[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 134 (Wednesday, July 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42992-42993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17628]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 070300C]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Receipt of applications to modify permits (1245, 1189); 
issuance of permits (1247), (1249); and modifications/amendments to 
existing permits (1177).

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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 a request to modify permit (1245) from Mr. J. 
David Whitaker, of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources 
(SCDNR), NMFS has received a request to modify permit (1189) from Dr. 
James Kirk, of the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps); NMFS has issued 
permit 1247 to Mr. Tom Savoy, of CT Dept of Environmental Protection 
(CTDEP) and NMFS has issued permit 1249 to Mr. E.P. Taft, of Alden 
Research Laboratory (ALR); and NMFS has issued an amendment to a 
scientific research/enhancement permit to the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Portland District in Portland, OR (Corps)(1177).

DATES: Comments or requests for a public hearing on any of the new 
applications or modification requests must be received at the 
appropriate address or fax number no later than 5:00 pm eastern 
standard time on August 11, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on any of the new applications or 
modification requests should be sent to the appropriate office as 
indicated below. Comments may also be sent via fax to the number 
indicated for the application or modification request. Comments will 
not be accepted if submitted via e-mail or the internet. The 
applications and related documents are available for review in the 
indicated office, by appointment:
    For permit 1177: Protected Resources Division, F/NWO3, 525 NE 
Oregon Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-2737 (ph: 503-230-5400, 
fax: 503-230-5435).
    For permits 1247, 1245, 1189, 1249: Office of Protected Resources, 
Endangered Species Division, F/PR3, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910 (ph: 301-713-1401, fax: 301-713-0376).
    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 1247, 1245, 1189, 1249: Terri Jordan, Silver Spring, MD 
(ph: 301-713-1401, fax: 301-713-0376, e-mail: [email protected]).
    For permit 1177: Leslie Schaeffer, Portland, OR (ph: 503-230-5433, 
fax: 503-230-5435, e-mail: [email protected]).

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

[[Page 42993]]

regulations governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 
222-226).
    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:

Sea Turtles

    Green turtle (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys 
imbricata), Kemp's ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), Leatherback 
turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta).

Fish

    Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch): Threatened Southern Oregon/
Northern California Coasts (SONCC).
    Shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum).

Modification Requests Received

Permit 1245

    SCDNR requests a modification to Permit 1245. Permit 1245 
authorizes the annual take of up tp 200 threatened loggerhead turtle, 
23 endangered Kemp's ridley, one green and one leatherback sea turtle 
in the Atlantic Ocean off the southeastern United States. This study is 
intended to capture juveniles and adults, thereby providing a more 
comprehensive assessment of total population abundance and an 
assessment of the health of individual animals. Modification #1 would 
increase the authorized annual take of green turtles from one to ten 
annually and add five hawksbill turtles.
Permit 1189
    The applicant requests a modification to Permit 1189. Permit 1189 
authorizes the capture handling and release of up to 300 juvenile and 
adult shortnose sturgeon annually in the Ogeechee River, Georgia. The 
permit also authorizes sonic tagging of up to 20 adult shortnose 
sturgeon in the Ogeechee River. Modification #2 would authorize the use 
of external floy tags for up to 50 shortnose sturgeon annually. Permit 
1189 expires December 31, 2002.

Permits and Modifications Issued

Permits Issued

    Notice was published on March 3, 2000 (65 FR 16894) that Mr. Tom 
Savoy, of CT Dept of Environmental Protection applied for a scientific 
research permit (1247). The applicant requested a five year permit to 
lethally take up to 300 spawned eggs and larvae annually; capture, 
examine, collect stomach contents samples via gastrical lavage, PIT tag 
and release up to 400 adult and 100 juvenile sturgeon; and sonically 
tag up to 25 adult sturgeon annually. The research proposes to 
determine general seasonal movements and fine scale diurnal movement 
patterns as well as food habits and prey preferences of shortnose 
sturgeon in the Connecticut River below Holyoke Dam. Permit 1247 was 
issued on June 30,2000, authorizing take of listed species. Permit 1247 
expires June 30, 2005.
Permit 1249
    Notice was published on April 19, 2000 (65 FR 20954) that Mr. E.P. 
Taft, of Alden Research Laboratory applied for a scientific research 
permit (1249). The applicant proposes to take a maximum of 200 1+ yr 
captively bred shortnose sturgeon from the Conte Anadromous Fish 
Research Center to conduct applied fish passage facility research and 
development with the intent of identifying what fish passage design and 
operating conditions are necessary to maximize biological effectiveness 
of shortnose sturgeon diversion around dams in the Connecticut and 
Santee-Cooper River systems. Permit 1249 was issued on July 6, 2000, 
authorizing take of listed species. Permit 1249 expires June 30, 2001.
Permit Amendment Issued
    On June 30, 2000, NMFS issued an amendment to the Corps' scientific 
research/enhancement permit 1177. The amendment provides an extension 
of the duration of the permit through June 30, 2001. The permit was due 
to expire on June 30, 2000. The permit authorizes take of adult and 
juvenile, threatened, SONCC coho salmon associated with scientific 
research and an adult fish trap-and-haul program at Elk Creek Dam on 
the Rogue River in OR. The purpose of the trap-and-haul program is to 
move returning ESA-listed adult fish above Elk Creek Dam, an impassable 
barrier for adult salmonids, so that the fish may use the habitat 
upstream of the dam for natural spawning. To determine the annual 
spawning success of the fish upstream of the dam, ESA-listed juvenile 
fish will be observed by snorkeling. In addition, ESA-listed adult fish 
carcasses will be examined for evidence of spawning and immediately 
returned to the stream. Permit 1177 expires on June 30, 2001.

    Dated: July 6, 2000.
Wanda L. Cain,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-17628 Filed 7-11-00; 8:45 am]
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