[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 147 (Monday, August 2, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 41835-41839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19712]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AF70


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing of Nine 
Evolutionarily Significant Units of Chinook Salmon, Chum Salmon, 
Sockeye Salmon, and Steelhead

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is adding several 
Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus 
tshawytscha), chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), sockeye salmon 
(Oncorhynchus nerka), and steelhead

[[Page 41836]]

(Oncorhynchus mykiss) to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 
(List) in accordance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 
amended (Act). The Puget Sound chinook salmon ESU in Washington, the 
Lower Columbia River chinook salmon ESU in Washington and Oregon, and 
the Upper Willamette spring-run chinook salmon ESU in Oregon are added 
as threatened; the Upper Columbia River spring-run chinook salmon ESU 
in Washington is added as endangered; the Hood Canal summer-run chum 
salmon ESU in Washington and the Columbia River chum salmon ESU in 
Washington and Oregon are added as threatened; the Ozette Lake sockeye 
salmon ESU in Washington is added as threatened; and the Middle 
Columbia River steelhead ESU in Washington and Oregon and the Upper 
Willamette River steelhead ESU in Oregon are added as threatened. This 
amendment is based on determinations by the National Marine Fisheries 
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
Department of Commerce, which has jurisdiction for these species, 
published in the Federal Register on March 24, 1999 (64 FR 14308), and 
March 25, 1999 (64 FR 14508, 64 FR 14517, 64 FR 14528).

DATES: The effective date for listing of these ESUs is May 24, 1999. 
The amendments to the list in 50 CFR 17.11(h) are effective August 2, 
1999.

ADDRESSES: Division of Endangered Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop 420, Arlington, Virginia 
22203.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard E. Hannan, Acting Chief, 
Division of Endangered Species, at the above address or telephone 703-
358-2171.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In accordance with the Act and Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970, 
NMFS has jurisdiction over west coast steelhead. Under section 4(a)(2) 
of the Act, NMFS must decide whether a species under its jurisdiction 
should be classified as endangered or threatened. The Service is 
responsible for the actual amendment of the List in 50 CFR 17.11(h).
    On March 24, 1999 (64 FR 14308), NMFS published a final rule 
listing four chinook salmon ESUs as threatened; the Puget Sound chinook 
salmon ESU in Washington, the Lower Columbia River chinook salmon ESU 
in Washington and Oregon, and the Upper Willamette spring-run chinook 
salmon ESU in Oregon; the Upper Columbia River spring-run chinook 
salmon ESU in Washington was listed as endangered. On March 25, 1999 
(64 FR 14508), NMFS published a final rule listing two chum salmon ESUs 
as threatened; the Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon ESU in Washington 
and the Columbia River chum salmon ESU in Washington and Oregon. On 
March 25, 1999 (64 FR 14528), NMFS published a final rule listing one 
sockeye salmon ESU; the Ozette Lake sockeye salmon ESU in Washington as 
threatened. On March 25, 1999 (64 FR 14517), NMFS published a final 
rule listing two steelhead ESUs as threatened; the Middle Columbia 
River steelhead ESU in Washington and Oregon and the Upper Willamette 
River steelhead ESU in Oregon. NMFS had previously issued proposed 
listing rules for the chinook salmon ESUs on March 9, 1998 (63 FR 
11482), for the chum salmon ESUs on March 10, 1998 (63 FR 11774), for 
the sockeye salmon ESU on March 10, 1998 (63 FR 11750), and for the 
steelhead ESUs on March 10, 1998 (63 FR 11798).
    The proposed rules identified above solicited comments from peer 
reviewers, the public, and all other interested parties. The final 
rules addressed the comments received in response to the proposed 
rules. Because NMFS provided public comment periods on the proposed 
rules, and because this action of the Service to amend the List in 
accordance with the determinations by NMFS is administrative and 
nondiscretionary, the Service has omitted the notice and public comment 
procedures of 5 U.S.C. 553(b) for this action.

National Environmental Policy Act

    The Service has determined that an Environmental Assessment, as 
defined under the authority of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, need not be prepared in connection with regulations adopted 
pursuant to section 4(a) of the Act. The Service published a notice 
outlining its reasons for this determination in the Federal Register on 
October 25, 1983 (48 FR 49244).

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17

    Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.

Regulation Promulgation

    Accordingly, the Service amends part 17, subchapter B of chapter I, 
title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:

PART 17--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 17 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544; 16 U.S.C. 
4201-4245; Pub. L. 99-625, 100 Stat. 3500, unless otherwise noted.

    2. Amend Sec. 17.11(h) by adding the following, in alphabetical 
order under FISHES, to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife:


Sec. 17.11  Endangered and threatened wildlife.

* * * * *
    (h) * * *

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                        Species                                                    Vertebrate
--------------------------------------------------------                        population where                                  Critical     Special
                                                            Historic range       endangered or         Status      When listed    habitat       rules
           Common name                Scientific name                              threatened
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                   *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *
              Fishes
 

[[Page 41837]]

 
                   *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *
Salmon, chinook..................  Oncorhyncus           North America from   U.S.A. (WA) all      T                       664           NA           NA
                                    tshawytscha.          Ventura R. in        naturally spawned
                                                          California to        populations from
                                                          Point Hope, Alaska   rivers and streams
                                                          and the Mackenzie    flowing into Puget
                                                          R. area in Canada,   Sound, including
                                                          Northeast Asia       the Straits of
                                                          from Hokkaido,       Juan De Fuca from
                                                          Japan to the         the Elwha R.
                                                          Anadyr R., Russia.   eastward, and Hood
                                                                               Canal, South
                                                                               Sound, North Sound
                                                                               and the Strait of
                                                                               Georgia.
Salmon, chinook..................  Oncorhyncus           North America from   U.S.A. (OR, WA) all  T                       664           NA           NA
                                    tshawytscha.          Ventura R. in        naturally spawned
                                                          California to        populations from
                                                          Point Hope, Alaska   the Columbia R.
                                                          and the Mackenzie    and its
                                                          R. area in Canada,   tributaries
                                                          Northeast Asia       upstream from its
                                                          from Hokkaido,       mouth to a point
                                                          Japan to the         east of the Hood
                                                          Anadyr R., Russia.   R. and White
                                                                               Salmon R.,
                                                                               including the
                                                                               Willamette R. to
                                                                               Willamette Falls
                                                                               in Oregon,
                                                                               excluding the
                                                                               spring run in the
                                                                               Clackamas R.
Salmon, chinook..................  Oncorhyncus           North America from   U.S.A. (OR) all      T                       664           NA           NA
                                    tshawytscha.          Ventura R. in        naturally spawned
                                                          California to        populations in the
                                                          Point Hope, Alaska   Clackamas R. and
                                                          and the Mackenzie    the Willamette R.
                                                          R. area in Canada,   and its
                                                          Northeast Asia       tributaries above
                                                          from Hokkaido,       Willamette Falls.
                                                          Japan to the
                                                          Anadyr R., Russia.
Salmon, chinook..................  Oncorhyncus           North America from   U.S.A. (WA) all      E                       664           NA            N
                                    tshawytscha.          Ventura R. in        naturally spawned
                                                          California to        populations in the
                                                          Point Hope, Alaska   Columbia R.
                                                          and the Mackenzie    tributaries
                                                          R. area in Canada,   upstream of Rock
                                                          Northeast Asia       Island Dam and
                                                          from Hokkaido,       downstream of
                                                          Japan to the         Chief Joseph Dam,
                                                          Anadyr R., Russia.   excluding the
                                                                               Okanogan R., and
                                                                               the Columbia R.
                                                                               from a line
                                                                               between the west
                                                                               end of Clatsop
                                                                               jetty, OR, and the
                                                                               west end of
                                                                               Peacock jetty, WA,
                                                                               upstream to Chief
                                                                               Joseph Dam,
                                                                               including spring-
                                                                               run hatchery
                                                                               stocks (and their
                                                                               progeny) in
                                                                               Chiwawa R., Methow
                                                                               R., Twisp R.,
                                                                               Chewuch R., White
                                                                               R., and Nason
                                                                               Creek.

[[Page 41838]]

 
Salmon, chum.....................  Oncorhyncus keta....  North Pacific Rim    U.S.A. (WA) all      T                       664           NA           NA
                                                          from Korea and the   naturally spawned
                                                          Japanese Island of   summer-run
                                                          Honshu east to       populations in
                                                          Monterey Bay,        Hood Canal and its
                                                          California, Arctic   tributaries and
                                                          Ocean from the       Olympic Peninsula
                                                          Laptev Sea in        rivers between
                                                          Russia to            Hood Canal and
                                                          Mackenzie R. in      Dungeness Bay.
                                                          Canada.
Salmon, chum.....................  Oncorhyncus keta....  North Pacific Rim    U.S.A. (OR, WA) all  T                       664           NA           NA
                                                          from Korea and the   naturally spawned
                                                          Japanese Island of   populations in the
                                                          Honshu east to       Columbia R. and
                                                          Monterey Bay,        its tributaries.
                                                          California; Arctic
                                                          Ocean from the
                                                          Laptev Sea in
                                                          Russia to
                                                          Mackenzie R. in
                                                          Canada.
 
                   *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *
Salmon, sockeye..................  Oncorhyncus nerka...  North Pacific Basin  U.S.A. (WA) all      T                       664           NA           NA
                                                          from U.S.A. (CA)     naturally spawned
                                                          to Russia.           populations in
                                                                               Ozette Lake and
                                                                               its tributary
                                                                               streams.
 
                   *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *
Steelhead........................  Oncorhyncus mykiss..  North Pacific Ocean  U.S.A. (OR) all      T                       664           NA           NA
                                                          from the Kamchatka   naturally spawned
                                                          Peninsula in Asia    winter-run
                                                          to the northern      populations in the
                                                          Baja Peninsula.      Willamette R. and
                                                                               its tributaries
                                                                               from Willamette
                                                                               Falls to the
                                                                               Calapooia R.,
                                                                               inclusive.
Steelhead........................  Oncorhyncus mykiss..  North Pacific Ocean  U.S.A. (OR, WA) All  T                       664           NA           NA
                                                          from the Kamchatka   naturally spawned
                                                          Peninsula in Asia    populations in
                                                          to the northern      streams above and
                                                          Baja Peninsula.      excluding the Wind
                                                                               R. in Washington,
                                                                               and the Hood R. in
                                                                               Oregon, upstream
                                                                               to, and including,
                                                                               the Yakima R.
                                                                               Excluded are
                                                                               steelhead from the
                                                                               Snake R. Basin.
 
                   *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *
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[[Page 41839]]

    Dated: July 12, 1999.
Marshall P. Jones,
Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 99-19712 Filed 7-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-U