[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 2, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 62]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-32241]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 121701C]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Amendment of Permit # 1291

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

ACTION: Receipt of an amended application for a scientific research 
permit (1291); Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received an amended 
application for an ESA section 10(a)(1)(A) scientific research permit 
from the U.S. Geological Survey at Cook, WA (USGS).

DATES: Written comments on the amended permit application must be 
received no later than 5pm Pacific standard time on February 1, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the application should be sent to 
Protected Resources Division (PRD), F/NWO3, 525 NE Oregon Street, Suite 
500, Portland, OR 97232-2737. Comments may also be sent via fax to 503-
230-5435. Comments will not be accepted if submitted via e-mail or the 
internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For permit 1291: Robert Koch, 
Portland, OR (ph: 503-230-5424, Fax: 503-230-5435, e-mail: 
[email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following species and evolutionary significant units (ESU's) 
are covered in this notice:
    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): threatened lower 
Columbia River (LCR).
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened LCR.

Amended Application Received

    Notice was published on February 21, 2001 (66 FR 11002) that the 
Columbia River Research Laboratory, USGS applied for a 5-year 
scientific research permit (1291) for annual takes of ESA-listed salmon 
and steelhead juveniles associated with a scientific research project 
at John Day, The Dalles, and Bonneville Dams on the lower Columbia 
River in the Pacific Northwest. The purpose of the research is to 
monitor juvenile fish movement, distribution, behavior, and survival 
from John Day Dam downstream past Bonneville Dam using radiotelemetry 
technology. The research will benefit ESA-listed fish species by 
providing information on spill effectiveness, forebay residence times, 
and guidance efficiency under various flow regimes that will allow 
Federal resource managers to make adjustments to bypass/collection 
structures to optimize downriver migrant survival at the hydropower 
projects. NMFS has received an amended application from USGS to include 
annual takes of juvenile, threatened, LCR chinook salmon and juvenile, 
threatened, LCR steelhead associated with the fish sampling at 
Bonneville Dam. ESA-listed salmon and steelhead juveniles are proposed 
to be obtained by Smolt Monitoring Program personnel at Bonneville Dam, 
handled, and released or implanted with radio transmitters, 
transported, held for as long as 24 hours, released, and tracked 
electronically. Smolt Monitoring Program personnel are authorized to 
collect ESA-listed juvenile fish under a separate take authorization. 
Based on the above average spawning success this year, the estimates of 
total out-migrants for LCR chinook and LCR steelhead are expected to 
exceed 300,000 juveniles. The indirect mortalities of 162 ESA-listed 
juvenile salmon and 11 steelhead juveniles associated with the research 
will not impede recovery of the species. In fact, it should assist in 
recovery planning by providing information on how juveniles migrate 
through hydro-power systems.

    Dated: December 21, 2001.
Phil Williams,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-32241 Filed 12-31-01; 8:45 am]
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