[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 80 (Monday, April 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22488-22489]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9437]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 042004A]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Applications for five scientific research permits (1476, 1477, 
1478, 1479, 1480).

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received five scientific 
research permit applications 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 
management and conservation efforts.

DATES: Comments or requests for a public hearing on the applications 
must be received at the appropriate address or fax number (see 
ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific daylight-saving time on May 26, 
2004.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the applications 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 or by e-mail to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Garth Griffin, Portland, OR (ph.: 503-
231-2005, Fax: 503-230-5435, e-mail: [email protected]). Permit 
application instructions 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:
    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): endangered natural and 
artificially propagated upper Columbia River (UCR); threatened Snake 
River (SR) fall; threatened lower Columbia River (LCR).
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): endangered UCR, threatened LCR.
    Chum salmon (O. keta): threatened Columbia River (CR).

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 222-226). NMFS 
issues permits/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 a hearing is 
at the discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA.

Applications Received

Permit 1476

    The University of Washington (UW) is requesting a 5-year research 
permit to annually capture, handle, and kill juvenile endangered UCR 
chinook salmon and steelhead in the mainstem upper Columbia River, the 
Wenatchee River, Nason Creek, and the Chiwiwa Rearing Pond in 
Washington State. The purpose of the research is to look into the 
interactions between listed salmonids and avian predators in the 
Columbia River. The study would benefit the salmon and steelhead by 
helping managers learn more about where and how often the birds are 
killing listed juvenile outmigrants in the Columbia River an 
interaction that is thought to be a potentially significant source of 
mortality. Managers would then use that information to determine if 
predator control is needed or could be effective in helping recover the 
listed salmonids. The UW proposes to (a) collect live fish from 
hatchery releases, (b) collect already dead fish at juvenile bypass 
facilities, and (c) use beach seines, boat electrofishing, and minnow 
traps to capture other fish in the mainstem Columbia River. The fish 
captured in the mainstem would immediately be released. The fish 
collected from the hatchery releases would be intentionally killed to 
develop a collection of reference samples and to determine the amount 
of nutrients in their bodies.

Permit 1477

    The Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (ICFWRU) is 
requesting a 5-year research permit to annually capture, tag, and 
release adult threatened LCR chinook salmon and SR fall chinook salmon 
in the Columbia River estuary. The purpose of the research is to gain a 
better understanding of what habitat types the fish use as they prepare 
to re-enter the Columbia River for their upstream migration. The 
research will benefit the fish by helping managers understand more 
about this relatively unknown stage in the fishes' life cycle and 
thereby better manage the resources upon which they depend. It will 
also help managers understand more about what negative anthropogenic 
impacts are occurring in the estuary and, it is to be hoped, thereby 
mitigate their effects. The ICFWRU proposes to capture using hook-and-
line angling equipment a small number of adult fish. These fish will be 
anesthetized, fitted with radio telemetry tags (and passive integrated 
transponder tags (PIT-tags) if the fish does not already have one), 
allowed to recover, and released. They will then be tracked with radio 
equipment to determine where they go in the estuary. The ICFWRU does 
not expect to kill any of the fish being captured.

Permit 1478

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is requesting a 5-year research 
permit to annually handle juvenile threatened LCR chinook salmon, LCR 
steelhead, and CR chum salmon in selected streams in southwestern 
Washington. The purpose of the research is to assess the effects of 
land use on urban streams, and determine how they compare with other 
streams in the basin and with streams nationwide. The study could 
potentially benefit listed species by helping society manage streams 
affected by urban land use and possibly by focusing stream 
rehabilitation on areas used by salmon and steelhead. The USGS proposes 
to capture the fish (using backpack electrofishing), anesthetize them, 
measure them, allow to them recover, and release them. The USGS does 
not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small 
percentage may die as an unintended result of the research activities.

Permit 1479

    The USGS is requesting a 5-year research permit to annually handle 
juvenile threatened LCR chinook salmon and adult and juvenile

[[Page 22489]]

threatened LCR steelhead in selected streams in southwestern 
Washington. The purpose of the research is to investigate the efficacy 
of nutrient enhancement in increasing juvenile fish growth and 
condition and thereby determining how effective it can be with respect 
to restoring juvenile salmonid production in watersheds identified as 
nutrient deficient. The study will benefit listed species by (a) 
helping managers determine the feasibility of implementing nutrient 
enhancement as a salmon habitat restoration technique; (b) enhancing 
juvenile fish growth and condition and thereby increasing over-winter 
survival, smolt outmigration, and adult returns; and (c) ultimately 
helping restore salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest. The USGS 
proposes to capture juvenile fish (using backpack electrofishing), 
anesthetize them, measure and weigh them, mark them with visual 
implants (VI) or VI mark and tag them with PIT-tags, allow to them 
recover, and release them. The USGS does not intend to capture adult 
fish but some may be in the areas being fished and will be avoided as 
much as possible. The USGS does not intend to kill any of the fish 
being captured, but a small percentage of the juvenile fish may die as 
an unintended result of the research activities. The USGS does not 
expect to kill any of the adult fish being captured.

Permit 1480

    The USGS is requesting a 5-year research permit to annually take 
adult and juvenile endangered UCR chinook and steelhead in three 
tributaries to the Methow River in Washington State. The purpose of the 
research is to monitor the contribution these streams make to chinook 
and steelhead production in the Methow subbasin both before and after 
human-made passage barriers in the streams have been removed. The 
research will benefit the fish by generating information on the 
effectiveness of such restoration actions in the area, and that 
information, in turn, will be used to guide other such efforts 
throughout the region. The USGS proposes to capture the fish-using 
weirs/traps and backpack electrofishing equipment anesthetize them, 
PIT-tag them (if they are large enough), allow them to recover, and 
release them. Several instream PIT-tag interrogation sites will be put 
into place to monitor the fish in the tributaries. In addition, tissue 
samples will be taken from some of the fish. The USGS does not intend 
to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small percentage may die 
as an unintended result of the research activities.
    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 
decisions will not be made until after the end of the 30-day comment 
period. NMFS will publish notice of its final action in the Federal 
Register.

    Dated: April 20, 2004.
Ann Garrett,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-9437 Filed 4-23-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S