[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 177 (Wednesday, September 12, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 47452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-22932]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 090501A]


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 
Lower Columbia River (LCR) chum salmon under the Endangered Species Act 
(ESA). The FMEP specifies the future management of inland fisheries 
potentially affecting the LCR chum salmon in the State of Oregon. 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 at the 
appropriate address or fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. 
Pacific standard time on October 12, 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 chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) Evolutionarily 
Significant Unit (ESU).

Background

    ODFW has submitted to NMFS an FMEP for inland recreational and 
commercial fisheries potentially affecting listed adults and juveniles 
of the LCR chum salmon ESU. These include all freshwater fisheries 
managed under the sole jurisdiction of the State of Oregon occurring 
within the boundaries of the LCR chum salmon ESU including the 
anadromous portions of the Lower Columbia River mainstem and 
tributaries, from the mouth upstream to Bonneville Dam. The objective 
of the fisheries is to harvest hatchery-origin salmon and steelhead, 
and other fish species in a manner that does not jeopardize the 
survival and recovery of the listed LCR chum salmon ESU. All Oregon 
tributaries to the Columbia River are closed to the retention of chum 
salmon but chum salmon may be handled during fisheries for steelhead, 
salmon and other species in these tributaries. Impact levels to the 
listed LCR chum salmon ESU are specified in the FMEP. Population risk 
assessments in the FMEP indicate the extinction risk for the listed ESU 
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 LCR chum salmon, determine fishery effort, and angler 
compliance. ODFW will annually conduct a population status and a review 
of the fisheries within the provisions of the FMEP. ODFW will conduct, 
at a minimum of every 5 years, a comprehensive review to evaluate the 
effectiveness of the FMEP.
    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 4 (d) rule.

    Dated: September 6, 2001.
Phil Williams,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources,, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-22932 Filed 9-11-01; 8:45 am]
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