[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 145 (Thursday, July 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 44760]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-18667]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XX86


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 permits.

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SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received one 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. The application may be viewed online at: https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/preview_open_for_comment.cfm

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 August 30, 
2010.

ADDRESSES:  Written comments on the application 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:  Garth Griffin, Portland, OR (ph.: 
503-231-2005, Fax: 503-230-5441, e-mail: [email protected]. Permit 
application instructions are available from the address above, or 
online at apps.nmfs.noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following listed species are covered in this notice:
    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): threatened Puget Sound 
(PS).
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened PS.

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 1568-3M

    The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) is seeking to modify 
Permit 1568-2M, which they currently hold and which would be in effect 
until December 31, 2011. The current permit authorizes the NWFSC to 
take juvenile PS Chinook salmon and steelhead while conducting research 
designed to provide information on their basic life histories, ecology, 
and genetic compositions in the Snohomish River estuary and three of 
its major distributary sloughs (Ebey, Union and Steamboat) in northwest 
Washington State. The research is designed to (1) characterize the 
ecology of existing Chinook salmon populations and life history types 
in the Snohomish River estuary, and (2) evaluate how effectively 
habitat protection and restoration actions in the estuary help Chinook 
salmon populations in the Snohomish River basin. The information 
gathered by this research would benefit the fish by helping recovery 
planning in the Snohomish River estuary and other estuaries of the 
Puget Sound. The modification would allow the NWFSC to increase the 
number of fish taken due to an increase in sampling effort. The 
increase in effort consists of adding sites in the estuary and 
increasing the number of sampling days. The NWFSC is seeking to capture 
fish (using fyke nets and beach seines); anesthetize them; measure 
them, weigh them, check them for external marks and coded wire tags; 
and release them. A portion of the captured fish would be killed for 
full necropsy. A small portion of the captured fish may be 
unintentionally killed; however accidental mortalities would be used in 
place of sacrificed fish whenever possible.
    This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(a) of the ESA. NMFS 
will evaluate the applications, associated documents, and comments 
submitted to determine whether the applications meet 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: July 23, 2010.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-18667 Filed 7-28-10; 8:45 am]
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