[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 27, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 12501]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-4690]



[[Page 12501]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 021401A]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Expiration of scientific research permits 948 and 956.

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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: The purpose of this notice 
is to announce that scientific research permits issued to the Northern 
Wasco County People's Utility District at The Dalles, OR (NWCPUD) and 
the U.S. Geological Survey at Cook, WA (USGS) have expired and that 
pending modifications to those permits will not be issued.

ADDRESSES: Comments may 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 948 and 956: Protected Resources Division, F/NWR3, 525 
NE Oregon Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-4169 (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 (phone:301-713-1401).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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 evolutionary significant units (ESUs) 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.
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): endangered, naturally produced and 
artificially propagated, UCR; threatened SnR.

Expired Permits

    Notice was published on March 6, 1998 (63 FR 11220) that NWCPUD 
applied for modification 2 to scientific research permit 948 for, in 
part, an annual take of juvenile SnR steelhead. Notice was published on 
February 11, 1999 (64 FR 6880) that NWCPUD applied for modification 3 
to scientific research permit 948 for an annual take of juvenile, 
naturally produced and artificially propagated, UCR spring chinook 
salmon. Permit 948 authorized NWCPUD annual takes of juvenile SnR 
sockeye salmon; juvenile, naturally produced and artificially 
propagated, SnR spring/summer chinook salmon; juvenile SnR fall chinook 
salmon; and juvenile, naturally produced and artificially propagated, 
UCR steelhead associated with research designed to assess juvenile 
anadromous fish condition after passage through the screened turbine 
intake channel at The Dalles Dam, located on the lower Columbia River 
in the Pacific Northwest. These requested permit actions will not be 
issued because NWCPUD's permit expired (on September 30, 1999) before 
NMFS could issue them. NWCPUD has submitted an application for a permit 
(1229) to replace permit 948 (see 65 FR 2381, January 14, 2000).
    Notice was published on March 6, 1998 (63 FR 11222) that USGS 
applied for modification 3 to scientific research permit 956 for an 
annual take of juvenile SnR steelhead. Permit 956 authorized USGS 
annual takes of juvenile, naturally-produced and artificially-
propagated, SnR spring/summer chinook salmon and juvenile SnR fall 
chinook salmon associated with a study designed to obtain data on the 
distribution, abundance, movement, and habitat preferences of the 
anadromous fish that migrate through Lower Granite Reservoir; to 
evaluate the operation of a surface bypass collector in the forebay of 
Lower Granite Dam; and to verify species of hydroacoustic surveys. The 
requested permit modification will not be issued because USGS's permit 
expired (on September 30, 1999) before NMFS could issue it. USGS has 
submitted an application for a permit (1240) to replace permit 956 (see 
65 FR 11288, March 2, 2000).

    Dated: February 15, 2001.
Phil Williams,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-4690 Filed 2-26-01; 8:45 am]
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