[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 69 (Monday, April 11, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 21103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-07661]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XB835]


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; of a proposed evaluation for a Tribal 
Resource Management Plan and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Northwest Indian Fisheries 
Commission (NWIFC) has submitted a Tribal Resource Management Plan 
(Tribal Plan) for NMFS to evaluate. It was presented by the Bureau of 
Indian Affairs (BIA) on behalf of the Northwest Indian Tribes; the 
submission fulfills the Tribes' obligations under the protective 
regulations promulgated for Puget Sound (PS) Chinook salmon, Hood Canal 
summer-run (HCS) chum salmon, PS steelhead, and Southern (S) eulachon 
under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Tribal Plan describes 
research and assessment activities that may affect listed PS Chinook 
salmon, HCS chum salmon, PS steelhead, and S eulachon in Washington 
State. The proposed research is intended to increase knowledge of 
species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to help guide 
management and conservation efforts. NMFS has completed a proposed 
evaluation of how well the Tribal Plan fulfills ESA criteria, and the 
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) is making that proposed evaluation 
available for public comment.

DATES: Comments or requests for a public hearing on the applications 
must be received no later than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on May 11, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Because all West Coast NMFS offices are currently closed, 
all written comments on the document should be sent by email to 
[email protected] (please include the RTID number (XB835) in the 
subject line of the email). The proposed evaluation available for 
public comment may be viewed online at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/tribal-resource-management-plan-trump-northwest-indian-fisheries-commission.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shivonne Nesbit, Portland, OR (Ph: 
503-231-6741, email: [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following listed species are covered in this notice:
    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Threatened Puget Sound 
(PS).
    Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened Hood Canal Summer-run (HCS).
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened PS.
    Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus): Threatened southern distinct 
population segment (DPS).

Authority

    Under section 4 of the ESA, the Secretary is required to adopt such 
regulations as he deems necessary and advisable for the conservation of 
the species listed as threatened. The ESA Tribal 4(d) rule (70 FR 
37160; June 28, 2005) states that the ESA section 9 take prohibitions 
do not apply to Tribal Plans that will not appreciably reduce the 
likelihood of survival and recovery for the listed species.

The Tribal Plan

    The NWIFC--through the BIA and on behalf of the Northwest Indian 
Tribes--has submitted a Tribal Plan for scientific research and 
assessment activities within the range of the PS Chinook salmon, HCS 
chum salmon, PS steelhead, and SDPS eulachon. The Northwest Indian 
Tribes conduct, independently and in cooperation with other agencies, a 
variety of research and assessment projects. These projects provide the 
technical basis for managing fisheries and conserving and restoring 
salmon stocks and their habitat. The need for an improved understanding 
of salmonid survival in the freshwater and early marine life stages 
drives much of the current research. The Tribal Plan includes 
implementation, monitoring, and evaluation procedures designed to 
ensure that the research is consistent with the objectives of the ESA. 
The research activities described in the Tribal Plan would take place 
over a 5 year period starting in 2022.
    As 50 CFR 223.209 requires, the Secretary must determine whether 
the activities proposed in the Tribal Plan would appreciably reduce the 
likelihood of survival and recovery for PS Chinook salmon, HCS chum 
salmon, PS steelhead, and SDPS eulachon. The Secretary must take 
comments on how NMFS's evaluation of the Tribal Plan fulfills the 
criteria in 50 CFR 223.209 when making that portion of the 
determination.

    Dated: April 5, 2022.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-07661 Filed 4-8-22; 8:45 am]
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