[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 166 (Monday, August 29, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52745-52749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18481]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XC294]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications; for 14 permit renewals and 3 
new permits.

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SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received 17 scientific 
research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon, 
steelhead, green sturgeon, and eulachon. 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. The applications may be viewed online at: https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/preview_open_for_comment.cfm.

DATES: Comments or requests for a public hearing on the applications 
must be received at the appropriate address (see ADDRESSES) no later 
than 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on September 28, 2022.

ADDRESSES: All written comments on the applications should be sent by 
email to [email protected] (please include the permit number in 
the subject line of the email).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diana Dishman, Portland, OR (ph.: 503-
736-4466), email: [email protected]). Permit application 
instructions are available from the address above, or online at https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following listed species are covered in this notice:
    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Threatened Puget Sound 
(PS); threatened Snake River (SnkR) spring/summer-run; endangered Upper 
Columbia River (UCR) spring-run; threatened Upper Willamette River 
(UWR), threatened Central Valley spring-run (CVS); endangered 
Sacramento River (SacR) winter-run; threatened California Coastal (CC).
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened Middle Columbia River (MCR); 
threatened PS; threatened SnkR; threatened UCR; threatened UWR; 
threatened Central California Coast (CCC); threatened California 
Central Valley (CCV); threatened South-Central California Coast (S-
CCC).
    Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened Hood Canal Summer-run (HCS).
    Coho salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened Oregon Coast (OC); endangered 
Central California Coast (CCC).
    Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): Endangered SnkR.
    Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus): Threatened southern (S).
    Green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris): Threatened southern 
Distinct Population Segment (SDPS).

Authority

    Scientific research 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 222-226). NMFS 
issues permits based on findings that such permits: (1) are applied for 
in good faith; (2) if granted and exercised, would not operate to the 
disadvantage of the listed species that are the subject of the permit; 
and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policy of section 2 of the 
ESA. The authority to take listed species is subject to conditions set 
forth in the permits.
    Anyone requesting a hearing on an application listed in this notice 
should set out the specific reasons why a hearing on that application 
would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). Such hearings are held at the 
discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NMFS.

Applications Received

Permit 1124-7R

    Under permit 1124-7R, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) 
is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that would authorize them to 
continue five research projects they have been conducting in the Snake 
River basin for over 20 years. The permit would continue to cover the 
following actions: one general fish population inventory; one project 
designed to monitor SnkR spr/sum Chinook salmon natural production; one 
project researching kokanee and SnkR sockeye salmon populations in 
three lakes in the upper Salmon River subbasin; one project monitoring 
salmon and steelhead fish health; and one project monitoring natural 
steelhead production. Under the permit, the IDFG would continue to take 
adult and juvenile SnkR spr/sum Chinook salmon, SnkR steelhead, and 
SnkR sockeye salmon in mainstem and tributary habitat throughout the 
Snake, Clearwater, and Salmon River subbasins.
    Juveniles would be collected via screw trap, hook-and-line angling, 
backpack electrofishing and, in the Stanley Basin lakes, midwater 
trawls. Juvenile fish would be captured, handled (anesthetized, 
weighed, measured, and checked for marks or tags), and released. A 
subsample of captured juveniles would be anesthetized, tissue sampled 
and implanted with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags before 
being released. A further subsample of captured sockeye juveniles would 
be intentionally sacrificed for genetic analysis. Adults captured at 
traps and weirs would be handled (anesthetized, weighed, measured, and 
checked for marks or tags), and released. In addition, tissues may be 
collected from carcasses encountered during spawning surveys. Other 
than the juveniles that would be sacrificed for genetic analysis, the 
researchers are not planning to kill any additional listed fish, 
however a further small number may be killed as an inadvertent result 
of the proposed activities.

Permit 1585-5R

    Under permit 1585-5R the Washington Department of Natural Resources 
(WDNR) is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that would authorize 
them to continue to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon, PS

[[Page 52746]]

steelhead, HCS chum salmon, and southern DPS eulachon in streams on 
WDNR land in the central Puget Sound Basin (Mason, Kitsap, King, 
Pierce, Thurston, Snohomish and Lewis counties in Washington). The 
purpose of the work is to determine whether listed fish are present in 
the small streams of those watersheds. Juvenile salmonids would be 
collected via backpack electrofishing, handled (anesthetized, weighed, 
measured, and checked for marks or tags), and released. The permit 
would also allow WDNR to take adult Southern DPS eulachon--a species 
for which there are currently no take prohibitions--where they may be 
encountered in the Lower Chehalis River. Eulachon are not being 
targeted but may unintentionally be captured.
    The captured fish would be identified and released back to the 
waters from which they came. In some cases, the researchers may not 
actually capture any fish but would merely note their presence, however 
electrofishing where listed species are observed would still be 
reported as take. The researchers are not proposing to kill any of the 
listed fish being taken, but a small number may be killed as an 
inadvertent result of these activities. The information gathered would 
be used to inform land management decisions on WDNR holdings. This 
information would benefit listed species by helping WDNR identify 
existing man-made fish barriers that should be removed or replaced with 
structures that fish can pass over or through.

Permit 14283-4R

    Under permit 14283-4R, Environmental Assessment Services (EAS) is 
seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that would authorize them to 
continue to take juvenile and adult UCR spring-run Chinook salmon, UCR 
steelhead, and MCR steelhead to support the U.S. Department of Energy's 
Hanford Site Cleanup Mission and regulatory drivers under the 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act 
(CERCLA). The research would take place various locations in the 
Columbia River, extending from a point upstream of Wanapum Dam to an 
area a few kilometers above the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima 
Rivers. Juveniles would be collected via backpack electrofishing, boat 
electrofishing, hook-and-line angling, longline, and beach seine. 
Juvenile fish would be captured, handled (anesthetized, weighed, 
measured, and checked for marks or tags), and released. Adults would be 
collected via hook and line angling, longline, and beach seine. No 
adults would be captured during electrofishing activities, and if any 
were to be encountered, the equipment would immediately be turned off 
and the fish allowed to swim away. Captured adults would be handled 
(anesthetized, weighed, measured, and checked for marks or tags), and 
released. The research would benefit listed fish by helping monitor and 
reduce contamination from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The 
researchers do not propose to kill any listed fish but a small number 
may inadvertently be killed by the activities.

Permit 15730-3R

    Under permit 15730-3R the Salmon Protection and Watershed Network 
(SPAWN) is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that would authorize 
them to continue to take juvenile CC Chinook salmon, CCC coho salmon, 
and CCC steelhead in Lagunitas Creek and its tributaries in Marin 
County, California, in order to provide baseline, habitat, and 
monitoring data for juvenile and adult ESA-listed salmonids throughout 
the CCC coho range. Juveniles would be collected via fyke net and would 
be captured, handled (enumerated, measured, and checked for marks or 
tags), and released. A subsample of captured juveniles would be 
anesthetized, tissue sampled, and marked before being released. Spawned 
adults or post-spawn carcasses would be enumerated during spawning 
surveys, and tissue samples may be collected. The researchers are not 
proposing to kill any of the listed fish being captured, but a small 
number may be killed as an inadvertent result of these activities. The 
research is expected to benefit listed species by providing data to 
inform future research, restoration, and conservation efforts involving 
Oncorhynchus species.

Permit 16110-3R

    Under permit 16110-3R the Marin Municipal Water District (Marin 
Water) is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that would authorize 
them to continue to take adult and juvenile CC Chinook salmon, CCC coho 
salmon, and CCC steelhead in order to document trends in coho salmon 
abundance, determine freshwater and marine survival rates for coho 
salmon, assess the relationship between population trends and 
management efforts, and determine which coho life stage has the lowest 
survival rates. Juveniles would be collected via screw trap and 
backpack electrofishing and observed during snorkel surveys. Juvenile 
fish would be captured, handled (enumerated, measured, and checked for 
marks or tags), and released. A subsample of captured juveniles would 
be anesthetized, tissue sampled and PIT-tagged prior to release.
    Adults would be observed during snorkel surveys and spawning 
surveys and, although screw traps do not target adult fish, some adult 
CCC steelhead moving downstream may be collected at a screw trap in 
Lagunitas Creek. Any adults collected in this way would be handled 
(enumerated, checked for marks or tags), and released. Spawned adults 
or post-spawn carcasses would be enumerated during spawning surveys, 
and tissues may be collected from any carcasses at that time. The 
researchers are not proposing to kill any of the listed fish being 
captured, but a small number may be killed as an inadvertent result of 
these activities. This research is expected to benefit the listed 
species by providing information on population trends in watersheds 
impacted by Marin Water's water supply operations and thereby help 
managers tailor those operations in ways designed to help achieve 
recovery goals.

Permit 16417-4R

    Under permit 16417-4R the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) 
is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that would authorize them to 
continue to take juvenile and adult CCC steelhead and juvenile S-CCC 
steelhead in the Coyote Creek, Guadalupe River, Pajaro Creek, and 
Stevens Creek watersheds and Lake Almaden. The work would continue to 
help fill data gaps with regard to O. mykiss distribution and habitat 
usage in Santa Clara County, California. The data to be gathered would 
also be used to improve understanding of fish migrations in the context 
of SCVWD water operations and monitor efforts to remediate total 
maximum daily mercury loads in the county.
    Juveniles would be collected via beach seining and backpack 
electrofishing, and observations would be conducted at weirs, fish 
ladders, and dams where no trapping occurs. Captured juvenile fish 
would be handled (anesthetized, weighed, measured, and checked for 
marks or tags), enumerated, and released. A subsample of captured 
juveniles would be anesthetized, tissue sampled and PIT-tagged prior to 
release. Spawning surveys would be conducted without disturbing redds, 
and adults would be observed (live and by video) at weirs, fish 
ladders, dams. The researchers are not proposing to kill any of the 
listed fish being captured, but a small number may be killed as an 
inadvertent result of these activities. The research is

[[Page 52747]]

expected to benefit listed species by improving alignment of water 
supply management and fisheries needs to help steelhead survive and 
recover.

Permit 16446-3R

    Under permit 16446-3R, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla 
Indian Reservation (CTUIR) is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit 
that would authorize them to continue to take juvenile MCR steelhead 
during the course of research designed to monitor listed fish 
population status in the Walla Walla River watershed, Washington. The 
data gathered on fish abundance, trends, genetics, diversity, 
productivity, and population structure would be used to inform 
management decisions regarding land use activities and recovery 
planning in the Walla Walla subbasin. The researchers would use rotary 
screw traps and backpack electrofishing units to capture the fish. At 
the screw traps, the fish would then be identified, measured, weighed, 
tissue sampled, and implanted with PIT-Tags (if they do not already 
have tags). Fish captured via electrofishing would be handled, 
measured, allowed to recover, and released in a safe area. Some adult 
carcasses would also be sampled. If fish are found in areas 
experiencing low flows, those fish could be relocated to safer areas. 
The CTUIR researchers are not proposing to kill any of the listed fish 
being captured, but a small number may be killed as an inadvertent 
result of these activities.

Permit 16979-3R

    Under permit 16979-3R, the Washington Department of Fish and 
Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that would 
authorize them to continue to take adult and juvenile UCR spring-run 
Chinook salmon and UCR steelhead while collecting data on their 
abundance, status, distribution, diversity, species/ecological 
interactions, and behavior in the Columbia River--from its confluence 
with the Yakima River upstream to Chief Joseph Dam in Washington. The 
research would benefit fish by helping managers (a) understand the 
distribution and proportion of hatchery and natural origin steelhead, 
and Chinook in UCR tributaries, (b) understand the influences of other 
biotic and abiotic factors with respect to recovering listed species, 
(c) understand the potential effects of proposed land use practices, 
(d) determine appropriate regulatory and habitat protection measures in 
the areas where land use actions are planned, (e) project the impacts 
of potential hydraulic projects, and (f) evaluate the effectiveness of 
local forest practices and instream habitat improvement projects in 
terms of their ability to protect and enhance listed salmonid 
populations.
    The WDFW researchers would capture fish via a wide variety of means 
(snorkeling, dip netting, seining, using electrofishing equipment, 
traps and weirs, and barbless hook-and-line sampling). The captured 
fish would be variously tissue sampled, measured, tagged, allowed to 
recover, and released. The researchers do not intend to kill any of the 
fish being captured, but a small percentage of them may inadvertently 
be killed as a result of the proposed activities.

Permit 17428-4R

    Under permit 17428-4R, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries 
Commission (PSMFC) is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that would 
authorize them to continue to take adult SacR winter-run Chinook salmon 
and CVS Chinook salmon, and juvenile and adult CCV steelhead in the 
lower American River and lower Stanislaus River, California, in order 
to monitor the abundance of juvenile salmon, infer biological responses 
to ongoing habitat restoration activities, and generate data for salmon 
life-cycle models. Juveniles would be collected via screw trap and 
would be handled (anesthetized, enumerated, measured, and checked for 
marks or tags), and released. A subsample of captured juveniles would 
be anesthetized, tissue sampled, and PIT-tagged prior to release. 
Although screw traps do not target adult fish, some adult steelhead 
moving downstream may be collected at screw traps. Any adults collected 
in this way would be handled (enumerated, checked for marks or tags), 
and released. Spawned adults or post-spawn carcasses that drift into 
the screw traps would also be enumerated and tissues may be collected 
from any carcasses encountered.
    The researchers are not proposing to kill any of the listed fish 
being captured, but a small number may be killed as an inadvertent 
result of these activities. This work would benefit listed species by 
providing information on whether management activities should be 
modified to enhance the abundance, production, condition, and survival 
of juvenile CVS Chinook Salmon and CCV Steelhead in the American and 
Stanislaus Rivers. Improving life-cycle models would also provide 
insight on factors affecting abundance and help managers develop 
actions to address and mitigate those factors.

Permit 17851-4R

    Under permit 17851-4R, the Coastal Watershed Institute (CWI) is 
seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that would authorize them to 
continue to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon, PS steelhead, HCS chum 
salmon, and southern DPS eulachon at the estuary of the Elwha River, 
Washington. The purpose of the work is to define the nearshore 
restoration response to Elwha dam removals--with an emphasis on 
ecological function of nearshore habitats for juvenile salmon and 
forage fish. Juvenile salmonids would be collected via beach seine, 
handled (identified, weighed, measured, and checked for marks or tags), 
and released. The permit would also allow CWI to take adult Southern 
DPS eulachon--a species for which there are currently no take 
prohibitions--via beach seine. Eulachon are not being targeted but may 
unintentionally be captured, and would be handled and released. The 
researchers are not proposing to kill any of the listed fish being 
captured, but a small number may be killed as an inadvertent result of 
these activities.
    This research would provide information beneficial to ESA-listed 
and unlisted native fish by defining nearshore habitat use by key 
species before, during, and after dam removal. This information will 
allow managers to identify if adaptive management, sediment management, 
or additional restoration considerations are warranted in the Elwha 
River estuary following dam removal. This work will also provide 
information on nearshore habitat response to dam removal that is 
relevant to co-managers of other ESA-listed salmon and steelhead on the 
West Coast.

Permit 18001-4R

    Under permit 18001-4R, the Pierce County, Washington, Department of 
Public Works and Utilities (Pierce County) is seeking to renew for 5 
years a permit that would authorize them to continue to take adult PS 
Chinook salmon and PS steelhead in the waterways of Pierce County, 
Washington, in order to determine the distribution and diversity of 
anadromous fish species in the waterbodies adjacent to and within the 
County's jurisdiction. Juvenile salmonids would primarily be collected 
via beach seine and backpack electrofishing, although fish capture 
methods could also include dip nets or minnow traps. Juvenile fish 
would be captured, handled (weighed, measured, and checked for marks or 
tags), and released. Adults could also potentially

[[Page 52748]]

be encountered during beach seining and, if they are, adult PS Chinook 
salmon and PS steelhead would be handled (weighed, measured, and 
checked for marks or tags), and released. All captured fish would be 
released into the same stream reach from which they were collected. The 
researchers are not proposing to kill any of the listed fish being 
captured, but a small number of fish may be killed as an inadvertent 
result of these activities.
    These surveys would help establish listed salmonid presence in 
waterbodies about which this is currently little or inconclusive data. 
This information would be used to assess the impacts proposed projects 
might have on listed species and to guide decisions on where future 
projects should be implemented. The research would benefit PS Chinook 
salmon and PS steelhead by helping Pierce County develop a best 
management practices program, codify in-water work timing windows that 
would minimize harm to listed fish, and plan future habitat enhancement 
projects.

Permit 20792-2R

    Under permit 20792-2R, FISHBIO is seeking to renew a permit that 
would authorize them to continue to take adult CVS Chinook salmon, CCV 
steelhead, and southern DPS green sturgeon in the San Joaquin River and 
South Delta in California in order to detail the relative abundance and 
distribution of predatory fishes (i.e., striped, largemouth, spotted, 
and smallmouth bass, and catfishes) and characterize the diets of 
predators to determine how habitat and environmental conditions affect 
the composition of the non-native fish community. Data collected on 
non-native resident fishes will help identify areas of elevated 
predator abundance and improve understanding of predation impacts on 
juvenile salmonids migrating through this region. Listed species are 
not being targeted by this work, although some may be unintentionally 
encountered or captured. Juveniles and adults would be collected via 
boat electrofishing, and those captured would be handled (enumerated, 
measured, checked for marks or tags), their health assessed, and 
released. No listed species would be tagged during the course of this 
study; any captured listed species would be measured and released. The 
researchers are not proposing to kill any of the listed fish being 
captured, but a small number of juveniles may be killed as an 
inadvertent result of these activities. This project is likely to 
benefit listed species by better delineating the abundance and 
distribution of non-native fish species that prey upon them.

Permit 21571-3R

    Under permit 21571-3R, The United States Geological Survey (USGS) 
is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit to conduct research on 
migration survival among MCR steelhead in the Yakima River system in 
Washington State. The research would look at how well the listed fish 
are surviving passage through various reaches of the Yakima River. The 
USGS researchers would capture juvenile MCR steelhead and tag them with 
acoustic and PIT tags. They would then use PIT tag detectors and 
acoustic receivers to follow the fish as they move downstream. The 
researchers would also use boat electrofishing equipment to count 
predators in several reaches, but they would not use that equipment to 
capture any listed animals for handling and adult steelhead would be 
avoided in all cases.
    The research would benefit the listed fish by helping managers 
understand what survival risks the young salmonids face when migrating 
downriver in the Yakima system. River co-managers would then be able to 
use that information to take actions designed to increase fish 
survival. The USGS researchers do not intend to kill any listed 
animals, but a small number may die as an inadvertent result of the 
planned activities.

Permit 22127-2R

    Under permit 22127-2R, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 
is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that would authorize them to 
continue to take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead 
in the Puyallup River basin (Pierce and King Counties, Washington), in 
order to gather information about bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) 
movement and life history strategies in the basin. Bull trout are 
listed under the ESA and managed by USFWS. This research is not 
targeting ESA-listed fish under NMFS' jurisdiction (PS Chinook salmon 
and PS steelhead), but a small number may be unintentionally captured 
because their ranges overlap the target species. Juveniles may be 
collected via backpack electrofishing, gill net, and beach seine, and 
adults may be collected via gill net. Any adult or juvenile PS Chinook 
salmon or PS steelhead captured would be immediately released. The 
researchers are not proposing to kill any of the listed fish being 
captured, but a small number may be killed as an inadvertent result of 
these activities. While this work is intended to benefit listed bull 
trout by providing fine-scale information about their movement timing 
and upstream residency, any management and recovery actions informed by 
this work would likely also benefit PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead 
due to their overlapping ranges and habitats.

Permit 26368

    Under permit 26368, Idaho State University is seeking a new 5 year 
permit that would authorize them to annually take juvenile MCR 
steelhead, SnkR spring/summer-run Chinook salmon, SnkR steelhead, UWR 
Chinook salmon, UWR steelhead, and OC coho salmon at more than a dozen 
locations from Idaho to western Oregon. The purpose of the research is 
to conduct a range-wide comparison of native Rainbow Trout population 
genetics and structure across much of western North America. The work 
would benefit listed fish (primarily steelhead) by providing of 
information about population and subspecies structure, local 
biodiversity in a variety of settings, and some measure of how intra- 
and inter-species variability contribute to ecosystem maintenance. That 
information, in turn, would be used to monitor and adjust for variances 
in species diversity and population structure and health across a broad 
section of the listed species' habitat.
    The juvenile fish would be collected via backpack electrofishing 
and hook-and-line angling. Only juvenile steelhead would be captured, 
handled (anesthetized, weighed, measured, and checked for marks or 
tags), sampled, and released. All other captured listed fish would be 
allowed to recover in aerated water and then released immediately. The 
researchers are not proposing to kill any of the listed fish being 
captured, but a small number of fish may be killed as an inadvertent 
result of these activities.

Permit 26412

    Under permit 26412, FISHBIO, Inc. is seeking a new 5 year permit 
that would authorize them to annually take juvenile and adult SacR 
winter-run Chinook salmon, CVS Chinook salmon, and CCV steelhead, and 
adult southern DPS green sturgeon in the upper Sacramento River, in 
Glenn, Butte, and Tehama Counties, California. The purpose of this 
study is to provide new information or bolster limited existing 
information on the residency, movement patterns, and spatiotemporal 
distributions of juvenile non-native Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in 
the upper reaches of the Sacramento River. ESA-listed fish are not 
being targeted by this sampling

[[Page 52749]]

effort, although some of them may be unintentionally captured as their 
range overlaps with Striped bass in the study area.
    ESA-listed salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon may be collected via 
hook-and-line angling or observed by camera or sonar. All listed fish 
captured would be handled (enumerated, measured, and checked for marks 
or tags), and released. Sampling would be limited to 6 to 10 days per 
month, and the permit would authorize no mortalities for listed fish. 
The information to be gathered is expected to benefit listed species by 
providing resource managers data to help them assess predation risks to 
outmigrating salmonids and juvenile southern DPS green sturgeon in the 
Sacramento River.

Permit 26626

    Under permit 26626, the National Park Service (NPS) is seeking a 
new 5 year permit that would authorize them to annually take adult and 
juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead, as well as subadult PS 
steelhead and spawned carcasses of both species, in the Elwha River 
Basin in Clallam County, Washington. The purpose of the study is to 
continue monitoring the recolonization of Pacific salmonids and lamprey 
after dam removal in the Elwha River. The majority of fish encountered 
during this study would be observed during snorkel surveys but not 
handled. Small numbers of juveniles of both species would be collected 
via backpack electrofishing, and captured juveniles would be 
anesthetized, tissue-sampled and marked prior to release. Adult PS 
Chinook salmon and PS steelhead would be collected via tangle net and 
hook-and-line angling in addition to observations during snorkel 
surveys. Captured adults would be anesthetized, tissue sampled, and 
tagged with a Floy, internal radio, or external radio tag prior to 
release. Spawned adults and post-spawn carcasses would be counted 
during spawning surveys. Subadult PS steelhead would also be observed 
during snorkel surveys and captured via tangle nets and hook-and-line 
angling; these fish would also be anesthetized, tissue sampled, and 
tagged with a Floy, internal radio, or external radio tag prior to 
release. The researchers are not proposing to kill any of the listed 
fish being captured, but a small number may be killed as an inadvertent 
result of these activities.
    The information gathered from this work would help scientists and 
managers assess spatial extent, relative abundance, migration patterns, 
and life history attributes of Pacific salmonids and map how those 
factors relate to four stages of restoration in the Elwha River: 
protection, recolonization, local adaptation, and recovered. This 
project is designed to generate data for assessing the life history 
responses of migratory salmonids to dam removal, and the work would 
help resource managers involved with the Elwha Ecosystem Restoration 
Project better carry out PS steelhead and Chinook recovery actions.
    This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS 
will evaluate the applications, associated documents, and comments 
submitted to determine whether the applications meet 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. NMFS will publish notice of its final action in the Federal 
Register.

    Dated: August 23, 2022.
Lisa Manning,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-18481 Filed 8-26-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P