[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 126 (Friday, June 29, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34621-34622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16466]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 062201A]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Issuance of permits 1260, 1262 and 1135; Issuance of an 
amendment to scientific research/enhancement permit 1177.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the following actions regarding 
permits for takes of endangered and threatened species for the purposes 
of scientific research and/or enhancement under the Endangered Species 
Act (ESA): NMFS has issued permit 1262 to Dr. Cindy Driscoll, of 
Maryland Department of Natural Resources; permit 1260 to Dr. Joseph 
Powers, of NMFS - Southeast Regional Office; permit 1133 to the 
Columbia River Research Laboratory of the U.S. Geological Survey at 
Cook, WA (USGS) and NMFS has issued an amendment to scientific 
research/enhancement permit 1177 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
Portland District in Portland, OR (Corps).

ADDRESSES: The applications and related documents are available for 
review in the indicated office, by appointment:
    For permits 1260, 1262: Endangered Species Division, F/PR3, 1315 
East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (phone:301-713-1401, fax: 
301-713-0376).
    For permits 1177, 1135: Protected Resources Division, F/NWO3, 525 
NE Oregon Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-2737 (phone: 503-230-
5400, fax: 503-230-5435).
    Documents may also be reviewed by appointment in the Office of 
Protected Resources, F/PR3, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910-3226 (phone:301-713-1401).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For permits 1260, 1262: Terri Jordan, 
Silver Spring, MD (phone: 301-713-1401, fax: 301-713-0376, e-mail: 
[email protected])
    For permit 1135: Robert Koch, Portland, OR (ph: 503-230-5424, fax: 
503-230-5435, e-mail: [email protected]).
    For permit 1177: Leslie Schaeffer, Portland, OR (phone: 503-230-
5433, fax: 503-230-5435, e-mail: [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

    Issuance of permits and permit modifications, as required by the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) (ESA), is based on 
a finding that such permits/modifications: (1) are applied for in good 
faith; (2) would not operate to the disadvantage of the listed species 
which are the subject of the permits; and (3) are consistent with the 
purposes and policies set forth in section 2 of the ESA. Scientific 
research and/or enhancement permits are issued under Section 
10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA. Authority to take listed species is subject to 
conditions set forth in the permits. Permits and modifications are 
issued in accordance with and are subject to the ESA and NMFS 
regulations governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 
222-226).
    Those individuals requesting a hearing on an application listed in 
this notice should set out the specific reasons why a hearing on that 
application would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). The holding of such 
hearing is at the discretion of the

[[Page 34622]]

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA. All statements and 
opinions contained in the permit action summaries are those of the 
applicant and do not necessarily reflect the views of NMFS.

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following species and evolutionarily significant units (ESU's) 
are covered in this notice:

Sea turtles

    Threatened and endangered Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)
    Endangered Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
    Endangered Kemp's ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)
    Endangered Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
    Threatened Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)

Fish

    Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch): threatened Southern Oregon/
Northern California Coasts (SONCC).
    Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): threatened lower Columbia 
River (LCR)

Permits and Modified Permits Issued

Permit 1260

    Notice was published on August 31, 2000 (65 FR 52988), that Dr. 
Joseph Powers, of SERO applied for a scientific research permit (1260). 
The applicant has requested a 4-year permit to take listed sea turtles 
in the coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The 
research conducted in these areas support the National Marine Fisheries 
Service sea turtle recovery program. Research activities include: 
directed in water research, aerial surveys, resource surveys, and 
fishery technology testing and implementation. Leatherback, loggerhead, 
green, hawksbill and Kemp's ridley sea turtles are the focus of the 
recovery efforts in the southeast region. Permit 1260 was issued on 
June 18, 2001, authorizing take of listed species. Permit 1260 expires 
April 1, 2004.

Permit 1262

    Notice was published on August 17, 2000 (65 FR 50185), that Dr. 
Cindy Driscoll, of MD Department of Natural Resources applied for a 
scientific research permit (1262). The applicant has requested a 5-year 
permit to take 50 loggerhead, 30 Kemp's ridley, 10 leatherback, 5 green 
and 5 hawksbill turtles from the upper and middle Chesapeake Bay for 
scientific research purposes. Each turtle would be captured, handled, 
measured, weighed, tagged, and have biological samples (tissue and 
blood) collected and then released. Yearly sampling would occur from 
May to November. Permit 1262 was issued on June 19, 2001, authorizing 
take of listed species. Permit 1262 expires July 31, 2006.

Permit 1135

    Notice was published on March 2, 1998 (63 FR 10198), that USGS 
applied for a scientific research permit (1135). Permit 1135 was issued 
to USGS on June 18, 2001. Permit 1135 authorizes USGS an annual take of 
adult and juvenile, threatened, LCR steelhead associated with research 
designed to provide information on the survival rates, growth rates, 
habitat use, population densities, fish health, and life history 
diversity of steelhead in the Wind River Basin of southern Washington. 
The research will provide information that will assist state, tribal, 
and Federal managers in their effort to restore LCR steelhead 
populations and their habitats in the Wind River Basin. ESA-listed 
adult and juvenile steelhead will be observed/harassed during snorkel 
surveys and during habitat surveys at selected sites in the Wind River 
Basin. ESA-listed juvenile steelhead will also be collected using a 
backpack electrofisher, anesthetized, sampled for biological data 
(length, weight, disease status) and tissues/scales, allowed to recover 
from the anesthesia, and released. Indirect mortalities associated with 
the research are authorized. In addition, ESA-listed juvenile steelhead 
will be taken lethally for pathological analyses. Permit 1135 expires 
on December 31, 2002.

Permit 1177

    NMFS has issued an amendment to the Corps' scientific research/
enhancement permit to extend the permit through June 30, 2003. The 
permit was due to expire on June 30, 2001. The permit authorizes take 
of adult and juvenile, threatened, SONCC coho salmon associated with 
scientific research and an adult fish trap-and-haul program at Elk 
Creek Dam on the Rogue River in OR. The purpose of the trap-and-haul 
program is to move returning ESA-listed adult fish above Elk Creek Dam, 
an impassable barrier for adult salmonids, so that the fish may use the 
habitat upstream of the dam for natural spawning. To determine the 
annual spawning success of the fish upstream of the dam, ESA-listed 
juvenile fish will be observed by snorkeling. In addition, ESA-listed 
adult fish carcasses will be examined for evidence of spawning and 
immediately returned to the stream. Permit 1177 expires on June 30, 
2003.

    Dated: June 22, 2001.
Phil Williams,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-16466 Filed 6-28-01; 8:45 am]
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