[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 20 (Monday, January 31, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5338-5339]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2130]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA183


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Issuance of a scientific research permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued scientific 
research Permit 15390 to the Resource Conservation District of the 
Santa Monica Mountains (RCD), in southern California.

ADDRESSES: The permit application, the permit, and related documents 
are available for review, by appointment, at the foregoing address at: 
Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 501 W. Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, 
Long Beach, CA 90802 (ph: 562-980-4026, fax: 562-980-4027, e-mail at: 
[email protected]). The permit application is also available 
for review online at the Authorizations and Permits for Protected 
Species Web site at https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt McGoogan at 562-980-4026, or e-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

    The issuance of permits, as required by the Endangered Species Act 
of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) (ESA), is based on a finding that such 
permits: (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 are issued in 
accordance with and are subject to the ESA and NMFS regulations (50 CFR 
parts 222-226) governing listed fish and wildlife permits.

[[Page 5339]]

Species Covered in This Notice

    This notice is relevant to the federally endangered Southern 
California Distinct Population Segment of steelhead (Oncorhynchus 
mykiss).

Permit Issued

    A notice of the receipt of an application for Permit 15390 was 
published in the Federal Register on May 7, 2010 (75 FR 25205). Permit 
15390 was issued to the RCD on October 8, 2010. Permit 15390 authorizes 
the RCD to conduct a scientific study of steelhead in Topanga Creek, 
Arroyo Sequit, and Malibu Creek. The purpose of this study is to gather 
information that will contribute to the understanding of migration 
patterns, diet, and the abundance and distribution of steelhead in the 
subject streams. Monitoring methods authorized by the permit include 
direct underwater observation techniques for estimating abundance and 
distribution of steelhead, migratory trapping, and Passive Integrated 
Transponder (PIT) tagging. Authorized sampling methods to obtain 
steelhead for abundance counts and PIT tagging include hand nets, seine 
nets, angling, fyke traps, and electrofishing.
    Permit 15390 authorizes an annual non-lethal take of 1150 juvenile 
steelhead, 100 smolts, and 10 adult steelhead as well as an annual 
collection and possession of up to 950 steelhead tissue samples and 10 
steelhead carcasses. The permit authorizes 100 smolts and up to 850 
juvenile steelhead (depending on size) to be processed for PIT tags. 
The capture of adult steelhead in fyke traps is authorized by the 
permit, but PIT tagging of adults is not. The permit authorizes gastric 
lavage to be performed on up to 30 juvenile steelhead to gather 
information on feeding habits and diet. The authorized unintentional 
lethal take for the permit is 36 juvenile steelhead annually. No 
unintentional lethal take of adult steelhead nor intentional lethal 
take of any steelhead is authorized with this permit. All mortalities 
will be sent to NMFS Protected Resource Division in Long Beach, CA for 
genetic research and processing. Field activities associated with 
Permit 15390 began in October 2010 when the permit was issued and will 
cease when the permit expires on December 31, 2020.

    Dated: January 25, 2011.
Therese Conant,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-2130 Filed 1-28-11; 8:45 am]
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