[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 134 (Tuesday, July 14, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37851-37852]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18734]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 070798C]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Receipt of applications for scientific research permits (1138, 
1139, 1161, 1162, 1166, 1167) and for a modification to a scientific 
research/enhancement permit (1010).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the following actions regarding 
permits for takes of endangered and threatened species for the purposes 
of scientific research and/or enhancement: NMFS has received permit 
applications from: Dr. Jennifer L. Nielsen of the Hopkins Marine 
Station, Stanford University in Pacific Grove, CA (1138), Wetlands 
Research Associates Inc. (WRAI) in San Rafael, CA (1139), the State 
Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) in Sacramento, CA (1161), Salmon 
Protection and Watershed Network (SPAWN) in Forest Knolls, CA (1162), 
Dr. Alice A. Rich of A.A. Rich and Associates (AARA) in San Anselmo, CA 
(1166), and Dr. Peter B. Moyle of the Department of Wildlife, Fish and 
Conservation Biology University of California, in Davis, CA (1167); and 
NMFS has received an application for a modification to an existing 
scientific research/enhancement permit from: Idaho Department of Fish 
and Game at Boise, ID (IDFG) (1010).

DATES: Written comments or requests for a public hearing on any of the 
applications must be received on or before August 13, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The applications and related documents are available for 
review in the following offices, by appointment:
    For permit 1010: Protected Resources Division (PRD), F/NWO3, 525 NE 
Oregon Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-4169 (503-230-5400).
    For permits 1138, 1139, 1161, 1162, 1166, and 1167: Protected 
Species Division, NMFS, 777 Sonoma Avenue, Room 325, Santa Rosa, CA 
95404-6528 (707-575-6066).
    All documents may also be reviewed by appointment in the Office of 
Protected Resources, F/PR3, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910-3226 (301-713-1401).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For permit 1010: Robert Koch, 
Portland, OR (503-230-5424).

[[Page 37852]]

    For permits 1138, 1139, 1161, 1162, 1166, and 1167: Thomas Hablett, 
Protected Resources Division, (707-575-6066).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Authority
    Permits are requested 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).
    Those individuals requesting a hearing on these requests for 
permits 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 below application summaries 
are those of the applicant and do not necessarily reflect the views of 
NMFS.

Species Covered in this Notice

    The following species are covered in this notice: Chinook salmon 
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and 
Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

New Applications Received

    Jennifer Nielsen (1138) requests a five-year permit to receive, 
possess, and analyze, genetic tissue samples taken from adult and 
juvenile salmonids, for all species currently listed in California. 
Tissue samples taken from live, non-invasively sampled fish, will 
consist only of fin clips and scales. These and/or skin tissue will be 
taken from carcasses. The samples will be collected in the field by 
participating investigators who have been authorized by NMFS to take 
and transfer tissue samples for genetic study purposes. The requested 
authorizations for California include samples from: threatened coho 
salmon in the southern Oregon/northern California coast (SONCC) and 
central California coast (CCC) Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs); 
endangered steelhead in the southern California coast (SoCC) ESU; 
threatened steelhead in the CCC, south-central Califonia coast (SCCC), 
and central valley (CV) ESUs; and endangered Sacramento River, winter-
run chinook salmon; associated with ongoing genetic population 
inventories throughout California.
    WRAI (1139) requests a two-year permit for takes of juvenile, 
threatened, CCC coho salmon, and juvenile, threatened CCC steelhead 
associated with fish population and habitat studies in the Petaluma 
River within the ESUs. The studies consist of four assessment tasks for 
which ESA-listed fish are proposed to be taken: 1) Presence/absence; 2) 
population estimates; 3) out-migrational surveys; and 4) habitat 
quality evaluation. ESA-listed fish will be observed or captured, 
anesthetized, handled, allowed to recover from the anesthetic, and 
released. Indirect mortalities are also requested.
    SWRCB (1161) requests a five-year permit for takes of juvenile, 
threatened, CCC coho salmon associated with fish population and habitat 
studies in the Noyo River within the ESU. The studies consist of four 
assessment tasks for which ESA-listed fish are proposed to be taken: 1) 
Presence/absence; 2) population estimates; 3) life history patterns; 
and 4) habitat quality evaluation. ESA-listed fish will be observed or 
captured, anesthetized, handled, allowed to recover from the 
anesthetic, and released. Indirect mortalities are also requested.
    SPAWN (1162) requests a five-year permit for takes of juvenile, 
threatened, CCC coho salmon, and juvenile, threatened CCC steelhead (O. 
mykiss) associated with fish population and habitat studies in the San 
Geronimo Creek within the ESUs. The studies consist of two assessment 
tasks for which ESA-listed fish are proposed to be taken: 1) Presence/
absence; and 2) habitat quality evaluation. In addition, authorization 
is requested to move stranded fish from isolated pools into the 
mainstem of the watershed. ESA-listed fish will be observed or 
captured, anesthetized, handled, allowed to recover from the 
anesthetic, and released. Indirect mortalities are also requested.
    AARA (1166) requests a five-year permit for takes of: adult and 
juvenile, threatened, SONCC and CCC coho salmon; adult and juvenile, 
endangered, SoCC steelhead; and adult and juvenile, threatened, SCCC 
and CCC steelhead associated with fish population and habitat studies 
in coastal drainages throughout California. The studies consist of 
salmonid habitat and biological inventories, and project monitoring and 
evaluation studies for which ESA-listed fish are proposed to be taken. 
ESA-listed fish will be captured, anesthetized, handled (identified and 
measured), allowed to recover from the anesthetic, and released. ESA-
listed salmon indirect mortalities associated with the research are 
also requested.
    Peter Moyle (1167)requests a three-year permit for takes of 
juvenile, threatened, CCC coho salmon associated with fish population 
and habitat studies in the Navarro River and Indian Creek watersheds 
within the ESU. The studies involve surveying macroinvertebrate and 
fish communities in selected stream reaches, and consist of three 
assessment tasks for which ESA-listed fish are proposed to be taken: 1) 
Presence/absence; 2) population estimates; and 3) habitat quality 
evaluation. ESA-listed fish will be observed during snorkeling surveys.

Modification Request Received

    IDFG requests a modification to permit 1010, which authorizes 
annual direct takes of adult and juvenile, threatened, Snake River 
spring/summer chinook salmon associated with a captive rearing program 
for the upper Salmon River tributaries of West Fork Yankee Fork, upper 
East Fork, and Lemhi River in ID. The captive rearing program was 
initiated in 1995 when NMFS allowed the collection of ESA-listed, 
naturally produced, juvenile fish for the program under permit 972. For 
modification 2, IDFG proposes to release ESA-listed, captively-reared, 
mature fish from the program into their respective streams of origin 
for natural spawning. The ESA-listed adult fish to be released are 
proposed to be tagged with radiotransmitters so that IDFG may monitor 
fish movement and spawning-related behavior. Subsequent to spawning, 
carcasses of the ESA-listed fish are proposed to be inspected and 
sampled for tissues. Also for modification 2, IDFG proposes to retain 
ESA-listed adult fish in the hatcheries to initiate a captive spawning 
program. ESA-listed fish eggs produced from the captive spawning 
program are proposed to be distributed in their respective streams of 
origin. Also for modification 2, IDFG requests incidental takes of ESA-
listed anadromous fish species that would result from fish releases 
from the captive rearing program. Modification 2 is requested to be 
valid for the duration of the permit. Permit 1010 expires on December 
31, 2000.

    Dated: July 8, 1998.
Patricia A. Montanio,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-18734 Filed 7-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F