[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 127 (Friday, July 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43188-43190]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-15665]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE700


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Notice of final determination and discussion of underlying 
biological analysis.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS has evaluated three Resource Management Plans (RMPs) 
submitted to NMFS pursuant to the limitation on take prohibitions for 
actions conducted under Limit 6 of the 4(d) Rule for salmon and 
steelhead promulgated under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The RMPs 
specify the propagation of three species of salmon in the Dungeness 
River watershed of Washington State. This document serves to notify the 
public that NMFS, by delegated authority from the Secretary of 
Commerce, has

[[Page 43189]]

determined pursuant to Limit 6 of the ESA 4(d) Rule for salmon and 
steelhead that implementing and enforcing the plans will not 
appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of the Puget 
Sound Chinook salmon and Puget Sound steelhead.

DATES: The final determination on the take limit was made on June 10, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Written responses to the determination should be sent to 
NMFS Sustainable Fisheries Division, 510 Desmond Dr., Suite 103, Lacey, 
WA 98503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Tynan at (360) 753-9579 or email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

ESA-Listed Species Covered in This Notice

    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Threatened, Puget Sound, 
naturally produced and artificially propagated.
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened, Puget Sound, naturally produced 
and artificially propagated.
    Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened, naturally produced and 
artificially propagated Hood Canal summer-run.

Background

    The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the 
Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe have submitted to NMFS RMPs for three jointly 
operated hatchery programs in the Dungeness River basin. The plans were 
submitted in January 2013, pursuant to limit 6 of the 4(d) Rule for the 
listed Puget Sound Chinook Salmon evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) 
and listed Puget Sound Steelhead distinct population segment (DPS). The 
plans reflect refinements of existing plans provided previously and 
evaluated pursuant to the 4(d) Rule. The hatchery programs release ESA-
listed Chinook salmon and non-listed coho and fall-run pink salmon into 
the Dungeness River watershed. All three programs release fish native 
to the Dungeness River basin. All of the programs are currently 
operating.
    As required by Sec.  223.203(b)(6) of the ESA 4(d) rule, NMFS must 
determine pursuant to 50 CFR 223.209 and pursuant to the government-to-
government processes therein whether the three plans for Dungeness 
River salmon hatchery programs would appreciably reduce the likelihood 
of survival and recovery of the Puget Sound Chinook Salmon ESU or Puget 
Sound Steelhead DPS. NMFS must take comments on how the plans address 
the criteria in Sec.  223.203(b)(5) in making that determination.

Discussion of the Biological Analysis Underlying the Determination

    The hatchery activities described in the three RMPs are intended to 
conserve native, listed Dungeness River Chinook salmon and non-listed 
fall-run pink salmon populations, and provide coho salmon for harvest 
in tribal and non-Indian fisheries in the basin. The Chinook and pink 
salmon programs are designed to preserve, and bolster the natural 
spawning abundance of, the native Dungeness River populations of the 
species. The Chinook salmon stock released through the Dungeness River 
Hatchery Spring Chinook salmon program is included as part of the 
listed Puget Sound Chinook Salmon ESU. The Dungeness River Hatchery 
spring Chinook program would assist in the recovery of the listed 
native Dungeness Chinook salmon population. The coho salmon program is 
operated for harvest augmentation purposes, using broodstock derived 
from the native, non-listed Dungeness River coho salmon population.
    The three programs would be operated in such a way as to minimize 
potential risks to listed natural-origin Dungeness River Chinook 
salmon, summer chum salmon, and steelhead populations, including 
interactions between hatchery and natural fish that may lead to adverse 
genetic effects and competition and predation. The proposed hatchery 
programs are consistent with the Dungeness River chapter of the Shared 
Strategy for Puget Sound (SSPS 2005; Ruckelshaus et al. 2005) and the 
Hood Canal Summer Chum Plan (HCCC 2005). These recovery plans were 
approved by NMFS to protect and restore listed Chinook and summer chum 
salmon populations across their range in Puget Sound (NMFS 2006; NMFS 
2007).
    As part of the proposed hatchery programs, monitoring and 
evaluation would be implemented to assess their performance in meeting 
population conservation or harvest augmentation objectives, and their 
effects on ESA-listed natural-origin Chinook salmon, summer chum 
salmon, and steelhead. Information gained through monitoring and 
evaluation will be used to assess whether the impacts of the programs 
on listed fish are as expected. Review of monitoring and evaluation 
results by NMFS and the co-managers will occur annually to evaluate 
whether assumptions regarding RMP effects and analysis remain valid, 
and whether the objectives of the RMPs are being accomplished.
    The RMPs include provisions for annual reports that will assess 
compliance with performance standards established through the RMPs. 
Reporting and inclusion of new information derived from RMP research, 
monitoring, and evaluation activities provides assurance that 
performance standards will be achieved in future seasons. NMFS' 
evaluation is available on the West Coast Region Web site at http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov.

Summary of Comments Received in Response to the Proposed Evaluation and 
Pending Determination

    NMFS published notice of its proposed evaluation and pending 
determination on the plans for public review and comment on February 
20, 2015 (80 FR 9260). The proposed evaluation and pending 
determination and an associated draft environmental assessment were 
available for public review and comment for 30 days.
    During the public comment period, NMFS received two comment letters 
on the draft environmental assessment. None of the comments raised 
issues that required substantive modification of the environmental 
assessment. The comments and NMFS' detailed responses are available on 
the West Coast Region Web site, as an appendix to the environmental 
assessment. Based on its evaluation and recommended determination and 
taking into account the public comments, NMFS issued its final 
determination on the Dungeness River salmon hatchery plans.

Authority

    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) specifies categories 
of activities that contribute to the conservation of listed salmonids 
and sets out the criteria for such activities. The rule further 
provides that the prohibitions of paragraph (a) of the rule do not 
apply to actions undertaken in compliance with a RMP developed jointly 
by a state and a tribe and determined by NMFS to be in accordance with 
the salmon and steelhead 4(d) rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000).


[[Page 43190]]


    Dated: June 28, 2016.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-15665 Filed 6-30-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P