[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 15, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7719-7720]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2901]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 020305C]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Applications for scientific research permits 1513, 1519, and 
1521 and a request to modify permit 1322.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received three scientific 
research permit applications and one modification request relating to 
Pacific salmon. 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 application 
must be received at the appropriate address or fax number (see 
ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific daylight-saving time on March 
17, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the application 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:

    Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka): endangered Snake River (SR).
    Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha): endangered naturally-produced and 
artificially propagated upper Columbia River (UCR); threatened 
naturally produced and artificially propagated SR spring/summer (spr/
sum); threatened SR fall; threatened lower Columbia River (LCR); 
threatened upper Willamette River (UWR); threatened Puget Sound (PS).
    Chum salmon (O. keta): threatened Columbia River (CR).
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened SR; threatened middle Columbia 
River (MCR); endangered UCR; threatened LCR; threatened UWR.

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 based on findings that such permits: (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.

Application Received

Permit 1322 - Modification 3

    NMFS' Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) is asking to 
modify its 5-year permit to increase the annual number of listed fish 
taken in its research and to add take of juvenile UCR steelhead 
(natural and artificially propagated). The NWFSC is asking to increase 
its annual take of juvenile SR steelhead, LCR steelhead, MCR steelhead, 
UWR steelhead, and CR chum salmon while conducting research in the 
Columbia River estuary. 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 so they may develop a 
numerical model of the fishes' survival. The research would benefit 
listed salmonids by serving as a basis for estuarine restoration and 
preservation plans.
    The NWFSC proposes to capture, handle, and release listed 
salmonids,

[[Page 7720]]

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 intentionally 
be killed. Purse seines, trapnets 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.

Permit 1513

    Washington Trout (WT) is requesting a 2-year research permit to 
annually capture, handle, and release juvenile PS chinook salmon. The 
research would take place in nearshore habitats of Admiralty Inlet, 
Washington. The purpose of the research is to determine habitat use by 
listed species in the nearshore waters of Admiralty Inlet. The WT 
intends to determine juvenile fish presence and abundance on a monthly 
basis in 2005 and 2006. The research would benefit listed chinook by 
determining which habitat types are used by juvenile chinook. The 
information gathered by this research would be used to design and 
prioritize habitat restoration and preservation projects. The WT 
proposes to capture the fish using beach seines. Captured fish would be 
identified, counted, checked for tags or marks, measured, and released. 
The WT does not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a 
small number may die as an unintended result of the activities.

Permit 1519

    The Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce (CREST) is requesting a 
5-year research permit to annually capture, handle, tag, and release 
juvenile SR sockeye salmon, SR fall chinook salmon, SR spring/summer 
chinook salmon, UCR chinook salmon, LCR chinook salmon, UWR chinook 
salmon, SR steelhead, UCR steelhead, MCR steelhead, LCR steelhead, UWR 
steelhead, and CR chum salmon. The research would take place in Grays 
Bay, Washington and Youngs Bay, Oregon in the Columbia River estuary. 
The purpose of the research is to evaluate estuarine habitat 
restoration efforts. Specific objectives are to (1) determine species 
composition, relative abundance, and residence time of various listed 
fish by using pre-restored and restoration project habitats and 
adjacent references sites; (2) determine prey utilization by juvenile 
salmon; and (3) determine prey availability. The research would benefit 
listed salmonids by determining how effectively currently altered 
habitats support salmonids and using that information to guide future 
habitat modifications.
    The CREST proposes to capture the fish using fyke nets, trap nets, 
and beach seines. Most of the captured fish would be anesthetized, 
identified, counted, measured, weighed, checked for tags and marks, and 
released. Some of the fish would be tagged with passive integrated 
transponders, or injected with dye or visible implant elastomers. Fin 
or scale tissue samples for genetic or age analysis would be taken from 
a portion of the captured juvenile chinook salmon. Some of the captured 
juvenile salmonid would be sampled for stomach content. The CREST does 
not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small number 
may die as an unintended result of the activities.

Permit 1521

    Wyllie-Echeverria Associates (WEA) is requesting a 2-year research 
permit to annually capture, handle, fin-clip, and release juvenile PS 
chinook salmon. The research would take place in nearshore habitats of 
Orcas and Waldron Islands, Washington. The purpose of the research is 
to determine which salmonid species and which chinook salmon stocks use 
the nearshore habitats of the islands. The WEA intends to determine 
juvenile fish presence and abundance on a monthly basis in 2005 and 
2006. The research would benefit listed chinook by providing direct 
evidence of species- and stock-specific use of nearshore habitats. The 
information gathered by this research would be used to set priorities 
for protecting nearshore habitats. The WEA proposes to capture fish 
using beach seines, surface tow nets, and toss nets. Captured fish 
would be identified, counted, checked for tags or marks, measured, and 
released. Fin-clip samples would be collected for genetic analysis from 
a subsample of the captured fish. The WEA does not intend to kill any 
of the fish being captured, but a small number may die as an unintended 
result of the activities.
    This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS 
will evaluate the application, associated documents, and comments 
submitted to determine whether the application meets 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: February 8, 2005.
Susan Pultz,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-2901 Filed 2-14-05; 8:45 am]
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