[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24466-24469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9866]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XB169


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Applications for eight new scientific research permits, four 
research permit renewals, and three permit modifications.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received 15 scientific 
research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon, 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 May 24, 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 Puget Sound 
(PS); 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 PS; threatened LCR; threatened 
UCR; threatened SR; threatened middle Columbia River (MCR).
    Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened Hood Canal (HC) summer-run, 
threatened Columbia River (CR).
    Coho salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened LCR, threatened Oregon Coast 
(OC).
    Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): Threatened Ozette Lake (OL); endangered 
SR.
    Rockfish: Puget Sound/Georgia Basin (PS/GB) bocaccio (Sebastes 
paucispinis); PS/GB canary rockfish (Sebastes pinniger), and PS/GB 
yelloweye rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus).
    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 1386--6R

    The Washington Department of Ecology (WDOE) is seeking to renew for 
five years a research permit that currently allows them to take 
juvenile and adult LCR Chinook salmon, PS Chinook salmon, SR spring/
summer-run Chinook salmon, SR fall-run Chinook salmon, UCR spring-run 
Chinook salmon, CR chum salmon, HC summer-run chum salmon, LCR coho 
salmon, OL sockeye salmon, LCR steelhead, MCR steelhead, PS steelhead, 
SR steelhead, and UCR steelhead. The WDOE conducts various research 
projects to characterize toxic contaminants in resident freshwater fish 
across the state of Washington. The purpose of the research is to 
investigate the occurrence and concentrations of toxic contaminants in 
non-anadromous freshwater fish tissue, sediment, and water from sites 
throughout Washington. WDOE conducts this research in order to meet 
Federal and state regulations. The Federal Clean Water Act requires 
that all waters in the state be assessed in this manner. This research 
would benefit listed species by identifying toxic contaminants present 
in fish and thereby help inform pollution control actions such as 
removing and reducing toxic contaminant sources. The WDOE proposes to 
capture fish using backpack and boat electrofishing, beach seines, 
block, fyke, and gill nets, and angling. All captured salmon and 
steelhead would be either released immediately or held temporarily in 
an aerated live well to help them recover before being 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 1465--2R

    The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) is seeking to 
renew their permit to annually take juvenile threatened SR steelhead, 
threatened SR fall Chinook salmon, threatened SR spr/sum Chinook 
salmon, and endangered SR sockeye salmon during the course of two 
research projects designed to ascertain the condition of many Idaho 
streams. The purposes of the research are to (a) determine whether 
aquatic life is being properly supported in Idaho's rivers, streams, 
and lakes, and (b) assess the overall condition of Idaho's surface 
waters. The fish would benefit from the research because the data it 
produces would be used to inform decisions about how and where to 
protect and improve water quality in the state. The researchers would 
use backpack- and boat-electrofishing equipment to capture the fish. 
They would then be weighed and measured (some may be anesthetized to 
limit stress) and released. The IDEQ does 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 13381--2R

    The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) is seeking to renew 
their permit to annually take natural

[[Page 24467]]

juvenile SR spring/summer Chinook salmon and SR steelhead in various 
places in the Salmon River drainage in Idaho and at Little Goose and 
Lower Granite Dams on the lower Snake River. The purpose of the 
research is to continue monitoring parr-to-smolt survival and 
outmigration behavior in SR wild spring/summer Chinook salmon 
populations from Idaho. Steelhead juveniles that are inadvertently 
collected would also be tagged to help supplement an ongoing Idaho 
Department of Fish and Game study. The research will benefit the fish 
by continuing to supply managers with the information they need to 
budget water releases at hydropower facilities in ways designed to help 
protect migrating juvenile salmonids. The information gained would also 
be used to build long-term data sets on parr-to-smolt migration 
behavior and survival rates. This information, coupled with water 
quality, weather, and climate data, is intended to provide a foundation 
for understanding these populations' life histories--the knowledge of 
which is critical to building effective recovery actions. The listed 
fish would be captured (using seines, dip nets, and electrofishing), 
PIT-tagged, and released. A portion of these fish would also be 
recaptured at a smolt bypass facility, anesthetized, weighed, measured, 
and released. The researchers 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 13382--2R

    The NWFSC is seeking to renew for five years a permit that 
currently allows them to annually take juvenile threatened SR spr/sum 
Chinook salmon and natural, juvenile threatened SR steelhead at various 
places in the Snake River in Idaho and in various streams of Southeast 
Washington and Northeast Oregon. The activities under this permit have 
been under way for more than 10 years--first under Permit 1406 and then 
under the current version of Permit 13382. Under the permit, the listed 
fish would be variously captured (using seines, dip nets, traps, and 
electrofishing), anesthetized, tissue sampled, weighed, measured, and 
released.
    The purpose of the research is to continue monitoring the effects 
of supplementation among steelhead spring/summer Chinook salmon 
populations in Idaho. The research would benefit the fish by continuing 
to supply managers with the information they need to use hatchery 
programs to conserve listed species. The researchers do not intend to 
kill any of the fish being captured, but some may die as an unintended 
result of the process.

Permit 15205--2M

    The KWIAHT Center for the Historical Ecology of the Salish Sea 
(KWIAHT) is seeking to modify a 5-year research permit that currently 
allows them to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon at sampling sites near 
Lopez and Waldron islands in the San Juan Island archipelago in Puget 
Sound. The purpose of this research is to measure prey quantity and 
quality for juvenile Chinook and other salmonids when they congregate 
annually in the San Juan Islands basin. This research would benefit PS 
Chinook salmon by analyzing the importance of terrestrial prey to 
juvenile wild Chinook during their neritic life history stage. The 
KWIAHT proposes to use beach seines to capture the fish. The fish would 
be captured, anesthetized, measured, fin-clipped, sampled for stomach 
contents, allowed to recover, 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 16142--2M

    The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon 
(CTWSRO) are seeking to modify their 5-year permit that currently 
allows them to capture, handle, and release juvenile MCR steelhead in 
the John Day River, Oregon. The current purpose of the research is to 
monitor anadromous fish response to habitat restoration projects 
throughout the John Day Basin. The CTWSRO are seeking to expand upon 
that research by adding juvenile mark/recapture studies and adult 
spawning surveys in various drainages in the John Day River Basin for 
the purpose of determining adult return success and making juvenile 
abundance estimates. This new project would establish baseline 
estimates at 10 sampling locations and then resample those sites to 
evaluate the impact restoration projects have on juvenile Chinook and 
steelhead abundance. The research would continue to benefit the fish by 
helping managers determine the most effective ways to restore habitat.
    Under the expanded research, the researchers would set up survey 
reaches at each site and use block nets at the upstream and downstream 
boundaries to temporarily curtail fish movement. In those reaches, fish 
would be collected using backpack electrofishing equipment or seine 
nets. Once the fish are collected, they would be placed in an aerated 
bucket and anesthetized. They would then be counted, measured, weighed, 
marked with a caudal fin clip, allowed to recover, and released back 
into the sampling reach. A second fish sampling event (using the same 
collection methods) would be conducted within 24 hours of each initial 
survey. The researchers would use these two samples to estimate fish 
abundance and density. The surveys would be conducted at the same 
locations on an annual basis in order to assess population trends. The 
researchers do not intend to kill any listed salmonids, but a small 
number may die as an unintended result of the activities.

Permit 16298--2M

    The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes (SBT) are seeking to modify their 5-
year permit to annually take juvenile and adult SR spr/sum Chinook and 
juvenile SR steelhead in Bear Valley Creek, Idaho. The purpose of the 
research is to estimate fish abundance, smolt-to-adult return rates, 
and adult productivity in Bear Valley Creek with a high degree of 
accuracy. The researchers are seeking to continue generating 
information that may be used widely throughout the Salmon River 
subbasin. The work will benefit fish by giving managers key information 
about population status in the Salmon River subbasin which, in turn, 
will be used to inform recovery plans and land- and fish-management 
decisions. The SBT would count and monitor adult spr/sum Chinook at a 
video station and they would handle, measure, and tissue sample 
juvenile SR spr/sum Chinook and steelhead at a screw trap. They would 
also do some harvest monitoring (creel surveys) and spawning ground 
surveys. The researchers do not intend to kill any listed salmonids, 
but a small number may die as an unintended result of the activities.

Permit 16433

    The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking a 
5-year permit to annually take UCR steelhead and Chinook and MCR 
steelhead while conducting resident fish studies in portions of the 
mainstem Columbia River. They would conduct two studies under the 
permit. The first is the Rocky Reach Project Resident Fish Study. The 
intent of this project is to provide baseline data about resident fish 
(i.e., their relative abundance and species composition) in the area of 
Rocky Reach Dam. The sampling will provide baseline data for managers 
to identify potential changes in the local fish assemblages over time 
and it would benefit listed fish by helping managers

[[Page 24468]]

run recreational fisheries in the least harmful manner possible. The 
second project is the Priest Rapids Predator Index. Its purpose is to 
study northern pikeminnow populations in the area around Priest Rapids 
Dam and, in many cases, remove those predators. The research would 
benefit listed salmonids because the pikeminnow is a salmonid predator 
and monitoring and curtailing their population is likely to result in 
fewer salmon being eaten in the areas where the pikeminnow reside.
    The surveys would be conducted using boat electrofishing equipment, 
fyke nets, tangle nets, and pop-nets in the littoral zones of the 
Columbia River near Rocky Reach and Priest Rapids Dams. Any juvenile 
listed salmonids captured during the research would be sampled for 
biological information and released as quickly as possible. If adult 
listed salmonids are seen, the electrofishing equipment would be turned 
off and the fish allowed to escape. The researchers do not intend to 
kill any listed salmonids, but a small number may die as an unintended 
result of the activities.

Permit 16838

    The WDFW is seeking a 2-year research permit to annually take 
juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon. Sampling sites would be located 
in Lake Cushman on the North Fork of the Skokomish River. The purpose 
of the study is to quantify the Lake Cushman Reservoir fish species 
composition, distribution, growth, condition, pathology, toxicology, 
and life history characteristics and determine how fish community 
structure relates to reservoir productivity. This research would 
benefit PS Chinook salmon by increasing our understanding the Lake 
Cushman fish community and the threats it faces before a fish ladder is 
constructed that would allow anadromous fish passage to the lake. The 
WDFW proposes to capture fish using boat electrofishing and gill nets. 
All Chinook salmon would be held in portable net pens or aerated live 
wells, measured, weighed, sampled for scales (up to five fish from each 
size class for aging) and pelvic fin clips (<1 mm in size), and 
release. 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. If any Chinook salmon are killed, they would 
be collected for toxicology and pathology analysis.

Permit 16994

    The Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) is seeking a 3-year 
research permit to annually take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon, 
PS steelhead, Southern green sturgeon, and PS/GB bocaccio. The AFSC 
researchers may also take PS/GB canary rockfish and PS/GB yelloweye 
rockfish--species for which there are currently no ESA take 
prohibitions. The sampling sites would primarily be located near Agate 
Pass (adjacent to the Kitsap Peninsula) but may occur throughout the 
Puget Sound. The objective of the study is to use a series of common 
egg- and larva garden rearing experiments to assess the evidence for 
adaptive genetic variation among pacific cod. These experiments would 
be augmented by extensive genomic scans to identify the functional 
genes involved in localized adaptation. The research would benefit 
listed rockfish by providing genetic information to help increase our 
understanding of the species. The AFSC proposes to capture adult cod 
using hook and line by jigging gear with barbless hooks and knotless 
landing nets in shallow water (< 35m) near Agate Pass. Pot trap gear 
may also be employed at the same depths. All Chinook salmon, steelhead, 
and sturgeon would be immediately released at the capture site. If 
listed rockfish are captured, the researchers would remove a small 
portion of fin tissue for genetics studies and return the fish to the 
water via rapid submersion techniques. If an individual of these 
species is captured dead or deemed nonviable, it would be retained for 
genetic analyses. 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 17043

    The University of Washington (UW) is seeking a 2-year research 
permit to annually take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon, HC 
summer-run chum salmon, and PS steelhead. The UW researchers may also 
take PS/GB canary rockfish and PS/GB yelloweye rockfish--species for 
which, there are currently no ESA take prohibitions. Sampling would 
take place in Hood Canal. The purposes of the study are to: (1) 
Describe the magnitude and mechanisms by which hypoxia affects upper 
trophic level organisms in Hood Canal and (2) document these key 
processes and track the ecological effects of hypoxia with the goal of 
evaluating and improving corrective actions. The research would benefit 
rockfish and salmonids by helping managers better understand the 
ecological damage caused by hypoxia in Hood Canal and thus improving 
mitigation measures. The UW proposes to capture fish using a Marinovich 
mid-water trawl. Once the tow is completed, the catch would be brought 
on board a research vessel and placed into a seawater-filled holding 
tank. All salmon and steelhead deemed viable would be immediately 
released at the capture site. Dead or nonviable salmon and steelhead 
would be measured for length and weight and sampled for otoliths, 
stomach contents, and tissues. If listed rockfish are captured, the 
researchers would remove a small portion of fin tissue for genetics 
studies and return the fish to the water via rapid submersion 
techniques. If an individual of these species is captured dead or 
deemed nonviable, it would be retained for genetic analyses. 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 17062

    The NWFSC is seeking a 2-year research permit to annually take 
juvenile PS Chinook salmon, PS steelhead, and PS/GB bocaccio. The 
researchers may also take PS/GB canary rockfish and PS/GB yelloweye 
rockfish--species for which there are currently no ESA take 
prohibitions. Sampling would take place in the San Juan Islands region 
just north of Orcas Island. The purpose of the study is to monitor the 
movement patterns of yelloweye and canary rockfish using acoustic 
telemetry. The research would benefit rockfish by increasing our 
understanding of the connectivity (or lack thereof) between rockfish 
populations in the Puget Sound and populations on the outer coast. The 
NWFSC proposes to capture fish using hook and line equipment at depths 
of 50-100 meters during slack tides. Fish would slowly be reeled to the 
surface to reduce barotrauma. All Chinook salmon and steelhead would be 
immediately released at the capture site. Canary and yelloweye rockfish 
would have acoustic transmitters surgically placed in their peritoneal 
cavities. All captured ESA-listed rockfish would have a small portion 
of their fin tissue removed for genetics studies and be returned to the 
water via rapid submersion techniques. If an individual of these 
species is captured dead or deemed nonviable, it would be retained for 
genetic analysis. 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 17109

    R2 Resource Consultants (R2RC) are seeking a 3-year research permit 
to annually take juvenile PS Chinook

[[Page 24469]]

salmon and PS steelhead. Sampling sites would be located in the Lake 
Washington Ship Canal between the Ballard Locks and Shilshole Bay. The 
purpose of the study is to identify the spatial and temporal 
distribution of bull trout in the Lake Washington Ship Canal and in the 
nearshore waters of Shilshole Bay. The research would benefit listed 
fish by improving management decisions regarding operations at the 
Hiram Chittenden Locks, as well as by providing valuable information on 
the overall picture of bull trout populations and their life histories 
in Puget Sound. The researchers propose to use beach seines to capture 
the fish. All Chinook salmon and steelhead would be immediately 
released at the capture. 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 17214

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is seeking a 1-year 
research permit to annually take juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS 
steelhead. The sampling would take place in Dean Creek, Washington (a 
tributary flowing into Sequim Bay). The purpose of the study is to 
determine fish species presence and distribution in Dean Creek and its 
environs; this information would be used to inform the Dungeness 
Wildlife Refuge comprehensive conservation plan. The research would 
benefit listed salmonids by identifying and prioritizing management 
activities designed to protect fish species in this stream. The FWS 
proposes capturing fish by using backpack electrofishing equipment. 
Fish would be collected with dip nets, enumerated, allowed to recover 
in aerated water, and released back into their capture locations. 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 17222

    The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon 
(CTWSRO) are seeking a 5-year permit to annually take MCR steelhead 
during the course of research designed to determine the feasibility of 
PIT-tagging juvenile summer/fall Chinook (a non-listed species) in the 
Deschutes River, Oregon. The purpose of the research is to generate 
population metrics such as juvenile growth rates, smolt-to-adult return 
ratios, size/condition at emigration, etc. This information would be 
used to develop performance indicators for monitoring the fishes' 
status and trends. This research would benefit listed species by 
helping managers develop a picture of river health and salmonid 
population trends in the Deschutes River. That information, in turn, 
would be used in recovery planning efforts and generally incorporated 
into resource management decisions that may affect the Deschutes River. 
The researchers intend to use seines to capture the fish and all 
captured MCR steelhead will be released immediately. 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.
    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: April 19, 2012.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-9866 Filed 4-23-12; 8:45 am]
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