[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 186 (Monday, September 27, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51959-51960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25070]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 092199B]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Receipt of an application to modify scientific research permit 
1134.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received an application 
to modify scientific research permit 1134 from the Columbia River 
Inter-Tribal Fish Commission at Portland, OR (CRITFC).

DATES: Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this 
modification request must be received on or before October 27, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review in the following office, by appointment:
    Protected Resources Division, F/NWO3, 525 NE Oregon Street, Suite 
500, Portland, OR 97232-4169 (503-230-5400).
    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: Leslie Schaeffer, Portland, OR (503-
230-5433).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

    Issuance of 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 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. 
Modifications are issued in accordance with and are subject to the ESA 
and NMFS regulations governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR 
parts 222-226).
    Those individuals requesting a hearing on the application listed in 
this notice should set out the specific reasons why a hearing on the 
application would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). The holding of such 
hearings is at the discretion of the Assistant Administrator for 
Fisheries, NOAA. All statements and opinions contained in the permit 
action summary 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): Lower Columbia River 
(LCR), Snake River (SnR) spring/summer, SnR fall, Upper Columbia River 
(UCR) spring.
    Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka): SnR
    Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): LCR, SnR, UCR.
    To date, protective regulations for threatened LCR steelhead under 
section 4(d) of the ESA have been not promulgated by NMFS. This notice 
of receipt of an application for a permit modification requesting take 
of LCR steelhead is issued as a precaution in the event that NMFS 
issues LCR steelhead protective regulations. The initiation of a 30-day 
public comment period on the application, including the proposed take 
of LCR steelhead, does not presuppose the contents of the eventual 
protective regulations.

Modification Request Received

    CRITFC requests modifications to scientific research permit 1134. 
Permit 1134 authorizes CRITFC annual takes of juvenile, endangered, SnR 
sockeye salmon; adult and juvenile, threatened, SnR fall chinook 
salmon; adult and juvenile, threatened, naturally produced and 
artificially propagated, SnR spring/summer chinook salmon; and adult 
and juvenile, endangered, naturally produced and artificially 
propagated, UCR steelhead associated with 8 research projects in the 
Snake and Columbia River Basins in the Pacific Northwest. For the 
modifications, CRITFC proposes an increase in the annual take of ESA-
listed adult and juvenile fish associated with the projects and with 3 
new projects: (1) biological and chemical monitoring, and physical 
habitat assessment in steelhead waters; (2) tagging juvenile Hanford 
Reach upriver bright fall chinook salmon; and (3) SnR steelhead kelt 
identification study. CRITFC proposes to employ seines and 
electrofishing to capture ESA-listed juvenile fish, tag ESA-listed 
juvenile fish, and capture and handle post-spawned ESA-listed adult 
fish. An increase in take of ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect 
mortalities is also requested, as well as annual takes of adult and 
juvenile, endangered, naturally produced and artificially propagated 
UCR spring chinook salmon

[[Page 51960]]

and adult and juvenile, threatened, LCR chinook salmon associated with 
the research. The modifications are requested to be valid for the 
duration of the permit which expires on December 31, 2002.

    Dated: September 21, 1999.
Barbara A. Schroeder,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-25070 Filed 9-27-99; 8:45 am]
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