[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 46 (Monday, March 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13279-13280]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-05089]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD161


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Receipt of one permit application and one permit modification 
request 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 and one permit modification 
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 applications 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) 930-3706 or 
fax (916) 930-3629.

DATES: Written comments on the permit applications or modification 
request must be received at the appropriate address or fax number (see 
ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on April 9, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the application or modification request 
should be submitted to: NMFS West Coast Region, 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].

[[Page 13280]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amanda Cranford, Sacramento, CA 
(phone: (916) 930-3706, email: [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Species Covered in This Notice

    This notice is relevant to federally threatened California Central 
Valley steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), threatened Central Valley 
spring-run Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), endangered Sacramento River 
winter-run Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), and the 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 permit applications 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.

Applications Received

Permit 18251

    The Marine Science Institute (MSI) is requesting a 5-year 
scientific research and enhancement permit for take of Sacramento River 
winter-run Chinook salmon smolts, Central Valley spring-run Chinook 
salmon smolts, California Central Valley steelhead smolts, and juvenile 
SDPS green sturgeon associated with monitoring and research activities 
conducted in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta), Central Valley, 
California.
    The purpose of this research is to educate local 6th graders and 
their parents about the Delta ecosystem and to teach them how to be 
better stewards of the watershed. Part of this education process 
involves using an otter trawl to bring up a sample of local fish 
species in order to study them. The students learn about how their 
actions can affect the watershed and the life with in it (topics 
include their personal water use/conservation practices, wastewater 
versus storm drains, disposal of trash/recycling, contaminates/
biomagnification, and household hazardous waste disposal). Students 
also learn about local native, non-native, threatened, and endangered 
animals. Overall this increases the general public's knowledge and 
stewardship role in protecting the Delta and its inhabitants. This in 
turn increases the survival chances of the species of concern in an 
area that is politically charged around Delta issues.
    The students will go on a 3.5 hour voyage. During the voyage they 
will rotate through four stations: Hydrology (discussion based), 
Benthic (mud grab and invertebrate study), Plankton (plankton tow and 
identification), and Ichthyology (Otter trawl and fish identification). 
During the Ichthyology station a five minute mid-water trawl using an 
Otter trawl will be used to collect fish for the students to study. The 
net will emptied by instructional staff into a tank that is constantly 
refilled with water from the Delta. Any species of concern is then 
identified and immediately released back into the Delta. Fish are 
transferred from the tank back into Delta by buckets filled with water 
from the Delta to minimize the amount of stress the fish experiences.

Modification Request Received

Permit 17428--Modification 1

    Permit 17428 was issued to the United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service (USFWS) on January 23, 2013 for take of adult, smolt, and fry 
California Central Valley steelhead, juvenile Sacramento River winter-
run Chinook salmon and juvenile Central Valley spring-run Chinook 
salmon associated with research activities in the Lower American River, 
in Sacramento County, California.
    The modification is being requested because the original permit 
application underestimated the number of California Central Valley 
steelhead and Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon that would be 
caught by the American River rotary screw traps (RSTs). As described in 
the application, a higher take limit for those taxa is being requested, 
and those numbers more closely reflect the actual number of ESA-listed 
salmonids that were caught during the 2013 sampling season and could be 
caught in future years. Other language in the original permit 
application, e.g., the data collection procedures and avoidance and 
minimization measures, are hereby incorporated into the modified 
application without change
    Two to four RSTs will be deployed on the American River downstream 
of the Watt Avenue Bridge from 2014 through 2017. Each year, RSTs will 
be operated 5--7 days each week between January 1 and June 30. Trap 
operations will focus on the collection of the juvenile life stage of 
ESA-listed California Central Valley steelhead and non-listed fall-run 
Chinook salmon. If salmon that may be ESA-listed Central Valley spring- 
or Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon are captured, fin clips 
will be taken so those samples can be used in genetic studies to 
determine which runs are actually present. Captured fish will be 
released alive immediately downstream of the RSTs. The proposed 
monitoring project does not include activities designed to 
intentionally result in the death of listed taxa. Ten measures designed 
to reduce adverse effects relating to the monitoring project will be 
undertaken, e.g., servicing traps each day so none of the captured fish 
experience a hold time in excess of 24 hours.

    Dated: March 4, 2014.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-05089 Filed 3-7-14; 8:45 am]
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