[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 216 (Wednesday, November 7, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 55697]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-24384]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG571


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Notice; availability of hatchery plan and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) 
have submitted a Hatchery and Genetics Management Plan (HGMP) pursuant 
to the protective regulations promulgated for Pacific salmon and 
steelhead under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The HGMP specifies 
the operation of a hatchery program rearing coho salmon in the upper 
Trinity River within the State of California. This document serves to 
notify the public of the availability of the HGMP and associated draft 
environmental assessment (EA) for comment prior to a decision by NMFS 
whether to approve the proposed hatchery program.

DATES: Comments must be received at the appropriate address or fax 
number (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific time on December 7, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the application should be addressed to 
NMFS West Coast Region, California Coastal Office, 1655 Heindon Road, 
Arcata, CA 95521, or faxed to (707) 825-4840. Comments may be submitted 
by email to: TrinityRiverHatchery [email protected]. Include in the 
subject line of the email comment the following identifier: Comments on 
the Trinity River Hatchery plan.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Seth Naman, at phone number: (707) 
825-5180, or via email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Species covered in this notice:

    Coho salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened, naturally produced and 
artificially propagated Southern Oregon/Northern California (SONCC).

    Reclamation and CDFW have submitted an HGMP to NMFS describing a 
hatchery program that releases coho salmon into the upper Trinity 
River, in northern California, for consideration pursuant to Limit 5 of 
the ESA 4(d) rule for salmon and steelhead.
    The hatchery program that is the subject of the NMFS evaluation 
would operate to produce coho salmon to mitigate for lost natural 
production that would have occurred in historic spawning habitat 
upstream of the Trinity River Dam and the Lewiston Dam (i.e., habitat 
blocked since the dams were constructed). The program would propagate 
coho salmon smolts that are derived from the local coho salmon 
population in the Trinity River, matching natural-origin coho salmon 
with their natural counterparts whenever possible, and striving for a 
high proportion of natural influence (average greater than 0.67). 
Measures would be applied in the hatchery program to reduce the risk of 
incidental adverse genetic, ecological, and demographic effects on 
natural-origin salmon populations.
    As specified in the July 10, 2000, ESA 4(d) rule for salmon and 
steelhead (65 FR 42422) and updated June 28, 2005 (70 FR 37160), NMFS 
may approve an HGMP if it meets criteria set forth in 50 CFR 
223.203(b)(5)(i)(A) through (K). Prior to final approval of an HGMP, 
NMFS must publish notification announcing its availability for public 
review and comment.

Authority

    Under section 4 of the ESA, the Secretary of Commerce is required 
to adopt such regulations as s/he deems necessary and advisable for the 
conservation of species listed as threatened under the ESA. The ESA 
salmon and steelhead 4(d) rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000, as updated 
in 70 FR 37160, June 28, 2005), specifies categories of activities that 
contribute to the conservation of ESA-listed salmonids and sets out the 
criteria for such activities. Limit 5 of the updated 4(d) rule (50 CFR 
223.203(b)(5)) further provides that the prohibitions of paragraph (a) 
of the updated 4(d) rule (50 CFR 223.203(a)) do not apply to activities 
associated with artificial propagation programs provided that an HGMP 
has been approved by NMFS in accordance with the salmon and steelhead 
4(d) rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000, as updated in 70 FR 37160, June 
28, 2005).

    Dated: November 1, 2018.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-24384 Filed 11-6-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P