[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 200 (Thursday, October 15, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 65390]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22746]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA552]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Final Environmental Assessment 
(EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) associated with the 
Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the California Department of 
Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)'s Trinity River Hatchery and Genetic 
Management Plan (HGMP) for Southern Oregon Northern California Coast 
coho salmon hatchery production is now available to the public. The 
Trinity River Hatchery is located in Trinity County, California.

ADDRESSES: The Final Environmental Assessment, Finding of No 
Significant Impact, and supporting documents are available by visiting 
the NMFS website (www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/laws-and-policies/west-coast-region-national-environmental-policy-act-documents) or by 
contacting Seth Naman at [email protected]

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

ESA-Listed Species Covered in This Notice

    Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast (SONCC) Coho Salmon 
(Oncorhynchus kisutch).

Background

    Reclamation and CDFW submitted the Trinity River Coho Salmon HGMP 
to NMFS for determination on whether the HGMP meets Limit 5 criteria of 
the 4(d) Rule. Reclamation and CDFW's HGMP for Trinity River coho 
salmon provides the framework through which Reclamation and CDFW can 
manage hatchery operations, monitoring, and evaluation activities, 
while meeting requirements specified under the ESA. The hatchery 
program will propagate coho salmon derived from the Upper Trinity River 
population in the Trinity River, incorporating natural-origin coho 
salmon into the hatchery broodstock to help reduce the genetic 
divergence between hatchery-origin coho salmon and their natural 
counterparts. Measures will be applied in the hatchery program to 
reduce the risk of incidental adverse genetic, ecological, and 
demographic effects on natural-origin steelhead and salmon populations.
    NMFS published notification of the HGMP and draft EA's availability 
for public review and comment on November 7, 2018 for 30-days (83 FR 
55697). NMFS received two comment letters. All comments were 
considered, and where appropriate, changes were made to the final EA.

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 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 to be 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: October 8, 2020.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-22746 Filed 10-14-20; 8:45 am]
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