[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 74 (Thursday, April 17, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18952-18953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-9493]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 040103B ]


Availability of Draft Environmental Assessment

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 NMFS has prepared a draft 
environmental assessment (EA) of impacts on the human environment of 
the potential issuance of three enhancement permits authorizing take of 
listed salmon and steelhead in the upper Columbia River Basin 
associated with the operation of artificial propagation programs. This 
document serves to notify the public of the availability of the draft 
EA for review and comment before a final decision on whether to issue a 
Finding of No Significant Impact is made by NMFS.

DATES: Written comments on the draft EA must be received no later than 
5 p.m. Pacific daylight time on May 2, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the application should be sent to 
Hatcheries and Inland Fisheries Branch, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 
NMFS, 525 N.E. Oregon Street, Suite 510, Portland, Oregon 97232. 
Comments may also be sent via fax to (503) 872-2737. Comments will not 
be accepted if submitted via e-mail or the Internet. Requests for 
copies of the draft EA should be directed to the Portland office. The 
document also is available on the Internet at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/ 
or it may be reviewed by appointment during business hours at the 
Portland office by calling (503) 230-5409.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristine Petersen, Portland, Oregon, 
at phone number: (503) 230-5409, e-mail: [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document is relevant to the following 
species and evolutionarily significant units (ESUs):
    Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss): endangered Upper Columbia River.
    Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha): endangered Upper Columbia River 
spring run.

Background

    National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires Federal agencies 
to conduct an environmental analysis of their proposed actions to 
determine if the actions may affect the human environment. NMFS expects 
to take action on ESA section 10(a)(1)(A) submittals expected from the 
applicants. Therefore NMFS is seeking public input on the scope of the 
required NEPA analysis, including the range of reasonable alternatives 
and associated impacts of any alternatives.
    On June 12, 2002, NMFS received an application for an ESA section 
10 permit from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 
requesting a multi-year authorization for an annual take of Upper 
Columbia River steelhead and Upper Columbia River spring chinook salmon 
associated with proposed steelhead artificial propagation programs 
intended to enhance the natural production of ESA-listed Upper Columbia 
River steelhead. Notice of the receipt of this permit application was 
published in the Federal Register on August 1, 2002, and a public 
informational meeting was held on August 28, 2002, in Wenatchee, WA to 
inform the public of the receipt of this permit application.
    In April 2002, negotiations on the Anadromous Fish Agreement and 
Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP) for Rocky Reach Hydroelectric Project 
( Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) License Number 2145), 
Rock Island Hydroelectric Project (FERC License Number 943), and the 
Wells Hydroelectric Project (FERC License Number 2149) were completed 
related to the re-licensing of Wells Dam with Public Utilities District 
No. 1 of Douglas County, and Rocky Reach Dam, and Rock Island Dam with 
Public Utilities District No. 1 of Chelan County. These long-term 
agreements provide for mitigation in the form of artificial propagation 
programs to replace unavoidable losses to natural fish production. The 
artificial propagation component of each HCP specifies the number and 
species to be reared. The impacts of the HCP on the environment were 
considered in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which was 
published for comment in the Federal Register on December 27, 2002.
    On June 11, 2002, NMFS received a similar application for an ESA 
section 10 permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, requesting a 
multi-year authorization for an annual take of Upper Columbia River 
steelhead and Upper Columbia River spring chinook salmon associated 
with a steelhead artificial propagation program in the Methow River 
Basin. Notice of the receipt of this permit application was published 
in the Federal Register on August 1, 2002, and a public informational 
meeting was held on August 28, 2002, in Wenatchee, WA to inform the 
public of the receipt of this permit application.
    On October 23, 2002, NMFS received an application for a section 10 
permit from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, 
requesting a multi-year authorization for an annual take of ESA-listed 
Upper Columbia River steelhead and Upper Columbia River spring chinook 
salmon associated with a steelhead artificial propagation program in 
the Okanogan River Basin.

[[Page 18953]]

 Funding for this program has been allocated through the Pacific Salmon 
Coastal Recovery Fund administered by NMFS, and is consistent with 
Bureau of Reclamation steelhead recovery efforts ongoing in the 
Okanogan Basin. Notice of the receipt of this permit application was 
published in the Federal Register on January 14, 2003.
    In total the proposed programs would provide artificial propagation 
and release of about 1.03 million ESA-listed Upper Columbia River 
steelhead into the Upper Columbia River Basin and for the monitoring 
and management of the returning adult steelhead to the Upper Columbia 
River Basin. The general effects on the environment considered include 
the impacts on the physical, biological, and socioeconomic environments 
of the Upper Columbia River Basin.

    Dated: April 8, 2003.
Phil Williams,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
ResourcesNational Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-9493 Filed 4-16-03; 8:45 am]
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