[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 4, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26776-26777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-10426]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE592


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement; 
request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), this 
notice announces that NMFS intends to obtain information necessary to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 10 Hatchery and 
Genetic Management Plans (HGMPs) for salmon and steelhead hatchery 
programs jointly submitted by the Washington Department of Fish and 
Wildlife (WDFW) with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and the Suquamish 
Tribe (referred to as the co-managers), for NMFS's evaluation and 
determination under Limit 6 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) 4(d) 
Rule for threatened salmon and steelhead. The HGMPs specify the 
propagation of salmon and steelhead in

[[Page 26777]]

the Duwamish-Green River basin in Washington State.
    NMFS provides this notice to advise other agencies and the public 
of its plans to analyze effects related to the action, and obtain 
suggestions and information that may be useful to the scope of issues 
and alternatives to include in the EIS.

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 June 3, 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: Green Hatcheries EIS.
     Mail or hand-deliver to NMFS Sustainable Fisheries 
Division, 510 Desmond Drive SE., Suite 103, Lacey, WA 98503.
     Fax to (360) 753-9517.
    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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Leider, NMFS, by phone at (360) 
753-4650, or email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

ESA-Listed Species Covered in This Notice

    Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss): threatened, naturally and 
artificially produced in Puget Sound.
    Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha): threatened, naturally and 
artificially produced in Puget Sound.
    Chum salmon (O. keta): threatened, naturally and artificially 
produced Hood Canal summer-run.
    Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus): threatened Puget Sound/
Washington Coast.

Background

    The WDFW, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, and Suquamish Tribe have 
jointly submitted to NMFS HGMPs for 10 hatchery programs in the 
Duwamish-Green River basin in Washington State. The HGMPs were 
submitted to NMFS from 2013 to 2015, pursuant to limit 6 of the 4(d) 
Rule for salmon and steelhead. The hatchery programs include releases 
of ESA-listed Chinook salmon and winter-run steelhead into the 
Duwamish-Green River basin. The hatchery programs also release non-
listed coho and fall-run chum salmon and summer-run steelhead into the 
Duwamish-Green River basin. One hatchery program releases coho salmon 
into marine waters adjacent to the Duwamish-Green River basin. Seven of 
the programs are currently operating, and three are new.
    NEPA requires Federal agencies to conduct environmental analyses of 
their proposed major actions to determine if the actions may affect the 
human environment. NMFS's action of determining under Limit 6 of the 
4(d) Rule for salmon and steelhead that implementation of the co-
managers' HGMPs would not appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival 
and recovery of affected threatened ESUs 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.
    NMFS will perform an environmental review of the HGMPs and prepare 
an EIS that will identify potentially significant direct, indirect, and 
cumulative impacts on the following resources identified to have a 
potential for effect from the proposed action:

 Listed and Non-listed Species and their habitats
 Water Quantity
 Socioeconomics
 Environmental Justice
 Cumulative Impacts

    NMFS will rigorously explore and objectively evaluate a full range 
of reasonable alternatives in the EIS, including the proposed action 
and a no-action alternative. Other alternatives may include a decreased 
production alternative.
    For all potentially significant impacts, the EIS will identify 
measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate the impacts, where feasible.

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.
    NMFS invites comment from all interested parties to ensure that the 
full range of issues related to the 10 salmon and steelhead HGMPs is 
identified. Comments should be as specific as possible.
    Written comments concerning the proposed action and the 
environmental review should be directed to NMFS as described above (see 
ADDRESSES). All comments and materials received, including names and 
addresses, will become part of the administrative record and may be 
released to the public.

Authority

    The environmental review of the 10 salmon and steelhead HGMPs in 
the Duwamish-Green River basin of Washington State 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 through 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.

    Dated: April 29, 2016.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-10426 Filed 5-3-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P