[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 21, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11002-11003]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-4169]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 021301A]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Receipt of three applications for scientific research permits 
(1290, 1291, 1292).

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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 ESA section 10(a)(1)(A) scientific research permits 
from the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NMFS at Seattle, WA 
(NWFSC); the U.S. Geological Survey at Cook, WA (USGS); and the U.S. 
Forest Service at La Grande, OR (USFS).

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 p.m. eastern standard 
time on March 23, 2001.

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 permits 1290, 1291, 1292: Protected Resources Division, F/NWO3, 
525 NE Oregon Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-2737 (ph: 503-230-
5400, fax: 503-230-5435).
    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 1290, 1291, 1292: Robert 
Koch, Portland, OR (ph: 503-230-5424, 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 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:
    Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka): endangered Snake River (SnR).
    Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha): endangered, naturally produced and 
artificially propagated, upper Columbia River (UCR) spring; threatened, 
naturally produced and artificially propagated, SnR spring/summer; 
threatened SnR fall; threatened lower Columbia River (LCR); threatened 
upper Willamette River (UWR).
    Chum salmon (O. keta): threatened Columbia River.
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): endangered, naturally produced and 
artificially propagated, UCR; threatened SnR; threatened middle 
Columbia River (MCR); threatened LCR; threatened UWR.

New Applications Received

    The Fish Ecology Division of the Northwest Fisheries Science 
Center, NMFS requests a 5-year permit (1290) for annual takes of 11 of 
the 12 ESA-listed anadromous fish species identified in this notice 
(all ESU's except endangered SnR sockeye salmon) associated with 
research to be conducted in the Columbia River estuary. The purpose of 
the research is to determine the prevalence and intensity of pathogens 
in juvenile salmonids. The research will benefit ESA-listed salmonids 
by contributing information on the extent to which

[[Page 11003]]

diseases affect the growth and survival of juvenile salmonids in the 
estuarine and early ocean environments. This proposed research project 
is intended to complement the pathogen research that is being conducted 
by the Environmental Conservation Division, NWFSC, NMFS under 
scientific research permit 1140 (see 63 FR 18891, April 16, 1998). ESA-
listed juvenile fish are proposed to be captured, handled, and released 
or taken lethally. ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect mortalities are 
also requested. ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect mortalities are 
proposed to be retained for research purposes or returned to the water.
    The Columbia River Research Laboratory, USGS requests a 5-year 
permit (1291) for annual takes of SnR sockeye salmon, SnR spring/summer 
chinook salmon, SnR fall chinook salmon, UCR spring chinook salmon, SnR 
steelhead, UCR steelhead, and MCR steelhead associated with scientific 
research at John Day, The Dalles, and Bonneville Dams on the lower 
Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest. The purpose of the research is 
to monitor juvenile fish movement, distribution, behavior, and survival 
from John Day Dam downstream past Bonneville Dam using radiotelemetry 
technology. The research will benefit ESA-listed fish species by 
providing information on spill effectiveness, forebay residence times, 
and guidance efficiency under various flow regimes that will allow 
Federal resource managers to make adjustments to bypass/collection 
structures to optimize downriver migrant survival at the hydropower 
projects. The proposed research is intended to complement the research 
that is being conducted by USGS under scientific research permit 1130 
(see 63 FR 9505, February 25, 1998). ESA-listed juvenile fish are 
proposed to be obtained from Smolt Monitoring Program (SMP) personnel 
at Bonneville and/or John Day Dams, handled, and released or implanted 
with radio transmitters, transported, held for as long as 24 hours, 
released, and tracked electronically. SMP personnel are authorized to 
collect ESA-listed juvenile fish under a separate take authorization. 
ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect mortalities associated with the 
research are also requested.
    The Pacific Northwest Research Station of USFS requests a 2-year 
permit (1292) for annual takes of UCR spring chinook salmon, UCR 
steelhead, and MCR steelhead associated with research to be conducted 
in the Yakima River subbasin, the Wenatchee River subbasin, the Entiat 
River subbsasin, and the Methow River subbasin in Washington. The 
purpose of the research is to determine the extent and distribution of 
hybridization between westslope cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, and 
anadromous steelhead for selected populations in the MCR and UCR 
Basins. The research will benefit ESA-listed species by providing 
information on westslope cutthroat trout and rainbow trout/steelhead 
interactions and could provide insight into possible genetic 
introgression of introduced rainbow trout stocks in the areas of native 
rainbow trout/steelhead distribution. USFS also proposes to analyze 
phenotypic characteristics that may be used by biologists in the future 
to more definitively distinguish cutthroat trout, rainbow trout/
steelhead, and hybrid forms in the field. ESA-listed juvenile fish are 
proposed to be captured by the use of angling with flies that have 
barbless hooks. After being captured, the juvenile fish are proposed to 
be released immediately (in the case of non-target species) or examined 
for biological information, sampled non-lethally for caudal fin tissue, 
and released. ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect mortalities associated 
with the research are also requested.

    Dated: February 13, 2001.
Phil Williams,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-4169 Filed 2-20-01; 8:45 am]
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