[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 24, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14134-14135]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6539]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XV35


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 permits for scientific research from National Resource Scientists, 
Inc. (NRSI) in Red Bluff, CA (14685, 14688), and California Department 
of Fish and Game (CDFG), North Central Region 2, in Rancho Cordova, CA 
(14808). This notice is relevant to federally endangered Sacramento 
River winter-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), threatened 
Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), threatened 
Central Valley steelhead (O. mykiss), and threatened Southern Distinct 
Population Segment of North American green sturgeon (Acipenser 
medirostris). 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 April 23, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the permit applications should be sent 
to the appropriate office as indicated below. Comments may also be sent 
via e-mail to: [email protected] or fax to the number indicated 
for the request. The applications and related documents are available 
for review by appointment: 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), threatened 
Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) ESU, 
threatened Central Valley steelhead (O. mykiss), threatened Central 
California Coast steelhead (O. mykiss), and threatened Southern 
Distinct Population of North American green sturgeon (Acipenser 
medirostris).

Applications Received

    NRSI requests a 5-year permit (14685) for an estimated annual take 
of 20 adult and 100 juvenile Central Valley steelhead associated with 
the Merced River salmonid monitoring program. The program researches 
anadromous salmonid spawning and rearing habitats, migration timing of 
adult Chinook salmon, and juvenile Chinook salmon outmigration and 
survival in the lower Merced River. NRSI proposes to monitor fish by 
conducting snorkel surveys, and employing Didson sonar cameras into 
fish weirs. NRSI proposes to capture fish by rotary screw trap and 
beach seine, anesthesize and sample fish for species identification, 
tags, marks and fin clips, lengths and weights, and release back to the 
river. NRSI requests authorization for an estimated total take of 100 
adults and 500 juveniles (with an estimated total of 10 percent non-
intentional mortality). NRSI does not propose to kill any fish being 
captured but some trapped fish may die as an unintentional result of 
research activities. No mortality is anticipated with passive 
monitoring.
    NRSI requests a 2-year permit (14688) for an estimated annual take 
of 943 juvenile Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, 97 Central 
Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, 56 Central Valley steelhead, and 125 
Southern Distinct Population Segment of North American green sturgeon 
at five irrigation diversion sites (river miles [RMs] 88.2, 90.1, 
102.5, 103.3, and 114.3) off the Sacramento River, CA. This research is 
part of an on-going investigation for developing prioritization 
criteria for fish screening projects, and will correlate fish 
entrainment with the physical, hydraulic, and habitat variables at each 
diversion site. NRSI proposes to use fyke nets to capture fish already 
entrained in diversion canals. Fish will be captured on the outfall 
side of pumped diversions and are expected to have been mortally 
injured by pressurized pipes and warm water, or lost to the water 
distribution systems. Dead and moribund fish will be identified to 
species/race, enumerated, measured, and placed back into the canals; 
any captured live fish will be immediately returned to the riverside of

[[Page 14135]]

the diversion site. Daily sampling at each diversion site will be 
performed from April 1 through December 31, in 2010, and April 1 
through December 31, 2011. NRS requests authorization for an estimated 
total take of 1,886 juvenile Sacramento River winter-run Chinook 
salmon, 194 juvenile Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, and 112 
juvenile Central Valley steelhead and 250 juvenile North American green 
sturgeon.
    CDFG requests a 5-year permit (14808) for an estimated annual take 
of 200 natural and 50 hatchery juvenile Sacramento River winter-run 
Chinook salmon, 700 natural juvenile Central Valley spring-run Chinook 
salmon and 28 natural and 112 hatchery juvenile Central Valley 
steelhead, associated with monitoring and research activities at 
Knights Landing (RM 88.5) on the mainstem Sacramento River, Central 
Valley, CA. The project will provide annual estimates of species 
abundance and migration run-timing to best address critical water 
management affecting salmonid out-migration routes. CDFG proposes to 
collect juvenile fish by paired rotary screw traps fishing continuously 
24 hours per day, 7 days per week, from October 1 through June 30. Fish 
will be sampled for identification to species and life stage, counted, 
measured and weighed. All steelhead and non-adipose fin-clipped Chinook 
salmon will be released back into the river. Chinook salmon having an 
adipose fin-clip will be sacrificed for coded-wire tag collection. 
Collected data will be summarized to provide seasonal run-timing, 
abundance, and size distribution of salmonids in the Sacramento River 
before they enter the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. CDFG requests 
authorization for an estimated total take of 1,000 natural and 250 
hatchery winter-run Chinook salmon juveniles, 3,500 natural spring-run 
Chinook salmon juveniles, and 140 natural and 560 hatchery Central 
Valley steelhead juveniles.

    Dated: March 18, 2010.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-6539 Filed 3-23-10; 8:45 am]
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