[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 244 (Thursday, December 18, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77009-77010]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30105]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XM24


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; 
request for comments.

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SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received applications 
for scientific research from Natural Resource Scientists, Incorporated 
(NRS), in Red Bluff, CA (14077), and from the U.S. Geological Services 
(USGS) in Sacramento, CA (14150). 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). 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 January 20, 2009.

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

Applications Received

    NRS requests a 2-year permit (14077) for take of juvenile 
Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley spring-run 
Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, and southern DPS of green 
sturgeon to conduct site-specific research at three irrigation 
diversion sites off the Sacramento River, California. This research is 
part of an on-going investigation into developing criteria for 
prioritizing fish screening projects, and will correlate fish 
entrainment with the physical, hydraulic, and habitat variables at each 
diversion site. All fish will be identified as to species/race, 
enumerated, measured for length, and placed back into the canals; all 
entrained live fish will be returned to the river. Sampling at each 
diversion site will be performed daily from April 1 through October 31, 
2009, and April 1 through October 31, 2010. NRS requests authorization 
for an estimated annual non-lethal take of 1,466 juvenile Sacramento 
River winter-run Chinook salmon, 1,307 Central Valley juvenile spring-
run Chinook salmon, and 155 Central Valley juvenile steelhead, for a 
total of 2,928 salmonids per year. NRS estimates the annual non-lethal 
take of 184 juvenile southern DPS of green sturgeon. Estimates of take 
for the two year study are 5,856 salmonids and 368 green sturgeon.
    USGS, in co-sponsorship with the California Department of Water 
Resources, California Bay-Delta Authority, and the U.S. Bureau of 
Reclamation, requests a 5-year permit (14150) for take of juvenile 
Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon and Central Valley spring-
run Chinook salmon associated with researching the mechanisms that 
control out-migration pathways and survival of endangered juvenile 
salmon in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California (Delta) from the 
interaction between seasonal timescale variations in upstream hydrology 
and strong tidal forcing effects from water management actions. The 
goals of the study are two-fold: (1) to determine the factors (channel 
geometry, velocity structure, and behavior) that control entrainment in 
the Delta Cross Channel and Georgiana Slough; and (2) to determine 
routes and survival of out-migrating juvenile salmon throughout the 
north, west and centralDelta. The primary source of study fish will be 
5500 Central Valley late-fall subyearling Chinook salmon (O. 
tshawytscha) from Coleman National Fish Hatchery (CNFH). To investigate 
differences of behavioral response between hatchery and wild fish, an 
admixture of 250 juvenile winter-, spring-, fall- and late fall-run 
Chinook salmon will be collected from
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or California Department of Fish and 
Game rotary screw trap monitoring efforts in the Sacramento River at 
river mile (RM) 242 and RM 205 and transported directly to a shoreline 
research location or the California-Nevada Fish Health Center at the 
CNFH complex and held prior to being transported to shoreline research 
locations for surgical insertion of acoustic transmitters; a tissue 
sample will be collected from wild juvenile

[[Page 77010]]

salmon for genetic analysis. Shoreline research locations will include: 
(1) the Tower Bridge in Sacramento, California; and (2) the city of 
Ryde, California (RM 24); and Georgiana Slough. Hatchery and wild 
salmon will then be transported and/or released for tracking by 
acoustic telemetry receivers in place throughout the Delta. Fish 
capture and transport will begin in mid-October and continue until 
early February of the following year; all field activities will be 
completed by March of each sampling season. USGS requests authorization 
for an estimated take of 100 wild Sacramento River winter-run Chinook 
salmon and 38 Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, including no 
more than 15 percent unintentional mortality resulting from handling, 
transporting and holding, tissue-sampling, invasive tagging, and 
releasing for tracking by hydroacoustic telemetry arrays.

    Dated: December 12, 2008.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-30105 Filed 12-17-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S