[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 74 (Monday, April 18, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 22580]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-08905]



[[Page 22580]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE565


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Notice; availability of permit application and request for 
comment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received an update to an 
application for a direct take permit, in the form of a Hatchery and 
Genetic Management Plan (HGMP), from the Chelan County Public Utility 
District (PUD) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The HGMP 
specifies the operation of a portion of a hatchery program rearing 
salmon in the Methow Basin within the State of Washington. This 
document serves to notify the public of the availability of the update 
to the existing permit application for comment prior to a decision by 
NMFS whether to issue the permit for the proposed hatchery program. 
NMFS also notifies the public of the intention to issue a separate ESA 
permit to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation for 
operation of a component of the program described in the application 
update.

DATES: Comments must be received at the appropriate address or email 
mailbox (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific time on May 18, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the application should be addressed to 
the NMFS Sustainable Fisheries Division, 1201 NE. Lloyd Boulevard, 
Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97232, or faxed to 503-872-2737. Comments may 
be submitted by email. The mailbox address for providing email comments 
is: [email protected]. Include in the subject line of the email 
comment the following identifier: Comments on Chelan's 2016 Methow 
Hatchery Plan. The HGMP is available on the Internet at 
www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charlene Hurst, at phone number: (503) 
230-5409, or via email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

ESA-Listed Species Covered in This Notice

    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Endangered, naturally 
produced and artificially propagated Upper Columbia River.
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened, naturally produced and 
artificially propagated Upper Columbia River.

Background

    Section 9 of the ESA and Federal regulations prohibit the 
``taking'' of a species listed as endangered or threatened. The term 
``take'' is defined under the ESA to mean harass, harm, pursue, hunt, 
shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage 
in any such conduct. NMFS may issue permits to take listed species for 
any act otherwise prohibited by section 9 for scientific purposes or to 
enhance the propagation or survival of the affected species under 
section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA. NMFS regulations governing permits for 
threatened and endangered species are promulgated at 50 CFR 222.307.
    The Methow spring Chinook hatchery program is an ongoing hatchery 
program designed to meet conservation and mitigation responsibilities 
related to impacts from development in the Methow and Columbia River 
basins. On November 13, 2012, NMFS received an ESA section 10(a)(1)(A) 
permit application from the Douglas and Grant County PUDs and the 
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) for the Methow spring 
Chinook hatchery program. The permit application was in the form of an 
HGMP and was made available for public comment on December 10, 2013 (78 
FR 74116).
    On March 29, 2016, the Chelan County PUD submitted an HGMP updating 
a portion of the original permit application. The HGMP includes a gene 
flow management plan, a reduction in the number of juveniles released, 
and a description of an additional remote acclimation/release site. A 
separate section 10(a)(1)(A) permit would be issued to the Confederated 
Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation for operation of this additional 
remote acclimation/release site, as described in the Chelan County PUD 
HGMP.

Authority

    This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS 
will evaluate the permit application, associated documents, and 
comments submitted thereon to determine whether the application meets 
the requirements of section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA. If it is determined 
that the requirements are met, permits will be issued to WDFW, the 
PUDs, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. NMFS 
will publish a record of its final action in the Federal Register.

    Dated: April 13, 2016.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-08905 Filed 4-15-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P