[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 12, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59318-59319]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20453]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 100405B]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Application and requests for modification of scientific 
research permits.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received one scientific 
research permit application and 18 modification requests 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 applications 
must be received at the appropriate address or fax number (see 
ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific daylight-saving time on 
November 14, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the applications should be sent to 
Protected

[[Page 59319]]

Resources Division, NMFS, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100, Portland, OR 
97232-1274. Comments may also be sent via fax to 503-230-5441 or by e-
mail to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Garth Griffin, Portland, OR (ph.: 503-
231-2005, Fax: 503-230-5441, e-mail: [email protected]). Permit 
application instructions are available at http://www.nwr.noaa.go.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following listed species (evolutionarily significant units) are 
covered in this notice:
    Lower Columbia River (LCR) coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
    LCR steelhead (O. mykiss)
    LCR Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha).

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). Such hearings are held at the 
discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NMFS.

Applications Received

Permit 1550

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is asking for a 5-year 
research permit to take LCR coho salmon and LCR Chinook salmon in 
Abernathy Creek, Washington a tributary to the Lower Columbia River. 
The research is designed to determine the natural reproductive success 
and mean relative fitness of hatchery-origin and natural-origin 
steelhead and assess the overall demographic effects of hatchery fish 
supplementation in Abernathy Creek relative to two adjacent control 
streams, Germany and Mill Creeks. The study will benefit listed coho 
salmon by providing information on abundance and distribution that 
could be used over the long-term to protect important habitat. The FWS 
proposes to capture using backpack electrofishing equipment handle, and 
release listed salmonids. The FWS does not intend to kill any fish 
being captured but some may die as an unintentional result of the 
research activities.

Modification Requests Received

    For permits 1252, 1290, 1318, 1322, 1338, 1379, 1386, 1410, 1421, 
1427, 1461, 1478, 1479, 1484, 1487, 1519, and 1525, the activities 
would only be modified to include take of LCR coho salmon; no other 
changes are proposed. Further information on the actions covered by 
these permits may be obtained from previous notices and on the web site 
http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1salmon/salmesa/permit.htm.
    Permit 1330 currently authorizes the Weyerhaeuser Company to take 
juvenile LCR steelhead in the Toutle River Basin, Washington. They are 
asking to modify their permit to add LCR coho salmon take and increase 
the annual number of LCR steelhead taken in the research. The purpose 
of the research is to increase understanding of the relationship 
between aquatic organisms and their habitat, determine how forest 
management and restoration influence the aquatic ecosystem, and produce 
data to help develop forest management practices that better protect 
aquatic resources. The research would benefit listed salmonids by 
producing data on their natural habitat recovery processes and by 
identifying the effects that various stressors have on listed species. 
Weyerhaeuser proposes to observe (during snorkeling surveys), capture 
(using backpack electrofishing), anesthetize, identify, measure, weigh, 
and release the fish. Weyerhaeuser does not intend to kill any fish 
being captured but some may die as an unintentional result of the 
research 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: October 5, 2005.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-20453 Filed 10-11-05; 8:45 am]
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