[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 83 (Friday, April 30, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23281-23282]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10902]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 042699B]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Receipt of applications to modify permits (1056, 1118); 
issuance of a permit (1189); and modifications to an existing permit 
(1119).

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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 applications for modifications to existing 
permits from NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA 
(NWFSC)(1056) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Leavenworth, WA 
(FWS)(1118); NMFS has issued a permit to Dr. James Kirk, of the Corps 
of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station (COE-WES) (1189); and NMFS 
has issued modifications to a scientific research permit held by the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) (1119).

DATES: Written comments or requests for a public hearing on the new 
modification requests must be received on or before June 1, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The applications and related documents are available for 
review in the following offices, by appointment:
    For permits 1056, 1118, 1119: Protected Resources Division, F/NWO3, 
525 NE Oregon Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-4169 (503-230-
5400).
    For permit 1189: Office of Protected Resources, Endangered Species 
Division, F/PR3, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301-
713-1401).
    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 permits 1056: Leslie Schaeffer, Portland, OR (503-230-5433).
    For permits 1118, 1119: Tom Lichatowich, Portland, OR (503-230-
5438).
    For permit 1189: Terri Jordan, Silver Spring, MD (301-713-1401).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

    Issuance of permits and permit modifications, as required by the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) (ESA), is based on 
a finding that such permits/modifications: (1) Are applied for in good 
faith; (2) would not operate to the disadvantage of the listed species 
which are the subject of the permits; and (3) are consistent with the 
purposes and policies set forth in section 2 of the ESA. Authority to 
take listed species is subject to conditions set forth in the permits. 
Permits and modifications are issued in accordance with and are subject 
to the ESA and NMFS regulations governing listed fish and wildlife 
permits (50 CFR parts 217-227).
    Those individuals requesting a hearing on an application listed in 
this notice should set out the specific reasons why a hearing on that 
application would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). The holding of such 
hearing is at the discretion of the Assistant Administrator for 
Fisheries, NOAA. All statements and opinions contained in the permit 
action summaries are those of the applicant and do not necessarily 
reflect the views of NMFS.

Species Covered in this Notice

    The following species and evolutionarily significant units (ESU's) 
are covered in this notice:
    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Snake River (SnR) 
spring/summer, upper Columbia River (UCR) spring.
    Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): UCR.
    Shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum).

Modification Requests Received

    NWFSC requests a modification to scientific research permit 1056. 
Permit 1056 authorizes NWFSC annual direct takes of juvenile, 
threatened, naturally produced and artificially propagated, SnR spring/
summer chinook salmon associated with studies designed to monitor wild 
salmon smolt migration timing, genetic change, and population structure 
over time. For the modification, NWFSC requests an increase in the 
annual take of juvenile, threatened, naturally produced, SnR spring/
summer chinook salmon and an additional take of adult, threatened, SnR 
spring/summer chinook salmon carcasses associated with the research. 
The additional take is requested to determine the importance of salmon 
carcasses (marine derived nutrients) on the growth, production, and 
survival of wild juvenile Snake River chinook salmon. NWFSC also 
requests that an additional capture method, rotary screw traps, be used 
to collect juvenile fish. ESA-listed juvenile fish are proposed to be 
lethally taken from additional sites except in low abundance years, 
when lethal take will be suspended. Tissue samples will be collected 
from ESA-listed adult, naturally deceased (post-spawning), salmon 
carcasses found along stream banks, or in the event that few carcasses 
of naturally spawning fish are located, samples will be taken from 
carcasses obtained from nearby hatcheries following spawning. The 
modification is requested to be valid for the duration of the permit, 
which expires on January 31, 2003.
    FWS requests a modification to scientific research/enhancement 
permit 1118. Permit 1118 authorizes FWS annual direct takes of adult 
and juvenile, endangered, naturally produced and artificially 
propagated, UCR steelhead associated with an enhancement program at 
Winthrop Hatchery on the Methow River. Incidental takes of ESA-listed 
species resulting from hatchery produced fish releases are also 
authorized by the permit. For the modification, FWS requests an annual 
incidental take of adult and juvenile, endangered, UCR spring chinook 
salmon associated with the program. FWS has provided a revised 
conservation plan designed to minimize and mitigate the potential 
incidental take of the ESA-listed species. The modification is 
requested to be valid for the duration of the permit, which expires on 
May 31, 2003.

Permits and Modifications Issued

    Notice was published on February 4, 1999 (64 FR 5640), that an 
application had been filed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), 
for a modification to permit 1119. Permit 1119 authorizes annual takes 
of juvenile, endangered, naturally produced and artificially 
propagated, UCR steelhead associated with research studies. For 
Modification 1, FWS is authorized an increase in annual takes of adult 
and juvenile, endangered,

[[Page 23282]]

naturally produced and artificially propagated, UCR steelhead 
associated with two new studies, Study 3 and Study 4. Study 3 involves 
routine spawning ground surveys in the Entiat River Basin designed to 
estimate the numbers of adult salmonids utilizing the basin. Study 4 is 
designed to evaluate the feasibility of restoring endangered UCR 
steelhead above barriers in Icicle Creek, a tributary to the Wenatchee 
River. Modification 1 was issued on April 22, 1999, and is valid for 
the duration of the permit, which expires on December 31, 2002.
    Notice was published on January 4, 1999 (64 FR 148), that COE-WES 
applied for a 3-year permit to take and conduct research on endangered 
shortnose sturgeon to characterize the Ogeechee River system shortnose 
sturgeon population size, age, structure and growth; document seasonal 
movement and habitat preferences; identify, if possible, spawning and 
rearing sites and develop population models to evaluate anthropogenic 
effects, population trends, and define a recovering or steady-state 
population. Permit 1189 was issued on April 22, 1999, and expires on 
December 31, 2002.

    Dated: April 26, 1999.
Margaret Lorenz,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-10902 Filed 4-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F