[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 208 (Thursday, October 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74770-74773]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-25973]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE939


Endangered and Threatened Species; Recovery Plans

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

ACTION: Notice of Availability; request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: We, NMFS, announce that the Proposed Endangered Species Act 
(ESA) Recovery Plan for Snake River Spring/Summer Chinook Salmon and 
Snake River Steelhead (Proposed Plan) is available for public review 
and comment. The Proposed Plan addresses the Snake River Spring/Summer 
Chinook Salmon (Onchorhynchus tshawytscha) evolutionarily significant 
unit (ESU), which is listed as threatened under the ESA, and the Snake 
River Steelhead (Onchorhynchus mykiss) distinct population segment 
(DPS), which is listed as threatened under the ESA. The geographic area 
covered by the Proposed Plan is the lower mainstem Snake River and its 
tributaries, as well as the mainstem Columbia River below its 
confluence with the Snake River. As required under the ESA, the 
Proposed Plan contains objective, measurable delisting criteria, site-
specific management actions necessary to achieve the Proposed Plan's 
goals, and estimates of the time and cost required to implement 
recovery actions. We are soliciting review and

[[Page 74771]]

comment from the public and all interested parties on the Proposed 
Plan.

DATES: We will consider and address, as appropriate, all substantive 
comments received during the comment period. Comments on the Proposed 
Plan must be received no later than 5 p.m. Pacific daylight time on 
December 27, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Please send written comments and materials to Rosemary 
Furfey, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1201 NE. Lloyd Boulevard, 
Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97232.
    Comments may also be submitted by email to: 
[email protected].
    Please include ``Comments on Proposed Snake River Spring/Summer 
Chinook Salmon and Snake River Steelhead Recovery Plan'' in the subject 
line of the email. Comments may be submitted via facsimile (fax) to 
(503) 230-5441. Electronic copies of the Proposed Plan are available on 
the NMFS Web site at: http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/protected_species/salmon_steelhead/recovery_planning_and_implementation/snake_river/snake_river_sp-su_chinook_steelhead.html. Persons wishing to obtain an electronic copy 
on CD ROM of the Proposed Plan may do so by calling Bonnie Hossack at 
(503) 736-4741, or by emailing a request to [email protected] 
with the subject line ``CD ROM Request for Snake River Spring/Summer 
Chinook Salmon and Snake River Steelhead Recovery Plan.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rosemary Furfey, NMFS Snake River 
Spring/Summer Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Coordinator, at 
(503) 231-2149, or mail to: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    We are responsible for developing and implementing recovery plans 
for Pacific salmon and steelhead listed under the ESA of 1973, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Recovery means that the listed 
species and their ecosystems are sufficiently restored, and their 
future secured, to the point that the protections of the ESA are no 
longer necessary. Section 4(f)(1) of the ESA requires that recovery 
plans include, to the maximum extent practicable: (1) Objective, 
measurable criteria which, when met, would result in a determination 
that the species is no longer threatened or endangered; (2) site-
specific management actions necessary to achieve the plan's goals; and 
(3) estimates of the time required and costs to implement recovery 
actions. The ESA requires the development of recovery plans for each 
listed species unless such a plan would not promote its recovery.
    We believe it is essential to have local support of recovery plans 
by those whose activities directly affect the listed species and whose 
continued commitment and leadership will be needed to implement the 
necessary recovery actions. We, therefore, support and participate in 
collaborative efforts to develop recovery plans that involve state, 
tribal, and federal entities, local communities, and other 
stakeholders. For this Proposed Plan for threatened Snake River Spring/
Summer Chinook Salmon and Snake River Steelhead, we worked 
collaboratively with state, tribal, and Federal partners to produce a 
recovery plan that satisfies the ESA requirements. We have determined 
that this Proposed ESA Recovery Plan for Snake River Spring/Summer 
Chinook Salmon and Snake River Steelhead meets the statutory 
requirements for a recovery plan and are proposing to adopt it as the 
ESA recovery plan for these threatened species. Section 4(f) of the 
ESA, as amended in 1988, requires that public notice and an opportunity 
for public review and comment be provided prior to final approval of a 
recovery plan. This notice solicits comments on this Proposed Plan.

Development of the Proposed Plan

    For the purpose of recovery planning for the ESA-listed species of 
Pacific salmon and steelhead in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, NMFS 
designated five geographically based ``recovery domains.'' The Snake 
River Spring/Summer Chinook Salmon ESU and Snake River Steelhead DPS 
spawning and rearing range is in the Snake River recovery domain of the 
Interior Columbia area. For each domain, NMFS appointed a team of 
scientists, nominated for their geographic and species expertise, to 
provide a solid scientific foundation for recovery plans. The technical 
recovery team responsible for Snake River Spring/Summer Chinook Salmon 
and Snake River Steelhead, the Interior Columbia Technical Recovery 
Team, included biologists from NMFS, other Federal agencies, states, 
tribes, and academic institutions.
    A primary task for the Interior Columbia Technical Recovery Team 
was to recommend criteria for determining when each component 
population within an ESU or DPS should be considered viable (i.e., when 
they have a low risk of extinction over a 100-year period) and when 
ESUs or DPSs have a risk of extinction consistent with no longer 
needing the protections of the ESA. All technical recovery teams used 
the same biological principles for developing their recommendations. 
These principles are described in the NOAA technical memorandum Viable 
Salmonid Populations and the Recovery of Evolutionarily Significant 
Units (McElhany et al., 2000). Viable salmonid populations (VSP) are 
defined in terms of four parameters: abundance; productivity or growth 
rate; spatial structure; and diversity.
    We also collaborated with state, tribal, and Federal biologists and 
resource managers to provide technical information used to write the 
Proposed Plan which is built upon locally-led recovery efforts. In 
addition, NMFS established a multi-state (Idaho, Oregon, and 
Washington), tribal, and Federal partners' regional forum called the 
Snake River Coordination Group that addresses the four ESA-listed Snake 
River salmon and steelhead species. They met twice a year to be briefed 
and provide technical and policy information to NMFS. We presented 
regular updates on the status of this Proposed Plan to the Snake River 
Coordination Group and posted draft chapters on NMFS' West Coast Region 
Snake River recovery planning Web page. We also made full drafts of the 
Proposed Plan available for review to the state, tribal, and Federal 
entities with whom we collaborated to develop the plan.
    For the purpose of recovery planning in the Snake River recovery 
domain, NMFS divided the domain into three different ``management 
units'' based on jurisdictional boundaries, as well as areas where 
local planning efforts were underway. The three Snake River domain 
management units include: the Northeast Oregon unit; Southeast 
Washington unit; and the Idaho unit. A recovery plan addressing 
tributary conditions for both species was developed for each management 
unit. All three management unit plans were developed in coordination 
with respective Federal, state, and local agencies, tribes, and others. 
This Proposed Plan synthesizes relevant information from the three 
management unit plans at the species level and includes them as 
appendices: Appendix A is the Northeast Oregon Management Unit Plan; 
Appendix B is the Southeast Washington Management Unit Plan; and 
Appendix C is the Idaho Management Unit Plan.
    In addition to the Proposed Plan, we developed and incorporated the 
Module for the Ocean Environment (Fresh et al. 2014) as Appendix D to 
address Snake River Spring/Summer Chinook Salmon and Snake River 
Steelhead recovery

[[Page 74772]]

needs in the Columbia River estuary, plume, and Pacific Ocean. To 
address recovery needs related to the Lower Columbia River mainstem and 
estuary, we incorporated the Columbia River Estuary ESA Recovery Plan 
Module for Salmon and Steelhead (NMFS 2011a) as Appendix E. To address 
recovery needs for fishery harvest management in the mainstem Snake and 
Columbia Rivers, Columbia River estuary, and ocean, we developed and 
incorporated the Snake River Harvest Module (NMFS 2014a) as Appendix F. 
To address recovery needs related to the Columbia River Hydropower 
System, we developed and incorporated the Supplemental Recovery Plan 
Module for Snake River Salmon and Steelhead Mainstem Columbia River 
Hydropower Projects (NMFS 2014b) as Appendix G of this Proposed Plan.
    The Proposed Plan, including the three management unit plans and 
four modules, is now available for public review and comment.

Contents of Proposed Plan

    The Proposed Plan contains biological background and contextual 
information that includes descriptions of the ESU and DPS, the planning 
area, and the context of the plan's development. It presents relevant 
information on ESU and DPS structure, guidelines for assessing salmonid 
population and ESU and DPS status, and a brief summary of Interior 
Columbia Technical Recovery Team products on population structure and 
species status. It also presents NMFS' proposed biological viability 
criteria and threats criteria for delisting each species.
    The Proposed Plan also describes specific information on the 
following: Current status of Snake River Spring/Summer Chinook Salmon 
and Snake River Steelhead (Chapter 4); limiting factors and threats 
throughout the life cycle that have contributed to each species' 
decline (Chapter 5); recovery strategies and actions addressing these 
limiting factors and threats (Chapter 6); and a proposed research, 
monitoring, and evaluation program for adaptive management (Chapter 7). 
For recovery actions, the Proposed Plan incorporates the site-specific 
actions in each management unit plan, together with the associated 
location, life stage affected and potential implementing entity. The 
Proposed Plan also summarizes time and costs (Chapter 8) required to 
implement recovery actions. In some cases, costs of implementing 
actions could not be determined at this time and NMFS is interested in 
additional information regarding scale, scope, and costs of these 
actions. We are also particularly interested in comments on 
establishing appropriate forums (Chapter 9) to coordinate 
implementation of the Proposed Plan. We are also interested in 
information to address critical uncertainties identified in the 
Proposed Plan, particularly regarding causes of mortality of juvenile 
fish as they move from natal tributaries into the Salmon and Snake 
Rivers during migration to the Pacific Ocean.

How NMFS and Others Expect To Use the Plan

    With approval of the final recovery plan, we will commit to 
implement the actions in the plan for which we have responsibility, 
authority, and funding; encourage other Federal and state agencies and 
tribal governments to implement recovery actions for which they have 
responsibility, authority, and funding; and work cooperatively with the 
public and local stakeholders on implementation of other actions. We 
expect the recovery plan to guide us and other Federal agencies in 
evaluating Federal actions under ESA section 7, as well as in 
implementing other provisions of the ESA and other statutes. For 
example, the plan will provide greater biological context for 
evaluating the effects that a proposed action may have on a species by 
providing delisting criteria, information on priority areas for 
addressing specific limiting factors, and information on how the ESU 
and DPS can tolerate varying levels of risk.
    When we are considering a species for delisting, the agency will 
examine whether the section 4(a)(1) listing factors have been 
addressed. To assist in this examination, we will use the delisting 
criteria described in section 3.4 of the Proposed Plan, which include 
both biological criteria and criteria addressing each of the ESA 
section 4(a)(1) listing factors, as well as any other relevant data and 
policy considerations.
    We will also work with the proposed implementation structure, as 
described in chapter 9 of the Proposed Plan, to coordinate among 
existing forums, develop implementation priorities, and address science 
and adaptive management issues.

Conclusion

    Section 4(f)(1)(B) of the ESA requires that recovery plans 
incorporate, to the maximum extent practicable, (1) objective, 
measurable criteria which, when met, would result in a determination 
that the species is no longer threatened or endangered; (2) site-
specific management actions necessary to achieve the plan's goals; and 
(3) estimates of the time required and costs to implement recovery 
actions. We conclude that the Proposed Plan meets the requirements of 
ESA section 4(f) and are proposing to adopt it as the ESA Recovery Plan 
for Snake River Spring/Summer Chinook Salmon and Snake River Steelhead.

Public Comments Solicited

    We are soliciting written comments on the Proposed Plan. All 
substantive comments received by the date specified above will be 
considered and incorporated, as appropriate, prior to our decision 
whether to approve the plan. While we invite comments on all aspects of 
the Proposed Plan, we are particularly interested in comments on 
addressing critical uncertainties in our knowledge about the early 
juvenile life stage survival from natal tributaries downstream into the 
Salmon and Snake Rivers, comments on the cost of recovery actions for 
which we have not yet determined implementation costs, and comments on 
establishing an appropriate implementation forums for the plan. We will 
issue a news release announcing the adoption and availability of the 
final plan. We will post on the NMFS West Coast Region Web site 
(www.wcr.noaa.gov) a summary of, and responses to, the comments 
received, along with electronic copies of the final plan and its 
appendices.

Literature Cited

Fresh, K. et al., 2014. Module for the Ocean Environment. NMFS 
Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, WA. http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/recovery_planning/salmon_steelhead/domains/interior_columbia/snake/ocean_module.pdf.
McElhany, P., M.H. Ruckelshaus, M.J. Ford, T.C. Wainwright, and E.P. 
Bjorkstedt. 2000. Viable salmon populations and the recovery of 
evolutionarily significant units. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Tech. 
Memo., NMFS NWFSC 42, 156 p. NMFS (National Marine Fisheries 
Service). 2011. Columbia River Estuary ESA Recovery Plan Module for 
Salmon and Steelhead. NMFS Northwest Region. Portland, OR. January. 
Prepared for NMFS by the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership 
(contractor) and PC Trask & Associates, Inc., subcontractor. http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/recovery_planning/salmon_steelhead/domains/interior_columbia/snake/estuary-mod.pdf.
NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service). 2014a. Supplemental 
recovery plan module for Snake River salmon and steelhead mainstem 
Columbia River hydropower projects. Portland, OR. http://
www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/recovery_planning/
salmon_steelhead/domains/interior_columbia/

[[Page 74773]]

snake/hydro_supplemental_recovery_plan_module_063014.pdf.
NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service). 2014b. Snake River Harvest 
Module. Portland, OR. http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/recovery_planning/salmon_steelhead/domains/interior_columbia/snake/harvest_module_062514.pdf.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.

    Dated: October 21, 2016.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-25973 Filed 10-26-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P