[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 23 (Friday, February 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 8342]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02380]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA847]


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 draft Environmental Assessment for 
public comment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a draft Environmental Assessment 
(EA) is available for public comment on a summer steelhead hatchery 
program and trap and haul program in the Skykomish River Basin, 
Washington. A Hatchery and Genetics Management Plan (HGMP) was 
submitted to NMFS for review and determination under the Endangered 
Species Act (ESA) 4(d) Rule. The trap and haul program would be 
permitted under section 10 of the ESA.

DATES: Comments must be received at the appropriate address (see 
ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific time on March 8, 2021. 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: Comments on the EA for the Skykomish River summer steelhead 
hatchery and/or Sunset Falls trap and haul program. The documents are 
available on the internet at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/skykomish-summer-steelhead-hatchery-program-and-sunset-falls-trap-and-haul-program.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emi Melton at (503) 736-4739 or by 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

ESA-Listed Species Covered in This Notice

 Puget Sound Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): 
Threatened, naturally and artificially propagated
 Puget Sound Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss): Threatened, 
naturally and artificially propagated

Background

    The Tulalip Tribes and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 
(collectively the co-managers) have submitted an HGMP to NMFS pursuant 
to limit six of the ESA 4(d) Rule for a summer steelhead hatchery 
program in the Skykomish River Basin, Washington.
    The hatchery program is intended to contribute to fulfilling 
federal tribal trust responsibilities and treaty rights guaranteed 
through treaties and affirmed in U.S. v. Washington (1974). It is also 
designed to contribute to the survival and recovery of Puget Sound 
steelhead and produce summer steelhead for sustainable fisheries.
    The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife also submitted an 
ESA section 10(a)(1)(A) permit application for operation of a trap and 
haul program in the Skykomish River Basin. This program collects 
various species of salmon, steelhead, and trout from the fish ladder at 
Sunset Falls and transports the fish upstream for release into high 
quality habitat above the falls.

Authority

    16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 742a et seq.; Section 222.303 
also issued under 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.

    Dated: February 1, 2021.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-02380 Filed 2-4-21; 8:45 am]
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