[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 180 (Friday, September 17, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56986-56987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-23269]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XY97


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION:  Applications for three new scientific research permits.

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SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received three 
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 applications 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 October 18, 
2010.

ADDRESSES:  Written comments on the applications should be sent to the

[[Page 56987]]

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, threatened middle Columbia 
River (MCR).

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 15549

    The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is seeking 
a five-year permit to expand on and extend work previously conducted 
under Permit 1532. They wish to take juvenile steelhead during the 
course of research designed to determine the fishes' freshwater 
movements and how those movements are affected by the area's 
substantially altered hydrograph. They would also collect baseline 
information on stock status. The research would take place in Satus, 
Ahtanum, Naches, and Toppenish Creeks, Washington.
    The fish would be captured using screw traps and bacckpack 
electrofishing equipment. They would then be anesthetized and measured. 
Some would be tissue-sampled and some would receive passive integrated 
transponder (PIT) tags. The information gathered would be used to 
determine the fishes' movements and abundance and monitor the ongoing 
status of the various MCR steelhead populations in the Yakima River 
subbasin. The research would benefit the fish by helping managers 
determine the effectiveness of current recovery measures and design new 
ones where needed. The CRITFC does not plan to kill any of the fish 
being captured, but a few may die as an unintentional result of the 
research

Permit 15582

    The City of Bothell (COB) in northwestern Washington State is 
seeking a new 5-year permit to take juvenile PS Chinook and steelhead 
while conducting research designed to provide information on the 
condition of fish populations in the waters around the city. The 
purpose of the research is to provide information that will help the 
COB prioritize and direct habitat restoration actions. The information 
gathered by this research would benefit the fish by helping the COB (a) 
protect important salmonid habitat and (b) measure its compliance with 
their Federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit 
and the Clean Water Act. The COB is seeking to capture fish (using 
backpack electrofishing equipment), anesthetize them, measure them, 
allow them to recover from the anesthesia, and release them. No listed 
fish are expected to die during these activities.

Permit 15695

    The Western Washington University (WWU) is seeking a new 3-year 
permit to take juvenile PS Chinook and steelhead while conducting 
research designed to (1) investigate the effects of hypoxia (decreased 
levels of oxygen in water) on fish abundance and distribution; (2) 
determine spatial and temporal variations in hypoxia in the Nooksack 
River basin; and (3) investigate the dominant mechanisms causing 
hypoxia in northwestern streams. The research is designed to provide 
information about the life history and habitat requirements for suckers 
and threatened salmonids and thus would benefit listed fish by 
enhancing the effectiveness of watershed management and conservation 
policies. The WWU is seeking to capture fish (using minnow traps), 
identify and enumerate them, and release them. No listed fish are 
expected to die during these activities.
    This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) 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: September 13, 2010.
Therese Conant,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-23269 Filed 9-16-10; 8:45 am]
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