[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 12593]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-06317]



[[Page 12593]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG929


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 evaluation of joint state/tribal 
hatchery plans and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Washington Department of Fish 
and Wildlife, the Muckleshoot Tribe, and the Suquamish Tribe have 
prepared 10 Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans, to be considered 
jointly, to NMFS pursuant to the limitation on take prohibitions for 
actions conducted under Limit 6 of the 4(d) Rule for salmon and 
steelhead promulgated under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The plans 
specify the propagation of four species of salmon and steelhead in the 
Duwamish/Green River basin of Washington State. This document serves to 
notify the public of the availability for comment of the proposed 
evaluation and pending determination of the Secretary of Commerce 
(Secretary) as to whether implementation of the joint plans will 
appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of ESA-
listed Puget Sound Chinook salmon and Puget Sound steelhead.

DATES: Comments must be received at the appropriate address (see 
ADDRESSES) no later than 5:00 p.m. Pacific time on May 2, 2019. 
Comments received after this date may not be accepted.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the proposed evaluation and pending 
determination should be addressed to Charlene Hurst, NMFS Sustainable 
Fisheries Division, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100, Portland, OR 
97232. Comments may be submitted by email. The mailbox address for 
providing email comments is: [email protected]. Include in the subject line of the email comment the 
following identifier: Comments on Duwamish/Green River hatchery 
evaluation. The documents are available on the internet at 
www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov. Comments received will also be 
available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business 
hours by calling (503) 230-5409.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charlene Hurst at (503) 230-5409 or by 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

ESA-Listed Species Covered in This Notice

    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): threatened, naturally 
produced and artificially propagated Puget Sound.
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened, naturally produced and 
artificially propagated Puget Sound.

Background

    The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Muckleshoot 
Tribe, and Suquamish Tribe have prepared plans for 10 jointly operated 
hatchery programs in the Duwamish/Green River region. The plans were 
submitted from April 2013 to June 2017, pursuant to limit 6 of the 4(d) 
Rule for ESA-listed salmon and steelhead. The hatchery programs release 
ESA-listed Chinook salmon and winter steelhead and non-listed coho 
salmon, fall chum salmon, and summer steelhead into the Duwamish/Green 
River basin and nearby.
    As required by the ESA 4(d) Rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000, as 
updated in 70 FR 37160, June 28, 2005), the Secretary is seeking public 
comment on his pending determination as to whether the joint plans for 
hatchery programs in the Duwamish/Green River basin would appreciably 
reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of the ESA-listed Puget 
Sound salmon and steelhead.

Authority

    Under section 4 of the ESA, the Secretary of Commerce is required 
to adopt such regulations as he deems necessary and advisable for the 
conservation of species listed as threatened. 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 listed salmonids and sets out the 
criteria for such activities. Limit 6 of the updated 4(d) Rule (50 CFR 
223.203(b)(6)) 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 a joint state/tribal artificial propagation plan 
provided that the joint plan has been determined by NMFS to be in 
accordance with the ESA salmon and steelhead 4(d) Rule.

    Dated: March 27, 2019.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-06317 Filed 4-1-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P