[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 130 (Thursday, July 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39856-39857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-17076]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------



DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE



National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration



RIN 0648-XA537




Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish



AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.



ACTION: Issuance of three scientific research permits.



-----------------------------------------------------------------------



SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued Permit 15548 to 

T.R. Payne and Associates, Permit 14419 to the Sonoma County Water 

Agency, and Permit 16115 to URS Corporation.



ADDRESSES: The approved application for each permit is available on the 

Applications and Permits for Protected Species (APPS), https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov Web site by searching the permit number within the 

Search Database page. The applications, issued permits and supporting 

documents are also available upon written request or by appointment: 

Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 777 Sonoma Avenue, Room 325, Santa 

Rosa, California 95404 (ph: (707) 575-6097, fax: (707) 578-3435).



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Jahn at 707-575-6097, or e-

mail: [email protected].



SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:



Authority



    The 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 (50 CFR parts 222-226) 

governing listed fish and wildlife permits.



Species Covered in This Notice



    This notice is relevant to federally endangered Central California 

Coast coho salmon (Oncorhyncus kisutch), threatened California Coastal 

Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), and threatened Central California 

Coast steelhead (O. mykiss).



Permits Issued



Permit 15548



    A notice of the receipt of an application for a scientific research 

permit (15548) was published in the Federal Register on December 8, 

2010 (75 FR 76400). Permit 15548 was issued to T.R. Payne and 

Associates on March 21, 2011.

    Permit 15548 authorizes capture by backpack electrofishing, 

handling (measuring), and release of juvenile Central California Coast 

(CCC) steelhead. Permit 15548 authorizes unintentional lethal take of: 

juvenile CCC steelhead not to exceed 3 percent of the total number of 

fish captured. Permit 15548 does not authorize any lethal take of adult 

CCC steelhead.

    Permit 15548 is for research to be conducted in Suisun Creek, Green 

Valley Creek, and Ledgewood Creek in Solano and Napa counties in 

California. The purpose of the project is to collect data in these 

watersheds to monitor the distribution, relative abundance and 

diversity of the fish populations and to describe the existing habitat 

conditions. Permit 15548 expires on December 31, 2021.



Permit 14419



    A notice of the receipt of an application for a scientific research 

permit (14419) was published in the Federal Register on February 15, 

2011 (76 FR 8713). Permit 14419 was issued to the Sonoma County Water 

Agency on April 25, 2011.

    Permit 14419 authorizes the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) to 

take adult and juvenile California Coastal (CC) Chinook salmon, adult 

and juvenile Central California Coast (CCC) coho salmon, and adult and 

juvenile CCC steelhead associated with five research projects in the 

Russian River watershed in central California. The goal is to detect 

and depict trends in ESA-listed salmonid populations in the Russian 

River watershed and to monitor the results of salmonid habitat 

enhancement efforts in this watershed.

    Under Permit 14419, authorized researched methods include 

downstream-migrant trapping (rotary screw traps, fyke nets, and pipe/

funnel nets), electrofishing (backpack and boat), beach seining, fin-

clipping, scale sampling, passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagging, 

acoustic/radio telemetry, gastric lavage, otolith extraction, and 

anesthetizing and handling fish. Permit 14419 does not authorize any 

intentional lethal take of ESA-listed salmonids. Permit 14419 

authorizes unintentional lethal take of ESA-listed salmonids associated 

with research activities not to exceed three percent of the annual 

total expected take for each species and life-stage. Permit 14419 

expires on December 31, 2021.



Permit 16115



    A notice of the receipt of an application for a scientific research 

permit (16115) was published in the Federal Register on March 22, 2011 

(76 FR 15946). Permit 16115 was issued to URS Corporation on June 3, 

2011.

    Permit 16115 authorizes capture by backpack electrofishing, 

handling (measuring), and release of juvenile Central California Coast 

(CCC) steelhead. Permit 16115 authorizes unintentional lethal take of 

juvenile CCC steelhead not to exceed four percent of the total number 

of fish



[[Page 39857]]



captured. Permit 16115 does not authorize any lethal take of adult CCC 

steelhead.

    Permit 16115 is for research to be conducted in the Guadalupe River 

watershed in Santa Clara County, California. The main purpose of the 

project is to assess mercury levels within individuals of two non ESA-

listed target species. In addition to this work, the project will also 

collect CCC steelhead to determine CCC steelhead presence/absence, 

distribution, and to determine habitat use and preference within the 

Guadalupe River watershed. Permit 16115 expires on December 31, 2016.



    Dated: June 30, 2011.

Angela Somma,

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 2011-17076 Filed 7-6-11; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-P