[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 190 (Monday, October 3, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57564-57565]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-19724]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 092705B]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: \

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Oregon Department of Fish and 
Wildlife (ODFW) has submitted a Fishery Management and Evaluation Plan 
(FMEP) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has 
submitted an amendment to an FMEP pursuant to the protective 
regulations promulgated for Lower Columbia River (LCR) coho salmon 
under the Endangered Species Act. The FMEPs specify the future 
management of inland recreational fisheries potentially affecting LCR 
coho salmon. This document serves to notify the public of the 
availability of the FMEPs for review and comment before final approval 
or disapproval is made by NMFS.

DATES: Comments on the FMEPs must be received at the appropriate 
address or fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific 
daylight time on November 2, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the application should be addressed to 
the Salmon Recovery Division, Hatcheries and Inland Fisheries Branch, 
1201 NE Lloyd Blvd. Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97232 or faxed to 503-872-
2737. Comments may be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox address for 
providing e-mail comments is [email protected]. Include in the 
subject line of the e-mail comment the following identifier: Comments 
on LCR Coho FMEPs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Turner, Portland, Oregon, at 
phone number: (503) 736-4737, or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Species Covered in This Notice

    This notice is relevant to the Lower Columbia River coho salmon 
(Oncorhynchus kisutch), Lower Columbia River Chinook salmon (O. 
tshawytscha), Lower Columbia River steelhead (O. mykiss), and Columbia 
River chum salmon (O. keta) evolutionarily significant unit (ESU).
    ODFW has submitted to NMFS an FMEP: Lower Columbia River Coho in 
Oregon Freshwater Fisheries of the Lower Columbia River Tributaries 
(between the Pacific Ocean and Hood River). WDFW has submitted an 
amendment to their Lower Columbia River FMEP for inland recreational 
fisheries potentially affecting listed adult and juvenile LCR coho 
salmon. These FMEPs include fisheries occurring in all tributaries to 
the Lower Columbia River from the Pacific Ocean to the Hood River in 
Oregon and the Big White Salmon River in Washington. The objective of 
the fisheries described in these FMEPs is to harvest known, hatchery-
origin coho salmon, and other fish species in a manner that does not 
appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of listed 
LCR salmon and steelhead ESUs. All fisheries included in these FMEPs 
will be managed such that only hatchery-origin coho salmon that are 
adipose fin-clipped may be retained. Impact levels on listed LCR coho 
salmon are specified in ODFW's FMEP and the amendment to WDFW's FMEP. 
Population viability analysis and risk assessments in the FMEPs 
indicate the extinction risk for listed coho salmon would not increase 
as a result of the proposed fisheries. A variety of monitoring and 
evaluation tasks are specified in the FMEPs to assess the abundance of 
coho salmon, determine fishery effort and catch of coho salmon and 
other species, and monitor angler compliance. A review of compliance 
with the provisions of the FMEPs will be conducted by the state 
fisheries agencies annually and a

[[Page 57565]]

comprehensive review to evaluate the effectiveness of the FMEPs will 
occur at a minimum every 5 years.
    As specified in the July 10, 2000, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) 
4(d) rule for salmon and steelhead (65 FR 42422) and updated rule (June 
28, 2005, 70 FR 37160), NMFS may approve an FMEP if it meets criteria 
set forth in 50 CFR 223.203(b)(4)(i)(A) through (I). Prior to final 
approval of an FMEP, NMFS must publish notification announcing its 
availability for public review and comment.

Authority

    Under section 4 of the ESA, the Secretary of Commerce is required 
to adopt such regulations as he deems necessary and advisable for the 
conservation of species listed as threatened. The ESA salmon and 
steelhead 4(d) rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000, as updated in 70 FR 
37160, July 28, 2005) specifies categories of activities that 
contribute to the conservation of listed salmonids and sets out the 
criteria for such activities. The rule further provides that the 
prohibitions of paragraph (a) of the rule do not apply to activities 
associated with fishery harvest provided that an FMEP has been approved 
by NMFS to be in accordance with the salmon and steelhead 4(d) rule (65 
FR 42422, July 10, 2000, as updated in 70 FR 37160, July 28, 2005).

    Dated: September 29, 2005.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-19724 Filed 9-30-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S