[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 242 (Friday, December 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78242-78243]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32286]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA866


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Application for a research permit renewal.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received a scientific 
research

[[Page 78243]]

permit application request relating to Pacific salmon and the southern 
distinct population segment of Pacific eulachon. 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 application 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 January 17, 
2012.

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 upper 
Willamette River (UWR); threatened lower Columbia River (LCR); 
endangered upper Columbia River (UCR); threatened Snake River (SR) 
spring/sum (spr/sum); threatened SR fall;
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened UWR, threatened LCR; 
threatened UCR; threatened SR; threatened middle Columbia River 
(MCR).
    Chum salmon (O. nerka): threatened CR.
    Coho salmon (O. kisutch): threatened LCR.
    Eulachon: the southern Distinct Populations Segment (SDPS) of 
Pacific eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus).

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 1461-5R

    The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is seeking to renew for 
five years a research permit that would allow them to take all fish 
species covered in this notice while conducting research at Crims 
Island and the Julia Butler Hanson National Wildlife Refuge in the 
lower Columbia River. The purpose of the research is to determine fish 
species composition, habitat use, and diet in the areas sampled. The 
data gathered would be used to guide and determine the effectiveness of 
habitat restoration activities in the lower Columbia River. The species 
would benefit from well-planned and monitored habitat restoration 
activities as well as (ultimately) the restored habitat itself. Permit 
1461 has been in place since 2004; the USGS is requesting that the 
permit be issued for an additional five years. Juvenile salmonids would 
be collected (using beach seines, Fyke nets, backpack electrofishing, 
and boat electrofishing), and variously anesthetized, measured for 
length and weight, sampled for stomach contents and scales, marked 
(using fluorescent elastomers, Pan-jet needle-less inocculators, or 
batchmarked with a flourochrome dye), PIT tagged, allowed to recover 
from the anesthesia, and released. Not all fish would undergo all these 
procedures, but all would be anesthetized. The USGS does not intend 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: December 12, 2011.
Lisa Manning,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-32286 Filed 12-15-11; 8:45 am]
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