[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 1, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33130-33131]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-11749]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XC061]


Endangered Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Notice of receipt; one application for a scientific enhancement 
permit.

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

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS received an application from 
NMFS' California Coastal Office in Santa Rosa, California for an U.S. 
Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 10(a)(1)(A) scientific enhancement 
permit (permit 26495). The purpose of this permit is to enhance the 
survival of the endangered Central California Coast (CCC) Evolutionary 
Significant Unit (ESU) of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and 
threatened CCC Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of steelhead (O. 
mykiss) in coastal streams of California's Santa Cruz Mountains through 
rescue and relocation of these species from drying streams. The public 
is hereby notified that the application for Permit 26495 is available 
for review and comment before NMFS either approves or disapproves the 
application.

DATES: Written comments on the permit application must be received at 
the appropriate email address (see ADDRESSES) on or before July 1, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the permit application should be 
submitted to Joel Casagrande via email at [email protected] with 
``permit 26495'' referenced in the subject line. The permit application 
is available for review online at the Authorizations and Permits for 
Protected Species web site: https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/preview_open_for_comment.cfm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Joel Casagrande (phone: 707-575-6016 
or email: [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Species Covered in This Notice

    Central California Coast (CCC) Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) 
of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and threatened CCC Distinct 
Population Segment (DPS) of steelhead (O. mykiss).

Authority

    Scientific research and enhancement permits are issued in 
accordance with Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et. seq) 
and regulations governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR 222-
227). NMFS issues permits based on findings that such permits: (1) Are 
applied for in good faith; (2) would not operate to the disadvantage of 
the listed species which are the subject of the permits; and (3) are 
consistent with the purposes and policies set forth in Section 2 of the 
ESA. Authority to take listed species is subject to conditions set 
forth in the permits.
    This notice is provided pursuant to Section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS 
will evaluate the application, associated documents, and any comment 
submitted to determine whether the application meets the requirements 
of Section 10(a) of the ESA and Federal regulations. The final permit 
decisions will not be made until after the end of the 30-day comment 
period and consideration of any comment submitted therein. NMFS will 
publish notice of its final action in the Federal Register.
    Those individuals requesting a hearing on the application listed in 
this notice should provide the specific reasons why a hearing on the 
application would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). Such a hearing is 
held at the discretion of the Assistant Administrator for NOAA 
Fisheries.

Permit Application Received

Permit 26495

    NMFS' California Coastal Office in Santa Rosa, California applied 
for a Section 10(a)(1)(A) scientific enhancement permit (permit 26495). 
This application involves enhancing the survival of endangered Central 
California Coast (CCC) Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) of coho 
salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and threatened CCC Distinct Population 
Segment (DPS) of steelhead (O. mykiss) in coastal streams of 
California's Santa Cruz Mountains through rescue and relocation of 
these species from drying streams. This application also includes 
research and monitoring elements. To assess the efficacy of these 
rescue activities, a subset of the juvenile salmonids may receive a 
Passive Integrated Transponder tag (PIT-tag) prior to release. The 
tagged fish will be tracked by fixed antennas positioned in multiple 
regional watersheds which will provide information on their movements 
and survival in the freshwater environment. Otoliths and tissue samples 
will be collected opportunistically from spawned adult carcasses 
encountered to learn about the individual's life history. Tissue 
samples (fin clips and scales) will be collected from carcasses and a 
subset of live fish for genetic information (fin clips) and age-
structure and growth patterns (scales). In the event that adult, pre-

[[Page 33131]]

spawned coho salmon are rescued, these fish may receive a floy tag for 
identification purposes in subsequent spawning ground surveys. 
Activities associated with rescue and relocation could occur anywhere 
within the coastal watersheds of the Santa Cruz Mountains including San 
Gregorio, Pescadero, Gazos, Waddell, Scott, San Vicente, Laguna, 
Liddell, Majors, San Lorenzo, Soquel, and Aptos watersheds. A summary 
of these components is provided as follows.

Rescue-Relocation and Research-Monitoring

    This component involves rescuing and relocating coho salmon and 
steelhead from stream sections experiencing natural dewatering during 
the dry season or prolonged periods of below average rainfall. Specific 
staff listed on the application from both NMFS and the California 
Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will follow a predetermined 
communication and documentation protocol while implementing these 
relocation efforts. Standard scientific methods and equipment (e.g., 
backpack-electrofishing, nets, seines, portable air pumps, transport 
containers, water chillers, etc.) will be used during the capture and 
relocation of coho salmon and steelhead. Captured coho salmon and 
steelhead will be transported for release into habitats within the same 
watershed (when possible) that are likely to maintain adequate water 
and habitat quality through the remainder of the dry season. Because 
these are endangered and threatened populations with low abundance, 
relocating coho salmon and steelhead from sections of stream where they 
will likely perish is expected to benefit the survival of these 
individual fish and enhance the population. The proposed tagging and 
tissue collection are intended to provide information on the survival 
and early life history of rescued fish, contributions of rescued fish 
to subsequent adult returns, and information on the genetic diversity 
within basins, particularly where natural origin fish are present.
    Field activities for the various proposed enhancement components 
can occur year-round starting in June 2022 through December 31, 2032. 
The annual sum of take requested across the various components of this 
effort is as follows: (1) Non-lethal capture and release of up to 1,000 
juvenile natural origin coho salmon and 3,000 juvenile steelhead while 
electrofishing, seining, or dip-netting; (2) non-lethal capture and 
release of up to 1000 juvenile hatchery origin coho salmon, 500 
juvenile natural origin coho salmon, and 1000 juvenile steelhead for 
the purpose of applying Passive Integrated Transponder-tags (PIT-tags) 
and collecting tissue samples; (3) non-lethal capture and release of up 
to 40 adult natural origin coho salmon and 60 adult hatchery origin 
coho salmon by beach seine for the purpose of applying PIT-tags, floy 
tags, and collecting tissue samples; (4) non-lethal capture and release 
of up to 150 adult steelhead by beach seine for the purpose of applying 
PIT-tags and collecting tissue samples; and (5) tissue collection from 
up to 250 adult natural origin coho salmon carcasses and 150 adult 
steelhead. The potential annual unintentional lethal coho salmon and 
steelhead take expected to result from the proposed enhancement 
activities is up to 75 juvenile natural origin coho salmon, 50 juvenile 
hatchery origin coho salmon, 200 juvenile steelhead, 2 adult natural 
origin coho salmon, 3 adult hatchery origin coho salmon, and 7 adult 
steelhead. These estimates assume up to 5 percent incidental mortality 
rate. For research and monitoring, incidental mortality rates for 
capture and handling are generally less than or equal to 2 percent. 
However, in many cases fish targeted for rescue and relocation are 
located in isolated habitats and declining habitats with stressful 
environmental conditions, and therefore it is reasonable to assume a 
higher potential incidental mortality rate from capture and handling. 
Absent these rescue efforts, salmonids left in these declining 
environmental conditions are expected to die.
    This proposed scientific enhancement effort is expected to enhance 
survival and support coho salmon and steelhead recovery within the CCC 
ESU of coho salmon and CCC DPS of steelhead and is consistent with 
recommendations and objectives outlined in NMFS' Central California 
Coast ESU Coho Salmon Recovery Plan and Coastal Multispecies Recovery 
Plan. See the Permit 26495 application for greater details on the 
various components of this scientific enhancement effort including the 
specific scientific methods proposed and take allotments requested for 
each.

    Dated: May 26, 2022.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-11749 Filed 5-31-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P