[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 129 (Thursday, July 5, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31371-31372]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14341]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG301


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

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

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received four scientific 
research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon and 
steelhead. 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 August 6, 
2018.

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).

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 21330-2M

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is seeking to modify a 
five-year research permit that allows them to annually 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 
helping refine the facility's Integrated Natural Resources Management 
plan--the information would help guide decisions regarding habitat 
restoration and fill data gaps regarding 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, and returned to their 
capture locations when recovered. In recent years, the researchers have 
seen more PS steelhead than expected, so they are seeking to modify the 
permit by increasing the number of PS steelhead they are allowed to 
take. The researchers do not intend to kill any listed fish, but some 
may die as an inadvertent result of the research.

Permit 21870

    The Oregon State University (OSU) is seeking a five-year research 
permit to annually take juvenile PS Chinook salmon, HCS chum salmon, 
and PS steelhead in the South Fork of the Skokomish River (Mason 
County, Washington state). The purpose of the OSU study is to research 
the trophic pathways that support salmonids in the Skokomish River and 
to determine how invasive plants mediate terrestrial subsidies to 
streams throughout the year. The researchers would target PS steelhead, 
PS/Strait of Georgia coho salmon (O. kisutch), and sculpin species. 
This research would benefit the affected species by filling the 
knowledge gaps that have limited effective restoration of local food 
webs. The OSU proposes to use seine nets and minnow traps to capture 
the fish. Captured fish would be identified to species and temporarily 
held in aerated buckets. Juvenile PS steelhead (and all other target 
species) would be anesthetized with MS-222, measured for length, tissue 
sampled (scales and caudal fin clip), gastric lavaged, and released. 
All other fish (including PS Chinook and HCS chum salmon) would be 
released after all the fish have been identified. The researchers do 
not intend to kill any listed fish, but some may die as an inadvertent 
result of the research.

Permit 22093

    The Snoqualmie Valley Watershed Improvement District (SVWID) is 
seeking a five-year research permit to annually take juvenile and adult 
PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead throughout the Snoqualmie River 
watershed (Snohomish County, Washington state). The purpose of the

[[Page 31372]]

SVWID study is to assess fish passage barriers, habitat conditions, 
water quality, and fish presence/absence. This research would benefit 
the affected species by better informing plans to improve drainage, 
minimize flooding, and restore salmon habitat. Further, this research 
would benefit listed species by providing data about the status of 
these species in agricultural drainage ditches and small streams that 
may not otherwise be studied. The SVWID proposes to capture fish using 
seine nets, minnow traps, and backpack electrofishing equipment. 
Captured fish would be held in aerated buckets, identified to species, 
measured to length, and released. The researchers do not intend to kill 
any listed fish, but some may die as an inadvertent result of the 
research.

Permit 22127

    The FWS is seeking a five-year research permit to annually take 
juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead throughout the 
Puyallup River watershed (Pierce and King Counties, Washington state). 
The purpose of the FWS study is to research ESA-listed bull trout life 
history diversity and gather information about their temporal and 
spatial use of the watershed at multiple life stages. Other target 
species include brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), cutthroat trout 
(O. clarkii), and non-migratory sculpin species (Shorthead, Torrent, 
and Riffle). PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead would be incidentally 
during this study because their ranges overlap the target species. This 
research would benefit the listed species by providing fine scale 
information about their movement timing and upstream residency. Those 
data, in turn, would be used to inform management and recovery actions. 
The FWS proposes to capture fish using electro-fykes, backpack 
electrofishing equipment, gill nets, hook-and-line, and minnow traps. 
Bull trout would be anesthetized, PIT tagged, weighed, measured for 
length, tissue sampled (fin rays), and released. Other target species 
would be euthanized for otolith and fin ray analysis. All PS steelhead 
and PS Chinook salmon would be captured, handled, and immediately 
released. The researchers do not propose to kill any of the listed 
fish, but some 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: June 28, 2018.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-14341 Filed 7-3-18; 8:45 am]
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