[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 226 (Friday, November 21, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70622-70623]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-27770]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XL80


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Receipt of applications for scientific research permits; 
receipt of application to renew and to modify scientific permit; 
request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received applications for 
scientific research from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS-
Stockton) in Stockton, CA (13791), and from FISHBIO Environmental, LLC 
(FISHBIO) in Chico, CA (14092). Notice is also given that NMFS has 
received an application to modify a permit for scientific research from 
the Interagency Ecological Program (IEP), in Stockton, CA (1440). These 
permits would affect the federally endangered Sacramento River winter-
run Chinook salmon and the threatened Central Valley spring-run Chinook 
salmon Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs), the federally 
threatened Central Valley steelhead Distinct Population Segment (DPS), 
and the federally threatened southern Distinct Population of North 
American green sturgeon (southern DPS of green sturgeon). Permit 1440 
would also affect threatened Central California Coast steelhead. This 
document serves to notify the public of the availability of the permit 
applications for review and comment.

DATES: Written comments on the permit applications must be received no 
later than 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on December 22, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Comments submitted by e-mail must be sent to the following 
address [email protected]. The applications and related documents 
are available for review by appointment, for permits: Protected 
Resources Division, NMFS, 650 Capitol Mall, Suite 8-300, Sacramento, CA 
95814 (ph: 916-930-3600, fax: 916-930-3629).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shirley Witalis at phone number 916-
930-3606, or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

    Issuance of permits and permit modifications, as required by the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 1543) (ESA), is based on 
a finding that such permits/modifications: (1) are applied for in good 
faith; (2) would not operate to the disadvantage of the listed species 
which are the subject of the permits; and (3) are consistent with the 
purposes and policies set forth in section 2 of the ESA. Authority to 
take listed species is subject to conditions set forth in the permits. 
Permits and modifications are issued in accordance with and are subject 
to the ESA and NMFS regulations governing listed fish and wildlife 
permits (50 CFR parts 222-226).
    Those individuals 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. All statements and opinions contained in the permit 
action summaries are those of the applicant and do not necessarily 
reflect the views of NMFS.

Species Covered in This Notice

    This notice is relevant to federally-listed endangered Sacramento 
River winter-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) ESU, 
threatened Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) 
ESU, threatened Central Valley steelhead (O. mykiss) DPS, threatened 
Central California Coast steelhead (O. mykiss),

[[Page 70623]]

and threatened southern DPS of North American green sturgeon (Acipenser 
medirostris).

Applications Received

    USFWS-Stockton requests a 3-year permit (13791) for take of 
juvenile Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley 
spring-run Chinook salmon, and Central Valley steelhead associated with 
research on salmonid migratory behavior at monitoring locations in the 
Sacramento River basin and in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, in 
California. USFWS-Stockton requests authorization for an estimated 
annual take of 3,000 juvenile Central Valley salmonids for three 
consecutive years resulting from capture (by seine, trawl, gill and 
fyke net), handling, anesthetizing, measuring, tissue sampling, scale 
sampling, tag scanning, and release of fish. A subsample of incidental 
mortalities may be retained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
office in Red Bluff, CA as a teaching collection and as a source of 
tissues for genetic and life history analysis. USFWS-Stockton requests 
authorization for an estimated total take of 39 adult and 2591 juvenile 
winter-run Chinook salmon (that includes 12.8 percent and 2.0 percent 
incidental mortality, respectively), 29 adult and 12317 juvenile 
spring-run Chinook salmon (that includes 17.2 percent and 1.2 percent 
incidental mortality), 49 adult and 632 juvenile steelhead (12.2 
percent and 3.5 percent incidental mortality), and 14 adult and 15 
juvenile green sturgeon (no associated mortality), resulting from 
capture, handling, measuring, and releasing of fish.
    FISHBIO requests a 5-year permit (14092) for incidental take of 
threatened Central Valley steelhead in the lower Stanislaus River 
associated with a study that aims to characterize fish species 
composition, abundance, and seasonal distribution; evaluate juvenile 
Chinook salmon rearing extent, timing, and locations; and determine 
potential limiting factors for juvenile rearing and mitigation. FISHBIO 
requests authorization for an estimated annual take of 34 adult and 249 
juvenile steelhead (that includes 5.9 percent and 5.6 percent 
incidental mortality, respectively) resulting from capture by seine, 
pack or boat electrofishing; handling, measuring, and releasing of 
fish.
    IEP requests modification of a 10-year permit (1440) for incidental 
take of adult and juvenile Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, 
Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, 
Central California Coast steelhead, and southern DPS of green sturgeon 
associated with research studies located throughout the Sacramento-San 
Joaquin Bay-Delta that aim to evaluate the effects of water export 
facilities (State Water Project and Central Valley Water Project) on 
aquatic organisms. IEP requests authorization for an estimated annual 
take of 38 adult and 289 juvenile winter-run Chinook salmon (that 
includes 10.5 percent and 7.3 percent incidental mortality, 
respectively), 105 adult and 1894 juvenile spring-run Chinook salmon 
(that includes 9.5 percent and 6.3 percent incidental mortality), 37 
adult and 240 juvenile steelhead (that includes 8.1 percent and 5.4 
percent incidental mortality), 2 juvenile Central California Coast 
steelhead (no mortality), and 272 adult and sub-adult green sturgeon 
(that includes 4.0 percent of incidental mortality), resulting from 
capture (by various methodologies, including net, seine, hook-and-line, 
and boat electrofishing) handling, biological sampling, and releasing 
of fish.

    Dated: November 17, 2008.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-27770 Filed 11-20-08; 8:45 am]
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