[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 88 (Monday, May 7, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23004-23005]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-11421]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 042501E]


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 a Fisheries Management and Evaluation 
Plan (FMEP) pursuant to the protective regulations promulgated for 
Upper Willamette River (UWR) steelhead under the Endangered Species Act 
(ESA). The FMEP specify the future management of inland recreational 
fisheries potentially affecting the UWR steelhead. This document serves 
to notify the public of the availability of the FMEP 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 6, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests for copies of the draft FMEPs 
should be addressed to Lance Kruzic, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 
Hatchery and Inland Fisheries Branch, Roseburg Field Office, 2900 NW 
Stewart Parkway, Roseburg, OR 97470 or fax (541) 957-3386. The 
documents are also available on the Internet at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/. Comments will not

[[Page 23005]]

be accepted if submitted via e-mail or the Internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lance Kruzic, Roseburg, OR at phone 
number 541-957-3381 or e-mail: [email protected],.

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

Background

    ODFW has submitted to NMFS an FMEP (Upper Willamette River Winter 
Steelhead in Sport Fisheries of the Upper Willamette Basin) for inland 
recreational fisheries potentially affecting listed adult and juvenile 
UWR steelhead. These include fisheries occurring in the Willamette 
River and tributaries above Willamette Falls, including the North and 
South Santiam Rivers, and the Molalla River. The objective of the FMEP 
is to harvest known, hatchery-origin steelhead and other fish species 
in a manner that does not jeopardize the survival and recovery of the 
UWR steelhead ESU. All fisheries included in this FMEP will be managed 
such that only hatchery-origin steelhead that are adipose fin clipped 
may be retained. Impacts levels to listed UWR steelhead are specified 
in the FMEP. Population viability analysis 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 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 FMEP will occur at a minimum of 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 FMEP. 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. 01-11421 Filed 5-4-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S