[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 114 (Thursday, June 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27468-27471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12433]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF473


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Applications for three new scientific research permits, one 
permit modification, and four permit renewals.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received eight scientific 
research permit application requests

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relating to Pacific salmon, steelhead, eulachon, green sturgeon, and 
rockfish. 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 July 17, 2017.

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 Puget Sound 
(PS).
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened PS.
    Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened Hood Canal Summer-run (HCS).
    Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus): Threatened Southern (S).
    Green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris): Threatened Southern (S).
    Bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis): Endangered Puget Sound/Georgia 
Basin (PS/GB).
    Yelloweye rockfish (S. ruberrimus): Threatened PS/GB.

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 15848-2R

    The Washington 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 PS Chinook salmon, HCS chum salmon, PS 
steelhead, and PS/GB bocaccio and adult S green sturgeon in the Puget 
Sound (Washington State). The WDFW research may also cause them to take 
juvenile and adult S eulachon and PS/GB yelloweye rockfish--species for 
which there are currently no ESA take prohibitions. The purpose of the 
WDFW study is to estimate the relative abundance of bottomfish in Puget 
Sound and collect information on the distribution and biology of key 
marine vertebrate and invertebrate resources. The research would 
benefit the affected species by providing the WDFW with information on 
encounter rates and species distributions--information that fisheries 
managers would use to promulgate regulations designed to protect and 
promote the recovery of listed species and to properly manage non-
listed fishery resources. The WDFW proposes to capture fish using a 
bottom trawl. All captured eulachon, salmonids, and green sturgeon 
would either be released immediately at the surface or held temporarily 
in an aerated live well to help them recover before being released. 
Listed rockfish would be released via rapid submergence to their 
capture depth to reduce adverse effects from barotrauma. The 
researchers do not propose to kill any fish but a small number may die 
as an unintended result of research activities. Some unintentional 
mortalities may be retained for further analysis.

Permit 15890-2R

    The WDFW is seeking to renew, for five years, a research permit 
that currently allows them to take juvenile and adult PS Chinook 
salmon, HCS chum salmon, PS steelhead, and PS/GB bocaccio in the Puget 
Sound (Washington State). The WDFW research may also cause them to take 
juvenile and adult S eulachon and PS/GB yelloweye rockfish--species for 
which there are currently no ESA take prohibitions. The purpose of the 
WDFW study is to estimate abundance and determine other important 
demographic information for pelagic forage fish in key areas of Puget 
Sound. The research would benefit both listed and non-listed species by 
monitoring their relative abundance in Puget Sound and obtaining 
information on the spatial and temporal locations of all pelagic 
species in the region. The WDFW proposes to capture fish with a mid-
water trawl working in tandem with an acoustic survey boat. All 
captured salmonids would be sampled (fin clips, sample scale) and 
either released immediately at the surface or held temporarily in an 
aerated live well to help them recover before release. All viable 
eulachon would be released at the surface without sampling. Listed 
rockfish would have a fin clip collected for genetic analyses and then 
be released via rapid submergence to their capture depth to reduce 
adverse effects from barotrauma. The researchers do not propose to kill 
any fish, but a small number may die as an unintentional result of 
research activities. Some unintentional mortalities may be retained for 
further analysis.

Permit 16021-2R

    The WDFW is seeking to renew, for five years, a research permit 
that currently allows them to take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon 
and PS/GB bocaccio and adult S green sturgeon in the Puget Sound 
(Washington State). The WDFW research may also cause them to take adult 
S eulachon and juvenile and adult PS/GB yelloweye rockfish--species for 
which there are currently no ESA take prohibitions. The purpose of the 
WDFW study is to improve the understanding of groundfish stock 
structure, life history, biology, geographic distribution, habitat use, 
and food web relationships. The research would benefit the affected 
species by providing data critical for population modeling--information 
that would be used to improve management of Puget Sound groundfish 
resources. The WDFW proposes to capture fish using hook and line and 
live-capture traps. All captured salmonids, eulachon, and green 
sturgeon would either be released immediately at the surface or held 
temporarily in an aerated live well to help them recover before being 
released. Listed rockfish would have a fin clip collected for genetic 
analysis and researchers would attach a floy tag to the fish before 
releasing them via rapid submergence to their capture depth. After 
being captured, the listed salmon and steelhead would be placed in 
aerated live wells, identified, and

[[Page 27470]]

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. Some unintentional mortalities may be retained for further 
analysis.

Permit 16091-2R

    The WDFW is seeking to renew, for five years, a research permit 
that currently allows them to take juvenile and adult PS Chinook 
salmon, HCS chum salmon, PS steelhead, and PS/GB bocaccio and adult S 
green sturgeon in the Puget Sound (Washington State). The WDFW research 
may also cause them to take juvenile and adult S eulachon and PS/GB 
yelloweye rockfish--species for which there are currently no ESA take 
prohibitions. The purpose of the WDFW study is to capture English sole 
(Parophrys vetulus) throughout the Salish Sea to monitor tissue levels 
of toxic chemical contaminants, frequency of pathological disorders, 
and biomarkers signifying biological effects. The research would 
benefit the listed species as well as the target species by providing 
managers with a better understanding of toxic contaminant impacts on 
the benthic food web, measuring changes in toxic contaminant levels on 
a local level, and helping prioritize cleanup efforts. The WDFW 
proposes to capture fish using a bottom trawl. All captured eulachon, 
salmonids, and green sturgeon would either be released immediately at 
the surface or held temporarily in an aerated live well to help them 
recover before being released. Listed rockfish would be released via 
rapid submergence to their capture depth to reduce adverse effects from 
barotrauma. The researchers do not propose to kill any fish but a small 
number may die as an unintended result of research activities. Some 
unintentional mortalities may be retained for further analysis.

Permit 20535-2M

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is seeking to modify a 
three-year research permit that allows them to annually take juvenile 
PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead in the lower Duwamish River (King 
County, Washington). The USACE research may also cause them to take 
adult S eulachon--species for which there are currently no ESA take 
prohibitions. The purpose of the USACE study is to collect starry 
flounder (Platichthys stellatus), shiner surfperch (Cymatogaster 
aggregate), English sole, and Pacific staghorn sculpin (Leptocottus 
armatus) for tissue sampling and PCB congener analysis. The research 
would benefit the listed species by enhancing managers' 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 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 21061

    Windward Environmental (WE) is seeking a two-year research permit 
to annually take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead 
and juvenile PS/GB bocaccio in the lower Duwamish River (King County, 
Washington). The WE research may also cause them to take juvenile PS/GB 
yelloweye rockfish--species for which there are currently no ESA take 
prohibitions. The purpose of the WE study is to establish baseline 
tissue chemical concentrations for English sole, starry flounder, 
shiner surfperch, Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister), and graceful 
crab (M. gracilis) in the lower Duwamish River to assess the progress 
toward meeting target tissue chemical concentrations identified in the 
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Record of Decision (ROD). The 
research would benefit the affected species by helping delineate 
contaminated areas and using that information to minimize animals' 
exposure to contaminated sediments by performing sediment remediation 
designed to protect aquatic wildlife. The WE proposes to capture fish 
using an otter trawl and crab traps. All listed fish 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 21185

    The Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) is seeking a five-year research 
permit to annually take juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead in 
the Deschutes River watershed and Kitsap Peninsula (Washington State). 
The purpose of the WFC study is to water-type existing channel 
classifications in selected sub-basins and floodplain areas to validate 
and correct Washington Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) 
classifications. The research would benefit the listed species by 
filling data gaps regarding fish passage impediments (i.e., tidegates, 
culverts) and fish species composition and distribution--information 
needed to responsibly identify, prioritize, and implement restoration 
projects. The WFC proposes to capture fish using backpack 
electrofishing equipment. The captured fish would be identified to 
species, fin clipped (PS steelhead only), and returned to their capture 
locations. Once fish presence is established, either through visual 
observation or electrofishing, electrofishing would be discontinued. 
Surveyors would then proceed upstream until a change in habitat 
parameters is encountered, at which point the electrofishing would be 
continued. 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 21330

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is seeking a five-year 
research permit to annual take juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS 
steelhead in Jim Creek (South Fork Stillaguamish River watershed; 
Snohomish County, Washington). The purpose of the FWS study is to 
document ESA-listed fish presence, distribution, and abundance in Jim 
Creek within the boundaries of the Naval Radio Station Jim Creek 
facility. The research would benefit the listed species by refining the 
facility's Integrated Natural Resources Management plan, guiding 
decisions regarding habitat restoration, and helping fill data gaps in 
the distribution and abundance of ESA-listed PS Chinook, PS steelhead, 
and bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus). The FWS proposes to capture 
fish using backpack electrofishing equipment. The captured fish would 
be removed from the water using a dip net, placed in aerated buckets, 
anesthetized with MS-222, identified to species, weighed, measured, 
allowed to recover, and returned to their capture locations. 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.


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    Dated: June 12, 2017.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-12433 Filed 6-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P