[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 200 (Monday, October 18, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61348-61349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-23283]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 052104F]


Endangered and Threatened Species: Extension of Public Comment 
Period and Notice of Rescheduled Public Hearing on Proposed Listing 
Determinations for West Coast Salmonids

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

ACTION: Extension of public comment period; notice of rescheduled 
public hearing.

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SUMMARY: In June 2004, NMFS proposed to list 27 Evolutionarily 
Significant Units (ESUs) of salmon (chum, Oncorhynchus keta; coho, O. 
kisutch, sockeye, O. nerka; chinook, O. tshawytscha) and O. mykiss as 
threatened and endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and 
subsequently extended the public comment period and announced public 
hearings. NMFS is again extending the public comment period on the 
proposed listing determinations through November 12, 2004. 
Additionally, NMFS is rescheduling a public hearing in Portland, Oregon 
(originally to be held on October 13, 2004) to be held on November 9, 
2004.

DATES: The due date for written comments is extended from October 20, 
2004, to November 12, 2004. A public hearing is rescheduled to November 
9, 2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the proposed hatchery listing 
policy (69 FR 31354; June 3, 2004) by any of the following methods:
    E-mail: The mailbox address for submitting e-mail comments on the 
proposed listing determinations is [email protected]. Please include 
in the subject line of the e-mail comment the document identifier 
``Proposed Listing Determinations.''
    Mail: Submit written comments and information to Chief, NMFS, 
Protected Resources Division, 525 NE Oregon Street, Suite 500, 
Portland, OR 97232-2737. Please identify the comment as regarding the 
``Proposed Listing Determinations.'' You may hand-deliver written 
comments to our office at the street address given above, suite 210. 
Business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.
    Hand Delivery/Courier: NMFS, Protected Resources Division, 525 NE

[[Page 61349]]

Oregon Street, Suite 210, Portland, OR 97232-2737. Business hours are 
noted above.
    Fax: 503-230-5435. Please identify the fax comment as regarding the 
``Proposed Listing Determinations.''
    The public hearing will be held at the Doublettree Hotel Portland-
Columbia River, 1401 N. Hayden Island Drive, Portland, OR 97217. You 
may obtain information updates on the public hearing on the Internet at 
the following web address: http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/AlseaResponse/20040528/meetings.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Garth Griffin, NMFS, Northwest Region, 
(503) 231-2005. Copies of the Federal Register notices cited herein and 
additional salmon-related materials are available on the Internet at 
http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1srd/Prop_Determins/. For information 
regarding public hearings on the proposed listing determinations held 
in California, please contact Craig Wingert, NMFS, Southwest Region, 
(562) 980-4021. Information on public hearings in California is also 
available on the Internet at http://swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/news/SalmonidHearings.NR.pdf.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On June 14, 2004, NMFS published proposed ESA listing 
determinations for 27 salmon and O. mykiss ESUs, including 18 ESUs that 
occur in Oregon, Washington and Idaho (69 FR 33101). The 27 proposed 
listing determinations include 162 total hatchery programs as part of 4 
ESUs being proposed for endangered status and 23 ESUs being proposed 
for threatened status. In addition, NMFS proposed amendments to the 
existing ESA 4(d) protective regulations for the proposed threatened 
ESUs.
    With the publication of the proposed listing determinations NMFS 
announced a 90-day public comment period extending through September 
13, 2004. In Federal Register notices published on August 31, 2004 (69 
FR 53031) and September 9, 2004 (69 FR 54620), NMFS extended the public 
comment period for the proposed policy through October 20, 2004. 
Additionally, NMFS announced that it would hold public hearings at 
eight locations in the Pacific Northwest and six locations in 
California to provide additional opportunities and formats to receive 
public input. To date NMFS has held seven of these public hearings in 
Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, and all six public hearings in 
California.

Extension of Public Comment Period

    NMFS has received a request from a U.S. congressional 
representative to extend the public comment period and postpone any 
remaining public meetings to provide additional opportunity for the 
public to consider the proposed listing determinations and to provide 
comment. In this notice NMFS is extending the public comment period 
through November 12, 2004.

Rescheduling of Public Hearing

    In addition to extending the public comment period, NMFS is 
rescheduling a public hearing in Portland, Oregon (originally to be 
held on October 13, 2004) to be held on November 9, 2004 (see ADDRESSES 
for hearing location).

Public Hearing Format

    Joint Commerce-Interior ESA implementing regulations state that the 
Secretary shall promptly hold at least one public hearing if any person 
requests one within 45 days of publication of a proposed regulation to 
list a species or to designate critical habitat (see 50 CFR 
424.16(c)(3)). In past ESA rule-making, NMFS has conducted traditional 
public hearings, consisting of recorded oral testimony from interested 
individuals. This format, although providing an alternative means of 
public input, is time consuming for the attendees and does not provide 
opportunities for dialogue and information exchange. In the Federal 
Register notice published on August 31, 2004 (69 FR 53039), NMFS 
described an alternative ``open-house'' format aimed at providing all 
hearing participants with the opportunity to obtain information on and 
discuss the proposed listing determinations. NMFS has held seven of 
these ``open-house'' style public hearings, and believes that the new 
format improves the ability of the public to engage effectively in the 
rulemaking process.

Afternoon Practitioners' Session

    An afternoon session (1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., November 9, 2004) in 
Portland (Oregon) will be provided for local practitioners and 
stakeholders involved with managing the ESA on a regular basis, 
including: tribal governments; forestry and agricultural interests; 
home builders and developers; the sport and commercial fishing 
community; the environmental community; the business community; utility 
and special districts; local government elected officials and their 
staff; other locally based Federal and state agencies; and public 
interest groups. Attendance at the afternoon sessions in Portland 
(Oregon) will be on a pre-registration basis. Information on attending 
the practitioners' afternoon session in Portland is available from NMFS 
upon request (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, above) as well as on 
the Internet at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/AlseaResponse/20040528/PortlandMeeting.html.

Evening Open House and Public Testimony

    An evening ``open house'' session, designed for broader public 
participation, will be conducted in Portland (Oregon) on the same day 
as the afternoon practitioners' session (November 9, 2004) from 6:30 
p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The ``open house'' format will provide the general 
public with an opportunity to meet with NMFS staff in small groups on 
specific topics. This evening meeting will also provide opportunities 
for the public to make formal recorded comments on the proposal. There 
is no need to register; just drop in anytime during the course of the 
evening event.

Special Accommodations

    This hearing is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language or other aids should be directed to Garth 
Griffin (see ADDRESSES) 7 days before the meeting date.
    References
    Copies of the Federal Register notices and related materials cited 
in this document are available on the Internet at http://nwr.noaa.gov, 
or upon request (see ADDRESSES section above).

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.

    Dated: October 12, 2004.
Laurie K. Allen,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 04-23283 Filed 10-15-04; 8:45 am]
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