[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 2, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15997-16000]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7967]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 032703D]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Applications for four scientific research permits (1114, 1124, 
1134, 1152) and four permit modifications (1290, 1291, 1322, 1376).

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received four permit 
applications and four applications to modify existing scientific 
research permits relating to Pacific salmon and steelhead. All of the 
proposed research is intended to increase knowledge of species listed 
under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to help guide resource 
management and conservation efforts.

DATES: Comments or requests for a public hearing on the applications or 
modification requests must be received no later than 5 p.m. Pacific 
daylight savings time on May 2, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the applications or modification 
requests should be sent to Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 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: Chris Bill, Portland, OR (ph: 503-230-
5403, Fax: 503-230-5435, e-mail [email protected]). Permit/
modification applications, including amount of take requested are 
available at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following listed species and evolutionarily significant units 
(ESUs) are covered in this notice:
    Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka): endangered Snake River (SR).
    Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha): endangered natural and 
artificially

[[Page 15998]]

propagated upper Columbia River (UCR); threatened natural and 
artificially propagated SR spring/summer (S/S); threatened SR fall; 
threatened lower Columbia River (LCR); threatened upper Willamette 
River (UWR); threatened natural and artificially propagated Puget Sound 
(PS).
    Chum salmon (O. keta): threatened Columbia River (CR).
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): endangered natural and artificially 
propagated UCR; threatened SR; threatened middle Columbia River (MCR); 
threatened LCR.

Authority

    Scientific research permits are issued in accordance with Section 
10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and regulations 
governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 222-226). NMFS 
issues permits and modifications based on findings that such permits 
and 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. The authority to take 
listed species is subject to conditions set forth in the permits.
    Anyone 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 Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA.

Permit/Modifcation Applications

Permit 1114

    The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is requesting 
a 5-year permit for a study that would annually take juvenile and 
adult, natural and artificially-propagated, endangered UCR spring 
chinook salmon; and juvenile and adult, natural and artificially 
propagated, endangered UCR steelhead. Under this permit, the WDFW would 
capture juvenile, artificially propagated and natural UCR spring 
chinook salmon and steelhead as part of a long-term, ongoing smolt 
monitoring program at Rock Island Dam on the Columbia River in 
Washington State. The original permit was in place for 5 years (63 FR 
20169) with three modifications (63 FR 43381, 65 FR 15314, 66 FR 
38641); it expired on December 31, 2002. Under the new permit (as with 
the old) the captured smolts would be held for as long as 24 hours and 
all would be anesthetized, sampled for data relating to their species, 
size, origin (hatchery or natural), and examined for the presence of a 
coded wire tag (CWT) or passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag. Some 
of the captured fish would be examined for evidence of gas bubble 
trauma (GBT) and others would be implanted with a PIT tag. All captured 
fish would be allowed to recover before being released in the dam's 
tailrace. The WDFW also expects to capture a few downstream-migrating 
steelhead kelts during the course of the trapping operation. These fish 
would be anesthetized and immediately moved to the lower sections of 
the adult fishway where they could recover on their own and continue 
their migration. The WDFW does not intend to kill any of the fish being 
captured, but a small percentage may die as a result of the research 
activities.
    The purpose of the research is to provide important information 
regarding what effects the annual mid- and upper (Columbia) river water 
allocation budget has on listed salmonids. The data being collected 
would be used to assess the effects of the water allocation plan, 
thereby improving smolt migration conditions (e.g., through releasing 
adequate amounts of upstream water during the migration period) and 
increasing listed spring chinook and steelhead survival rates. Another 
objective is to help resource managers develop the basin-wide database 
for PIT-tagged salmonids and thus increase what is known about smolt 
migration timing and behavior in the Columbia River system.

Permit 1124

    The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is requesting a 5-year 
permit for seven study tasks that, among them, would annually take 
adult and juvenile threatened SR fall chinook salmon; adult and 
juvenile threatened spring/summer SR chinook salmon (natural and 
artificially propagated); and adult and juvenile endangered SR sockeye 
salmon in the Salmon and Clearwater Rivers in Idaho. The original 
Permit 1124 was in place for 5 years (63 FR 30199) with one amendment 
(67 FR 34909); it expired on December 31, 2002. It contained the same 
seven research tasks being requested under this permit application: 
Task 1 - General fish population inventory; Task 2 - Spring/summer 
chinook salmon natural production monitoring and evaluation; Task 3 - 
Spring/summer chinook salmon supplementation research; Task 4 - Redfish 
Lake, Pettit Lake, Alturas Lake kokanee/sockeye research; Task 5 - 
Salmon and steelhead fish health monitoring; Task 6 - Steelhead natural 
production monitoring and evaluation; and Task 7 - Steelhead 
supplementation research. Under these tasks, listed adult and juvenile 
salmon would be (a) observed/harassed during fish population and 
production monitoring surveys; (b) captured (using seines, trawls, 
traps, hook-and-line angling equipment, and electrofishing equipment) 
and anesthetized; (c) sampled for biological information and tissue 
samples, (d) PIT-tagged or tagged with radio transmitters or other 
identifiers, (e) and released. Some fish would die as a result of the 
research activities though the permit would include salvage and rescue 
operations as part of the allotted take (i.e., during some of the 
activities, listed fish would be collected and transported downriver to 
improve their survival). In addition, the IDFG is asking to lethally 
take a small number of juvenile SR sockeye and spring/summer chinook 
salmon during some of the research.
    The research has many purposes and would benefit listed SR salmon 
in different ways. In general, the purpose of the research is to 
determine the distribution, abundance, and productivity of anadromous 
and resident fish stocks; measure the efficacy of harvest management 
strategies and the impact of proposed or existing habitat alteration 
projects; and monitor natural production levels, salmonid health, and 
the effectiveness of supplementation efforts. The research would 
benefit listed salmon by helping resource managers tailor land-altering 
activities (e.g., timber harvest, road building) to the needs of the 
fish; set harvest regimes so that they have minimal impacts on listed 
populations; prioritize projects in a way that gives maximum benefit to 
listed species; and design strategies and activities to help recover 
them.

Permit 1134

    The Columbia River Inter Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is 
requesting a 5-year permit covering five study projects that, among 
them, would annually take adult and juvenile threatened SR fall chinook 
salmon; adult and juvenile threatened SR spring/summer chinook salmon 
(natural and artificially propagated); and adult and juvenile 
threatened SR steelhead in the Snake River basin. The original permit 
was in place for 5 years (63 FR 30199) with one amendment (67 FR 
43909); it expired on December 31, 2002. Over the years, there have 
been some changes in the research and they are reflected in this 
application (e.g., the aforementioned amendment and some reallocation 
of research activities and their associated

[[Page 15999]]

take to other permits), nonetheless, the projects proposed are largely 
continuations of ongoing research. They are: Project 1 Adult Spring/
summer and Fall Chinook Salmon and Summer Steelhead Ground and Aerial 
Spawning Ground Surveys; Project 2 Cryopreservation of Spring/summer 
Chinook Salmon and Summer Steelhead Gametes; Project 3 Adult Chinook 
Salmon Abundance Monitoring Using Video Weirs, Acoustic Imaging, and 
PIT tag Detectors in the South Fork Salmon River; Project 4 Snorkel, 
Seine, Minnow Traps, and Electrofishing Surveys and Collection of 
Juvenile Chinook Salmon and Steelhead; and Project 5 Juvenile 
Anadromous Salmonid Emigration Studies Using Rotary Screw Traps. Under 
these projects, listed adult and juvenile salmon would be variously (a) 
observed/harassed during fish population and production monitoring 
surveys; (b) captured (using seines, trawls, traps, hook-and-line 
angling equipment, and electrofishing equipment) and anesthetized; (c) 
sampled for biological information and tissue samples, (d) PIT-tagged 
or tagged with other identifiers, (e) and released. The CRITFC does not 
intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small percentage 
may die as a result of the research activities.
    The research has many purposes and would benefit listed salmon and 
steelhead in different ways. In general, the studies are part of 
ongoing efforts to monitor the status of listed species in the Snake 
River basin and to use that data to inform decisions about land- and 
fisheries management actions and to help prioritize and plan recovery 
measures for the listed species. The studies would continue to benefit 
listed species by generating population abundance estimates, allowing 
comparisons to be made between naturally reproducing populations and 
those being supplemented with hatchery fish, and helping preserve 
listed salmon and steelhead genetic diversity.

Permit 1152

    The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is requesting a 
5-year permit covering six projects that, among them, would annually 
take juvenile and adult threatened SR spring/summer chinook salmon 
(natural and artificially propagated) and adult and juvenile threatened 
SR steelhead in Northeast Oregon. The original permit was in place for 
5 years (63 FR 49336) with one modification (67 FR 34909); it expired 
on December 31, 2002. Over the years, there have been some changes in 
the research (e.g., the aforementioned modification) and they are 
reflected in this application, nonetheless, the projects proposed are 
largely continuations of ongoing research. They are: Project 1 
Northeast Oregon Spring Chinook Salmon Spawning Ground Surveys; Project 
2 Spring Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Life History in the Grande Ronde 
River Basin; Project 3 Residual hatchery Steelhead Monitoring in 
Northeast Oregon; Project 4 Passage and Irrigation Screening; Project 5 
Bull Trout Migratory patterns, Population Structure, and Abundance in 
the Blue Mountains Province (does not target listed species but would 
indirectly take them); and Project 6 Fish Distribution and Abundance 
Monitoring in Northeast Oregon. Under these tasks, listed adult and 
juvenile salmon would be variously (a) observed/harassed during fish 
population and production monitoring surveys; (b) captured (using 
seines, trawls, traps, hook-and-line angling equipment, and 
electrofishing equipment) and anesthetized; (c) sampled for biological 
information and tissue samples, (d) PIT-tagged or tagged with radio 
transmitters or other identifiers, (e) and released. The ODFW does not 
intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small percentage 
may die as a result of the research activities.
    The research has many purposes and would benefit listed salmon and 
steelhead in different ways. In general, the purpose of the proposed 
research is to gather information on the natural production, 
distribution, survival, resource and habitat use, and genetic and life 
history characteristics of listed chinook salmon and steelhead in 
Northeast Oregon. The research activities would provide ongoing 
benefits to listed salmon and steelhead by helping resource managers 
(a) guide recovery actions, (b) prioritize habitat protection and 
restoration projects, (c) monitor ongoing management activities, (d) 
evaluate supplementation efforts, and (d) provide effective screening 
on water diversions that might otherwise entrain, strand, and kill 
listed fish.

Permit 1290-Modification 1

    The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), NMFS in Seattle, WA 
is requesting a modification to permit 1290 that would allow it to 
increase the number of fish taken in its research. Under the 
modification, the NWFSC would increase its annual take of juvenile 
threatened SR spring/summer chinook salmon (natural and artificially 
propagated); threatened SR fall chinook salmon; endangered UCR chinook 
salmon (natural and artificially propagated); threatened LCR chinook 
salmon; endangered UCR steelhead (natural and artificially propagated); 
and threatened MCR steelhead during the course of research being 
conducted in the Columbia River estuary. The NWFSC proposes to capture, 
handle, and release listed salmonids, and while most of the fish would 
be unharmed, some would die during the course of the research and a 
small number of them would be intentionally killed. Purse seines or 
beach seines would be the primary capture method. Captured fish would 
be anesthetized, identified, and measured.
    The purpose of the research is to evaluate the importance of the 
Columbia River estuary to baitfish populations and salmonid marine 
survival, and the role of disease as a factor affecting survival of 
juvenile salmonids in the estuarine and marine environment. The 
research would benefit listed salmonids by contributing information on 
the extent to which baitfish populations and diseases affect the growth 
and survival of juvenile salmonids in the estuarine and early ocean 
environments.

Permit 1291 Modification 1

    The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is requesting a 
modification to Permit 1291 that would allow it to use McNary Dam on 
the Columbia River as an alternate collection point for some of the 
fish used in their research. Under the modification, the USGS would 
annually take juvenile threatened SR spring/summer chinook salmon 
(natural and artificially propagated); threatened SR fall chinook 
salmon, endangered UCR chinook salmon (natural and artificially 
propagated); threatened LCR chinook salmon; threatened UWR chinook 
salmon; threatened LCR steelhead; threatened MCR steelhead; endangered 
UCR steelhead (natural and artificially propagated); threatened SR 
steelhead; and endangered SR sockeye salmon at up to three dam sites on 
the Columbia River. Under the modification, the listed juvenile fish 
would be either (1) captured by Smolt Monitoring Program (SMP) 
personnel at John Day Dam (and, if necessary at Bonneville and McNary 
Dams) handled, and released or (2) captured by SMP personnel and given 
to USGS personnel and implanted with radio transmitters, transported, 
held for as long as 24 hours, released, and tracked electronically. The 
USGS requests that SMP personnel be allowed to act as agents of the 
USGS under the proposed permit. The USGS does not intend to kill any of 
the fish being captured, but a small percentage may die as a result of 
the research activities.

[[Page 16000]]

    The purpose of the research is to monitor (using radio telemetry) 
juvenile fish movement, distribution, behavior, and survival in the 
Columbia River. The research would benefit listed salmonids by 
providing information on spill effectiveness, forebay residence times, 
and guidance efficiency under various flow regimes that would allow 
Federal resource managers to adjust bypass/collection structures and 
thereby optimize downriver migrant survival at the hydropower projects.

Permit 1322 Modification 2

    The NWFSC is requesting that NMFS modify Permit 1322 to increase 
the annual number of listed fish taken in its research. Under the 
modification, the NWFSC would increase its annual take of juvenile 
threatened SR spring/summer chinook salmon (natural and artificially 
propagated); threatened SR fall chinook salmon; endangered UCR chinook 
salmon (natural and artificially propagated); threatened LCR chinook 
salmon, threatened UWR chinook salmon, and threatened CR chum salmon 
while conducting research in the Columbia River estuary. The NWFSC 
proposes to capture, handle, and release listed salmonids, and while 
most of the fish would be unharmed, some would die during the course of 
the research and a small number of them would be intentionally killed. 
Purse seines, trap nets, and beach seines would be used to capture the 
fish. Captured fish would be anesthetized, identified, sampled for 
tissues, and measured. Some fish would be sacrificed to confirm species 
identification, catch composition, food habits, and timing of estuarine 
entry. The NWFSC is also requesting an increase in the number of fish 
that may unintentionally be killed during the research.
    The purposes of the research are to (1) determine the presence and 
abundance of fall and spring chinook salmon, coho salmon, and chum 
salmon in the estuary and Lower Columbia River; (2) determine the 
relationship between juvenile salmon and Lower Columbia River estuarine 
habitat; and (3) obtain information about flow change, sediment input, 
and habitat availability for the development of a numerical model. The 
research would benefit listed fish by serving as a basis for estuarine 
restoration and preservation plans. The NWFSC requests authorization to 
transfer fish tissue samples to the University of Washington, College 
of Ocean and Fisheries, School of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences; 
Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center; and Washington 
Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Permit 1376 Modification 1

    The University of Washington (UW) is requesting that NMFS modify 
Permit 1376 to increase the number of threatened, juvenile and adult 
natural PS chinook salmon they can take annually during research 
conducted in Lakes Sammamish and Washington in Washington State. Permit 
1376 was originally issued on July 31, 2002 (67 FR 17970). It 
authorized the UW to take threatened, juvenile natural PS chinook 
salmon in a study designed to illuminate food web interactions, 
identify sources of mortality, and determine the energetic requirements 
to sustain fish and zooplankton communities in each lake. The UW 
proposes to capture (using gillnets, trawls, hook-and-line, trot lines, 
minnow traps, beach seines, and backpack electrofishing equipment), 
anesthetize, handle, measure, weigh, examine the stomach contents using 
non-lethal evacuation, and release juvenile PS chinook salmon. The UW 
does not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small 
number would die as a result of the research activities.
    The study would help researchers identify and quantify factors 
limiting juvenile salmon (and other species') survival and growth. The 
increased take levels would help the UW gain more information on the 
prevalence and role of chinook salmon residualizing in this unique, 
lake-dominated watershed.
    This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS 
will evaluate the applications, associated documents, and comments 
submitted to determine whether the applications meet the requirements 
of section 10(a) of the ESA and Federal regulations. The final permit 
decision will not be made until after the end of the 30 day comment 
period. NMFS will publish notice of its final actions in the Federal 
Register.

    Dated: March 28, 2003.
Phil Williams,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-7967 Filed 4-1-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S