[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 87 (Friday, May 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22534-22535]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-11322]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 042501F]


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) pursuant to the protective regulations promulgated for 
Lower Columbia River (LCR) steelhead under the Endangered Species Act 
(ESA). The FMEPs specify the future management of inland recreational 
fisheries potentially affecting the LCR 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: Richard Turner, Portland, OR at phone 
number 503-736-4737 or e-mail: [email protected].

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

Background

    ODFW has submitted to NMFS two FMEPs: (1) Hood River Basin 
Steelhead, Trout and Warmwater Fisheries, and (2) Lower Columbia River 
ESU Steelhead, Trout, Sturgeon and Warmwater Fisheries, for inland 
recreational fisheries potentially affecting listed adult and juvenile 
LCR steelhead. These include fisheries occurring in the Hood River; the 
lower Willamette River and tributaries, including the Clackamas River; 
the Columbia River tributaries from below the Hood River downstream to 
the North end of Sauvie Island (near the town of St. Helens, OR); and 
the Sandy River. The objective of these FMEPs is to harvest known, 
hatchery-origin steelhead and other fish species in a manner that does 
not jeopardize the survival and recovery of the LCR steelhead ESU. All 
fisheries included in these FMEPs will be managed such that only 
hatchery-origin steelhead that are adipose fin clipped may be retained. 
Impacts levels to listed LCR steelhead are specified in the FMEPs. 
Population

[[Page 22535]]

viability analysis and risk assessments in the FMEPs 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 FMEPs to assess the abundance of steelhead, determine 
fishery effort and catch of steelhead and angler compliance. A review 
of compliance with the provisions of the FMEP will be conducted by ODFW 
annually and a comprehensive review to evaluate the effectiveness of 
the FMEPs will occur at a minimum every 5 years.
    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.
    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: April 30, 2001.
Margaret Lorenz,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-11322 Filed 5-3-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S