden State 
Park, 200 Battery Way, Port Townsend, WA;
    (2) April 21, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Bellingham City Hall, Council 
Chambers 210, Lottie Street, Bellingham, Washington;
    (3) April 22, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Bonneville Power Admin. 
Auditorium, 911 NE 11th Ave., Portland, Oregon;
    (4) April 28, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Yakima County Courthouse, 
Room 420, 128 North 2nd Street, Yakima, Washington;
    (5) April 29, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Chelan Center, 317 East 
Johnson, Chelan, Washington;
    (6) April 29, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Eureka Inn, 518 Seventh 
Street, Eureka, California;
    (7) April 30, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Columbia River Maritime, 
Museum, 1792 Marine Drive, Astoria, Oregon;
    (8) April 30, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Double Tree Hotel, 1 Double 
Tree Drive, Rohnert Park, California;
    (9) May 4, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Lewiston Community Center, 1424 
Main Street, Lewiston, Idaho;
    (10) May 5, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Natural Resource Center, Bureau 
of Land Management, 1387 South Binnell Way, Boise, Idaho;
    (11) May 5, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Double Tree Hotel, 1830 Hilltop 
Drive, Redding, California;
    (12) May 6, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Jackson County Courthouse, 10 
South Oakdale, Medford, Oregon;
    (13) May 6, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Beverly Garland Hotel, 1780 
Tribute Road, Sacramento, California;
    (14) May 7, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., City of Gold Beach City Hall, 
29592 Ellensburg, Gold Beach, Oregon;
    (15) May 7, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Eugene City Hall Council 
Chambers, 777 Pearl Street, Eugene, Oregon;
    (16) May 7, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Modesto Irrigation District, 
1231 11th Street, Modesto, California;
    (17) May 11, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., WA State Department of Natural 
Resources, Orca Room 1, 411 Tillicum Lane, Forks, Washington;
    (18) May 12, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., NMFS NW Fish. Sci. Ctr., 2725 
Montlake Blvd. E, Seattle, Washington;
    (19) May 13, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., FWS/NMFS offices, Abbott 
Raphael Bldg. - Sawyer Hall, 510 Desmond Drive SE, Olympia, Washington;
    (20) May 14, 1998, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Columbus Gorge Discovery 
Center & Wasco Hist. Museum, M.J. Murdock Auditorium, 5000 Discovery 
Drive, The Dalles, Oregon.

Special Accommodations

    These hearings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other aids 
should be directed to Garth Griffin or Craig

[[Page 16957]]

Wingert (see ADDRESSES) by 7 days prior to each meeting date.


    Dated: April 2, 1998
Hilda Diaz-Soltero,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-9083 Filed 4-6-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F