[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 154 (Friday, August 13, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 44698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-17381]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XB288]


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 Plan 
(HGMP) and availability of the associated Finding of No Significant 
Impacts (FONSI).

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has made a determination on a 
joint tribal and state resource management plan (RMP) pursuant to Limit 
6 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) section 4(d) and has issued a 
Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and FONSI addressing the effects of 
the 4(d) determination. The Tulalip Tribes and Washington Department of 
Fish and Wildlife (collectively the co-managers) have submitted an RMP, 
in the form of a HGMP, to NMFS pursuant to limit 6 of the ESA 4(d) Rule 
for a summer steelhead hatchery program in the Skykomish River basin. 
The hatchery program is intended to contribute to fulfilling Federal 
tribal trust responsibilities and treaty rights guaranteed through 
treaties. It is also designed to contribute to the survival and 
recovery of Puget Sound steelhead and produce summer steelhead for 
sustainable fisheries. Before making its final determinations, NMFS 
solicited and took into account public comments on a proposed 
evaluation and pending determination (PEPD) document for the program. 
The determinations announced in this notice consist of NMFS' findings 
as to whether the HGMP submitted to NMFS addresses the criteria. NMFS 
also announces the availability of a Final EA and FONSI addressing the 
effects of the 4(d) determination.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Species Covered in This Notice

    Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss): threatened, naturally produced and 
artificially propagated Puget Sound.
    Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha): threatened, naturally produced and 
artificially propagated Puget Sound.

Discussion of the Biological Analysis Underlying the Determinations

    The goals of the Skykomish summer steelhead program are: (1) To 
produce South Fork Skykomish River summer steelhead for sustainable 
fisheries, (2) to contribute to fulfilling Federal tribal trust 
responsibilities and treaty rights guaranteed through treaties and 
affirmed in U.S. v. Washington (1974), and (3) to contribute to the 
conservation and restoration of the North Fork Skykomish River summer 
steelhead population.
    The program would be operated in such a way as to minimize 
potential risks to listed natural-origin Chinook salmon and steelhead 
populations, including interactions between hatchery and natural fish 
that may lead to adverse genetic effects and competition and predation 
effects. The proposed hatchery program is consistent with the recovery 
plans for each of the listed species, designed to protect and restore 
listed species across their range. The program uses adaptive management 
procedures and the best available science to minimize adverse genetic 
effects typically associated with steelhead hatchery programs. As part 
of the proposed hatchery program, monitoring and evaluation would be 
implemented to assess performance in meeting population conservation or 
harvest augmentation objectives, and to evaluate effects on ESA-listed 
natural-origin Chinook salmon and steelhead. Information gained through 
monitoring and evaluation will be used to assess whether the impacts of 
the program on listed fish are as expected.
    Review of monitoring and evaluation results by NMFS and the co-
managers will occur annually to evaluate whether assumptions regarding 
the hatchery program effects and analysis remain valid and whether the 
objectives are being accomplished. The HGMP includes provisions for 
annual reports that will assess compliance with performance standards 
established through the HGMP. Reporting and inclusion of new 
information derived from HGMP's research, monitoring, and evaluation 
activities will allow for adjustments of the activities to meet the 
performance standards in future seasons.

Summary of Comments Received

    NMFS published a notice of its PEPD on the Skykomish Summer 
Steelhead Program for public review and comment on December 22, 2020 
(85 FR 83519), as required under Limit 6 of the ESA section 4(d) Rule. 
The PEPD was available for public review and comment for 30 days, and 
our responses to the comments are addressed in our Evaluation and 
Recommended Determination.
    NMFS published a notice of availability for public review and 
comment on the Draft EA on February 5, 2021 (86 FR 8342), in accordance 
with National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.). The Draft EA was available for public review and comment 
for 30 days, and our responses to the comments are addressed in our 
Final EA. NMFS has determined that there are no significant impacts 
associated with the project and issued a FONSI for the program on July 
2, 2021.

Authority

    16 U.S.C. 1531-1543; 50 CFR subpart B, Sec.  223.201-202 also 
issued under 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 5503(d) for 50 CFR 
223.206(d)(9).

    Dated: August 10, 2021.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-17381 Filed 8-12-21; 8:45 am]
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