[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 79 (Monday, April 25, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24065-24067]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09526]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE577


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Applications for four new scientific research permits and four 
permit renewals.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received eight scientific 
research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon, 
steelhead, 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 May 25, 2016.

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] (include the permit number 
in the subject line of the fax or email).

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); threatened Lower Columbia River (LCR); threatened 
Snake River (SR); threatened upper Willamette River (UWR).
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened LCR; threatened UCR; threatened 
SR; threatened UWR; threatened middle Columbia River (MCR).
    Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened Columbia River (CR).
    Coho salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened LCR.

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 parts 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 1560-3R

    The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has requested a permit 
to annually take juvenile and adult LCR Chinook and coho, CR chum, and 
MCR steelhead while conducting research designed to (1) determine the 
diversity and distribution of fish species in the White Salmon River 
and tributaries, (2) compare populations of salmonids in the White 
Salmon and tributaries to pre-dam removal levels, (3) contribute to 
complimentary efforts by WDFW to characterize life history, genetics, 
and fish health of Chinook stocks in the lower White Salmon River. The 
USGS would capture fish by using a screw trap and backpack 
electrofishing equipment. Captured fish would be anesthetized, 
measured, weighed, and inspected for external diseases. Researchers 
would take fin clips of some captured fish in order to collect genetic 
tissues. Some juvenile fish would be PIT tagged to determine smolt trap 
efficiency and provide life history information through recaptures and 
detections at Bonneville Dam as juveniles or adults. The researchers 
would avoid adult salmonids, but some may be encountered as an 
unintentional result of sampling. The researchers do not expect to kill 
any listed salmonids but a small number may die as an unintended result 
of the research activities.

Permit 15549-2R

    The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is seeking 
a five-year permit to expand on and extend work previously conducted 
under other research permits (Permits 1532 and 15549). The research 
would take place in Satus, Ahtanum, Naches, and Toppenish Creeks in 
Washington State. The researchers wish to take juvenile MCR steelhead 
during the course of research designed to determine the fishes' 
freshwater movements and examine how those movements are affected by 
the area's substantially altered hydrograph. They would also collect 
baseline information on stock status and yearly abundance and seek to 
determine whether repeat spawners from a kelt reconditioning program 
are successfully reproducing.
    The fish would be captured using screw traps and backpack 
electrofishing equipment. They would then be anesthetized and measured. 
Some would be tissue-sampled for DNA and some would receive passive 
integrated transponder (PIT) tags. The information gathered would be 
used to determine the fishes' movements and abundance and monitor the 
ongoing status of the various MCR steelhead populations in the Yakima 
River subbasin. The research would benefit the fish by helping managers 
determine the effectiveness of current recovery measures and design new 
ones where needed. The CRITFC does not plan to kill any of the fish 
being captured, but a few may die as an unintentional result of the 
research.

Permit 16122-2R

    The Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) are seeking a five-year 
permit to take juvenile UCR steelhead in the Okanogan River, 
Washington. The purpose of the research is to monitor steelhead 
populations in the basin. The researchers are seeking to estimate 
natural production and productivity and calculate annual population 
estimates, egg-to-emigrant survival, and emigrant-to-adult survival 
rates. The population estimates would be used to evaluate the effects 
of supplementation programs in the Okanogan River Basin and provide 
managers with the data they need to determine spawning success. The 
research would benefit the fish by giving state and Federal managers 
information on UCR steelhead status and the degree to which they are 
being

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affected by supplementation programs in the area. The fish would be 
captured at screw trapping sites on the Okanogan River. All captured 
fish would be identified and checked for marks and tags. A subsample of 
selected fish would be measured and weighed before being released back 
into the Okanogan River. A further subsample would be marked with a 
brown dye, released upstream of the screw traps, and recaptured for the 
purpose of determining trap efficiency. The researchers do not intend 
to kill any listed salmonids, but a small number may die as an 
unintended result of the activities.

Permit 16290-3R

    The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is seeking to 
renew permit 16290 for five years. The permit would authorize ODFW to 
take listed salmonids while conducting research on the Oregon Chub. The 
purpose of the research is to study the distribution, abundance, and 
factors limiting the recovery of Oregon chub. The ODFW would capture, 
handle, and release juvenile UWR Chinook salmon, UWR steelhead, LCR 
Chinook salmon, LCR steelhead, LCR coho salmon, and CR chum salmon 
while conducting the research. The Oregon chub is endemic to the 
Willamette Valley of Oregon and the habitats it depends on are also 
important to salmonids. Research on the Oregon chub would benefit 
listed salmonids by helping managers recover habitats shared by the 
species. The ODFW researchers would use boat electrofishing equipment, 
minnow traps, beach seines, dip nets, hoop nets, and fyke nets to 
capture juvenile fish. Researchers would avoid contact with adult fish. 
If listed salmonids are captured during the research they would be 
released immediately. The researchers do not expect to kill any listed 
salmonids but a small number may die as an unintended result of the 
research activities.

Permit 19778

    The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (CCT) are 
seeking a five-year permit to monitor UCR steelhead population sizes, 
habitat use, and emigration rates in the Okanogan River and its 
tributaries in Washington State. Much of the proposed work for this 
permit was already being conducted under a previous permit (18049--now 
in its last year), but the CCT wanted to expand on that work, so rather 
than applying for a modification, they determined to seek an entirely 
new permit. The researchers would conduct their work in randomly-
selected sites on eleven tributaries to the Okanogan River. They would 
capture juvenile steelhead using backpack electrofishing units and 
soft-mesh dipnets. The captured fish would be anesthetized and 
measured, and any steelhead greater than 95mm in fork length would be 
marked with a 12mm passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag injected 
from a single-use needle. All fish less than 95mm in length would have 
their caudal fins clipped for marking purposes and, in some cases, the 
tissue would be retained for DNA analysis. The researchers would make 
two passes with the electrofishing unit in each stream reach. The 
research would benefit the listed fish in two ways: First, UCR 
steelhead status in the Okanogan River subbasin is poorly understood 
and the information generated by the research would fill that gap and 
thereby help managers design recovery strategies for the listed fish in 
that area; it would also help them guide and mitigate any future land 
management activities that could affect the fish. Second, the collected 
genetic material would be used to examine the relationship between 
natural and hatchery fish in the area--and given that hatchery 
influence is considered a limiting factor for the UCR steelhead, more 
knowledge about that interaction would help managers design actions to 
address the negative effects local hatchery programs may be having. The 
researchers do not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a 
small number may die as an inadvertent result of the research 
activities.

Permit 19846

    The Idaho Power Company (IPC) is seeking a five-year permit to take 
juvenile and adult SR steelhead during the course of research designed 
to assess fish communities in and around the reservoirs formed by the 
Hells Canyon Complex of dams on the Snake River between Oregon and 
Idaho. The research encompasses six studies, but only two of them have 
the potential to affect salmonids listed under the ESA (1) winder bull 
trout surveys in the area between the Hells Canyon Complex and the 
Snake River's confluence with the Grande Ronde River; and (2) surveys 
for white sturgeon ion the mainstem Snake River downstream from the 
confluence with the Clearwater River in Idaho. Both of these studies 
have previously been conducted and covered under an ESA section 4(d) 
authorization overseen by the states, but it has since been determined 
that the most effective way of covering the actions would be for the 
IPC to seek a new section 10 permit. The bull trout study would be 
conducted during the winter via hook-and-line angling using barbless 
hooks. Any listed fish that are captured would immediately be released 
without further sampling, anesthetizing, etc. The white sturgeon study 
would be conducted using baited setlines on the bottom of the 
reservoirs and channel. The placement and timing of the setlines are 
such that it is very unlikely that any listed salmonids would be 
captured--none have been collected during the previous 30,000+ hours 
setlines have been in use under the 4(d) authorizations, but the 
captures could still take place. If such an event does occur, the 
listed fish would immediately be release without the researchers taking 
any further action.
    The research would benefit listed fish by gathering information on 
fish community health over a several tens of miles of mainstem habitat. 
That information, in turn, would be used by IPC managers to balance 
water releases from the Hells Canyon dams, guide restoration projects, 
and make other management decisions for the benefit of the fish. The 
researchers do not intend to kill any listed salmonids, but a few may 
dies as an inadvertent result of the activities.

Permit 19847

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is seeking a five-year 
permit to take juvenile SR steelhead while conducting a study to assess 
abundance and habitat use among juvenile Pacific lamprey in the Snake 
River and some of its tributaries. The researchers are proposing to 
conduct stream surveys for juvenile Pacific lamprey Lampretra 
tridentatus using a specialized backpack electroshocker designed for 
use with lamprey ammocoetes. The purpose of the surveys is to identify 
and map available lamprey rearing habitat in Idaho and to evaluate the 
effectiveness of lamprey translocation program being conducted by the 
Nez Perce Tribe. Surveys would be conducted in Clearwater and Salmon 
Rivers during late summer low flows--approximately from August 15 to 
September 30 through the year 2020. The research would benefit listed 
fish by collecting important information on stream and biotic community 
health--information that would be used to help inform management 
decisions in the Salmon and Clearwater River subbasins.
    The streams would be surveyed at approximately 1 km intervals, 
focusing on slow water fine substrate areas where lamprey juveniles 
reside. The researchers would avoid riffles and deep pool areas that 
are likely to contain salmonids. At each site, approximately 30 m of 
stream would be surveyed. The

[[Page 24067]]

researchers would measure and weigh the collected lamprey and then 
return them to the collection site. The researchers could potentially 
encounter juvenile SR steelhead during the surveys, but these fish 
would not be collected or directly sampled in any way. In general, the 
risk to salmonids from the lamprey electrofisher is very small because 
few salmonids use the microhabitats (shallow slow water with fine 
sediments) in which juvenile lamprey tend to be found and because the 
electrofishing equipment would be set at a low voltage and pulse rate. 
Therefore the researchers do not intend to kill any listed salmonids, 
but a few may die as an inadvertent result of the activities.

Permit 20081

    The USFWS is seeking a five-year research permit to take MCR 
steelhead while conducting research on bull trout in the White Salmon 
River, Washington. Before its removal in 2011, Condit Dam blocked fish 
access to most of the White Salmon River basin for nearly 100 years. In 
2007 and 2010, the USFWS surveyed for and did not find any bull trout 
in the White Salmon River basin. The conclusion of those surveys was 
that bull trout were extirpated and the dam was the likely cause. The 
purpose of USFWS' current research is to evaluate whether or not bull 
trout have begun to recolonize the White Salmon River basin. The 
research would benefit listed salmonids by providing information on the 
rebounding health of the White Salmon system--data that would be used 
in the ongoing restoration efforts in the area. The USFWS would use 
backpack electrofishing gear to capture fish and would release juvenile 
steelhead immediately. The researchers do not expect to kill any 
steelhead but a small number may die as an unintended result of the 
research 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: April 20, 2016.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-09526 Filed 4-22-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P