[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 213 (Thursday, November 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76565-76568]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26530]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[0648-XF008]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Applications for two new scientific research permits and 13 
permit renewals.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received 15 scientific 
research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon, 
steelhead, eulachon, and green sturgeon. 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 December 5, 
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): Threatened Lower 
Columbia River (LCR); threatened Puget Sound (PS); threatened Snake 
River (SR) spring/summer-run; threatened SR fall-run; endangered Upper 
Columbia River (UCR) spring-run; threatened Upper Willamette River 
(UWR).
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened LCR; threatened Middle Columbia 
River (MCR); threatened PS; threatened SR; threatened UCR; threatened 
UWR
    Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened Hood Canal Summer-run (HCS); 
threatened Columbia River (CR).
    Coho salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened LCR; threatened Oregon Coast 
(OC) coho.
    Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): Threatened Ozette Lake (OL); endangered 
SR.
    Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus): Threatened Southern (S).
    Green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris): Threatened Southern (S).

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 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 1135-9R

    The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is seeking to renew, for 
five years, a research permit that currently allows them to take 
juvenile LCR steelhead in the Wind River subbasin (Washington). The 
purpose of the USGS study is to provide information on the growth, 
survival, habitat use, and life-histories of LCR steelhead. This 
information would improve understanding of habitat associations and 
life history strategies for LCR steelhead in the Wind River and that, 
in turn, would help state, tribal, and Federal efforts to restore LCR 
steelhead. The USGS proposes to capture juvenile LCR steelhead using 
backpack electrofishing equipment, hold the fish in aerated buckets, 
anaesthetize them with MS-222, measure length and weight, tag age-0 and 
age-1 fish with passive integrated transponders (PIT-tags), and release 
all fish at the site of collection after they recover from anesthesia. 
The researchers do not propose to kill any fish but a small number may 
die as an unintended result of research activities.

Permit 1175-9R

    The Gifford Pinchot National Forest (GPNF) is seeking to renew, for 
five years, a research permit that currently allows them to take 
juvenile PS Chinook salmon, PS steelhead, MCR steelhead, LCR Chinook 
salmon, LCR coho salmon, and LCR steelhead in the Middle Columbia-Hood 
and Puyallup subbasins (Washington). The purpose of this research is to 
describe fish species presence, distribution, spawning areas, and 
habitat conditions on lands that the GPNF administers. The GPNF and 
other agencies would use that information in forest management, habitat 
restoration, and species recovery efforts. The GPNF proposes to use 
backpack electrofishing and seines to capture juvenile salmonids, hold 
fish for short periods in aerated buckets, identify, and then release 
the fish. The researchers do not propose to kill any fish, but a small 
number may die as an unintentional result of research activities.

Permit 1345-8R

    The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is 
seeking to renew, for five years, a research permit that currently 
allows them to take juvenile and adult LCR Chinook salmon, PS Chinook 
salmon, LCR coho salmon, LCR steelhead, and PS steelhead. The WDFW 
administers a multitude of water bodies through the state of 
Washington, and this permit would provide them with coverage throughout 
Puget Sound and the Lower Columbia River basin. The purpose of the WDFW 
study is to assess inland game fish communities and thereby improve 
fishery management. The research would benefit salmonids by helping 
managers write warm-water fish species harvest regulations that reduce 
potential impacts on listed salmonids. The WDFW proposes to capture 
fish using boat electrofishing, fyke nets, and gillnets. After being 
captured, the listed salmon and steelhead would be placed in aerated 
live wells, identified, and released. The researchers do not propose to 
kill any listed fish being

[[Page 76566]]

captured, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the 
activities.

Permit 1386-9R

    The Washington Department of Ecology (WDOE) is seeking to renew, 
for five years, a research permit that currently allows them to take 
juvenile and adult LCR Chinook salmon, PS Chinook salmon, SR spring/
summer-run Chinook salmon, SR fall-run Chinook salmon, UCR spring-run 
Chinook salmon, CR chum salmon, HC summer-run chum salmon, LCR coho 
salmon, OL sockeye salmon, LCR steelhead, MCR steelhead, PS steelhead, 
SR Basin steelhead, and UCR steelhead throughout the state of 
Washington. The purpose of the research is to investigate the 
occurrence and concentrations of toxic contaminants in non-anadromous 
freshwater fish tissue, sediment, and water at sites throughout 
Washington. The WDOE conducts this research in order to meet Federal 
and state regulatory requirements. This research would benefit listed 
species by identifying toxic contaminants in fish and informing 
pollution control actions. The WDOE proposes to capture fish using 
various methods including backpack and boat electrofishing, beach 
seining, block, fyke, and gill netting, and angling. All captured 
salmon and steelhead would either be released immediately or held 
temporarily in an aerated live well to help them recover before 
release. The researchers do not propose to kill any fish but a small 
number may die as an unintended result of research activities.

Permit 1564-5R

    The University of Washington (UW) is seeking to renew, for five 
years, a research permit that currently allows them to take juvenile PS 
Chinook salmon and PS steelhead. The purpose of the UW study is to 
monitor the success of habitat restoration projects in the Duwamish 
River estuary, the Snohomish River estuary, and Shilshole Bay, 
Washington, by documenting changes in population characteristics among 
Chinook salmon in response to estuarine habitat restoration actions. 
The habitat restoration work would be conducted by several entities, 
but primarily by the Port of Seattle and the City of Seattle. The 
habitat restoration projects are designed to improve habitats that 
Chinook salmon use for rearing and migration. Monitoring the 
restoration sites would help determine the projects' effectiveness and 
thereby guide future restoration projects for the benefit of listed 
salmonids in the area. The UW proposes to capture fish using enclosure 
nets and beach seines. The captured fish would be held in buckets of 
aerated water. Juvenile salmonids would be anesthetized, checked for 
marks and tags, measured, and released. Some individuals would have 
their stomach contents sampled via non-lethal gastric lavage. The 
researchers do not propose to kill any listed fish being captured, but 
a small number may die as an unintended result of the activities.

Permit 1585-4R

    The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is 
seeking to renew, for five years, a research permit that currently 
allows them to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon, HCS chum salmon, and PS 
steelhead. The work would be carried out in many central Puget Sound 
tributaries that originate in the Olympic and Cascade Mountain Ranges 
in Mason, Kitsap, King, Pierce, Thurston, Snohomish, and Lewis 
Counties, Washington. The purpose of the WDNR study is to determine 
fish presence or absence in streams greater than two feet in width 
between ordinary high water marks and with gradients of less than 20 
percent. The information gathered would be used to determine salmonid 
presence and distribution and thereby inform land management decisions 
on WDNR holdings. The WDNR would use this information on fish-bearing 
streams to benefit the species by removing existing man-made fish 
barriers or possibly replacing them with structures that fish can pass 
over or through. The WDNR proposes to capture fish using backpack 
electrofishing equipment. The captured fish would be identified and 
released back to the pools from which they came. In some cases, the 
researchers may not actually capture any fish, but would merely note 
their presence. The researchers do not propose to kill any listed fish 
being captured, but a small number may die as an unintended result of 
the activities.

Permit 1587-5R

    The USGS is seeking to renew a research permit, for five years, 
that currently allows them to take juvenile HCS chum salmon, PS Chinook 
salmon, and PS steelhead. The USGS research may also cause them to take 
adult S eulachon, for which there are currently no ESA take 
prohibitions. The work would take place in the northern Puget Sound 
(San Juan Island and Samish Bay), Whidbey Basin (Skagit Bay, Snohomish 
River delta), southern Puget Sound (Nisqually Delta), Admiralty Inlet 
(including Foulweather Bluff, Kilisut Harbor, and Oak Bay), and the 
Strait of Juan de Fuca. The research would be divided into two 
projects: (1) Restoration of Puget Sound Deltas and other nearshore 
restoration sites and (2) Effects of Urbanization on Nearshore 
Ecosystems. The purpose of the USGS study is to understand large river 
delta ecosystems and the physio-chemical processes related to nearshore 
habitat alterations that modify trophic web, community dynamics, and 
forage fish populations. The USGS would sample once per month in each 
area from April through September, but extra sampling (1-8 days per 
quarter) may sometimes be needed. The USGS proposes to capture fish 
primarily by using lampara nets, but beach seines, dip nets, gill nets, 
and angling may also be used. The captured fish would be identified to 
species, weighed, and measured. All listed fish would be immediately 
processed and released near their capture location. Forage fish would 
be counted, measured, weighed, and some may be sacrificed for otoliths, 
genetics, and fish health assays. All sampling plans would be reviewed 
and approved by the USGS Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee 
before being implemented. The researchers do not propose to kill any 
listed fish being captured, but a small number may die as an unintended 
result of the activities.

Permit 1598-4R

    The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is 
seeking to renew, for five years, a research permit that currently 
allows them to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon, UCR spring-run Chinook 
salmon, SR spring/summer-run Chinook salmon, SR fall-run Chinook 
salmon, LCR Chinook salmon, HCS chum salmon, CR chum salmon, LCR coho 
salmon, OL sockeye salmon, SR sockeye salmon, LCR steelhead, PS 
steelhead, MCR steelhead, SR steelhead, and UCR steelhead. The WSDOT 
research may also cause them to take eulachon, for which there are 
currently no ESA take prohibitions. Sample sites would be located 
throughout the state of Washington. The purpose of the WSDOT study is 
to determine the distribution and diversity of anadromous fish species 
in waterbodies crossed by or adjacent to the state transportation 
systems (highways, railroads, and/or airports). This information would 
be used to assess the impacts that projects proposed at those 
facilities may have on listed species. The research would benefit the 
listed species by helping WSDOT minimize project impacts on listed fish 
to the greatest extent possible. Depending on the size of the stream 
system, the WSDOT proposes to capture fish using dip nets, stick 
seines, baited gee minnow traps, or backpack

[[Page 76567]]

electrofishing. The captured fish would be identified to species and 
immediately released. The researchers do not propose to kill any listed 
fish being captured, but a small number may die as an unintended result 
of the activities.

Permit 16069-2R

    The City of Portland (COP) is seeking to renew, for five years, a 
research permit that currently allows them to take juvenile and adult 
MCR steelhead, UCR spring Chinook salmon, UCR steelhead, SR spring/
summer-run Chinook salmon, SR fall-run Chinook salmon, SR steelhead, SR 
sockeye salmon, LCR Chinook salmon, LCR coho salmon, LCR steelhead, CR 
chum salmon, UWR Chinook salmon, UWR steelhead, OC coho salmon, and S 
green sturgeon in the Columbia and Willamette rivers and tributaries 
(Oregon). The COP research may also cause them to take adult S 
eulachon, for which there are currently no ESA take prohibitions. This 
research is part of the Portland Watershed Management Plan, which aims 
to improve watershed health in the Portland area. In this program, 
project personnel sample 37 sites annually across all Portland 
watersheds for hydrology, habitat, water chemistry, and biological 
communities. The research would benefit listed salmonids by providing 
information to assess watershed health, status of critical habitat, 
effectiveness of watershed restoration actions, and compliance with 
regulatory requirements. The City of Portland proposes to capture 
juvenile fish using backpack and boat electrofishing, hold fish in a 
bucket of aerated water, take caudal fin clips for genetic analysis, 
and release fish at a point near their capture site that would be 
chosen to minimize the likelihood of recapture. The researchers would 
avoid contact with adult fish. The researchers do not propose to kill 
any fish but a small number may die as an unintended result of research 
activities.

Permit 16666-2R

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is seeking to renew, for 
five years, a research permit that currently allows them to take 
juvenile LCR coho salmon and adult LCR Chinook salmon in Abernathy 
Creek (Washington). The goal of this research is to determine the 
natural reproductive success and relative fitness of hatchery origin 
and natural-origin steelhead and assess the overall demographic effects 
of hatchery fish supplementation in Abernathy Creek relative to two 
adjacent control streams. The research would benefit listed salmonids 
by producing data to be used in hatchery and genetic management plans. 
Steelhead are not listed in these streams, but the FWS have captured 
juvenile LCR coho salmon and observed adult LCR Chinook salmon in 
previous years. The FWS proposes capture, handle, and release juvenile 
LCR coho salmon during backpack electrofishing surveys. The researchers 
would avoid electrofishing near adult coho and Chinook salmon. The 
researchers do not expect to kill any listed fish, but a small number 
may die as an unintended result of the research activities.

Permit 16702-3R

    The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) is seeking to renew 
for five years a research permit that currently allows them to take 
juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead. The NWFSC research may 
also cause them to take adult S eulachon, for which there are currently 
no ESA take prohibitions. The survey sites would be located in the 
Snohomish River estuary. The purpose of the NWFSC study is to monitor 
habitat use of juvenile PS Chinook salmon in response to estuary 
restoration at the Qwuloolt restoration site by levee breach and 
subsequent tidal inundation in late 2015. Specifically, the goals are 
to identify the life history types present, their spatial and temporal 
distribution, their feeding ecology, and the interactions with other 
biota. The research would benefit the listed species by determining if 
the restoration strategies are effective in restoring fish habitat and 
populations. Sampling would occur year round; biweekly from February to 
September and then once a month from October to January. The NWFSC 
proposes to capture fish using beach seines (mainstem habitat) and fyke 
traps (tidal channels). The researchers would intentionally kill up to 
15 juvenile PS Chinook via a lethal dose of MS-222. Specimens would be 
taken for stomach, otolith, and other tissue sampling. Any PS Chinook 
unintentionally killed during the research would be used in lieu of a 
fish that would otherwise be sacrificed. All other juvenile PS Chinook 
and all PS steelhead captured would be counted, measured (fork length), 
and released.

Permit 16866-3R

    The Oregon State University (OSU) Department of Fisheries and 
Wildlife is seeking to renew, for five years, a research permit that 
currently allows them to take adult and juvenile LCR Chinook salmon, 
LCR coho salmon, LCR steelhead, CR chum salmon, UWR Chinook salmon, UWR 
steelhead, MCR steelhead, UCR spring Chinook salmon, UCR steelhead, SR 
spring/summer-run Chinook salmon, SR fall-run Chinook salmon, and SR 
steelhead in the Willamette River basin (Oregon). The OSU research may 
also cause them to take adult S eulachon, for which there are currently 
no ESA take prohibitions. Objectives of the study are to (1) assess the 
status of native and non-native fish communities, (2) implement long-
term monitoring, (3) compile and summarize existing reports and 
unpublished data on fish communities in the Willamette River from OSU 
research, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) research, and 
EPA research, and (4) measure water quality in known cold water refugia 
to determine their suitability as fish habitat. The study would benefit 
listed salmonids by providing data for state and Federal collaborators 
to use in their management and planning of conservation, restoration, 
and recovery efforts. The OSU researchers propose to capture juvenile 
salmonids using backpack and boat electrofishing, hold fish in aerated 
fresh water, and then identify, measure, and release juvenile fish. 
Adult fish may be encountered but would not be netted. The researchers 
do not propose to kill any fish but a small number may die as an 
unintended result of research activities.

Permit 20492

    The ODFW is seeking to renew, for five years, a research permit for 
fisheries research in the Willamette and Columbia basins (Oregon) and 
on the Oregon coast. ODFW proposes to take juvenile UCR spring-run 
Chinook salmon, UCR steelhead, SR spring/summer-run Chinook salmon, SR 
fall-run Chinook salmon, SR Basin steelhead, SR sockeye salmon, MCR 
steelhead, LCR Chinook salmon, LCR coho salmon, LCR steelhead, CR chum 
salmon, UWR Chinook salmon, UWR steelhead, and OC coho salmon, and 
adult S green sturgeon. The ODFW research may also cause them to take 
adult S eulachon, for which there are currently no ESA take 
prohibitions. The new permit would cover the following projects: (1) 
Warm-water and Recreational Game Fish Management, (2) District Fish 
Population Sampling in the Upper Willamette Basin, and (3) Salmonid 
Assessment and Monitoring in the Deschutes River. The research would 
provide information on fish population structure, abundance, genetics, 
disease occurrences, and species interactions. This information would 
be used to direct management actions to benefit listed species. 
Juvenile salmonids would be collected using

[[Page 76568]]

boat electrofishing. Some fish would be anesthetized, sampled for 
length and weight, allowed to recover from the anesthesia, and 
released. Most salmonids would be allowed to swim away after being 
electroshocked, or they would be netted and released immediately. The 
ODFW does not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a 
small number may die as an unintended result of the activities.

Permit 20535

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is seeking a three-year 
research permit to annually take juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS 
steelhead in the lower Duwamish River (Washington). The USACE research 
may also cause them to take adult S eulachon, for which there are 
currently no ESA take prohibitions. The purpose of the USACE study is 
to collect starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus) and shiner surfperch 
(Cymatogaster aggregate) for tissue sampling and PCB congener analysis. 
The research would benefit the listed species by enhancing the 
understanding of contaminant partitioning within the food web near the 
Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site. The USACE proposes to capture 
fish using beach seines. All listed fish are released would be 
captured, handled, and released. The researchers do not propose to kill 
any listed fish being captured, but a small number may die as an 
unintended result of the activities.

Permit 20659

    The FWS is seeking a five-year research permit to annually take 
juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead from Lake Washington and 
its tributaries (King County, Washington state). The purposes of the 
FWS study are (1) to test how attracted Chinook salmon are to different 
types of artificial lighting, and (2) to examine juvenile Chinook 
salmon abundance and diets at the mouths of two non-natal tributaries 
in the City of Seattle. The research would benefit the listed species 
by (1) providing better information to land resource managers on how 
best to reduce the effects of nighttime artificial lighting on juvenile 
Chinook salmon while maintaining appropriate lighting for safety 
considerations and (2) understanding how juvenile Chinook salmon use 
urban streams during base flow conditions and after rain events. The 
FWS proposes to capture fish using beach seines. All PS steelhead and 
the majority of the PS Chinook salmon would be immediately released 
after capture. A subset of the juvenile PS Chinook would be 
anesthetized with MS-222, measured for length, undergo gastric lavage 
(non-natal stream surveys only), and released after they have 
recovered. The researchers do not propose to kill any listed fish being 
captured, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the 
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: October 31, 2016.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-26530 Filed 11-2-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P