[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35658-35659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14259]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XI48


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION:  Applications for one new scientific research permit and one 
permit modification.

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SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received two scientific 
research permit application 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 standard time on July 24, 2008.

ADDRESSES:  Written comments on the applications should be sent to the 
Protected 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: Blane Bellerud, Portland, OR (ph.: 
503-231-2338, Fax: 503-231-2318, e-mail: [email protected]). 
Permit application instructions are available from the address above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following listed species are covered in this notice:
    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): threatened lower 
Columbia River (LCR), threatened upper Willamette River (UWR), 
endangered upper Columbia River (UCR), threatened Snake River (SR) 
spring/summer (spr/sum), threatened SR fall.
    Chum salmon (O. keta): threatened Columbia River (CR.
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened LCR, threatened UWR, threatened 
middle Columbia River (MCR), threatened SR, endangered UCR, threatened 
PS.
    Coho salmon (O. kisutch): threatened LCR, threatened Oregon Coast 
(OC).
    Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): endangered SR.

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 1318 - Modification 1

    Permit 1318 currently authorizes the Oregon Department of Fish and 
Wildlife (ODFW) to take juvenile UCR Chinook salmon, UCR steelhead, SR 
steelhead, SR fall-run Chinook salmon, SR spr/sum

[[Page 35659]]

Chinook salmon, SR sockeye salmon, MCR steelhead, UWR Chinook salmon, 
UWR steelhead, LCR Chinook salmon, LCR coho salmon, LCR steelhead, and 
CR chum salmon in the Willamette and Columbia River basins. They are 
asking to modify the permit so they may be allowed to take OC coho 
salmon; they also wish to add a seventh project to the permit. The 
Permit currently contains the following projects: (1) Warm Water Fish 
Management Surveys; (2) Investigations of Natural Production of Spring 
Chinook Salmon in the Mohawk System; (3) Genetic Characterization of 
Rainbow Trout in the Upper Willamette System; (4) Fish Abundance, 
Population Status, Genetics and Disease Surveys in the Upper Willamette 
Basin; (5) Native Rainbow and Cutthroat Trout Surveys for Abundance, 
Size Composition, and Migration Patterns in the Mainstem McKenzie 
River; (6) Resident Redband Population Estimates in the Deschutes 
River. The ODFW wishes to add (7) Resident Redband Population Estimates 
in the Crooked River.
    The purpose of the research is to gather information on fish 
population structure, abundance, genetics, disease occurrences, and 
species interactions throughout many anadromous fish-bearing basins in 
Oregon. That information would be used to direct management actions to 
benefit listed species. Juvenile salmonids would be collected during 
boat electrofishing operations in the subbasins listed in the project 
titles above. Some fish would be anesthetized, sampled for length and 
weight, allowed to recover from the anesthesia, and released; most 
would only be shocked and allowed to swim away, or be netted and 
immediately released. The ODFW 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 13494

    The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is requesting a 5-year 
research permit to take LCR Chinook salmon, CR coho salmon, and LCR 
steelhead during fish collection and transport activities on the 
Cowlitz River, Washington. The purpose of the research is to determine 
the fishes' response to being collected and transported around two dams 
that currently have no downstream fish passage. The activities will 
take place at a facility that is co-located with the Cowlitz Falls 
Hydroelectric dam on the upper Cowlitz River in southeastern Washington 
State.
    The fish collection facility is a key component of ongoing efforts 
to re-establish self-supporting populations of anadromous salmonids in 
the upper Cowlitz river basin. The proposed research seeks to (1) 
improve fish collection efficiency by modifying the operation and 
physical structure of the fish collection facility, and (2) develop an 
ongoing transportation program to maintain fish populations. The 
research would benefit the fish by helping them get access to (and 
egress from) new habitat that was previously cut off by impassible 
barriers. Fish collected at the facility would be transported by truck 
and released in the free-flowing section of the Cowlitz River 
downstream of the hydropower projects. Scales and other biological 
samples would be taken from some of the fish. The BPA does not intend 
to kill any of the fish being studied, but a small percentage of them 
may be killed as an unintended result of the research.
    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: June 17, 2008.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-14259 Filed 6-23-08; 8:45 am]
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