[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 165 (Friday, August 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 51520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20929]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC171


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Receipt of application for scientific research and enhancement.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received one scientific 
research and enhancement permit application request relating to 
anadromous species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The 
proposed research activities are intended to increase knowledge of the 
species and to help guide management and conservation efforts. The 
application and related documents may be viewed online at: https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/preview_open_for_comment.cfm. These 
documents are also available upon written request or by appointment by 
contacting NMFS by phone (916) 930-3607 or fax (916) 930-3629.

DATES: Written comments on the permit applications must be received at 
the appropriate address or fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 
p.m. Pacific standard time on September 24, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on either application should be submitted 
to the Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 650 Capitol Mall, Room 5-
100, Sacramento, CA 95814. Comments may also be submitted via fax to 
(916) 930-3629 or by email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amanda Cranford, Sacramento, 
California, ph.: 916-930-3706, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Species Covered in This Notice

    This notice is relevant to federally threatened California Central 
Valley (CCV) steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), threatened Central Valley 
(CV) spring-run Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), endangered Sacramento 
River (SR) winter-run Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), and threatened 
southern distinct population segment of North American (sDPS) green 
sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris).

Authority

    Scientific research permits are issued in accordance with section 
10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) and regulations 
governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 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 which are the subject of the 
permits; and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policies set 
forth in 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 the application listed in this 
notice should set out the specific reasons why a hearing on the 
application(s) would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). Such hearings are 
held at the discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 
NMFS.

Application Received

Permit 17077

    The University of California, Davis is requesting a 4-year 
scientific research and enhancement permit to take adult and juvenile 
CCV steelhead, SR winter-run Chinook salmon, CV spring-run Chinook 
salmon, and sDPS green sturgeon associated with research activities in 
the Cache Slough Complex, Sherman Lake, and Suisun Marsh in the San 
Francisco estuary, California. In the studies described below, 
researchers do not expect to kill any listed fish but a small number, 
up to 20 percent (equivalent to one fish), may die as an unintended 
result of the research activities.
    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is dominated by deep-water aquatic 
habitats that tend to support invasive fishes such as largemouth bass 
and not native species. Relatively little shallow water and marsh (SWM) 
habitat remains, although it dominated the Delta before the 1850s. In 
other estuaries, such areas are critical for fish reproduction, fish 
rearing, and fish foraging. However, in the San Francisco Estuary 
(SFE), there are limited data on fish usage of such habitat, in part 
because of the difficulty in effectively sampling SWM regions. The 
purpose of this project is to develop better understanding of how 
physical habitat, flow and other factors interact to maintain 
assemblages of native and non-native aquatic species in the upper SFE.
    The project will span three distinct regions across the SFE: (1) 
The Cache-Lindsay Slough complex, (2) the Sherman Lake complex and (3) 
Suisun Marsh. The survey methods will be the same for each of these 
regions, and will include otter trawling, beach seining and 
electrofishing. Water quality and habitat data will be collected 
concurrently.
    The project specifically targets splittail and other native minnow 
populations. Some incidental take of ESA listed salmonids and sDPS 
green sturgeon may be expected. All sampled fish will be placed in a 
bucket of aerated, ambient water, examined for responsiveness and 
returned to the water as soon as possible with minimal handling that 
will include species identification and length estimates.

    Dated: August 21, 2012.
Dwayne Meadows,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-20929 Filed 8-23-12; 8:45 am]
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