[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 30 (Monday, February 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8345-8349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3243]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA130


Endangered and Threatened Species; Recovery Plan Module for 
Columbia River Estuary Salmon and Steelhead

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; recovery plan module for Columbia River 
estuary salmon and steelhead.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the adoption of the Columbia River Estuary 
Endangered Species Act (ESA) Recovery Plan Module for Salmon and 
Steelhead (Estuary Module). The Estuary Module addresses the estuary 
recovery needs of all ESA-listed salmon and steelhead in the Columbia 
River Basin. All Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead ESA recovery plans 
will incorporate the Estuary Module by reference.

ADDRESSES: For additional information about the Estuary Module, contact 
Patty Dornbusch, NMFS, 1201 NE Lloyd Boulevard, Suite 1100, Portland, 
OR 97232. Electronic copies of the Estuary Module and a response to 
public comments on the Proposed Estuary Module are available online at 
http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Salmon-Recovery-Planning/ESA-Recovery-Plans/Estuary-Module.cfm. For a CD-ROM of these documents, call Joanna Donnor 
at (503) 736-4721 or e-mail a request to [email protected] with 
the subject line ``CD-ROM Request for Final Estuary Recovery Plan 
Module.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patty Dornbusch, (503) 230-5430.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), as amended (16 U.S.C. et 
seq.) requires that a recovery plan be developed and implemented for 
species listed as endangered or threatened under the statute, unless 
such a plan would not promote the recovery of the species. Recovery 
plans must contain (1) objective, measurable criteria which, when met, 
would result in a determination that the species is no longer 
threatened or endangered; (2) site-specific management actions 
necessary to achieve the plan's goals; and (3) estimates of the time 
required and costs to implement recovery actions. NMFS is the agency 
responsible for developing recovery plans for salmon and steelhead, and 
we will use the plans to guide efforts to restore endangered and 
threatened Pacific salmon and steelhead to the point that they are 
again self-sustaining in their ecosystems and no longer need the 
protections of the ESA.
    In the Columbia River basin, the following salmon evolutionarily 
significant units (ESUs) and steelhead distinct population segments 
(DPSs) are listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA: Snake 
River Sockeye salmon, Snake River spring/summer Chinook salmon, Snake 
River fall Chinook salmon, Snake River steelhead, Upper Columbia River 
spring Chinook salmon, Upper Columbia River steelhead, Middle Columbia 
River steelhead, Lower Columbia River Chinook salmon, Lower Columbia 
River coho salmon, Columbia River chum salmon, Lower Columbia River 
steelhead, Upper Willamette River spring Chinook salmon, and Upper 
Willamette River steelhead. Recovery plans are either complete or in 
development for these 13 salmon ESUs and steelhead DPSs.
    Because we believe that local support for recovery plans is 
essential, we have approached recovery planning collaboratively, with 
strong reliance on existing state, regional, and tribal planning 
processes. For instance, in the Columbia Basin, recovery plans have 
been or are being developed by regional recovery boards convened by 
Washington State, by the State of Oregon in conjunction with 
stakeholder teams, and by NMFS in Idaho with the participation of local 
agencies. We review locally developed recovery plans, ensure that they 
satisfy ESA requirements, and make them available for public review and 
comment before formally adopting them as ESA recovery plans.
    Recovery plans must consider the factors affecting species survival 
throughout the entire life cycle. The salmonid life cycle includes 
spawning and rearing in the tributaries, migrating through the mainstem 
Columbia River and estuary to the ocean, and returning to the natal 
stream. In the estuary, juvenile and adult salmon and steelhead undergo 
physiological changes needed to make the transition to and from 
saltwater. They use the varying sub-habitats of the estuary--the 
shallows,

[[Page 8346]]

side channels, deeper channels, and plume of freshwater extending 
offshore--at varying times of the year.
    While local recovery planners appropriately focus on the tributary 
conditions within their jurisdictions and domains, NMFS recognized the 
need for consistent treatment of the factors in the estuary that affect 
all of the listed salmon and steelhead in the Columbia Basin. The 
Estuary Module addresses limiting factors, threats, and needed actions 
in the Columbia River estuary for the 13 ESUs and DPSs of salmon and 
steelhead listed in the basin. Each locally developed recovery plan 
will incorporate by reference the Estuary Module as its estuary 
component.
    This approach will ensure consistent treatment across locally 
developed recovery plans of the effects of the Columbia River estuary 
as well as a system-wide approach to evaluating and implementing 
estuary recovery actions. The planning area of the Estuary Module 
overlaps to some extent with the planning areas for locally developed 
plans for lower Columbia River tributaries. This overlap occurs in the 
tidally influenced portions of the tributaries, and in such instances 
the local plans will reflect the Estuary Module but may specify actions 
at a higher level of detail.
    The Estuary Module was developed for NMFS by the Lower Columbia 
River Estuary Partnership (Estuary Partnership), contractor, and PC 
Trask & Associates, Inc., sub-contractor. The Estuary Partnership was 
established in 1995 as part of the Environmental Protection Agency's 
National Estuary Program. The Estuary Partnership's major roles are to 
convene common interests, help integrate conservation efforts, increase 
public awareness and involvement, and promote information-based problem 
solving. The Estuary Partnership is one of the primary organizations 
focused on conserving and improving the environment of the Columbia 
River estuary. The Partnership's expertise in assessment, planning, and 
stakeholder connections made it uniquely suited to develop this Estuary 
Module. PC Trask & Associates, Inc., is an environmental planning and 
project management firm with a focus on projects related to the 
Columbia River estuary. The firm also works with Federal, state, and 
local project sponsors to identify and implement ecosystem-related 
restoration projects in the estuary.
    NMFS made the draft Estuary Module available for public review as a 
Proposed Estuary Recovery Plan Module. A notice of availability 
soliciting public comments on the Proposed Estuary Module was published 
in the Federal Register on January 8, 2008 (73 FR 161). We conducted 
public meetings at the following locations, dates, and times:
     Astoria, OR, January 29, 2008, at the Columbia River 
Maritime Museum, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
     Vancouver, WA, January 31, 2008, at the Water Resources 
Education Center, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
    We received nine comment letters by mail, fax, or e-mail on the 
proposed recovery plan module from a variety of sources, including 
local, state, and Federal Government entities, nonprofit organizations, 
and interested individuals. A summary of the comments, responses, and 
changes made in the Estuary Module is available online at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Salmon-Recovery-Planning/ESA-Recovery-Plans/Estuary-Module.cfm. The final Estuary Module is also available online at http:/
/www nwr.noaa.gov/Salmon-Recovery-Planning/ESA-Recovery-Plans/Estuary-Module.cfm. This final version constitutes the Columbia River Estuary 
Endangered Species Act (ESA) Recovery Plan Module for Salmon and 
Steelhead.
    We are committed to implementing the actions in the Estuary Module 
for which we have the authority, to working cooperatively on 
implementation of other actions, and to encouraging other Federal 
agencies to implement Estuary Module actions for which they have 
responsibility and authority. We will also encourage the states of 
Washington and Oregon to seek similar implementation commitments from 
state agencies and local governments.
    We expect the Estuary Module to help us and other Federal agencies 
take a more consistent approach to future section 7 consultations and 
other ESA decisions. For example, the Estuary Module will provide 
greater biological context for the effects that a proposed action may 
have on a listed ESU or DPS. Science summarized in the Estuary Module 
will become a component of the ``best available information'' for 
section 7 consultations as well as for section 10 habitat conservation 
plans and other ESA decisions.

The Estuary Module

    The purpose of the Estuary Module is to identify and prioritize 
management actions that, if implemented, would reduce the impacts of 
limiting factors, meaning the physical, biological, or chemical 
conditions that impede salmon and steelhead survival during their 
migration through and rearing in the estuary and plume ecosystems. The 
module first identifies and prioritizes limiting factors by summarizing 
the changes that have occurred in the estuary since European settlement 
and evaluating the potential of current physical, biological, or 
chemical conditions to affect salmon and steelhead. The module next 
describes the underlying causes of these limiting factors. These causes 
are referred to as threats and can be either human or environmental in 
origin. For example, the limiting factor of flow-related estuary 
habitat changes is caused by a combination of threats including water 
withdrawals, flow regulation, natural climate cycles, and human 
contributions to global climate change. The module prioritizes the 
threats based on the significance of the limiting factor to which they 
contribute and the relative contribution of each threat to one or more 
limiting factors. Finally, the module identifies management actions 
intended to reduce the threats and increase the survival of salmon and 
steelhead during estuarine rearing and migration. Costs are included 
for each of the actions.
    The Estuary Module synthesizes diverse scientific sources and 
information provided by scientists who were consulted by the author. 
Three key documents informed the Estuary Module: Mainstem Lower 
Columbia River and Columbia River Estuary Subbasin Plan and Supplement 
(Northwest Power and Conservation Council, 2004); Salmon at River's 
End: The Role of the Estuary in Decline and Recovery of Columbia River 
Salmon (Bottom et al., 2005); and Role of the Estuary in the Recovery 
of Columbia River Basin Salmon and Steelhead (Fresh et al., 2005). 
Other sources, including staff from the NMFS Northwest Fisheries 
Science Center and Northwest Regional Office, Estuary Partnership, and 
the Washington Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board, supplemented these 
key documents. Additionally, interactions with the Northwest Power and 
Conservation Council, the Mid-Columbia Sounding Board, the Upper 
Willamette Stakeholder Team, and the Oregon Lower Columbia River 
Stakeholder Team influenced the module.

Planning Area and ESUs and DPSs Addressed

    For the purposes of the Estuary Module, the estuary includes the 
entire continuum where tidal forces and river flows interact, 
regardless of the extent of saltwater intrusion (Fresh et al., 2005; 
Northwest Power and Conservation Council, 2004). The upstream boundary 
of the planning area is Bonneville Dam,

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and the downstream boundary includes the Columbia River plume.
    During their life cycles, all listed salmon and steelhead in the 
Columbia River basin rely for some period on the Columbia River 
estuary. The Estuary Module is therefore intended to address all eight 
listed ESUs and all five listed DPSs.

Recovery Goals, Objectives, and Criteria

    Because the Estuary Module addresses only a portion of the species' 
life cycles and will be incorporated into locally developed recovery 
plans that NMFS will adopt as ESA recovery plans, it does not contain 
recovery goals and objectives or de-listing criteria. The domain-
specific recovery plans into which this Estuary Module is incorporated 
will contain those elements.

Causes for Decline and Current Threats

    The estuary and plume are considerably degraded from their 
historical condition. The Estuary Module identifies these changes, 
evaluates their potential effects on salmon and steelhead, and 
discusses their underlying causes (referred to as threats). The threats 
that have caused changes in the estuary can be broadly classified as 
habitat-related threats, threats related to the food web and species 
interactions, and other threats.
    Habitat: The estuary is about 20 percent smaller than it was 
historically (Northwest Power and Conservation Council, 2004). This 
reduction is due mostly to diking and filling used to convert the 
floodplain to agricultural, industrial, commercial, and residential 
uses. Flows entering the estuary also have changed dramatically: spring 
freshets have decreased and other aspects of the historical hydrograph 
have been altered. These changes are the result of flow regulation by 
the hydropower system, water withdrawal for irrigation and water 
supplies, and climate fluctuations.
    Flow alterations and diking and filling practices have affected 
salmon and steelhead in several ways. Access to and use of floodplain 
habitats by ocean-type ESUs (salmonids that typically rear for a 
shorter time in tributaries and a longer time in the estuary) have been 
severely compromised through alterations in the presence and 
availability of these important habitats. Shifts in timing, magnitude, 
and duration of flows have also changed erosion and accretion 
processes, resulting in changes to in-channel habitat availability and 
connectivity.
    Elevated temperatures of water entering the estuary are also a 
threat to salmon and steelhead. Degradation of tributary riparian 
habitat by land-use practices, in addition to reservoir heating, has 
caused these increased temperatures. Toxic contaminants in the estuary 
and plume have also degraded water quality. Contaminants found in the 
estuary and plume include agricultural pesticides, fertilizers, and 
industrial chemicals. Contaminants can kill salmon and steelhead 
immediately, can alter their behavior in ways that increase their 
mortality (such as making them more susceptible to predation), and can 
accumulate over time and cause increased mortality (for example by 
suppressing the fishes' immune system).
    Food Web and Species Interactions: Limiting factors related to the 
food web and species interactions result from many of the threats to 
salmon and steelhead in the estuary. Examples include relatively recent 
increases in Caspian tern and pinniped predation on salmonids, due at 
least in part to human alterations of the ecosystem, as well as the 
more complex and less understood shift from macrodetritus-based primary 
plant production to phytoplankton production. The introduction of 
exotic species is another ecosystem alteration whose impacts are not 
clearly understood.
    Other Threats: The estuary also is influenced by thousands of over-
water and instream structures, such as jetties, pilings, pile dikes, 
rafts, docks, breakwaters, bulkheads, revetments, groins, and ramps. 
These structures alter river circulation patterns, sediment deposition, 
and light penetration, and they form microhabitats that often benefit 
predators. In some cases, structures reduce juvenile access to low-
velocity habitats. Ship wake stranding is an example of another threat 
to salmon and steelhead in the estuary whose full impact is not well 
understood.

Recovery Strategies and Actions

    The Estuary Module identifies 23 management actions to improve the 
survival of salmon and steelhead migrating through and rearing in the 
estuary and plume environments. Table 1 identifies these management 
actions and shows their relationship to threats.

             Table 1--Management Actions To Address Threats
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Threat          Management action
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flow-related threats........  Climate cycles   CRE\1\-1: Protect intact
                               and global       riparian areas in the
                               climate change   estuary and restore
                               \2\.             riparian areas that are
                                                degraded.\2\
                                               CRE-2: Operate the
                                                hydrosystem to reduce
                                                the effects of reservoir
                                                surface heating, or
                                                conduct mitigation
                                                measures.\2\
                                               CRE-3: Protect and/or
                                                enhance estuary instream
                                                flows influenced by
                                                Columbia River tributary/
                                                mainstem water
                                                withdrawals and other
                                                water management actions
                                                in tributaries.\2\
                              Water            CRE-3: Protect and/or
                               withdrawal.      enhance estuary instream
                                                flows influenced by
                                                Columbia River tributary/
                                                mainstem water
                                                withdrawals and other
                                                water management actions
                                                in tributaries.
                              Flow regulation  CRE-4: Adjust the timing,
                                                magnitude, and frequency
                                                of hydrosystem flows
                                                (especially spring
                                                freshets) entering the
                                                estuary and plume to
                                                better reflect the
                                                natural hydrologic
                                                cycle, improve access to
                                                habitats, and provide
                                                better transport of
                                                coarse sediments and
                                                nutrients in the estuary
                                                and plume.
                                               CRE-3: Protect and/or
                                                enhance estuary instream
                                                flows influenced by
                                                Columbia River tributary/
                                                mainstem water
                                                withdrawals and other
                                                water management actions
                                                in tributaries.
Sediment-related threats....  Entrapment of    CRE-5: Study and mitigate
                               fine sediment    the effects of
                               in reservoirs.   entrapment of fine
                                                sediment in reservoirs,
                                                to improve nourishment
                                                of the estuary and
                                                plume.

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                              Impaired         CRE-6: Reduce the export
                               transport of     of sand and gravels via
                               coarse           dredge operations by
                               sediment.        using dredged materials
                                                beneficially.
                                               CRE-8: Remove or modify
                                                pilings and pile dikes
                                                with low economic value
                                                when removal or
                                                modification would
                                                benefit juvenile
                                                salmonids and improve
                                                ecosystem health.
                                               CRE-4: Adjust the timing,
                                                magnitude, and frequency
                                                of hydrosystem flows
                                                (especially spring
                                                freshets) entering the
                                                estuary and plume to
                                                better reflect the
                                                natural hydrologic
                                                cycle, improve access to
                                                habitats, and provide
                                                better transport of
                                                coarse sediments and
                                                nutrients in the estuary
                                                and plume.
                              Dredging.......  CRE-7: Reduce entrainment
                                                and habitat effects
                                                resulting from main- and
                                                side-channel dredge
                                                activities and ship
                                                ballast intake in the
                                                estuary.
Structural threats..........  Pilings and      CRE-8: Remove or modify
                               pile dike        pilings and pile dikes
                               structures.      with low economic value
                                                when removal or
                                                modification would
                                                benefit juvenile
                                                salmonids and improve
                                                ecosystem health.
                              Dikes and        CRE-9: Protect remaining
                               filling.         high-quality off-channel
                                                habitat from degradation
                                                and restore degraded
                                                areas with high
                                                intrinsic potential for
                                                high-quality habitat.
                                               CRE-10: Breach, lower, or
                                                relocate dikes and
                                                levees to establish or
                                                improve access to off-
                                                channel habitats.
                              Reservoir-       CRE-2: Operate the
                               related          hydrosystem to reduce
                               temperature      the effects of reservoir
                               changes.         surface heating, or
                                                conduct mitigation
                                                measures.
                              Over-water       CRE-11: Reduce the square
                               structures.      footage of over-water
                                                structures in the
                                                estuary.
                              Increased        CRE-10: Breach, lower, or
                               phytoplankton    relocate dikes and
                               production.      levees to establish or
                                                improve access to off-
                                                channel habitats.
Food web-related threats....  Altered          CRE-13: Manage pikeminnow
                               predator/prey    and other piscivorous
                               relationships.   fish, including
                                                introduced species, to
                                                reduce predation on
                                                salmonids.
                                               CRE-14: Identify and
                                                implement actions to
                                                reduce salmonid
                                                predation by pinnipeds.
                                               CRE-15: Implement
                                                education and monitoring
                                                projects and enforce
                                                existing laws to reduce
                                                the introduction and
                                                spread of invasive
                                                plants.
                                               CRE-16: Implement
                                                projects to redistribute
                                                part of the Caspian tern
                                                colony currently nesting
                                                on East Sand Island.
                                               CRE-17: Implement
                                                projects to reduce
                                                double-crested cormorant
                                                habitats and encourage
                                                dispersal to other
                                                locations.
                                               CRE-18: Reduce the
                                                abundance of shad in the
                                                estuary.
                                               CRE-8: Remove or modify
                                                pilings and pile dikes
                                                with low economic value
                                                when removal or
                                                modification would
                                                benefit juvenile
                                                salmonids and improve
                                                ecosystem health.
                              Ship ballast     CRE-19: Prevent new
                               practices.       introductions of aquatic
                                                invertebrates and reduce
                                                the effects of existing
                                                infestations.
                                               CRE-7: Reduce entrainment
                                                and habitat effects
                                                resulting from main- and
                                                side-channel dredge
                                                activities and ship
                                                ballast intake in the
                                                estuary.
Water quality-related         Agricultural     CRE-20: Implement
 threats.                      practices.       pesticide and fertilizer
                                                best management
                                                practices to reduce
                                                estuarine and upstream
                                                sources of nutrients and
                                                toxic contaminants
                                                entering the estuary.\3\
                                               CRE-1: Protect intact
                                                riparian areas in the
                                                estuary and restore
                                                riparian areas that are
                                                degraded.
                                               CRE-9: Protect remaining
                                                high-quality off-channel
                                                habitat from degradation
                                                and restore degraded
                                                areas with high
                                                intrinsic potential for
                                                high-quality habitat.
                              Urban and        CRE-21: Identify and
                               industrial       reduce terrestrially and
                               practices.       marine-based industrial,
                                                commercial, and public
                                                sources of pollutants.
                                               CRE-22: Restore or
                                                mitigate contaminated
                                                sites.
                                               CRE-23: Implement
                                                stormwater best
                                                management practices in
                                                cities and towns.\3\
                                               CRE-1: Protect intact
                                                riparian areas in the
                                                estuary and restore
                                                riparian areas that are
                                                degraded.
                                               CRE-9: Protect remaining
                                                high-quality off-channel
                                                habitat from degradation
                                                and restore degraded
                                                areas with high
                                                intrinsic potential for
                                                high-quality habitat.
Other threats...............  Riparian         CRE-1: Protect intact
                               practices.       riparian areas in the
                                                estuary and restore
                                                riparian areas that are
                                                degraded.
                              Ship wakes.....  CRE-12: Reduce the
                                                effects of vessel wake
                                                stranding in the
                                                estuary.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ CRE = Columbia River estuary.

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\2\ Study of the impacts of global climate change is an evolving field,
  and additional research is needed to understand the phenomenon's
  likely effects on estuarine habitats and processes with specificity.
  At this time, the Independent Scientific Advisory Board of the
  Northwest Power and Conservation Council expects that the regional
  effects of global climate change in the next century will include more
  precipitation falling as rain rather than snow, reduced snow pack, and
  late-summer/early-fall stream flows, and associated rises in stream
  temperature (Independent Scientific Advisory Board 2007). The climate-
  related management actions in Table 1 reflect these expected impacts.
  Although the management actions clearly would not change the threat of
  global climate change itself, they have the potential to lessen its
  impact on salmonids in the estuary. Even if climate cycles and global
  climate change have effects different from those assumed in this
  document, the management actions that Table 1 associates with climate
  would provide benefits to salmonids by addressing other threats, such
  as water withdrawal, urban and industrial practices, and reservoir
  heating. All three of the management actions associated with climate
  in Table 1 are associated with other threats listed in Table 1.
\3\ Unless otherwise noted, the term best management practices is used
  in the Estuary Module to indicate general methods or techniques found
  to be most effective in achieving an objective. NMFS envisions that in
  implementation, specific best management practices would be developed
  or recommended.
Note: Italics indicate an action's second occurrence in the table, in
  connection with a different threat.

    Identifying management actions that could reduce threats to salmon 
and steelhead as they rear in or migrate through the estuary is an 
important step toward improving conditions for salmonids during a 
critical stage in their life cycles. However, actual implementation of 
management actions is constrained by a variety of factors, such as 
technical, economic, and private property considerations. In some 
cases, it will be impossible to realize an action's full potential 
because its implementation is constrained by past societal decisions 
that are functionally irreversible. An important assumption of the 
Estuary Module is that the implementation of each of the 23 management 
actions is constrained in some manner.
    The Estuary Module makes another important assumption about 
implementation: although implementation of actions is constrained, even 
constrained implementation can make important contributions to the 
survival of salmonids in the estuary and plume.
    Within the context of these two fundamental assumptions, the 
Estuary Module evaluates the costs and potential benefits of recovery 
actions.

Potential Survival Benefits

    To help characterize potential survival improvements, the Estuary 
Module uses a planning exercise that involves distributing a plausible 
survival improvement target of 20 percent across the actions to 
hypothesize the portion of that total survival improvement target that 
might result from each action. The primary purpose of the survival 
improvement target is to help compare the relative potential benefits 
of different management actions. The survival improvement target does 
not account for variation at the ESU, population, and subpopulation 
scales, and is not intended for use in life cycle modeling, except as a 
starting point in the absence of more rigorous data.

Time and Cost Estimates

    Each action in the Estuary Module is broken down into a number of 
specific projects or units, and per-unit costs for each project are 
identified. The costs reflect assumptions about the constraints to 
implementation and the degree to which it is possible to reduce those 
constraints.
    Given those constraints, the Estuary Module estimates that the cost 
of implementing all 23 actions and associated research and monitoring 
over a 25-year time period is $592.15 million. Costs of tributary 
actions and the total estimated time and cost of recovery for each 
affected ESU or DPS will be provided in ESU- and DPS-level recovery 
plans.

Monitoring and Adaptive Management

    Research, monitoring, and evaluation (RME) within an adaptive 
management framework is a critical element of recovery planning for 
ESA-listed species. Monitoring for the Estuary Module will build on 
ongoing efforts. In particular, the Federal Columbia River Estuary 
Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation Program (Johnson et al., 2008) is 
an appropriate monitoring plan on which to base RME for the Estuary 
Module, particularly because it links Estuary Module RME to RME for the 
2008 Federal Columbia River Power System Biological Opinion and its 
2010 Supplement (NMFS, 2008 and 2010). The Estuary Module also 
identifies other applicable monitoring plans and guidance documents as 
well as additional monitoring needs, particularly in the area of action 
effectiveness monitoring.

Conclusion

    The Estuary Module contributes to all the Columbia Basin salmon and 
steelhead recovery plans by analyzing limiting factors and threats 
related to survival of listed salmon and steelhead in the Columbia 
River estuary, identifying site-specific management actions related to 
those limiting factors and threats, and estimating the cost and time to 
implement those actions. NMFS will incorporate the Estuary Module by 
reference into all Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead recovery plans. 
We conclude that the Estuary Module provides information that helps to 
meet the requirements for recovery plans under ESA section 4(f), and 
adopt it as a component of Columbia Basin ESA recovery plans.

References

    A complete list of all references cited herein is available upon 
request (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section).

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.

    Dated: February 9, 2011.
Therese Conant,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-3243 Filed 2-11-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P