[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 25, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42757-42758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-15992]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 061202C]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Receipt of an application for a scientific research permit 
(1386) and receipt of applications to modify two permits (1291, 1322).

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SUMMARY: NMFS has received one new permit application and two 
applications to modify existing scientific research permits related to 
Pacific salmon and steelhead. The proposed research is intended to 
increase knowledge of the ESA-listed species and to help guide 
management and conservation efforts.

DATES: Comments or requests for a public hearing on the new application 
or modification requests must be received at the appropriate address or 
fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific daylight 
savings time on July 25, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the new application or modification 
requests should be sent to Protected Resources Division, F/NWO3, 525 NE 
Oregon Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-2737 (503-230-5400). 
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: Steve Stone, Portland, OR (ph: 503-
231-2317, Fax: 503-230-5435, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following ESA-listed species and evolutionarily significant 
units (ESUs) are covered in this notice:
    Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka): endangered Snake River (SnR); 
threatened Ozette Lake.
    Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha): endangered, naturally produced and 
artificially propagated, upper Columbia River (UCR) spring-run; 
threatened, naturally produced and artificially propagated, SnR spring/
summer; threatened SnR fall; threatened lower Columbia River (LCR); 
threatened upper Willamette River (UWR); threatened, naturally produced 
and artificially propagated, Puget Sound.
    Chum salmon (O. keta): threatened Columbia River (CR); threatened 
Hood Canal summer-run.
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): endangered, naturally produced and 
artificially propagated, UCR; threatened SnR; threatened middle 
Columbia River (MCR); threatened LCR.

Authority

    Scientific research and/or enhancement permits are issued under 
Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et. seq). Issuance of permits and permit modifications, as 
required by the ESA, is based on a finding that such permit/
modifications: (1) are applied for in good faith; (2) if granted and 
exercised, would not operate to the disadvantage of the listed species 
that are the subject of the permit; and (3) are consistent with the 
purposes and policy of section 2 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

[[Page 42758]]

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 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.

New Application Received

Permit 1386

    The Washington Department of Ecology at Olympia, WA (WDOE) requests 
a five year permit for annual takes of adults and juveniles all of the 
ESA-listed anadromous fish ESUs in the state of Washington associated 
with a research project proposed to occur in various streams and 
tributaries throughout the state. The objective of the research is to 
investigate the occurrence and monitor the concentrations of toxic 
contaminants in edible fish tissue and the freshwater environments of 
the state as part of the Washington State Toxics Monitoring Program. 
The proposed project responds in part to the state's responsibility for 
protecting residents from the health risks associated with the 
consumption of contaminated, non-commercially caught fish. In addition, 
the proposed project responds to requirements of the federal Clean 
Water Act. The proposed project will help determine whether selected 
waters meet state water quality standards for toxic contaminants in 
fish as well as providing information about risks to humans and 
wildlife from the consumption of fish. Potential benefits to ESA-listed 
species as a result of the project may include the development of 
pollution control actions such as habitat improvements and/or the 
reduction or removal of the sources of toxic contaminants. Up to 20 
adults and up to 100 juveniles from each ESA-listed fish ESU in 
Washington state are proposed to be captured annually (using nets, 
seines, or electrofishing), sampled for biological information, and 
released. Up to 2 percent of the ESA-listed juvenile fish proposed to 
be handled by WDOE researchers may be killed unintentionally.

Modification Requests Received

Permit 1291-Modification 1

    The U.S. Geological Survey at Cook, WA (USGS) requests modification 
1 to scientific research permit 1291. Permit 1291 authorizes USGS 
annual takes of ESA-listed anadromous fish juveniles associated with a 
research project that is being conducted 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. For modification 1, USGS 
requests an increase in the annual take of juvenile, endangered, SnR 
sockeye salmon associated with the research. The take increase is 
requested because the number of outmigrating sockeye salmon juveniles 
present in the mainstem Columbia River has increased substantially in 
recent years due to an increase in hatchery production from the Idaho 
Department of Fish and Game's captive broodstock program. Each year, up 
to 170 ESA-listed sockeye salmon juveniles are proposed to be captured 
by USGS from the juvenile bypass facilities at the dams, sampled for 
biological information, and released. Up to 3 percent of the ESA-listed 
juvenile fish proposed to be handled by USGS researchers and/or their 
designated agents may be killed unintentionally. The permit 
modification is requested to be valid for the duration of the permit 
which expires on December 31, 2006.

Permit 1322-Modification 1

    On April 12, 2002, NMFS published a notice in the Federal Register 
(67 FR 17970) that the Northwest Fisheries Science Center at Seattle, 
WA (NWFSC) requested modification 1 to scientific research permit 1322. 
For modification 1, NWFSC requested additional annual takes of ESA-
listed anadromous fish associated with a research project that is being 
conducted in the lower Columbia River estuary. NMFS has received an 
amended application for a permit modification from USGS. In addition to 
the takes designated in the April 12, 2002 notice, USGS is requesting 
additional annual lethal takes of up to 38 juvenile, endangered, 
naturally produced and artificially propagated, UCR spring chinook 
salmon; up to four juvenile, threatened, artificially propagated, SnR 
spring/summer chinook salmon; up to 3 juvenile, threatened, UWR chinook 
salmon; and up to 400 juvenile, threatened, CR chum salmon associated 
with the research. Modification 1 is requested to be valid for the 
duration of the permit which expires on December 31, 2006.

    Dated: June 19, 2002.
Margaret Lorenz,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-15992 Filed 6-24-02; 8:45 am]
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