[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 49 (Friday, March 12, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11837-11838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-5697]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 030404E]


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 NMFS has prepared a draft 
Environmental Assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) of the impacts on the human environment of the potential 
issuance of an enhancement permit authorizing take of listed chinook 
salmon in Johnson Creek, a tributary of the East Fork South Fork Salmon 
River in Idaho, associated with the operation of an artificial 
propagation program. The objectives of the program, which would be 
operated by the Nez Perce Tribe, are to conduct artificial propagation 
and research activities to enhance the propagation and survival of the 
population of naturally spawning summer chinook salmon in Johnson 
Creek, which are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as part 
of the threatened Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon 
Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU). 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 at the 
appropriate address or fax number (see ADDRESSES)

[[Page 11838]]

no later than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on April 12, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests for copies of the draft EA 
should be addressed to Herb Pollard, Salmon Recovery Division, 10215 W. 
Emerald, Suite 180, Boise, ID 83704, or faxed to (208) 378-5699. 
Comments on this draft EA may be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox 
address for providing e-mail comments is [email protected]. Include in 
the subject line the following document identifier: ``JCAPE permit 
assessment''. The documents are also available on the Internet at 
http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1sustfsh/10permits/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Herb Pollard, Boise, ID, at phone 
number (208) 378-5614 or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is relevant to the following 
species and evolutionarily significant units (ESUs):
    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): threatened Snake River 
spring/summer-run.
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened Snake River Basin.

Background

    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 an ESA section 
10(a)(1)(A) submittal received from the applicants. Therefore the 
Service is seeking public input on the scope of the required NEPA 
analysis, including the range of reasonable alternatives and associated 
impacts of any alternatives.
    The Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) has 
submitted an application for a section 10(a)(1)(A) enhancement permit 
for operation of an artificial propagation program on Johnson Creek, 
ID. Notice of receipt of this permit application was published in the 
Federal Register on May 11, 2000 (65 FR 30391) and closed on June 12, 
2000.
    The primary goal of CRITFC's proposed hatchery supplementation 
program is to increase the abundance of the natural chinook salmon 
population in Johnson Creek and to avoid further losses of the genetic 
variation that may be necessary to recover the population. NMFS 
proposes to issue a section 10(a)(1)(A) permit for operation of the 
program to rear and release approximately 100,000 juveniles annually. 
The artificial propagation action would include collecting and spawning 
adult threatened Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon, using the 
resulting progeny in scientific research, enhancing the propagation or 
survival of the listed population, and subsequently releasing juveniles 
that are the progeny of listed fish into the wild. The Nez Perce Tribe, 
acting under the permit requested by CRITFC, also proposes to install 
and operate a weir, a trap, and holding facilities for collection of 
listed Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon adults from Johnson 
Creek to enhance the propagation and conduct research on the listed 
species of salmon.
    The general effects on the environment considered include the 
impacts on the physical, biological, and socioeconomic environments of 
the Snake River Basin, particularly in the Johnson Creek sub-basin.

    Dated: March 8, 2004.
Phil Williams,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-5697 Filed 3-11-04; 8:45 am]
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