[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 144 (Thursday, July 28, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45301-45302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-16239]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XC208]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; of a proposed evaluation and pending 
determination for public comment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received a plan for a 
hatchery program rearing and releasing Chinook salmon in the Dungeness 
River basin. The plan describes the hatchery program operated by 
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in collaboration with 
Jamestown S'Klallam as a tribal co-manager. This document serves to 
notify the public of the availability and opportunity to comment on a 
Proposed Evaluation and Determination Documents (PEPD) on the proposed 
hatchery program.

DATES: Comments must be received at the appropriate address (see 
ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific time on August 29, 2022. 
Comments received after this date may not be considered.

ADDRESSES: 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 Dungeness River hatchery programs. The document 
available for public comment are available on the internet at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/dungeness-hatcheries-plans.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Morgan Robinson at (253) 307-2670 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;

[[Page 45302]]

     Puget Sound Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened, naturally 
and artificially propagated;

Background

    The term ``take'' is defined under the ESA to mean harass, harm, 
pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to 
attempt to engage in any such conduct. The ESA prohibits the take of 
endangered salmonids and, pursuant to ESA section 4(d), ESA regulations 
can be extended to prohibit the take of threatened salmonids. However, 
NMFS may make exceptions to the take prohibitions for hatchery programs 
that are approved by NMFS under the limits on the prohibitions outlined 
in 50 CFR 223.203(b). The operators, WDFW collaborating with tribal co-
manager Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, have submitted an HGMP to NMFS 
pursuant to NMFS' limit six of the 4(d) Rule of the ESA for hatchery 
activities in the Dungeness River basin, Washington.
    This hatchery program is designed to contribute to the survival and 
recovery of Dungeness River spring Chinook salmon. This hatchery 
programs is intended to contribute to fulfilling federal tribal trust 
responsibilities and treaty rights guaranteed through treaties and 
affirmed in U.S. v. Washington (1974) by enhancing future fishing 
opportunities for Chinook salmon. Included in this hatchery plan is 
research and monitoring activities to study the effect of this programs 
on the recovery of Puget Sound Chinook salmon and steelhead.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 742a et seq.

    Dated: July 25, 2022.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-16239 Filed 7-27-22; 8:45 am]
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