[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 222 (Thursday, November 17, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71315-71321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29762]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA824


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

[[Page 71316]]

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Applications for 13 new scientific research permits, 12 
research permit renewals, and one permit modification.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received 26 scientific 
research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon, the 
southern distinct population segment of Pacific eulachon, the southern 
distinct population segment of Pacific green sturgeon, and three 
species of rockfish from the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin. 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 December 19, 
2011.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the applications 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 email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rob Clapp, Portland, OR (ph.: (503) 
231-2314), Fax: (503) 230-5441, email: [email protected]). Permit 
application instructions are available from the address above, or 
online at https://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); threatened upper Willamette River (UWR); threatened lower 
Columbia River (LCR); endangered upper Columbia River (UCR); threatened 
Snake River (SR) spring/summer (spr/sum); threatened SR fall;
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened PS; threatened UWR, threatened 
LCR; threatened UCR; threatened SR; threatened middle Columbia River 
(MCR).
    Chum salmon (O. nerka): threatened Hood Canal (HC) summer-run, 
threatened CR.
    Coho salmon (O. kisutch): threatened LCR, threatened Oregon Coast 
(OC).
    Rockfish: Puget Sound/Georgia Basin (PS/GB) bocaccio (Sebastes 
paucispinis); PS/GB canary rockfish (Sebastes pinniger), and PS/GB 
yelloweye rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus).
    Eulachon: the southern Distinct Populations Segment (SDPS) of 
Pacific eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus).
    Pacific green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris): Threatened SDPS. 
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 1290-7R

    The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) is seeking to renew 
a permit that currently allows it to take listed salmonids while 
conducting research in the lower Columbia River from Bonneville Dam to 
the mouth of the river. The fish would be drawn from the following 
species: UCR Chinook and steelhead, SR spr/sum and fall Chinook, SR 
steelhead, SR sockeye, MCR steelhead, LCR Chinook, LCR coho, LCR 
steelhead, CR chum, UWR Chinook and steelhead. The purposes of the 
research are to (1) characterize salmonid species and population level 
abundance and timing, (2) determine growth rate, size, food habits, and 
pathogen prevalence and intensity, and (3) investigate the relationship 
between forage fish and salmonid populations. The research would 
benefit salmonids and their recovery planning by gathering information 
on species- and population-level abundance in the Lower Columbia River 
and helping determine the extent to which diseases and forage fish 
affect the fishes' growth and survival during the transition from the 
estuarine to marine environments. The NWFSC would use purse seines to 
capture the fish; they would then anesthetize them, measure them, scan 
them for tags, and fin-clip them. Some of the juvenile fish would be 
intentionally killed for laboratory analyses. The NWFSC would also 
collect and intentionally kill juvenile salmonids at the Bonneville Dam 
juvenile bypass facility. Any fish killed unintentionally would be 
retained in place of those that otherwise would be sacrificed. A small 
number of adult salmonids, SDPS green sturgeon, and SDPS eulachon may 
be captured and immediately released during the course of the research. 
The NWFSC does not intend to kill SDPS eulachon, but a few may die as a 
result of the research. No sturgeon are expected to be killed.

Permit 1318-9R

    The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is seeking to 
renew its permit to take juvenile UCR Chinook and steelhead, SR spr/sum 
and fall Chinook, SR steelhead, SR sockeye, MCR steelhead, LCR Chinook, 
LCR coho, LCR steelhead, CR chum, UWR Chinook and steelhead, and OC 
coho in streams in the Willamette and Columbia basins, and on the 
Oregon coast. The permit would cover the following projects: (1) Warm 
water fish management surveys; (2) investigations of natural production 
of spring Chinook salmon in the Mohawk system; (3) genetic 
characterization of rainbow trout in the Upper Willamette System; (4) 
fish abundance, population status, genetics and disease surveys in the 
Upper Willamette Basin; (5) native rainbow and cutthroat trout surveys 
for abundance, size composition, and migration patterns in the mainstem 
McKenzie River; (6) resident redband population estimates in the 
Deschutes River; (7) resident redband population estimates in the 
Crooked River; and (8) fish population sampling in the North Willamette 
Watershed District. The research would benefit the fish by providing 
information on population structure, abundance, genetics, disease 
occurrence, and species interactions. That information would be used to 
direct management actions to benefit listed species. Juvenile salmonids 
would be collected via boat electrofishing, and then some of them would 
be anesthetized, sampled for length and weight, allowed to recover from 
the anesthesia, and released. Most salmonids would only be shocked and 
allowed to swim away, or be netted and released immediately. The ODFW 
does not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small 
number may die as an unintended result of the activities.

[[Page 71317]]

Permit 1330-5R

    Weyerhaeuser Company (WeyCo) is seeking to renew its permit to 
annually take juvenile LCR Chinook salmon, LCR coho salmon, and LCR 
steelhead while conducting research designed to determine salmonid 
abundance, distribution, and productivity in the Toutle River subbasin 
and on lands owned by WeyCo around Mt. St. Helens in Washington. The 
information would be used to help develop and implement effective fish-
conscious forest management practices and regulations. The research 
would benefit listed species by contributing information to help WeyCo 
maintain high quality habitat and development recovery plans for listed 
species. Juvenile salmonids would be collected using backpack 
electrofishing equipment, anesthetized, sampled for biological data 
(identified, measured, weighed), allowed to recover from the 
anesthesia, and released. WeyCo does not intend to kill any of the fish 
being captured, but a small number may die as an unintentional result 
of the activities.

Permit 1339-3R

    The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) under the authorization of the Columbia 
River Intertribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is seeking to renew its 
permit to annually take adult and juvenile SR spr/sum Chinook salmon 
and SR steelhead while conducting research in a number of the 
tributaries to the Imnaha River (Cow, Lightning, Horse, Big Sheep, 
Camp, Little Sheep, Freezeout, Grouse, Crazyman, Mahogany, and Gumboot 
Creeks), the Grande Ronde River (Joseph Creek, Wenaha and Minam rivers) 
the Clearwater River (South Fork Clearwater River and Lolo Creek), and 
the Snake River (Lower Granite Dam adult trap). The Imnaha and Grande 
Ronde Rivers are in Northeast Oregon, the Clearwater is in Idaho, and 
the work in the Snake River would take place in Washington. The permit 
would be a renewal and expansion of work the NPT has been conducting 
for over a decade in the Northwest.
    The purpose of the research is to acquire information on the status 
(escapement abundance, genetic structure, life history traits) of 
juvenile and adult steelhead in the Imnaha, Grande Ronde, and 
Clearwater River basins. The research would benefit the listed species 
by providing information on current status that fishery managers can 
use to determine if recovery actions are helping increase wild Snake 
River salmonid populations. Baseline information on steelhead 
populations in the Imnaha, Grande Ronde, and Clearwater River basins 
would also be used to help guide future management actions. Adult and 
juvenile salmon and steelhead would be observed, harassed, handled, and 
marked. The researchers would use temporary/portable picket and 
resistance board weirs and rotary screw traps to capture the fish and 
would then sample them for biological information (fin tissue and scale 
samples). They may also mark some of the fish with opercule punches, 
fin clips, dyes, and PIT, floy, and/or Tyvek disk tags. Adult steelhead 
carcasses would also be collected and sampled. The researchers do not 
intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small number may 
die as an unintended result of the activities.

Permit 1341-4R

    The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes (Tribes) are seeking to renew and 
modify their permit to take SR sockeye salmon and SR spr/sum Chinook 
salmon while conducting research designed to estimate their overwinter 
survival and downstream migration survival and timing. The researchers 
would also conduct limnological studies on the lakes and monitor 
sockeye rearing. This research--which has been conducted every year 
since 1996--would continue to provide information on the relative 
success of the Pettit and Alturas Lakes sockeye salmon reintroduction 
programs and thereby benefit the listed fish by improving those 
programs. Juvenile SR sockeye salmon, spr/sum Chinook salmon, and 
steelhead would be collected at Pettit and Alturas Lakes, ID, using 
rotary screw traps and weirs. The fish would be sampled for biological 
information and released or tagged with passive integrated transponders 
and released. In addition, to determine trap efficiencies, a portion of 
the captured juvenile SR sockeye salmon would be marked with a small 
cut on their caudal fins, released upstream of the traps, captured at 
the traps a second time, and released. The Tribes do not intend to kill 
any of the fish being captured, but a small percentage may die as an 
unintended result of the research activities.

Permit 1345-7R

    The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking to 
renew for five years a research permit that currently allows them to 
take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon, LCR Chinook salmon, LCR coho 
salmon, LCR steelhead, and PS steelhead. The WDFW administers a 
multitude of water bodies through the state of Washington, and this 
permit would provide them with coverage throughout Puget Sound and the 
Lower Columbia River basin. The purpose of the warmwater fish surveys 
is to provide stock assessment of inland game fish communities and 
thereby improve fishery management. The research would benefit 
salmonids by helping managers write warmwater fish species harvest 
regulations that reduce potential impacts on listed salmonids. The WDFW 
proposes capturing fish using boat electrofishing, fyke nets, and 
gillnets. After being captured, the listed salmon and steelhead would 
be placed in aerated live wells, identified, and released. The 
researchers do not propose to kill any of the listed salmonids being 
captured, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the 
activities.

Permit 1379-6R

    The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is seeking 
to renew a permit that currently allows them to take listed salmonids 
(UCR steelhead and Chinook; LCR steelhead and Chinook; MCR steelhead; 
and SR steelhead, spr/sum Chinook, fall Chinook, and sockeye) while 
conducting research designed to increase what we know about the status 
and productivity of various fish populations, collect data on migratory 
and exploitation (harvest) patterns, and develop baseline information 
on various population and habitat parameters in order to guide salmonid 
restoration strategies. Much of the work in the permit has been 
conducted for at least 14 years--first under permit 1134, and then 
under five previous versions of 1379. The permit would comprise four 
studies: Project 1--Juvenile Upriver Bright Fall Chinook Sampling at 
the Hanford Reach; Project 2--Adult Chinook, Sockeye, and Coho Sampling 
at Bonneville Dam; Project 3--Adult Sockeye Sampling at Tumwater and 
Wells Dams; and Project 4--Acoustic trawl survey for Lake Wenatchee 
juvenile sockeye salmon. This renewal would increase slightly the 
number of fish CRITFC is allowed to handle. The research, as a whole, 
would benefit listed fish by helping managers set in-river and ocean 
harvest regimes so that they have minimal impacts on listed 
populations. It would also help managers prioritize projects in a way 
that gives maximum benefit to listed species-including projects 
designed to help the listed fish recover.
    The CRITFC would obtain fish from the adult collection facilities 
at Bonneville, Wells, and Tumwater dams. The fish would be 
anesthetized, measured, examined for marks, scale-sampled, and allowed 
to return to the river. The researchers would also use

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beach- and stick seines to capture and tag juvenile fish in the Hanford 
reach of the Columbia River and capture fish during mid-water trawls in 
Lake Wenatchee. Those fish that are not immediately released upon 
capture would be transported to a holding facility where they would be 
anesthetized, examined for marks, adipose-clipped, coded wire tagged, 
allowed to recover, and released. The CRITFC does not intend to kill 
any of the fish being captured but a small number may die as an 
unintended result of the activities.

Permit 1525-5M

    The NWFSC is seeking to modify its permit that currently allows it 
to annually take listed salmonids while studying habitat occurrence, 
diet, contaminant concentrations, and health indicators in juvenile 
salmonids from the Lower Willamette and Columbia Rivers. The NWFSC is 
requesting to increase the number of juvenile fish they may take from 
the following species: SR spring/summer Chinook salmon, SR fall Chinook 
salmon, SR steelhead, UCR Chinook salmon, UCR steelhead, MCR steelhead, 
LCR Chinook salmon, LCR steelhead, UWR Chinook salmon, UWR steelhead, 
and CR chum salmon. The purposes of the study are to (1) determine 
contaminant concentrations in fish, (2) understand bioaccumulation in 
juvenile salmon and determine site specific factors, (3) analyze for 
the presence of physiological biomarkers, and (4) investigate the 
presence of indicators of exposure to environmental estrogens. The 
research would benefit the fish by providing information to resource 
managers on contaminant presence and concentrations, fish presence, and 
habitat parameters. The NWFSC would collect samples with seines or high 
speed rope trawls in the lower Willamette River, Oregon, and in the 
Columbia River from Bonneville Dam to the mouth. Researchers would 
handle juvenile fish and intentionally kill some of them to determine 
pathogen prevalence and intensity, biochemical composition, 
histopathological attributes, and for stomach content analyses.

Permit 1566-3R

    The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5 years a research permit that 
currently allows them to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon, HC summer-run 
chum salmon, and PS steelhead. The researchers would sample fish 
throughout the Puget Sound--emphasizing urban bays such as Elliott Bay, 
Port Gardner Bay, and Commencement Bay. The objective of this study is 
to sample outmigrant juvenile salmon from various embayments in the 
Puget Sound area and screen them for exposure to estrogenic compounds, 
PBDEs, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. Juvenile Chinook 
salmon are anticipated to be the most affected by these contaminants 
because of their extended estuarine residence, so the NWFSC has chosen 
them as the target species for this study. The research would benefit 
Chinook by identifying areas in Puget Sound where they may be at risk 
due to contaminant exposure, so appropriate toxics reduction activities 
can be undertaken. The NWFSC proposes to use beach seines to capture 
fish every 6 to 8 weeks between May and September at approximately 
seven locations. Up to 60 juvenile Chinook salmon per site per sampling 
event would be weighed, measured, and euthanized with MS-222. The NWFSC 
would take bile, plasma, and stomach contents from the fish and then 
conduct whole-body analyses on them. Juvenile Chinook and other fish 
species not needed for sample collection would be counted, identified, 
and released. Any PS Chinook unintentionally killed during the research 
would be used in lieu of a fish that would otherwise be sacrificed.

Permit 1568-4R

    The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5 years a research permit that 
currently allows them to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS 
steelhead in the marshes, channels, and near-shore areas of the lower 
10 miles of mainstem channel of the Snohomish River and in Ebey, Union, 
and Steamboat sloughs. The purposes of the research are to understand 
(1) how habitat use within the estuary varies with life history type, 
(2) how habitat use varies within and between years, and (3) how 
selected biotic and physical factors affect patterns of habitat use. 
This research would benefit listed salmon by providing information to 
help recovery planning and monitoring in the Snohomish River estuary 
and other estuaries of the Puget Sound. The NWFSC proposes to use beach 
seines to capture fish. The fish would be anesthetized, measured, 
weighed, tissue-sampled, and checked for external marks and coded-wire 
tags depending on the species. A small portion of the captured juvenile 
PS Chinook would be killed for whole-body analysis, but most are not 
intended to be sacrificed. At the lab, specimens would be thawed, 
weighed, and measured. Then the researchers would remove and preserve 
fish body tissues, otoliths, and coded wire tags (from any hatchery 
fish). Any PS Chinook unintentionally killed during the research would 
be used in lieu of a fish that would otherwise be sacrificed.

Permit 1590-4R

    The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5 years a research permit that 
currently allows them to take juvenile and sub-adult PS Chinook salmon, 
HC summer-run chum salmon, PS steelhead, and PS/GB bocaccio. The NWFSC 
research may also cause them to take the following species for which 
there are currently no ESA take prohibitions: the SDPS eulachon, PS/GB 
canary rockfish, and PS/GB yelloweye rockfish. Sampling sites would be 
located throughout the Puget Sound and San Juan Islands, Washington. 
The purposes of NWFSC's research are (1) To describe the behavior and 
life history of resident Chinook salmon and (2) determine whether the 
proportion of PS Chinook salmon adopting a resident life strategy 
varies among populations and hatchery stocks. This information would be 
used to develop a conceptual model of the life history of resident PS 
Chinook. The research would benefit listed salmonids by helping 
managers develop a better understanding of the abundance, distribution, 
and habitat requirements of this life history strategy. The NWFSC 
proposes to use shoreline and boat angling, beach seining, and purse 
seining to capture the fish. All non-target species would be released 
directly from the net or line. Captured PS Chinook would be 
anesthetized, measured, checked for fin clips or coded wire tags, and 
fin clipped for tissue samples. Some first- and second-year PS Chinook 
would be outfitted with acoustic transmitters and tracked using an 
array of fixed acoustic receivers throughout Puget Sound. The 
researchers do not propose to kill any of the listed fish being 
captured, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the 
activities.

Permit 1598-3R

    The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is 
seeking to renew for 5 years a research permit that currently allows 
them to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon, UCR spring-run Chinook salmon, 
SR spring/summer-run Chinook salmon, SR fall-run Chinook salmon, LCR 
Chinook salmon, HC summer-run chum salmon, CR chum salmon, LCR coho 
salmon, OL sockeye salmon, SR sockeye salmon, LCR steelhead, PS 
steelhead, MCR steelhead, SR steelhead, and UCR steelhead. The WSDOT 
research may also cause them to take SDPS eulachon--for which there

[[Page 71319]]

are currently no ESA take prohibitions. Sample sites would be located 
throughout the state of Washington. The purposes of WSDOT's research 
are to determine the distribution and diversity of anadromous fish 
species in waterbodies crossed by or adjacent to the state 
transportation systems (highways, railroads, and/or airports). This 
information would be used to assess the impacts projects proposed at 
those facilities may have on listed species. The research would benefit 
the listed species by helping WSDOT minimize project impacts on listed 
fish to the greatest extent possible. Depending on the size of the 
stream system, the WSDOT proposes to use dip nets, stick seines, baited 
gee minnow traps, or electrofishing to capture the fish. The captured 
fish would be identified and immediately released. The researchers do 
not propose to kill any of the listed fish being captured, but a small 
number may die as an unintended result of the activities.

Permit 1601-3R

    The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is seeking to 
renew for 5 years a research permit that currently allows them to take 
juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead. Sampling sites 
would be located in Thornton, Piper's, and Venema Creeks in Seattle, 
Washington (Lake Washington subbasin). The purpose of FWS's research is 
to gather information that would help resource managers plan 
restoration projects by helping determine which project types are most 
effective at mitigating the effects of urbanization. The research would 
benefit the listed species by determining which restoration strategies 
are effective in restoring fish habitat and populations and improve 
overall salmon habitat restoration. The FWS proposes capturing fish 
using the three-pass electrofishing method. Block nets would be placed 
at the upper and lower end of a habitat site; and with a backpack 
electrofishing unit, three sequential passes would be conducted. Fish 
stunned during electrofishing would be captured with a dip net, 
identified to species, placed in an aerated holding bin, and released. 
The researchers do not propose to kill any of the listed salmonids 
being captured, but a small number may die as an unintended result of 
the activities.

Permit 16069

    The City of Portland is seeking a five-year permit to take listed 
salmonids and SPDS green sturgeon while developing the Portland 
Watershed Management Plan (Plan). The purpose of the Plan is to improve 
watershed health in the Portland area. Researchers for the City of 
Portland would sample 32 sites a year for (1) water chemistry (e.g., 
temperature, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, pathogens); (2) water level 
and velocity; (3) physical habitat characteristics (e.g., plant 
composition, substrate composition, and bank condition); and (4) fish, 
amphibian, and reptile abundance and diversity. The research would 
benefit listed salmonids by producing data to be used in conserving and 
restoring critical habitat. The researchers would use boat and backpack 
electrofishing equipment to capture, handle, and release juvenile UCR 
Chinook and steelhead, SR spr/sum and fall Chinook, SR steelhead, SR 
sockeye, MCR steelhead, LCR Chinook, LCR coho, LCR steelhead, CR chum, 
UWR Chinook and steelhead, and OC coho in the Columbia and Willamette 
rivers and tributaries in Portland, Oregon. The researchers would avoid 
contact with adult fish but may shock a few adult salmonids as well as 
adult SDPS eulachon and SDPS green sturgeon. The researchers do not 
expect to kill any listed fish, but a small number may die as an 
unintended result of the research activities.

Permit 16446

    The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) 
are seeking a 5-year permit to take MCR steelhead and, possibly, SR 
spring/summer Chinook salmon during the course of research designed to 
monitor listed fish population status in the Walla Walla River 
watershed, Washington. The data gathered (on fish abundance, trends, 
genetics, diversity, productivity, and population structure) would be 
used to inform management decisions regarding land use activities and 
listed salmonid recovery planning in the Walla Walla subbasin. The 
researchers would use rotary screw traps and backpack electrofishing 
units to capture the fish. At the screw traps, the fish would then be 
identified, measured, weighed, tissue sampled, implanted with PIT-Tags 
(if they do not already have tags), and released. Fish captured via 
electrofishing would be handled, measured, allowed to recover, and 
released in a safe area. Some adult carcasses would also be sampled. 
The researchers do not expect to kill any of the fish being captured, 
but a small number may die as an unintended result of the research 
activities.

Permit 16470

    Cramer Fish Sciences (CFS) is seeking a 1-year permit to annually 
capture, handle, and release MCR steelhead in the 1-mile reach just 
downstream from Bowman Dam on the Crooked River, Oregon. The purpose of 
the research is to establish baseline conditions (population numbers, 
presence, etc.) among the indigenous fish species in the action area so 
that it can be determined what effect the construction (and operation) 
of a small hydroelectric facility at Bowman Dam may have on those 
species. The research will benefit listed species by helping managers 
at the power facility tailor their operations to cause the least 
possible harm to the species that may be affected. The researchers will 
use backpack electrofishing equipment to capture the MCR steelhead. 
They will then measure the fish, allow them to recover, and release 
them back to the capture site. The researchers do not expect to kill 
any listed fish, but a small number may die as an unintended result of 
the research activities.

Permit 16484

    Symbiotics Energy is seeking a 1-year permit to annually capture, 
handle, and release MCR steelhead at a trapping facility just 
downstream from Bowman Dam on the Crooked River, Oregon. The study has 
two goals: (1) To describe the existing aquatic resources in the 
Crooked River downstream of a proposed hydroelectric project at Bowman 
Dam, and (2) to determine the survival and injury rates of various 
species and sizes of fish as they attempt to migrate through the 
existing flow release facilities at Bowman Dam. The research would 
benefit the fish by helping managers at the power facility determine 
the best way to conduct their operations while mitigating adverse 
effects on local fauna. The researchers would capture the MCR steelhead 
fish at a screw trap, measure them, and release them back to the river. 
The researchers do not expect to kill any listed fish, but a small 
number may die as an unintended result of the research activities.

Permit 16521

    The WDFW is seeking a 5-year permit to annually capture, handle, 
and release juvenile UCR steelhead and Chinook salmon in the Hanford 
reach of the Columbia River and near the Tri-Cities, Washington. The 
purpose of the research is to gather data on fall Chinook abundance, 
length frequency distribution, and losses in the area. The information 
collected from these surveys has been used and continues to be used to 
evaluate protections for juvenile fall Chinook under the Hanford Reach 
Fall Chinook Protection Program Agreement and gauge the efficacy of the

[[Page 71320]]

Coded Wire Tagging Program for marking of wild Up-River Bright fall 
Chinook in the Hanford Reach. These surveys can provide biologists and 
managers with definitive data on the presence of or impacts on both 
non-listed and ESA Listed Chinook and steelhead residing in near shore 
habitats in this area of the Columbia River. These data, in turn, would 
be used to help guide management actions for the benefit of the listed 
species in the future. The researchers would use beach seines and 
backpack electrofishing equipment to capture the fish. The captured 
fish would be anesthetized, measured, allowed to recover, and released 
back to the river. The researchers do not expect to kill any listed 
fish, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the 
research activities.

Permit 16550

    The Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) is seeking a 5-year research permit 
to annually take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon, HC summer-run 
chum salmon, PS steelhead, PS/GB bocaccio, and SDPS green sturgeon. The 
WFC research may also cause them to take SDPS eulachon and PS/GB canary 
rockfish--for which there are currently no ESA take prohibitions. 
Sampling would take place in the nearshore habitats of Hood Canal and 
in the Nisqually River estuary. The purpose of the research is to study 
temporal and spatial usage patterns of juvenile salmon in critical 
rearing habitats of nearshore habitats. The research would benefit the 
listed species by helping inform conservation and habitat restoration 
actions. The WFC would use beach seines and fyke nets to capture the 
fish. Once captured, all fish would be held in aerated five-gallon 
buckets of seawater, enumerated by species, measured for length, 
scanned for coded wire tags (CWT), inspected for adipose fin clips, fin 
clipped for genetic samples (only from wild juvenile Chinook), and 
released. To determine their hatchery of origin, hatchery Chinook and 
coho salmon with coded wire tags would be euthanized using an overdose 
of MS-222. The researchers do not propose to kill any other listed 
species being captured, but a small number may die as an unintended 
result of the activities.

Permit 16612

    Terrafilia is seeking a 5-year research permit to annually take 
juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead. Sampling sites would be 
located in Cornet Bay on the northern shoreline of Whidbey Island in 
Deception Pass State Park. The purpose of Terrafilia's research is to 
monitor juvenile PS Chinook salmon response to restoration activities 
in Cornet Bay. The research would benefit the listed species by 
determining if the region's restoration strategies effectively restore 
fish habitat and populations. Terrafilia would use a small beach seine 
to capture the fish. The surveys would be conducted twice a month at 10 
sites from early March through the end of June to August. One beach 
seine set would be made at each site per each sampling day. All fish 
would be enumerated by species, and fork lengths would be measured for 
the first 20 individuals of each species. The researchers do not 
propose to kill any other listed species being captured, but a small 
number may die as an unintended result of the activities.

Permit 16666

    The FWS is seeking a 5-year permit to take listed salmonids while 
conducting research on hatchery-origin steelhead in Abernathy Creek, 
Washington. The goal is to determine the natural reproductive success 
and relative fitness of hatchery-origin and natural-origin steelhead 
and to assess the overall demographic effects of hatchery fish 
supplementation in Abernathy Creek relative to two adjacent control 
streams. The research would benefit listed salmonids by producing data 
to be used in hatchery and genetic management plans. The research was 
previously permitted under a separate research authorization and has 
been ongoing for several years. The FWS would use backpack 
electrofishing equipment to capture, handle, and release juvenile 
salmonids. Steelhead are not listed in these streams, but the FWS have 
captured juvenile LCR coho salmon and observed adult LCR Chinook salmon 
in previous years of research. The FWS would avoid electrofishing near 
adult coho and Chinook. The researchers do not expect to kill any 
listed fish, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the 
research activities.

Permit 16702

    The NWFSC is seeking a 5-year research permit to annually take 
juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead in the Snohomish River 
estuary. The purposes of the research is to monitor juvenile PS Chinook 
salmon habitat use in response to multiple restoration activities at 
the Qwuloolt restoration site adjacent to Ebey Slough. Specifically, 
the goals are to identify the life history types present, their spatial 
and temporal distribution, their feeding ecology, and interactions with 
other biota. The research would benefit the listed species by 
determining if the restoration strategies are effectively restoring 
fish habitat and increasing fish populations. Sampling would take place 
year round: Biweekly from February to September, and then once a month 
from October to January. Both beach seines (mainstem habitat) and fyke 
traps (tidal channels) would be used to quantify fish distribution 
throughout the project area and in adjacent restoration sites. Up to 15 
marked and unmarked, juvenile Chinook salmon (10 from each beach seine 
sampling day, five from each fyke trap site) would be sacrificed using 
a lethal dose of MS-222 and taken to the lab for further processing. 
All other juvenile PS Chinook and all PS steelhead captured would be 
measured (fork length), counted, and released. Any PS Chinook 
unintentionally killed during the research would be used in lieu of a 
fish that would otherwise be sacrificed.

Permit 16741

    The FWS is seeking a 5-year permit to annually capture, handle, and 
release adult and juvenile MCR steelhead during the course of research 
designed to describe life history patterns of fluvial bull trout in the 
lower Walla Walla basin and investigate their use of the mainstem 
Columbia and lower Walla Walla Rivers. The research would benefit 
listed species by generating data to be used in local recovery planning 
efforts and in evaluating the effects of flow management actions in the 
mainstem Columbia and Walla Walla Rivers. The researchers would use 
sing nets, hook-and-line fishing, and screw traps to capture the fish. 
The captured fish would be identified, measured, and quickly released 
back to the river. The researchers do not expect to kill any listed 
fish, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the 
research activities.

Permit 16751

    The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is seeking a 5-year 
permit to annually take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon, HC 
summer-run chum salmon, and PS steelhead. The USGS's research may also 
cause them to take SDPS eulachon--for which there are currently no ESA 
take prohibitions. Sampling sites would be in the Cedar, Dungeness, 
Nooksack, Skagit, Skykomish, Snohomish, Snoqualmie, and Stillaguamish 
river systems of the Puget Sound. The purpose of USGS's research is to 
identify and assess Pacific lamprey distribution in Puget Sound 
watersheds. The research would benefit the listed species by providing 
information about salmonid distribution and about Pacific lamprey, an 
important

[[Page 71321]]

component to the Puget Sound ecosystem. The lamprey would be captured 
via backpack electrofishing and the use of seines. Sampling would 
target silt-mud substrates that are preferred habitats for juvenile 
lamprey but are unlikely to harbor salmonids. Samples would be taken in 
the late summer and fall before peak lamprey emigration. Electrofishing 
methods would be modified to target juvenile lamprey and would be 
unlikely to harm them or other fish species. A subsample of the 
captured lamprey would be measured and weighed (up to 30 per site) and 
up to five fish per site may be tissue sampled or sacrificed. All other 
fish (including all listed fish) would be released at the capture site. 
The researchers do not propose to kill any other listed species being 
captured, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the 
activities.

Permit 16798

    The FWS is seeking a 5-year research permit to annually take 
juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead. Sampling sites 
would be located in the south fork of the Skokomish River. The purpose 
of FWS's research is to complete an extensive assessment of engineered 
logjams (ELJs) placed in the Skokomish River by comparing a reach where 
ELJs were placed with an adjacent reach lacking ELJs. The research 
would benefit the listed species by assessing if the ELJs increase 
habitat diversity for both juvenile (rearing) and adult (holding, 
spawning) salmon and stabilize substrate in the active channel. The FWS 
proposes to capture fish using a combination of beach and purse 
seining, electrofishing, and snorkeling. Captured fish would be PIT-
tagged and injected with elastomer dyes, or soaked in a Bismarck brown 
dye. Approximately 25 fish per site would be subjected to gastric 
lavage. All fish would be released at their capture sites. The 
researchers do not propose to kill any fish, but a small number may die 
as an unintended result of the activities.

Permit 16918

    The Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) is seeking a 5-year research permit 
to annually take adult SDPS green sturgeon. The WFC research may also 
cause them to take SDPS eulachon--for which there are currently no ESA 
take prohibitions. Sampling would take place in the Grays Harbor 
estuary and the lower, tidally-influenced portions of its major 
tributaries. The purpose of WFC's research is to document the 
distribution, abundance, habitat use, and timing of juvenile salmonids 
and other fishes in the Grays Harbor estuary. The research would 
benefit listed species by helping managers plan salmonid habitat 
restoration and protection projects. Sampling would consist of beach 
seining and fyke netting. For green sturgeon, the researchers would 
measure fork length, photograph scutes, and release the fish. Eulachon 
would be transferred to buckets, measured for fork length (to determine 
potential reproductive status), enumerated, and released. The 
researchers do not propose to kill any fish, but a small number may die 
as an unintended result of the 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: November 10, 2011.
Marta Nammack,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-29762 Filed 11-16-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P