[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 34 (Monday, February 22, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8685-8686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03496]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE452


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Hatchery Programs Along the Oregon Coast

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

ACTION: Notice; reopening of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: On January 15, 2016, the National Marine Fisheries Service 
(NMFS) announced its intent to obtain information necessary to prepare 
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Hatchery and Genetic 
Management Plans (HGMPs) submitted by the Oregon Department of Fish and 
Wildlife (ODFW) for NMFS's evaluation and determination under Limit 5 
of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) 4(d) Rule for threatened salmon and 
steelhead. NMFS also announced the availability of those HGMPs for 
public review and comment. The announcement opened a 30-day public 
comment period. In response to a request received from the public, 
based on the number of HGMPs available for review, NMFS is reopening 
the comment period to March 17, 2016.

DATES: Written or electronic scoping comments must be received at the 
appropriate address or email mailbox (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 
p.m. Pacific Time March 17, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent by any of the following 
methods:
     Email to the following address: 
[email protected] with the following identifier in 
the subject line: Oregon Coast Hatchery EIS.
     Mail or hand-deliver to NMFS Sustainable Fisheries 
Division, 2900 NW Stewart Parkway, Roseburg, OR 97471.
     Fax to (541) 957-3386.
    Comments received will be available for public inspection, by 
appointment, during normal business hours at the above address. All 
Personal Identifying Information (for example, name, address, etc.) 
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do 
not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information.
    Additional information to assist with consideration of the notice 
of intent, as well as the HGMPs themselves, are available on the 
Internet at www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lance Kruzic, NMFS, by phone at (541) 
957-3381, or email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

ESA-Listed Species Covered in This Notice

    Coho salmon (O. kisutch): threatened, naturally produced and 
specified artificially produced stocks in the Southern Oregon/Northern 
California Coast and Oregon Coast Evolutionarily Significant Units 
(ESUs).

Background

    The ODFW has submitted HGMPs for all hatchery programs along the 
Oregon Coast to NMFS, pursuant to Limit 5 of the 4(d) Rule for salmon 
and salmon promulgated under the ESA (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000). 
NMFS' action of evaluating ODFW's HGMPs under Limit 5 of the 4(d) Rule 
is a major Federal action subject to environmental review under NEPA. 
Therefore, NMFS is seeking public input on the scope of the required 
NEPA analysis, including the range of reasonable alternatives, 
recommendations for relevant analysis methods, and information 
associated with impacts of the alternatives to the resources listed 
below or other relevant resources. Further, Limit 5 of the 4(d) Rule 
also specifies the HGMPs be made available for public review and 
comment prior to NMFS making a decision on the HGMPs.
    For more information on the scope of the proposed hatchery 
programs, and NMFS' review of those programs, and a description of 
input being sought from the public, see the January 15, 2016, Federal 
Register notice (81 FR 2197). A list of the hatchery facilities being 
considered and links to the HGMPs for their associated hatchery 
programs are available on the Internet (see ADDRESSES).

Request for Comments

    NMFS provides this notice to: (1) Advise other agencies and the 
public of its plans to analyze effects related to the action, and (2) 
obtain suggestions and information that may be useful to the scope of 
issues and the full range of alternatives to include in the EIS. 
Comments should be as specific as possible.

Authority

    The environmental review of the Oregon Coast HGMPs will be 
conducted in accordance with requirements of the NEPA of 1969 as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), NEPA Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), other appropriate Federal laws and regulations, and policies and 
procedures of NMFS for compliance with those regulations. This notice 
is being furnished in accordance with 40 CFR 1501.7 to obtain 
suggestions and information from other agencies and the public on the 
scope of issues and alternatives to be addressed in the EIS.
    Under section 4 of the ESA, the Secretary of Commerce is required 
to adopt such regulations as he deems necessary and advisable for the 
conservation of species listed as threatened. The ESA salmon and 
steelhead 4(d) rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000, as updated in 70 FR 
37160, June 28, 2005) specifies categories of activities that 
contribute to the conservation of listed salmonids and sets out the 
criteria for such activities. Limit 5 of the updated 4(d) rule (50 CFR 
223.203(b)(5)) further provides that the prohibitions of paragraph (a) 
of the updated 4(d) rule (50 CFR 223.203(a)) do not apply to activities 
associated with artificial propagation programs provided that an HGMP 
has been approved by NMFS to be in accordance with the salmon and 
steelhead 4(d) rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000, as updated in 70 FR 
37160, June 28, 2005).


[[Page 8686]]


    Dated: February 16, 2016.
Wanda Cain,
Chief of Staff, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-03496 Filed 2-19-16; 8:45 am]
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