[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 31 (Thursday, February 18, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10037-10038]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-03200]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA871]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Notice; determination on hatchery and genetic management plans 
and availability of the associated Record of Decision.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to limits 5 and 6 of the Endangered Species Act's 
Rule, notice is hereby given that NMFS has made determinations on 17 
Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans (HGMPs). The HGMPs describe 
salmon and steelhead hatchery programs and associated monitoring in the 
Duwamish, Green, Stillaguamish, Lower Columbia, and Upper Salmon River 
Basins of Washington and Idaho. In compliance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NMFS also announces the availability 
of the following NEPA documents: The Record of Decision (ROD) for 10 
Duwamish-Green River hatchery programs; the Finding of No Significant 
Impact (FONSI) for four hatchery programs in the Stillaguamish River; 
and the FONSI for two hatchery programs in the Upper Salmon River 
Basin.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lance Kruzic, at phone number: (541) 
957-3381, or via email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following listed species are covered in this notice:
    Puget Sound Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Threatened, 
naturally produced, and artificially propagated;
    Puget Sound steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened, naturally produced, 
and artificially propagated Puget Sound;
    Puget Sound chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened, naturally produced, 
and artificially propagated;
    Snake River Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha): Threatened, naturally 
produced, and artificially propagated;
    Snake River steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened, naturally produced, 
and artificially propagated;
    Snake River sockeye salmon (O. nerka): Threatened, naturally 
produced, and artificially propagated;
    Lower Columbia River Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha): Threatened, 
naturally, and artificially propagated;
    Lower Columbia River coho salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened, 
naturally produced, and artificially propagated;
    Lower Columbia River steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened, naturally, 
and artificially propagated; and
    Lower Columbia River chum salmon (O. keta): Endangered, naturally, 
and artificially propagated.

Description of Submitted HGMPs

    Duwamish-Green: The 10 joint plans for programs located in this 
basin intend to conserve ESA-listed fall Chinook salmon and winter 
steelhead while also providing harvest opportunities for these species 
when adult return abundances allow. Additionally, 2 of the 10 hatchery 
programs will provide a prey base for the endangered Southern Resident 
Killer Whales (SRKW). The joint plans also provide fall chum salmon for 
harvest.
    Stillaguamish: The four joint plans for programs located in this 
basin intend for conservation, mitigation, and to provide for tribal 
and non-tribal harvest pursuant to the Puget Sound Salmon Management 
Plan implemented under United States v. Washington and treaty rights. 
The Chinook salmon joint plans are consistent with the Stillaguamish 
Watershed Chinook Salmon Recovery Plan (Stillaguamish Implementation 
Review Committee [SIRC] 2005) along with the Puget Sound Salmon 
Conservation Plan (Shared Strategy for Puget Sound 2007).
    Yankee-Panther: The two joint plans submitted by the Shoshone/
Bannock Tribes seek to restore fishing opportunities for tribal members 
through Chinook salmon hatchery programs in the Yankee Fork and Panther 
Creek watersheds. Restoration of these ceremonial and subsistence 
fisheries would be accomplished consistently with the recovery and 
long-term sustainability of Chinook salmon in the upper Salmon River 
basin.
    Elochoman: The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife proposes 
to restore a late-returning coho program in the Elochoman watershed. 
The program intends to reduce hatchery production impacts to ESA-listed 
Lower Columbia River coho by integrating natural-origin coho into the 
conservation program while providing tribal, sport, and commercial 
harvest opportunities through the segregated portion of the program. 
Due to facility issues, the Grays River Hatchery late coho program has 
ended, and that program's production has shifted to the Beaver Creek 
Hatchery.

[[Page 10038]]

Discussion of the Biological Analysis Underlying the Determinations

    All of the submitted HGMPs are consistent with each of the ESA-
listed species' recovery plans and designed to help conserve their 
populations across the Evolutionary Significant Units (ESU) and or 
Distinct Population Segment (DPS) range. NMFS, through its evaluation, 
has determined each of the programs are designed and operated to ensure 
that the impacts to ESA-listed natural-origin Chinook salmon, coho 
salmon, chum salmon, and steelhead populations will not appreciably 
reduce the survival and recovery of listed species. The programs use 
adaptive management procedures and the best available science to reduce 
adverse genetic effects and lessen competition and predation impacts 
typically associated with salmon and steelhead hatchery programs. 
Monitoring and evaluation will be implemented to assess each program's 
performance in meeting population conservation or harvest augmentation 
objectives and their effects on ESA-listed natural-origin Chinook 
salmon, coho salmon, chum salmon, and steelhead. The information gained 
through monitoring and evaluation will be used to assess whether the 
programs' impacts on listed fish are consistent with NMFS' 
determinations.
    A review of monitoring and evaluation results by NMFS and the co-
managers will occur annually to evaluate whether assumptions regarding 
the HGMP and joint plans' effects and analysis remain valid and whether 
the objectives are being accomplished. The HGMPs include provisions for 
annual reports that will assess compliance with performance standards 
established through the HGMPs. Reporting and inclusion of new 
information derived from HGMPs' research, monitoring, and evaluation 
activities provides NMFS with the information required to determine 
what performance standards have been met.

Summary of Comments Received

    Duwamish-Green: NMFS published a notice of its Proposed Evaluation 
and Pending Determination (PEPD) on the joint plans for public review 
and comment on April 2, 2019 (84 FR 12593), as required by the ESA 
Section 4(d) Rule. The PEPD was available for public review and comment 
for 30 days. NMFS received four comments relevant to the PEPD. Our 
responses to those comments are addressed in our Evaluation and 
Recommended Determination (ERD). Based on our ERD and considering the 
public comments, NMFS issued its final determination for the Duwamish-
Green River HGMP.
    Stillaguamish: NMFS published a notice of its draft Environmental 
Assessment (EA) and PEPD on the proposed joint plans for public review 
and comment on June 28, 2019 (84 FR 31031), as required by the ESA 4(d) 
Rule. The EA and PEPD were available for public review and comment for 
30 days, NMFS received two comments. Based on our ERD and considering 
the public comments, NMFS issued its final determination on the 
Stillaguamish River HGMPs.
    Yankee-Panther: NMFS published a notice of its EA and PEPD on the 
joint plans for public review and comment on March 10, 2020 (85 FR 
13876), as required by the ESA 4(d) Rule. The EA and PEPD were 
available for public review and comment for 30 days. NMFS received no 
comments. Based on our ERD, NMFS issued its final determination on the 
Yankee Fork and Panther Creek HGMPs.
    Elochoman/Beaver Creek: NMFS published a notice of availability of 
the HGMP for public review and comment on October 4, 2019 (84 FR 
53104), as required by the ESA Section 4(d) Rule. The HGMP was 
available for public review and comment for 30 days. NMFS received no 
comments. Based on our ERD, NMFS approved the Elochoman River HGMP.

Determinations

    Duwamish: The notice of the FEIS availability was published in the 
Federal Register on July 12, 2019 (84 FR 33256). NMFS has decided to 
select the agency's preferred alternative, Alternative 5, from the 
FEIS. Under the selected alternative, NMFS determined that the co-
managers' joint plans met the requirements of limit 6 of the ESA 4(d) 
Rule. The 10 salmon and steelhead hatchery programs in the Duwamish-
Green River Basin would be implemented as described in the submitted 
joint plans. The ROD documents NMFS's decision, identifies all 
alternatives considered in reaching the decision, specifies the 
alternative considered to be environmentally preferable, and identifies 
and discusses relevant factors balanced by NMFS in making its decision.
    Stillaguamish: NMFS has decided to select the agency's preferred 
alternative, Alternative 2, from the final EA. Under the selected 
alternative, NMFS determined that the co-managers' joint plans met the 
requirements of limits 6 of the ESA 4(d) Rule. The four hatchery 
programs in the Stillaguamish River Basin would be implemented as 
described in the submitted joint plans. The FONSI documents NMFS's 
decision that the proposed joint plans are not likely to significantly 
affect the human environment.
    Yankee-Panther Creek: NMFS has decided to select the agency's 
preferred alternative in the EA, Alternative 2. Under the selected 
alternative, NMFS would determine that the co-managers' joint plans met 
the requirements of limit 6 of the ESA 4(d) Rule. The two hatchery 
programs in the Upper Salmon River Basin would be implemented as 
described in the submitted joint plans. The FONSI documents NMFS's 
decision that the proposed joint plans are not likely to significantly 
affect the human environment.
    Elochoman/Beaver Creek: NMFS determined that the HGMP submitted by 
The Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) met the requirements 
of limit 5 of the ESA 4(d) Rule. The proposed action does not differ 
from that analyzed in the existing NEPA analysis (2014 Mitchell Act 
FEIS). The Supplemental Information Report (SIR) adequately addresses 
the impacts of the proposed action on the human environment and 
evaluates new information available since the existing NEPA analysis. 
The hatchery program in the Elochoman River Basin would be implemented 
as described in the submitted HGMP.

Authority

    16 U.S.C. 1531-1543; subpart B, Sec.  223.201-202 also issued under 
16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 5503(d) for Sec.  223.206(d)(9).

Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-03200 Filed 2-17-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P