[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 87 (Friday, May 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22533-22534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-11321]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 042501H]


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: Notice is hereby given that the Oregon Department of Fish and 
Wildlife (ODFW) has submitted two Fisheries Management and Evaluation 
Plans (FMEP) and The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) has 
submitted a FMEP pursuant to the protective regulations promulgated for 
Snake River (SR) steelhead under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The 
FMEPs specify the future management of inland recreational fisheries 
potentially affecting the SR steelhead. This document serves to notify 
the public of the availability of the FMEPs for review and comment 
before a final approval or disapproval is made by NMFS.

DATES: Written comments on the draft FMEPs must be received at the 
appropriate address or fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. 
Pacific standard time on June 4, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests for copies of the draft FMEPs 
should be addressed to Richard Turner, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 
Hatchery and Inland Fisheries Branch, 525 N.E. Oregon Street, Suite 
510, Portland, OR 97232 or faxed to 503-872-2737. The documents are 
also available on the Internet at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/. Comments 
will not be accepted if submitted via e-mail or the Internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debbie Martin, Boise, ID at phone 
number: 208-321-2959, or e-mail: [email protected] , or Richard 
Turner, Portland, OR at phone number 503-736-4737 or e-mail: 
[email protected]regarding FMEPs.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is relevant to the Snake River 
Basin Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Evolutionarily Significant Unit 
(ESU).

Background

    ODFW has submitted to NMFS an FMEP (Snake, Grande Ronde, and Imnaha 
Rivers Warmwater and Sturgeon Recreation Fisheries) for warmwater and 
sturgeon recreational fisheries potentially affecting listed adult and 
juvenile SR steelhead. This includes fisheries occurring in the Snake, 
Grande Ronde, and Imnaha River Basins. The objective of the FMEP is to 
provide a catch and release recreational fishing opportunity and 
harvest on introduced warmwater species in the Oregon portion of the 
Snake River, the Imnaha River, and the Grande Ronde River and 
tributaries in a manner that does not jeopardize the survival and 
recovery of the SR steelhead ESU. The FMEP focuses on the incidental 
mortality to SR steelhead from these fisheries. Impacts can result from 
the fisheries themselves and the potential impacts from the resident 
fish stocking program. Impact levels to listed steelhead populations in 
the ESU due to catch and release are specified in the FMEP. Population 
viability analyses and risk assessments in the FMEP indicate the 
extinction risk for listed steelhead under the proposed fishery impact 
levels to be low. A variety of monitoring

[[Page 22534]]

and evaluation tasks are specified in the FMEP to assess the abundance 
of steelhead, determine fishery effort and catch of steelhead, and 
angler compliance. A comprehensive review of the FMEP to evaluate 
whether the fisheries and listed steelhead populations are performing 
as expected will be done through regular creel surveys and angler 
contacts.
    ODFW has submitted to NMFS an FMEP (Summer Steelhead and Trout 
Sport Fisheries in Grande Ronde Basin, Imnaha Basin, and Snake River) 
for recreational steelhead fisheries in the Grande Ronde, Imnaha, and 
Snake River Basins. The objective of this FMEP is to harvest known, 
hatchery-origin steelhead in a manner that does not jeopardize the 
survival and recovery of the SR steelhead ESU. Only adult hatchery-
origin steelhead that are adipose fin clipped may be retained. Impact 
levels to listed steelhead populations in the ESU due to catch and 
release are specified in the FMEP. Population viability analyses and 
risk assessments in the FMEP indicate the extinction risk for listed 
steelhead under the proposed fishery impact levels to be less than 0.1 
percent. A variety of monitoring and evaluation tasks are specified in 
the FMEP to assess the abundance of steelhead, determine fishery effort 
and catch of steelhead, and angler compliance. A comprehensive review 
of the FMEP to evaluate whether the fisheries and listed steelhead 
populations are performing as expected will be done annually.
    ODFW has provided NMFS a draft of the Conservation Assessment of 
Steelhead Populations in Oregon (Assessment) as part of the FMEP 
submittal. The Assessment provides the population viability analysis 
and risk assessment developed for ODFW's FMEPs. This Assessment is also 
available for review and comment.
    IDFG has submitted to NMFS an FMEP (The State of Idaho Resident 
Fish Species Fishing Program) for inland, resident, recreational 
fisheries potentially affecting listed adult and juvenile SR steelhead. 
This includes fisheries occurring throughout Idaho including the 
Clearwater and Salmon River Basins. The objective of the FMEP is to 
provide sufficient sport fishing opportunities in a manner that does 
not jeopardize the survival and recovery of the ESU. The FMEP focuses 
mainly on impacts to juvenile steelhead. Impacts can result from the 
fisheries themselves and the potential impacts from the resident fish 
stocking program. Impact levels to listed steelhead populations in the 
ESU due to catch and release are specified in the FMEP. Population 
viability analyses and risk assessments in the FMEP indicate the 
extinction risk for listed steelhead under the proposed fishery impact 
levels to be low. A variety of monitoring and evaluation tasks are 
specified in the FMEP to assess the abundance of steelhead, determine 
fishery effort and catch of steelhead, and angler compliance. A 
comprehensive review of the FMEP to evaluate whether the fisheries and 
listed steelhead populations are performing as expected will be done 
through regular creel surveys and angler contacts.
    As specified in the July 10, 2000 ESA 4(d) rule for salmon and 
steelhead (65 FR 42422), NMFS may approve an FMEP if it meets criteria 
set forth in Sec.  223.203 (b)(4)(i)(A) through (I). Prior to final 
approval of an FMEP, NMFS must publish notification announcing its 
availability for public review and comment.

Authority

    Under section 4 of the ESA, the Secretary of Commerce is required 
to adopt such regulations as he deems necessary and advisable for the 
conservation of 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 activities associated with fishery harvest provided that an 
FMEP has been approved by NMFS to be in accordance with the salmon and 
steelhead ESA 4(d) rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000).

    Dated: May 1, 2001.
Karen Salvini,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-11321 Filed 5-3-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S