[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 75 (Friday, April 17, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21413-21415]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-08092]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA107]


Endangered Species; File No. 23861

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Midwest Biodiversity Institute 
(MBI) has applied in due form for a permit pursuant to the Endangered 
Species Act

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of 1973, as amended (ESA). The permit application is for the incidental 
take of ESA-listed shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum), Gulf of 
Main Distinct population segment (GOM DPS) Atlantic sturgeon, or the 
New York Bight (NYB DPS) of Atlantic sturgeon. (A. oxyrinchus) and the 
GOM DPS Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) associated with the otherwise 
lawful sampling of non-ESA listed fish in the Lower Kennebec River. The 
duration of the proposed permit is 10 years. NMFS is furnishing this 
notice in order to allow other agencies and the public an opportunity 
to review and comment on the application materials. All comments 
received will become part of the public record and will be available 
for review. An electronic copy of the revised application and proposed 
conservation plan may be obtained by contacting NMFS Office of 
Protected Resources (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) or visiting 
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/incidental-take-permit-midwest-biodiversity-institute.

DATES: Written comments must be received at the appropriate address or 
fax number (see ADDRESSES) on or before May 18, 2020.

ADDRESSES: The application is available for download and review at 
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/incidental-take-permit-midwest-biodiversity-institute under the section heading ESA Section 
10(a)(1)(B) Permits and Applications. The application is also available 
upon written request or by appointment in the following office: 
Endangered Species Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13752, Silver Spring, MD 
20910; phone (301) 427-8402; fax (301) 713-4060.
    You may submit comments, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2020-0059, by any 
of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2020-0059 click the ``Comment Now'' icon, 
complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
     Fax: (301) 713-4060; Attn: Celeste Stout.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Endangered Species 
Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-
West Highway, Room 13631, Silver Spring, MD 20910; Attn: Celeste Stout.
    Instructions: You must submit comments by one of the above methods 
to ensure that we receive, document, and consider them. Comments sent 
by any other method, to any other address or individual, or received 
after the end of the comment period may not be considered. All comments 
received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted 
for public viewing on http://www.regulations.gov without change. All 
personal identifying information (e.g., name, address, etc.) 
confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive information 
submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. We 
will accept anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if 
you wish to remain anonymous).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Celeste Stout, Phone: (301) 427-8436 
or Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 9 of the ESA and Federal regulations 
prohibit the `taking' of a species listed as endangered or threatened. 
The ESA defines ``take'' to mean harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, 
wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any 
such conduct. NMFS may issue permits, under limited circumstances to 
take listed species incidental to, and not the purpose of, otherwise 
lawful activities. Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA provides for 
authorizing incidental take of listed species. NMFS regulations 
governing permits for threatened and endangered species are promulgated 
at 50 CFR 222.307.

Background

    NMFS received a permit application from MBI on January 31, 2020. 
Based on our initial review of the application and conservation plan, 
we requested further information and clarification. On March 30, 2020, 
MBI submitted a revised and complete application for the take of ESA-
listed shortnose sturgeon, Atlantic sturgeon and Atlantic salmon due to 
the sampling of non-ESA listed fish in the Lower Kennebec River. MBI 
proposes to continue an 18 yearlong (2002-19) systematic assessment of 
the fish assemblages at seven sites in an approximate 17.5 mile (28.2 
km) reach of the Lower Kennebec River and three sites in a 6 mile (9.7 
km) reach of the Sebasticook River. MBI will conduct boat 
electrofishing where electric current is generated by a Smith-Root 
Generator Powered Pulsator and transmitted into the water by an 
electrode array suspended from the bow of 16-18 foot long (25-29 km) 
jon boats or a 16 foot long inflatable Wing raft. NMFS determined that 
the application contained sufficient information for review and 
consideration under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA. MBI is requesting a 
total annual incidental take of four Atlantic salmon, four Atlantic 
sturgeon and five shortnose sturgeon for a permit duration of 10-years.

Conservation Plan

    Section 10 of the ESA specifies that no permit may be issued unless 
an applicant submits an adequate conservation plan. The conservation 
plan prepared by MBI describes measures designed to minimize and 
mitigate the impacts of any incidental take of ESA-listed shortnose 
sturgeon, Atlantic sturgeon and Atlantic salmon. To avoid and minimize 
take of ESA listed species, MBI will: (1) Only sample during the late 
summer and early fall to avoid potential risk to early life stages and 
juveniles, as these life stages of shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon 
species are not present in the river during that time period. There is 
no risk to Atlantic salmon early life stages because spawning and 
rearing occurs in tributaries well outside of the proposed study area. 
(2) MBI will notify NOAA, Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) 
and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (IF&W) at least one 
week prior to any planned sampling activities. The notification will 
include a general schedule and inclusive dates of sampling. (3) All MBI 
and accompanying non-MBI personnel conducting the sampling will have 
received appropriate training in electrofishing and in the 
identification of listed species. At the start of each sampling day, 
each crewmember will receive instruction about the procedures to follow 
if a listed species is encountered. (4) The conduct of sampling and 
operation of the electrofishing gear will be done in a manner that 
minimizes the potential for injury or mortality of listed species. (4a) 
The electric current and the sampling activity will immediately cease 
upon an encounter with a listed species. Affected fish will not be 
netted, touched, or handled. Species identification and estimation of 
length will be made visually. To minimize effects to Atlantic salmon, 
sampling will not be conducted when ambient water temperature is 
>22[deg]C (per Maine DMR specifications). (4b) Sampling activities will 
cease and the electric current will be shut off for a period of 5 
minutes or until the individual fish is observed to have departed the 
area. The physical condition of the fish will be recorded, including 
their reaction to the electric field and whether they were able to 
leave the area under their own power. (5) Any encounter with a listed 
species will be promptly reported to the Office

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of Protected Recourses, Endangered Species Conservation Division.
    MBI considered and rejected other gear alternatives to conduct the 
sampling because the alternative means of sampling the study area are 
too resource intensive and cost-ineffective compared to the single gear 
of boat-mounted pulsed direct current (DC) electrofishing. Other 
possible alternatives would require the direct handling of listed 
species and thus increase the risk of injury or mortality to the fish. 
MBI believes that combination of that risk and the comparative 
inefficiency and ineffectiveness of alternate fish collecting gear 
types makes boat-mounted pulsed DC electrofishing the safest and most 
effective sampling method available.
    At present, the project is funded by MBI research and development 
funds, but MBI continues to seek external funding. This project has 
been ongoing for 18 years and is one of the longest running biological 
monitoring projects in New England and the only sustained effort that 
focuses on large river fish assemblages.

National Environmental Policy Act

    Issuing an ESA section 10(a)(1)(B) permit constitutes a Federal 
action requiring NMFS to comply with the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) as implemented by 40 CFR parts 1500-
1508 and NOAA Administrative Order 216-6, Environmental Review 
Procedures for Implementing the National Policy Act (1999). An initial 
determination has been made, by NMFS, that the activity proposed is 
categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental 
assessment or environmental impact statement.

Next Steps

    This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS 
will evaluate the application, associated documents, and comments 
received during the comment period to determine whether the application 
meets the requirements of section 10(a) of the ESA. If NMFS determines 
that the requirements are met, a permit will be issued for incidental 
takes of ESA-listed shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon and Atlantic 
salmon. The final NEPA and permit determinations will not be made until 
after the end of the comment period. NMFS will publish a record of its 
final action in the Federal Register.

    Dated: April 13, 2020.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-08092 Filed 4-16-20; 8:45 am]
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