[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 29, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 29089]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13432]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 051801E]


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 Washington Department of Fish 
and Wildlife (WDFW) has submitted a Fisheries Management and Evaluation 
Plan (FMEP) pursuant to the protective regulations promulgated for 
Lower Columbia River (LCR) chinook salmon, LCR steelhead and LCR chum 
salmon under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The FMEP specifies the 
future management of inland recreational fisheries potentially 
affecting the LCR chinook salmon, LCR steelhead, and LCR chum salmon in 
the State of Washington. 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 FMEP must be received no later 
than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on June 28, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests for copies of the draft FMEP 
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 chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Lower 
Columbia River steelhead (O. mykiss), and Lower Columbia River chum 
salmon (O. nerka) Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESU).

Background

    WDFW has submitted to NMFS an FMEP for inland recreational 
fisheries potentially affecting listed adults and juveniles of the LCR 
ESUs. These include fisheries occurring in the Washington tributaries 
of the Columbia River from the mouth at the Pacific Ocean upstream to 
the White Salmon River. The objective of the FMEP is to harvest known, 
hatchery-origin chinook and steelhead, natural and hatchery fall 
chinook and other fish species in a manner that does not jeopardize the 
survival and recovery of the listed LCR ESUs. All spring chinook and 
steelhead fisheries included in this FMEP will be managed such that 
only hatchery-produced adult spring chinook and steelhead that are 
adipose fin clipped may be retained. The tributary fisheries for fall 
chinook salmon will be managed to meet natural and hatchery escapements 
and limited by total impacts from all fisheries including those that 
occur in the Pacific Ocean and mainstem Columbia River. Impact levels 
to the listed LCR ESUs are specified in the FMEP. Risk assessments in 
the FMEP indicate the extinction risk for the listed ESUs 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 
chinook salmon, steelhead and chum salmon; determine fishery effort and 
catch of chinook salmon and steelhead; and angler compliance. WDFW will 
annually conduct a review of fisheries compliance with the provisions 
of the FMEP. WDFW will conduct, at a minimum of every 5 years, a 
comprehensive review to evaluate the effectiveness of the FMEP.
    As specified in 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 4(d) rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000).

    Dated: May 23, 2001.
Phil Williams,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-13432 Filed 5-25-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S