[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 107 (Thursday, June 4, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 30455]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-14870]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 222, 226, and 227

[I.D. 022398C]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Extension of Comment Periods; 
and Notice of Public Hearing on Proposed Listing and Proposed 
Designation of Critical Habitat for West Coast Chinook, Chum, and 
Sockeye and on Proposed Listing of West Coast Steelhead

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; public hearing and extension of public comment 
periods.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is extending the public comment periods and a public 
hearing will be held on the proposed listings and designations of 
critical habitat for west coast chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), 
sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka), and chum (Oncorhynchus keta) salmon and 
on the proposed listings of west coast steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss). 
NMFS has received a request for an additional public hearing to allow 
further opportunity for the public to participate in the exchange of 
information and opinion among interested parties and to provide oral 
and written testimony. NMFS, finding the request reasonable, has 
scheduled a public hearing and extended the public comment periods to 
facilitate the reception of public views.

DATES: The meeting date is June 11, 1998, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Written 
comments on the proposed chinook, sockeye, and chum listing and 
critical habitat designation and on the proposed steelhead listing must 
be received by June 30, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at Cunha Intermediate School, Kelly 
and Church Streets, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019. Written comments on the 
proposed chinook rule and requests for reference materials should be 
sent to Chief, Protected Species Division, NMFS, 525 NE Oregon Street, 
Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-2737.

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 documents cited herein and additional salmon-related 
materials are available via the Internet at www.nwr.noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On March 9, 1998 (63 FR 11482), NMFS issued a proposed rule to list 
and designate critical habitat for the California Central Valley, 
spring-run and the Washington Upper Columbia River, spring-run 
Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) as endangered and for the 
Central Valley fall-run, the Southern Oregon and California Coastal, 
the Puget Sound, the Lower Columbia River, and the Upper Willamette 
River ESUs as threatened, and to redefine the Snake River fall-run 
chinook salmon ESU to include fall chinook salmon populations in the 
Deschutes River, to list this redefined ESU as threatened, and to 
revise its existing critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act 
(ESA). That proposal does not affect the current definition and 
threatened status of the listed Snake River fall chinook salmon ESU.
    On March 10, 1998, NMFS published proposed rules listing the Hood 
Canal summer-run and the Columbia River Chum ESUs as threatened and 
designating critical habitat (63 FR 11774), listing the Ozette Lake 
sockeye as threatened and designating critical habitat (63 FR 11750), 
and listing the Middle Columbia River and the Upper Willamette River 
ESUs as threatened (63 FR 11798).
    Proposed critical habitat for all four species' ESUs is their 
current freshwater and estuarine range, certain marine areas for 
chinook, and all waterways, substrate, and adjacent riparian zones 
below longstanding, impassible, natural barriers.
    On April 7, 1998 (63 FR 16955), NMFS announced the schedule for 20 
public hearings in the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and 
California to discuss the chinook, chum, sockeye, and steelhead 
proposals. On May 18, 1998, NMFS received a request for an additional 
public hearing for the chinook proposal from the Pacific Coast 
Federation of Fishermen's Association. The reason given for the request 
was to allow the many fishermen who could be most effected by the 
chinook proposed rule and who were participating in the salmon fishery 
at the time of the public hearings in California the opportunity to 
comment firsthand with NMFS' officials. NMFS finds that the request 
reasonable and has scheduled a public hearing, and extended the public 
comment period for not only the chinook proposal but also the chum, 
sockeye, and steelhead proposals.
    NMFS is soliciting specific information, comments, data, and/or 
recommendations on any aspect of the March 9 and 10, 1998, proposals 
from all interested parties. In particular, NMFS is requesting 
information or data as described in the Federal Register notice 
announcing the proposed listings and designations of critical habitat 
(see 63 FR 11482, 63 FR 11774, 63 FR 11750, and 63 FR 11798). 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.

    Dated: May 28, 1998.
Rolland A. Schmitten,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-14870 Filed 6-3-98; 8:45 am]
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