[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 236 (Wednesday, December 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76457-76459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30956]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE231


Endangered and Threatened Species; Recovery Plans

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: We, NMFS, announce the extension of the comment period for the 
Proposed Endangered Species Act (ESA) Recovery Plan for Oregon Coast 
Coho Salmon (Proposed Plan) published on October 13, 2015. The Proposed 
Plan addresses the Oregon Coast Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) 
evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) listed as threatened under the 
ESA. The geographic area covered by the Proposed Plan is the Pacific 
Ocean and freshwater habitat (rivers, streams and lakes) from the 
Necanicum River near Seaside, Oregon, on the northern end to the Sixes 
River near Port Orford, Oregon on the south. As required under the ESA, 
the Proposed Plan contains objective, measurable delisting criteria, 
site-specific management actions necessary to achieve the Proposed 
Plan's goals, and estimates of the time and costs required to implement 
recovery actions. We are soliciting review and comment from the public 
and all interested parties on the Proposed Plan. The comment period is 
being extended--from December 14, 2015, to December 31, 2015--to 
provide additional opportunity for public comment.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of comments on the Public Draft 
Recovery

[[Page 76458]]

Plan published on October 13, 2015 (80 FR 61379), is extended to close 
of business on December 31, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the Public Draft Recovery Plan by 
the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via: [email protected] Please include ``Comments on 
Oregon Coast Coho Salmon Recovery Plan'' in the subject line of the 
email.
     Facsimile: (503) 872-2737.
     Mail: Robert Walton, National Marine Fisheries Service, 
1201 NE. Lloyd Boulevard, Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97232.
    Instructions: Comments must be submitted by one of the above 
methods to ensure comments are received, documented, and considered by 
NMFS. Comments sent by any other method, to any other address or 
individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be 
considered. Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in 
Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
    Electronic copies of the Proposed Plan are available electronically 
at http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/protected_species/salmon_steelhead/recovery_planning_and_implementation/oregon_coast/oregon_coast_recovery_plan.html.
    Persons wishing to obtain an electronic copy on CD ROM of the 
Proposed Plan may do so by calling Nancy Johnson at (503) 230-5442 or 
by emailing a request to [email protected] with the subject line 
``CD ROM Request for Oregon Coast Coho Salmon Recovery Plan.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Walton, NMFS Oregon Coast Coho 
Salmon Recovery Coordinator, at (503) 231-2285, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Extension of Comment Period

    On October 13, 2015 (80 FR 61379) we (NMFS published in the Federal 
Register a request for public comment on the notice of availability of 
the Proposed Plan for the Oregon Coast Coho salmon. The public comment 
period for this action is set to end on December 14, 2015. The comment 
period is being extended through December 31, 2015, to provide 
additional opportunity for public comment.

Background

    We are responsible for developing and implementing recovery plans 
for Pacific salmon and steelhead listed under the ESA of 1973, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Recovery means that the listed 
species and their ecosystems are sufficiently restored, and their 
future secured, to the point that the protections of the ESA are no 
longer necessary. Section 4(f)(1) of the ESA requires that recovery 
plans include, to the maximum extent practicable: (1) Objective, 
measurable criteria which, when met, would result in a determination 
that the species is no longer threatened or endangered; (2) site-
specific management actions necessary to achieve the plan's goals; and 
(3) estimates of the time required and costs to implement recovery 
actions. The ESA requires the development of recovery plans for each 
listed species unless such a plan would not promote its recovery.
    We believe it is essential to have local support of recovery plans 
by those whose activities directly affect the listed species and whose 
continued commitment and leadership will be needed to implement the 
necessary recovery actions. We therefore support and participate in 
locally led, collaborative efforts to develop recovery plans that 
involve state, tribal, and Federal entities, local communities, and 
other stakeholders. We have determined that this Proposed ESA Recovery 
Plan for Oregon Coast Coho Salmon meets the statutory requirements for 
a recovery plan and are proposing to adopt it as the ESA recovery plan 
for this threatened species. Section 4(f) of the ESA, as amended in 
1988, requires that public notice and an opportunity for public review 
and comment be provided prior to final approval of a recovery plan. 
This notice solicits comments on this Proposed Plan.


Development of the Proposed Plan

    For the purpose of recovery planning for the ESA-listed species of 
Pacific salmon and steelhead in Idaho, Oregon and Washington, NMFS 
designated five geographically based ``recovery domains.'' The Oregon 
Coast Coho Salmon ESU spawning range is in the Oregon Coast domain. For 
each domain, NMFS appointed a team of scientists, nominated for their 
geographic and species expertise, to provide a solid scientific 
foundation for recovery plans. The Oregon and Northern California 
Coasts Technical Recovery Team (TRT) included scientists from NMFS, 
other Federal agencies, the state of Oregon, and the private sector.
    A primary task for the Oregon and Northern California Coasts 
Technical Recovery Team was to recommend criteria for determining when 
the ESU should be considered viable (i.e., when they are have a low 
risk of extinction over a 100-year period) and when the ESU would have 
a risk of extinction consistent with no longer needing the protections 
of the ESA. All Technical Recovery Teams used the same biological 
principles for developing their recommendations; these principles are 
described in the NOAA technical memorandum Viable Salmonid Populations 
and the Recovery of Evolutionarily Significant Units (McElhany et al., 
2000). Viable salmonid populations (VSP) are defined in terms of four 
parameters: Abundance, productivity or growth rate, spatial structure, 
and diversity.
    For this Proposed Plan, we collaborated with state, tribal and 
Federal scientists and resource managers and stakeholders to provide 
technical information that NMFS used to write the Proposed Plan which 
is built upon locally-led recovery efforts.
    The Proposed Plan, including the recovery plan modules, is now 
available for public review and comment.

Contents of Proposed Plan

    The Proposed Plan contains biological background and contextual 
information that includes description of the ESU, the planning area, 
and the context of the plan's development. It presents relevant 
information on ESU structure, biological status and proposed biological 
viability criteria and threats criteria for delisting.
    The Proposed Plan also describes specific information on the 
following: Current status of Oregon Coast Coho Salmon; limiting factors 
and threats for the full life cycle that contributed to the species 
decline; recovery strategies and actions addressing these limiting 
factors and threats; key information needs, and a proposed research, 
monitoring, and evaluation program for adaptive management. For 
recovery strategies and actions, Chapter 6 in the Proposed Plan 
includes proposed actions at the ESU and strata levels. Population 
level information will be posted on the recovery plan Web site (see 
below). The plan also describes how implementation, prioritization of 
actions, and adaptive management will proceed at the population, 
strata, and ESU scales. The Proposed Plan also summarizes time and 
costs (Chapter 7) required to implement recovery actions. In addition 
to the information in the Proposed Plan, readers are referred to the 
recovery plan Web site for more information on all these topics. 
(http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/protected_species/
salmon_steelhead/recovery_planning_and_implementation/oregon_coast/
oregon_

[[Page 76459]]

coast--salmon--recovery--domain.html)

How NMFS and Others Expect To Use the Plan

    With approval of the final Plan, we will commit to implement the 
actions in the Plan for which we have authority and funding; encourage 
other Federal and state agencies and tribal governments to implement 
recovery actions for which they have responsibility, authority and 
funding; and work cooperatively with the public and local stakeholders 
on implementation of other actions. We expect the Plan to guide us and 
other Federal agencies in evaluating Federal actions under ESA section 
7, as well as in implementing other provisions of the ESA and other 
statutes. For example, the Plan will provide greater biological context 
for evaluating the effects that a proposed action may have on a species 
by providing delisting criteria, information on priority areas for 
addressing specific limiting factors, and information on how future 
populations within the ESU can tolerate varying levels of risk.
    When we are considering a species for delisting, the agency will 
examine whether the section 4(a)(1) listing factors have been 
addressed. To assist in this examination, we will use the delisting 
criteria described in Chapter 4 of the Plan, which includes both 
biological criteria and criteria addressing each of the ESA section 
4(a)(1) listing factors, as well as any other relevant data and policy 
considerations.
    We will also work with the Oregon Coast Coho Conservation Plan 
Implementation Team described in the Proposed Plan to develop 
implementation schedules that provide greater specificity for recovery 
actions to be implemented over three-to five-year periods. This Team 
will also help promote implementation of recovery actions and 
subsequent implementation schedules, and will track and report on 
implementation progress.

Conclusion

    Section 4(f)(1)(B) of the ESA requires that recovery plans 
incorporate, to the maximum extent practicable, (1) objective, 
measurable criteria which, when met, would result in a determination 
that the species is no longer threatened or endangered; (2) site-
specific management actions necessary to achieve the plan's goals; and 
(3) estimates of the time required and costs to implement recovery 
actions. We conclude that the Proposed Plan meets the requirements of 
ESA section 4(f) and are proposing to adopt it as the ESA Recovery Plan 
for Oregon Coast Coho Salmon.

Public Comments Solicited

    We are soliciting written comments on the Proposed Plan. All 
substantive comments received by the date specified above will be 
considered and incorporated, as appropriate, prior to our decision 
whether to approve the plan. We will issue a news release announcing 
the adoption and availability of the final plan. We will post on the 
NMFS West Coast Region Web site (www.wcr.noaa.gov) a summary of, and 
responses to, the comments received, along with electronic copies of 
the final plan and its appendices.

Literature Cited

McElhany, P., M.H. Ruckelshaus, M.J. Ford, T.C. Wainwright, and E.P. 
Bjorkstedt. 2000. Viable salmon populations and the recovery of 
evolutionarily significant units. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Tech. 
Memo., NMFS NWFSC 42, 156 p.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.

    Dated: December 3, 2015.
Perry F. Gayaldo,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
 [FR Doc. 2015-30956 Filed 12-8-15; 8:45 am]
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