[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 135 (Tuesday, July 14, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42361-42362]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15036]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA260]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a proposed evaluation and pending 
determination (PEPD), draft environmental assessment (EA), and

[[Page 42362]]

four Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans (HGMP) are available for 
public comment on hatchery programs in the Touchet River, Umatilla 
River, Deschutes River, and Hood River Basins. The HGMPs were submitted 
for review and determination under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) 
4(d) Rule.

DATES: Comments must be received at the appropriate address (see 
ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific time on August 13, 2020. 
Comments received after this date may not be considered.

ADDRESSES: Written responses should be addressed to the NMFS 
Sustainable Fisheries Division, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., 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: Mid-Columbia Hatchery Comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rich Turner at (503) 736-4737 or by 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

ESA-Listed Species Covered in This Notice

 Lower Columbia River Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus 
tshawytscha): Threatened, naturally and artificially propagated
 Middle Columbia River Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened, 
naturally and artificially propagated
 Lower Columbia River Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened, 
naturally and artificially propagated
 Lower Columbia River Coho Salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened, 
naturally and artificially propagated
 Columbia River Chum Salmon (O. keta): Threatened, naturally 
and artificially propagated

Background

    Section 9 of the ESA and Federal regulations prohibit the 
``taking'' of a species listed as endangered or threatened. The term 
``take'' is defined under the ESA to mean harass, harm, pursue, hunt, 
shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage 
in any such conduct. NMFS may make exceptions to the take prohibitions 
in section 9 of the ESA for programs that are approved by NMFS under 
the 4(d) Rule (50 CFR 223.203(b)(6)).
    The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation Oregon and 
the Oregon Department of Fish and Game (ODFW) have submitted HGMPs for 
two programs in the Hood River--spring Chinook salmon and winter 
steelhead--under Limit 6 of the 4(d) Rule; these programs are funded by 
the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), and are evaluated in the 
PEPD. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the 
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife submitted the Touchet River 
Endemic Summer Steelhead HGMP under Limit 5 of the 4(d) Rule. The ODFW 
submitted the Umatilla River Summer Steelhead HGMP, the Round Butte 
Hatchery Spring Chinook Salmon, and the Round Butte Hatchery Summer 
Steelhead programs in the Deschutes River under Limit 5 of the 4(d) 
Rule. The Umatilla Hatchery program, as well as a small proportion of 
the Round Butte Hatchery programs, is funded by the BPA, with the 
remainder of these programs funded by Portland General Electric.
    Prior to making a final determination on the submitted plans, NMFS 
must take comments on how the HGMPs address the criteria in Limit 5 or 
Limit 6, as applicable, of the 4(d) Rule. NMFS is also taking comments 
on the evaluation in the draft EA of the effects of NMFS' pending 
decisions.
    The submitted HGMPs describe the hatchery programs along with the 
associated monitoring and evaluation activities. The programs integrate 
natural-origin adult into the broodstock to supplement natural salmon 
populations (the exception is the Round Butte Spring Chinook Salmon 
program that only uses returning hatchery adults for broodstock). The 
programs are intended to provide fishing opportunities for tribes and 
states, mitigate for fish losses caused by the construction and 
operation of the dams on the Lower Snake River, mainstem Columbia River 
and Deschutes River and contribute to the survival and recovery of 
Middle Columbia River and Lower Columbia River steelhead, and Lower 
Columbia River spring Chinook salmon.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 742a et seq.

    Dated: July 7, 2020.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-15036 Filed 7-13-20; 8:45 am]
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