[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 89 (Thursday, May 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26413-26414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10574]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD285


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Application to modify one scientific research permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received one scientific 
research permit application request relating to Pacific salmon. 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 June 9, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the application 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): endangered Upper 
Columbia River (UCR) spring-run.
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened UCR; threatened Snake River (SR); 
threatened middle Columbia River (MCR).

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 16329--2M

    The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking to 
modify a five-year permit that currently allows it to take adult and 
juvenile fish throughout Oregon. By modifying the permit, they would 
add adult and juvenile UCR Chinook and steelhead, MCR steelhead, and SR 
steelhead to the species of fish they may take. The fish would be taken 
during the course of five possible projects: (1) The

[[Page 26414]]

National Streams and Rivers Assessment. This EPA-sponsored survey uses 
a random sampling design to estimate the health (in terms of water 
quality and other physical and biological parameters) of streams and 
rivers around the region and nation. The fish portion of the project 
looks at species assemblage as an indicator of a system's overall 
ecological integrity, evaluates presence of invasive fish species, and 
evaluates toxic contamination of fish tissue. Field work is planned for 
this project in 2014 and possibly future years and may involve as many 
as 60 sites. (2) Oregon Toxics Monitoring Program. This program looks 
at a range of pollutants in water, river sediments, and fish tissues-
including current use and legacy pesticides, estrogenic compounds, 
pharmaceutical and personal care products, metals, and industrial 
chemicals such as PCBs, dioxins and furans. The species targeted for 
this work are typically bass and pikeminnow. Survey sites are typically 
at the downstream portion of larger rivers and tributaries. This work 
may involve as many as 20 sites per year. (3) Basins Biological 
Assessments. The DEQ is developing a monitoring program that looks at a 
range of environmental health indicators (such as fish species) on a 
basin scale. This work would feed into that effort. (4) Mixing Zone 
Surveys. Mixing zones are sections of water bodies downstream of 
municipal and industrial effluent discharges. The DEQ occasionally 
monitors fish use and health within and outside mixing zones to 
evaluate how effectively waste treatment protocols and processes are 
protecting the environment. Mixing zones are typically found in larger 
rivers. This work may involve as many as 10 sites per year. (5) Spill 
impact and cleanup effectiveness evaluations. The DEQ occasionally 
studies water bodies that have received toxic spills. These surveys 
could potentially occur in any state water body and could involve as 
many as five sites per year.
    The work would benefit fish in a number of different ways-from 
helping evaluate watershed health to generating information on 
contaminant concentrations to determining if current water quality 
protection regulations and methods are sufficiently effective. The DEQ 
researchers would capture fish using a variety of methods: boat- and 
backpack electrofishing, hook-and-line angling, and seines. No drugs or 
anesthesia would be used on the captured fish. The fish would be held 
very briefly and, except for brief transfers and some minimal measuring 
and weighing, the animals would not be handled out of water. All fish 
would be returned to the capture sites as quickly as possible. The 
researchers do not intend to kill any listed salmonids, 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: May 5, 2014.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-10574 Filed 5-7-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P