[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 13, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 14551]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-6211]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D.030501A]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Point-
No-Point Treaty Tribes submitted a jointly developed Resource 
Management Plan (RMP), Summer Chum Salmon Conservation Initiative - An 
Implementation Plan to Recover Summer Chum Salmon in the Hood Canal and 
Strait of Juan de Fuca Region, pursuant to the protective regulations 
promulgated for the Hood Canal Summer-Run chum salmon Evolutionary 
Significant Unit (ESU) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The RMP 
specifies the future management of commercial, recreational and tribal 
salmon fisheries potentially affecting listed Hood Canal and Strait of 
Juan de Fuca summer-run chum salmon. This document serves to notify the 
public of the availability for comment of the proposed evaluation of 
the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) as to how the RMP addresses the 
criteria in the ESA.

DATES: Written comments on the Secretary's evaluation must be received 
at the appropriate address or fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later than 
5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on March 30, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests for copies of the proposed 
evaluation should be addressed to Keith Schultz, Sustainable Fisheries 
Division, National Marine Fisheries Service, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, 
Seattle, WA 98115-0070. Comments may also be sent via fax to 206/526-
6736. The document is also available on the Internet at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/, Sustainable Fisheries Division site. Comments will 
not be accepted if submitted via e-mail or the Internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Schultz at phone number: 206/
526-4447, or e-mail: [email protected] regarding the RMP.
    The Summer Chum Salmon Conservation Initiative - An Implementation 
Plan to Recover Summer Chum Salmon in the Hood Canal and Strait of Juan 
de Fuca Region is available on the Internet at the State of Washington, 
Department of Fish and Wildlife web site http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/fish/chum/chum.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is relevant to the Hood Canal 
summer-run chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) Evolutionarily Significant 
Unit (ESU).

Background

    The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Point-No-
Point Treaty Tribes have provided a jointly developed RMP for Hood 
Canal and Strait of Juan de Fuca summer-run chum salmon. The RMP 
encompasses fisheries within the range of the Hood Canal summer-run 
chum salmon ESU. Harvest objectives specified in the RMP account for 
fisheries-related mortality throughout the migratory range of Hood 
Canal and Strait of Juan de Fuca summer-run chum salmon-from Northern 
British Columbia, Canada to South Puget Sound. The RMP also includes 
implementation, monitoring and evaluation procedures designed to ensure 
fisheries are consistent with these objectives.
    As required by Sec.  223.203 (b)(6) of the ESA 4(d) rule, the 
Secretary must determine pursuant to 50 CFR 223.209 and pursuant to the 
government to government processes therein whether the RMP for Hood 
Canal and Strait of Juan de Fuca summer-run chum salmon would 
appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of the Hood 
Canal summer-run chum salmon and other affected threatened ESUs. The 
Secretary must take comments on how the RMP addresses the criteria in 
Sec.  223.203(b)(4) in making that determination.

Authority

    Under section 4 of the ESA, the Secretary is required to adopt such 
regulations as he deems necessary and advisable for the conservation of 
the species listed as threatened. The ESA salmon and steelhead 4(d) 
rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000) specifies categories of activities 
that contribute to the conservation of listed salmonids and sets out 
the criteria for such activities. The rule further provides that the 
prohibitions of paragraph (a) of the rule do not apply to actions 
undertaken in compliance with a RMP plan developed jointly by the State 
of Washington and the Tribes (joint plan) and determined by the 
Secretary to be in accordance with the salmon and steelhead 4(d) rule 
(65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000).

    Dated: March 7, 2001.
Phil Williams,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-6211 Filed 3-12-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S