[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 55 (Friday, March 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15729-15731]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-06154]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD187


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Applications for six new scientific research permits, one 
permit modification, and three research permit renewals.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received 10 scientific 
research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon, 
sturgeon, rockfish, and 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 
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 April 21, 
2014.

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 California 
Coastal (CC); threatened Central Valley spring-run (CVS); threatened 
Lower Columbia River (LCR); threatened Puget Sound (PS); endangered 
Sacramento River winter-run (SRW); threatened Snake River (SR) fall-
run; threatened SR spring/summer-run (spr/sum); endangered Upper 
Columbia River (UCR) spring-run; threatened Upper Willamette River 
(UWR).
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened UCR; threatened SR; threatened 
middle Columbia River (MCR); threatened California Central Valley 
(CCV); threatened LCR; threatened Northern California (NC); threatened 
PS; threatened South-Central California Coast (SCC); threatened UWR.
    Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): endangered SR.
    Chum salmon (O. keta): threatened Columbia River (CR).
    Coho salmon (O. kisutch): threatened LCR; threatened Oregon Coast 
(OC); threatened Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast (SONCC).
    Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus): threatened southern DPS (S. 
eulachon).

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 1127-4R

    The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are seeking to renew their permit to 
annually take listed SR Chinook salmon and steelhead while conducting 
research designed to (1) monitor adult and juvenile fish in key upper 
Snake River subbasin watersheds, (2) assess the utility of hatchery 
Chinook salmon in increasing natural populations in the Salmon and 
Clearwater Rivers, and (3) evaluate the genetic and ecological impacts 
of hatchery Chinook salmon on natural populations. The fish would 
primarily benefit from the research in two ways. First, the research 
would broadly be used to help guide restoration and recovery efforts 
throughout the Snake River basin. Second, and more specifically, the 
research would be used to determine how hatchery supplementation can be 
used as a tool for salmon recovery. The researchers would use screw 
traps, weirs, and electrofishing to capture the listed fish. Once 
captured, the fish would undergo various sampling, tagging, and 
handling regimes; they would then be allowed to recover and released. 
Some tissue samples would be taken from adult fish carcasses, and the 
researchers would conduct some snorkeling surveys and redd counts. In 
all cases, trained crews would conduct the operations, no adult 
salmonids would be electrofished, and all activities would take place 
in the Salmon River subbasin. The researchers are not proposing to kill 
any of the fish they capture, but some may die as an unintended result 
of the research.

Permit 1410-8R

    The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) is requesting to 
renew permit 1410 for a period of five years. The permit would 
authorize the NWFSC to annually take adult and juvenile fish from all 
of the listed salmon, steelhead, and eulachon in this notice while 
conducting a study of the Columbia River plume and the surrounding 
ocean environment. The purpose of the research is to: (a) Determine the 
abundance, distribution, growth and condition of juvenile Columbia 
River

[[Page 15730]]

salmonids in the plume and characterize the area's physical and 
biological features as they relate to salmonid survival; (b) determine 
the impact that predators and food supply have on survival among 
juvenile Columbia River Chinook and coho salmon as they migrate through 
the Columbia River estuary and plume; and (c) synthesize the early 
ocean ecology of juvenile Columbia River salmonids, test mechanisms 
that control salmonid growth and survival, and produce ecological 
indices that forecast salmonid survival. The research would benefit 
listed fish by providing data that would help managers understand the 
linkages between salmonid abundance, distribution, growth, genetics, 
and health, and the effects of disease, parasites, diet, and predation 
in the estuarine and ocean environment. Ultimately, the NWFSC uses 
simulation models, statistical analyses of climate, ocean and 
biological time series data and indices to produce improved river and 
salmon management.
    Listed fish would be captured in surface trawling and purse seining 
operations; most of them would then be handled and. Some juvenile fish 
would be intentionally killed for endocrine assessment, stock 
identification, pathogen prevalence and intensity, otolith and stomach 
content analysis, and histopathological attributes. The researchers are 
not proposing to kill any adult fish, but some may die as an 
unintentional result of the research activities.

Permit 14457-5R

    The Columbia River Estuary Study Task Force (CREST) is requesting 
to renew permit 14457 for a period of one year. CREST is requesting 
authorization to annually take juvenile OC coho salmon while conducting 
research designed to evaluate habitat restoration efforts in Ecola 
Creek, Oregon. Specific objectives are to (1) determine species 
composition and relative abundance; (2) determine prey use by juvenile 
salmon; and (3) determine prey availability. The researchers would 
capture juvenile fish using trap nets. Juvenile coho would be 
anesthetized, identified, measured, weighed, checked for tags and 
marks, and released. Some of the captured salmonids would also be 
sampled for stomach contents. The researchers are not proposing to kill 
any of the fish they capture, but a small number may die as an 
unintended result of the activities.

Permit 15207-3M

    The Amnis Opes Institute (AOI) has requested to modify permit 15207 
to include additional survey sites and to extend the duration of the 
permit by two years. The permit would authorized AOI to annually take 
juvenile and adult UCR Chinook salmon, SR fall-run Chinook salmon, SR 
spr/sum Chinook salmon, LCR Chinook salmon, UWR Chinook salmon, PS 
Chinook salmon, CR chum salmon, HCS chum salmon, LCR coho salmon, OC 
coho salmon, SONCC coho salmon, SR sockeye salmon, UCR steelhead, SR 
steelhead, MCR steelhead, LCR steelhead, UWR steelhead, and PS 
steelhead while conducting research designed to help managers assess 
the condition of rivers and streams in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. 
The AOI researchers may capture fish (using raft-mounted electrofishing 
equipment), sample them for biological information, and release them. 
Stunned fish would be recovered in a soft mesh dipnet and placed in a 
livewell. The research locations would be randomly determined and the 
researchers would alternate sides of the river every other transect, 
stopping every 5 channel widths to process the fish. After being 
captured, each fish would be removed from the livewell and the 
researchers would record species and length and note the presence of 
any anomalies. The fish would then be returned to the water alive and 
listed species would be processed first. If adult fish are seen, the 
electrofishing equipment would immediately be turned off, the fish 
would be allowed to swim away, and the researches would move to another 
location before resuming the research. The researchers are not 
proposing to kill any of the fish they capture, but a small number may 
die as an unintended result of the activities.

Permit 18562

    The AOI has requested a permit to collect environmental samples in 
rivers and streams in the state of Washington while conducting 
Washington's Status and Trends Monitoring for Watershed Health and 
Salmon Recovery--a statewide habitat and biological monitoring program. 
The permit would authorize AOI to take juvenile and adult UCR Chinook 
salmon, SR fall-run Chinook salmon, SR spr/sum Chinook salmon, LCR 
Chinook salmon, PS Chinook salmon, CR chum salmon, HCS chum salmon, LCR 
coho salmon, UCR steelhead, SR steelhead, MCR steelhead, LCR steelhead, 
and PS steelhead. The goal of status and trends monitoring is to 
provide quantitative, statistically valid estimates of habitat and 
water quality that are important for policy and management decisions. 
The AOI would monitor seven status and trends regions statewide on a 
four-year cycle. The information gathered by this research would 
benefit listed salmonids by helping resource managers evaluate the 
effectiveness of habitat restoration efforts and monitor aquatic 
species status and trends. The AOI would capture fish using boat 
electrofishing equipment; the listed fish would be enumerated, 
measured, and released immediately. At no time would adults be 
electrofished. If any adults are seen during the electrofishing 
operation, the equipment would immediately be turned off and the fish 
would be allowed to escape. If an adult is seen, the researchers would 
move the operation. And in no case would the electrofishing take place 
where fish are actively spawning. The researchers are not proposing to 
kill any of the fish they capture, but a small number may die as an 
unintended result of the activities.

Permit 18620

    The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon 
(CTWSRO) is seeking a five-year permit to study Pacific lamprey 
population status and migration patterns in Fifteen Mile Creek and Hood 
River and their tributaries in Oregon. The researchers would capture 
lamprey by hand--and dipnetting, fyke netting, hoop netting, passive 
trapping, and electrofishing at very low settings. Adult lamprey would 
be measured, tagged with PIT tags or, in some cases, radio tags, 
allowed to recover, and released. Any salmonids that are netted would 
be immediately released or, if necessary, they would be transferred to 
temporary holding in a water-filled bucket and observed until they 
recover and released at that point. If any salmonids are affected by 
the electrofishing, the equipment would be turned off and the fish 
would be allowed to recover and swim away without being captured. The 
research would benefit salmon by greatly increasing knowledge regarding 
an important indicator of watershed health--Pacific lamprey. That 
knowledge, in turn, would be used to help managers monitor watershed 
health and plan habitat restoration projects in the areas where the 
research would take place. The researchers are not proposing to kill 
any of the fish they capture, but a small number may die as an 
unintended consequence of the work.

Permit 18568

    The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (CTSI) are seeking a one-
year permit that would allow them to take adult and juvenile threatened 
OC coho while conducting research designed to examine the genetics of 
Chinook salmon and steelhead in the Siletz River, Oregon. The 
researchers would capture

[[Page 15731]]

the fish using beach seines and electrofishing equipment. All listed 
fish would immediately be released or, if necessary, allowed to recover 
in aerated buckets from the effects of being captured and then 
released. The research would benefit listed coho by generating genetics 
information that would be used to help inform a Siletz River watershed 
assessment, a limiting factors analysis for salmonids in the River, and 
future habitat restoration projects. The researchers are not proposing 
to kill any of the fish they capture, but a small number may die as an 
unintended result of the research activities.

Permit 18569

    The CTSI are seeking a one-year permit that would allow them to 
take juvenile threatened OC coho and adult eulachon while conducting 
research designed to examine the effectiveness of estuarine restoration 
actions in the Tillamook and Siuslaw estuaries in Oregon. The 
researchers would use seines and hoop traps to capture the target fish 
and underwater cameras to observe them. The underwater videography 
would be used specifically to reduce the amount of fish handling. If 
fewer than 25 fish are captured in a net or trap, then they would 
typically be counted while still in the net's bag and released without 
being removed from the water. If more than 25 fish are captured, the 
fish would be placed in five-gallon containers with mesh sides that 
allow water from the channel to pass through them. Fewer than 40 fish 
would be kept in each container. Multiple (or larger) containers would 
be used if more fish are present. Some fish (25 salmonids per month) 
would be anesthetized and measured and they would then be allowed to 
recover and released. The researchers are not proposing to kill any of 
the fish they capture, but a small may die as an unintended result of 
the activities.

Permit 18579

    The Ochoco National Forest (NF) is seeking a five-year permit that 
would allow them to take juvenile MCR steelhead while conducting 
several monitoring activities in the Deschutes and John Day River 
watersheds in Oregon. The researchers would use backpack electrofishing 
units to capture the fish in several small tributaries to the two 
rivers. The fish would then be identified, measured, and immediately 
released; no anesthesia would be used. The research would benefit 
listed species by generating information that the Ochoco NF would use 
to locate and design habitat restoration projects and manage grazing 
allotments in ways that minimize effects on salmonids. The researchers 
are not proposing to kill any of the fish they capture, but a few 
individuals may die as an unintended result of the activities.

Permit 18696

    The Idaho Power company is seeking a five-year permit to annually 
capture juvenile white sturgeon in Lower Granite Reservoir. The 
researchers would use small-mesh gill net sets to capture the fish. The 
nets would be fished at times (October and November) and in areas (the 
bottom of the reservoir) that have purposefully been chosen to have the 
least possible impact on listed fish. When the nets are pulled to the 
surface, listed species would immediately be released (including by 
cutting the net, if necessary) and allowed to return to the reservoir. 
The research targets a species that is not listed, but the research 
should benefit listed salmonids by generating information about the 
habitat conditions in Lower Granite Reservoir and by helping managers 
develop conservation plans for the species that inhabit it. The 
researchers are not proposing to kill any of the fish they capture, but 
a small number of individuals may be killed as an inadvertent 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: March 14, 2014.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-06154 Filed 3-20-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P