[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 244 (Monday, December 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70394-70395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-33728]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 121498B]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Receipt of an application for an incidental take permit (1188).

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

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Idaho Department of Fish and 
Game at Boise, ID (IDFG) has applied in due form for a permit that 
would authorize incidental takes of endangered and threatened 
anadromous fish species.

DATES: Written comments or requests for a public hearing on the 
application must be received on or before January 20, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review, by appointment, at:
    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, PRD in Portland, OR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Koch (503-230-5424).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: IDFG requests a permit 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).
    IDFG requests a 5-year permit that would authorize annual 
incidental takes of endangered Snake River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus 
nerka); threatened, naturally produced and artificially propagated, 
Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha); 
and threatened Snake River steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) associated 
with IDFG's resident fish-stocking program. IDFG's fish-stocking 
program is designed to increase the supply of fish in the Salmon River 
and its tributary streams and lakes for sport-angling. The new permit 
is proposed to replace incidental take permit 908 which is due to 
expire on December 31, 1998. IDFG proposes to stock: (1) Catchable 
(mean total length up to 250 mm) hatchery rainbow trout in waters of 
the upper Salmon River and the Stanley Basin lakes, including Redfish 
Lake; (2) catchable or subcatchable cutthroat trout in the Stanley 
Basin lakes, including Redfish Lake; (3) subcatchable (5-20 cm) rainbow 
trout into the Salmon and Clearwater Rivers and the Stanley Basin 
lakes; and (4) westslope cutthroat trout into native areas of the 
Salmon River and tributaries for population restoration purposes. 
Rainbow and cutthroat trout stocking in Idaho may result in incidental 
takes of ESA-listed fish through predation, competition, transmission 
of diseases, and interbreeding. IDFG included a conservation plan with 
the application that specifies procedures to be implemented to monitor, 
minimize, and mitigate ESA-listed fish takes.
    On May 30, 1997, NMFS published a notice in the Federal Register 
(62 FR 29330) proposing to amend permit 908. On June 10, 1998, NMFS 
published a notice in the Federal Register (63 FR 31739) that an 
application was received from IDFG for modification 2 to permit 908. To 
date, NMFS has not completed these proposed actions. When permit 908 
expires on December 31, 1998, the two proposed actions cited above will 
no longer be considered valid for processing. However, the proposed 
actions are included in IDFG's application for a new permit.
    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 an application 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 application, 
including its proposed takes of Snake River steelhead, does not 
presuppose the contents of the eventual protective regulations. Those 
individuals requesting a hearing on the above application should set 
out the specific reasons why a hearing would be appropriate (see 
ADDRESSES). The holding of such a hearing is at the

[[Page 70395]]

discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA. All 
statements and opinions contained in the above application summary are 
those of the applicant and do not necessarily reflect the views of 
NMFS.

    Dated: December 14, 1998.
Kevin Collins,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-33728 Filed 12-18-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F