[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 33 (Friday, February 17, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10295-10299]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03336]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XC771]


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 application; 7 permit renewals, 1 permit 
modification, and 9 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, rockfish, 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 or fax number (see 
ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on March 20, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the applications should be sent to the 
Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100, 
Portland, OR 97232-1274. Comments may also be sent via fax to 503-230-
5441 or by email to [email protected] (include the permit number 
in the subject line of the fax or email).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shivonne Nesbit, Portland, OR (ph.: 
541-805-5320), 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 Lower 
Columbia River (LCR); threatened Puget Sound (PS); threatened Snake 
River (SnkR) spring/summer-run; threatened SnkR fall-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 LCR; threatened Middle Columbia 
River (MCR); threatened PS; threatened SnkR; threatened UCR; threatened 
UWR; threatened Northern California (NC); threatened Central California 
Coast (CCC); threatened California Central Valley (CCV); threatened 
South-Central California Coast (S-CCC); endangered Southern California 
(SC).
    Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened Hood Canal Summer-run (HCS), 
threatened Columbia River (CR).
    Coho salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened LCR; threatened Oregon Coast 
(OC) coho; threatened Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast 
(SONCC), endangered Central California Coast (CCC).
    Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): Endangered SnkR; Threatened Ozette Lake 
(OL).
    Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus): Threatened southern Distinct 
Population Segment (SDPS).
    Green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris): Threatened southern 
Distinct Population Segment (SDPS).
    Rockfish (Sebastes spp.): Endangered Puget Sound/Georgia Basin (PS/
GB) DPS bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis); threatened PS/GB DPS yelloweye 
rockfish (S. ruberrimus).

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 1134-8R

    The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is seeking 
to renew for 5 years a permit under which they have been conducting 
research for more than 20 years. The permit would continue covering 
three study projects that, among them, would annually take adult and 
juvenile SnkR steelhead and spring/summer-run Chinook salmon in the 
Snake River basin. There have been some significant changes in the 
research over the last ten years, nonetheless, the projects proposed 
are essentially continuations of ongoing research. They are: Project 
1--Cryopreservation of Spring/summer Chinook Salmon and Summer 
Steelhead Gametes; Project 2--Snorkel, Seine, fyke net, Minnow Trap, 
and Electrofishing Surveys and Collection of Juvenile Chinook Salmon 
and Steelhead; and Project 3--Juvenile Anadromous Salmonid Emigration 
Studies Using Rotary Screw Traps. Under these tasks, listed adult and 
juvenile salmon would be variously (1) observed/harassed during fish 
population and production monitoring surveys; (2) captured (using dip 
nets, seines, trawls, traps, hook-and-line angling equipment, and 
electrofishing equipment) and anesthetized; (3) sampled for biological 
information and tissue samples; (4) tagged with passive integrated 
transponders (PIT-tags) or tagged with other identifiers, and (5) 
released. It should be noted that in the past, this permit covered five 
projects instead of three and authorized a great deal more adult and 
juvenile take of both species than it would under this proposed action.
    The research has many purposes and would benefit listed salmon and 
steelhead in different ways. In general, the studies are part of 
ongoing efforts to monitor the status of listed species in the Snake 
River basin and to use those data to inform decisions about land- and 
fisheries management actions and to help prioritize and plan listed 
species recovery measures. Under the proposal, the studies would 
continue to benefit listed species by generating population abundance 
estimates; providing information on adult and juvenile salmon and 
steelhead life histories in the in the Snake, Salmon, Clearwater, 
Grande Ronde, and Imnaha River subbasins; and helping preserve listed 
salmon and steelhead genetic diversity. The CRITFC researchers do not 
intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small percentage 
may die as a result of the research activities.

[[Page 10296]]

Permit 15573-4R

    The Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District (GCID) is seeking to renew for 
5 years a research permit that would authorize them to take juvenile 
SacR winter-run Chinook salmon, CVS Chinook salmon, CCV steelhead, SDPS 
green sturgeon in the Sacramento River, CA. The study's purpose is to 
monitor restoration actions and to detect annular and cyclic population 
changes. The GCID project provides the longest and most complete 
anadromous fish data set on the Sacramento River. As a result, the 
research would benefit the affected species by informing operational 
decisions for state and Federal water facilities and supplementing 
other out-migrant monitoring projects conducted in the Sacramento River 
Basin.
    The researchers propose to use a rotary screw trap to capture the 
targeted fish. A subsample of captured juveniles would be anesthetized, 
tissue-sampled, PIT-tagged and released. All juvenile fish would be 
captured, handled (anesthetized, weighed, measured, and checked for 
marks or tags), and released. 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 15824-3R

    The County of Santa Cruz is seeking to renew for 5 years a research 
permit that currently allows them to take juvenile CCC coho, CCC 
steelhead, and S-CCC steelhead in the San Lorenzo River and its 
tributaries, Aptos Creek and its tributaries, Corralitos Creek and its 
tributaries, and Soquel Creek and its tributaries. The study's purpose 
is to document habitat conditions and collect data on juvenile salmonid 
abundance in Santa Cruz County watersheds. The research would benefit 
the affected species by providing data on salmonid spawning and rearing 
habitat conditions and thereby help inform habitat restoration and 
conservation efforts and land and water use decisions.
    The researchers at Santa Cruz County propose to use backpack 
electrofishing and beach seines to capture fish and to observe fish 
during snorkel surveys. Captured fish would be anesthetized, identified 
to species, measured, PIT tagged, have a tissue sample taken for 
genetic analysis (fin clip and scales), and allowed to recover before 
being released back to the stream. The researchers do not intend to 
kill any listed fish, but some may die as an inadvertent result of the 
research.

Permit 16303-3R

    The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is seeking to renew a 
research permit that allows them to take juvenile PS/GB DPS bocaccio, 
juvenile HCS chum salmon, juvenile PS steelhead, and juvenile, 
subadult, and adult PS Chinook salmon throughout the marine waters of 
Puget Sound, Hood Canal, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca (Washington 
State). The USGS research may also cause them to take adult SDPS 
eulachon and juvenile PS/GB DPS yelloweye rockfish--species for which 
there are currently no ESA take prohibitions. The purpose of the USGS 
study is to examine salmonid stage-specific growth, as well as 
bioenergetics, competition, and predation during the early marine 
growth period. Additionally, unlisted salmonid species, herring, and 
other forage fish species would be studied for the potential effects 
arising from fluctuations in temporal-spatial food supplies, 
temperature, competition, and predation. This research would benefit 
the affected species by quantifying key factors limiting survival and 
production of Chinook salmon (particularly during juvenile outmigration 
and the first marine growing season) and advancing knowledge of the 
ecological role and contribution that the little-studied resident 
Chinook salmon make to Puget Sound Chinook salmon populations as a 
whole.
    The USGS proposes capturing fish by beach seine, purse seine, 
Lampara seine, and micro-trolling (i.e., hook-and-line angling). All 
captured, viable subadult or adult salmon and any rockfish would be 
released as swiftly as possible. Listed rockfish would be released via 
rapid submergence to their capture depth to reduce the effects from 
barotrauma, and sub-adult/adult salmonids would be released at the 
surface. Under all capture methods, the juvenile salmonids would be 
anesthetized, identified to species, checked for coded wire tags 
(CWTs), measured to length, gastric-lavaged, tissue-sampled (fin clip 
and scales), and released. All juvenile, hatchery-origin, CWT fish 
(marked and unmarked) captured during the seining would be 
intentionally sacrificed to determine their origins. The researchers 
also propose to intentionally kill small numbers of hatchery- and 
natural-origin juvenile Chinook salmon for otolith collection and 
whole-body chemical analyses. Additionally, a small number of listed 
fish may die as an unintended result of the activities.

Permit 21061-2R

    Windward Environmental is seeking to renew a permit that would 
authorize them to take juvenile and adult PS steelhead and Chinook 
salmon and juvenile PS/GB DPS bocaccio in order to establish baseline 
Lower Duwamish Waterway-wide concentrations of contaminants in non-
listed resident fish species and evaluate how well this superfund site 
is progressing toward meeting the cleanup target tissue concentrations 
set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The research may also 
cause unintentional take of juvenile PS/GB DPS yelloweye rockfish--a 
species for which there are currently no ESA take prohibitions. The 
information would be used to determine progress towards cleanup goals 
for the Lower Duwamish Waterway and inform future sediment remediation 
efforts. This information would benefit listed species ESA-listed 
species by confirming where contaminated areas are and how concentrated 
contaminants continue to be within the Lower Duwamish River, and 
whether cleanup activities to date have been successful in reducing 
contaminant concentrations in resident fish species and their 
invertebrate prey. This information will also inform future sediment 
remediation efforts in the Puget Sound and elsewhere.
    The researchers may unintentionally capture juvenile and adult ESA-
listed fish while conducting otter trawls that target sole and 
surfperch. All captured juvenile or adult ESA-listed fish captured 
would be identified, enumerated, and immediately released at the 
location of capture. The researchers would also deploy crab traps 
targeting Dungeness crab, although neither juvenile nor adult ESA-
listed fish are expected to be unintentionally captured by this gear. 
The researchers do not intend to kill any listed fish, but some may die 
as an inadvertent result of the proposed activities.

Permit 22093-2R

    Under permit 22093-2R the Snoqualmie Valley Watershed Improvement 
District (SVWID) is seeking to renew a permit that would authorize them 
to take adult and juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead in order 
to assess the presence or absence of fish in various streams and 
agricultural drainage ditches within the boundary of the SVWID. This 
information will better inform plans to improve drainage, minimize 
flooding, and restore salmon habitat. Data and observations gathered 
through this research will also benefit ESA-listed species by providing 
data that will inform researchers about the status of these species in 
agricultural drainage ditches and small streams that may not otherwise 
be studied.
    Juveniles would be collected via backpack electrofishing, beach 
seining, and minnow traps. Adults would be

[[Page 10297]]

collected via beach seine. Fish would be captured, handled (weighed, 
measured, and checked for marks or tags), and released. 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 22998-2R

    The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is seeking to 
renew a permit that would once again authorize them to annually take 
juvenile PS Chinook salmon and steelhead and adult HCS chum salmon in 
streams and waterbodies on the Kitsap Peninsula (Kitsap County, WA). 
The purpose of the study is to determine where in those waterbodies 
ESA-listed salmonids are present. That information would be used help 
guide future land use management and fulfill requirements in the Navy 
Base Kitsap's Natural Resource Management Plan. This research would 
benefit the affected species by helping guide habitat restoration and 
providing baseline information on species distribution. Currently, 
there is little information about the distribution of ESA-listed 
salmonids on Navy Base Kitsap lands.
    The FWS would use backpack electrofishing equipment, beach seines, 
and dip nets to capture the juvenile fish. For electrofishing, the 
captured fish would be anesthetized with tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-
222), identified by species, measured for length, weighed, allowed to 
recover, and released. For beach seines and dip netting, the captured 
fish would only be identified by species and swiftly released. The 
researchers would also conduct snorkel surveys for juvenile PS Chinook 
salmon and steelhead, and spawner surveys in which adult chum salmon 
may be observed. The FWS does not intend to kill any of the fish being 
captured, but a small number of juveniles may die as an unintended 
consequence of the proposed activities.

Permit 26368-2M

    Idaho State University is seeking to modify a permit that currently 
authorizes 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 modification would entail adding some sampling 
locations--particularly in Washington--and therefore would also require 
adding small amounts of take for SDPS eulachon and sturgeon and UCR and 
PS Chinook and steelhead. 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 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 
adjust planning efforts in a manner that would account 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 listed fish that may be 
captured would be allowed to recover in aerated water and then released 
immediately. The researchers are not proposing to kill any listed fish, 
but a small number may be killed as an inadvertent result of the 
proposed activities.

Permit 26714

    The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is seeking a 
permit to capture SnkR steelhead and spring/summer-run Chinook salmon 
while surveying the Wallowa River, Oregon, to better understand the 
distribution, relative abundance, movement ecology, and angler 
exploitation rates of rainbow trout and mountain whitefish in the 
river. This work is intended to generate important baseline information 
on the status and trends of native fishes in the Wallowa River and 
thereby improve managers' ability to conserve and manage them. The 
study would benefit listed salmonids by giving mangers information on 
(1) salmonid distribution and general habitat use in the Wallowa River, 
(2) the distribution and abundance of residualized hatchery steelhead, 
and (3) the rates at which anglers capture and handle listed juvenile 
steelhead/rainbow trout. This information, in turn, would be used to 
limit harvest rates and design recovery actions.
    The researchers would use raft-mounted electrofishing equipment to 
capture the fish. Most of the listed Chinook and steelhead would be 
measured, scanned for tags and marks and immediately released. However, 
because they are very difficult to distinguish from non-listed rainbow 
trout, a small portion of the captured juvenile SnkR steelhead would 
also be tagged and tissue sampled before being released. In all cases, 
listed fish would be processed and released before any work is done on 
non-listed fish. Also, if an adult Chinook or steelhead fish were to be 
encountered, the electrofishing equipment would be turned off and the 
electrofishing raft would be moved before the survey is started again. 
The researchers do not plan to kill any fish they capture, but some may 
die as an unintended result of the activities.

Permit 26766

    The Washington Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is seeking a 
new permit to conduct fish presence/absence surveys in small streams 
across the state of Washington. The permit would authorize them to take 
juvenile PS Chinook salmon and steelhead; HC summer-run chum salmon; OL 
sockeye salmon; UCR steelhead and spring-run Chinook salmon; MCR 
steelhead; SnkR steelhead, sockeye, and spring/summer-run and fall-run 
Chinook salmon; LCR Chinook salmon, coho salmon and steelhead; and CR 
chum salmon. The purpose of the study is to survey small streams on 
privately held land across the state of Washington and determine what 
fish are present at each site. The information would be used to (a) 
inform landowners of the appropriate riparian management zone to follow 
under the state Forest Regulations and (b) identify potential fish 
passage barriers. Helping landowners follow the appropriate forest 
practice regulations would help protect crucial habitats along riparian 
zones. Identifying fish passage barriers would help mangers determine 
what barriers could be altered to increase the amount of habitat 
accessible to listed fish.
    The juvenile fish would be collected via backpack electrofishing 
and the captured fish would be handled (anesthetized, weighed, 
measured, and checked for marks or tags), and swiftly released near the 
point of their capture. The researchers are not proposing to kill any 
listed fish, but a small number from each species may be killed as an 
inadvertent result of the proposed activities.

Permit 26968

    The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is seeking a 
new permit that would authorize them to take juvenile SONCC coho 
salmon, NC steelhead, CC Chinook salmon, SacR winter-run Chinook 
salmon, CVS Chinook salmon, CCV steelhead, CCC coho salmon, CCC 
steelhead, S-CCC steelhead, SC steelhead, and adult SDPS green sturgeon 
in streams and rivers throughout California at pre-selected

[[Page 10298]]

locations. The study's purpose is to assess the condition of the rivers 
and streams in California and provide a baseline for future 
comparisons. CDFW is participating in the USEPA National Rivers and 
Streams Assessment (NRSA), a probability-based survey designed to 
assess the condition of the Nation's rivers and streams. NRSA is a 
keystone program in California that provides data for the National 
Water Quality Inventory Report to Congress (305(b) report) and fulfills 
the water quality monitoring requirements of the Clean Water Act.
    The researchers at CDFW propose to use kick nets, backpack and boat 
electrofishing to capture fish. Captured fish would be handled 
(anesthetized, weighed, measured, and checked for marks or tags), and 
released. 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 27069

    Thomas Gast & Associates Environmental Consultants is seeking a new 
permit that would authorize them to take juvenile SacR winter-run 
Chinook salmon, CVS Chinook salmon, CCV Valley steelhead, and SDPS 
green sturgeon in a backwater area of the Sacramento River directly 
downstream of its confluence with Battle Creek. The study's purpose is 
to characterize seasonal changes and variability within the fish 
community in the backwater area. Data on the fish community composition 
will be used to inform the planning and design of an upcoming side-
channel restoration project.
    Juveniles would be collected via fyke net, beach seine, and minnow 
trap and observed during snorkel surveys. Juvenile fish would be 
captured, handled (anesthetized, weighed, measured, and checked for 
marks or tags), and released. 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 27091

    The Port of Seattle is seeking a permit that would allow them to 
take juvenile PS steelhead and Chinook salmon while conducting survey 
work designed to examine ecological response to restoration actions 
that have been undertaken in the lower Duwamish River waterway in 
Washington state. The purpose of the work is to fulfill the conditions 
found in the habitat-restoration component of a Natural Resources 
Damage Assessment claim made against the Port of Seattle. It would 
benefit the listed salmon and steelhead by ensuring the habitat they 
use in the lower Duwamish functions to promote their survival; it would 
also help the listed species by helping guide similar habitat 
restoration actions elsewhere in the Puget Sound and beyond.
    All captured salmonids would be sedated with MS-222 and identified 
by species, weighed and measured to the nearest millimeter (fork 
length). Once measured and weighed, the fish would be placed into a 
recovery bucket and be transported to the bank of the Duwamish River 
and released downstream of the capture site. The process would be 
halted if the fish appear to be overly stressed, or recovery times are 
unusually long. Any fish with coded wire tags or that have had their 
adipose fins clipped would be noted in order to calculate the ratio of 
natural-origin to hatchery fish in the lower Duwamish River. The 
researchers do not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a 
small number may die as an unintended consequence of the proposed 
activities.

Permit 27098

    The WDNR is seeking a new permit that would authorize them to 
annually take juvenile UCR steelhead and spring-run Chinook salmon; MCR 
steelhead; SnkR steelhead, sockeye, and spr/sum and fall-run Chinook 
salmon; LCR Chinook salmon, coho salmon and steelhead; UWR Chinook 
salmon and steelhead; and CR chum salmon. The permit would also allow 
them to take adult and juvenile SDPS eulachon--a species for which 
there are currently no take prohibitions. Under the permit, the WDNR 
researchers would monitor, track, trap, and remove invasive European 
green crabs on WDNR aquatic lands in the Puget Sound and lower Columbia 
River. The purpose of the research is to explore the best means of 
locating and eliminating European green crab incursions, and it will 
benefit listed salmonid (and other) species by guiding long-term 
management actions designed protect their critical habitat.
    The researchers would use modified shrimp and minnow traps placed 
in the estuarine and marine intertidal and subtidal waters in the Puget 
Sound and lower Columbia River. The researchers do not actually expect 
to catch any listed salmonids or eulachon; nonetheless, all traps will 
be checked very regularly and any listed animals that are captured will 
be swiftly released without further handling. The researchers do not 
intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small number may 
die as an unintended consequence of the proposed activities.

Permit 27129

    The USGS is seeking a new permit to monitor toxic chemical 
contamination levels in resident fish sampled in the Bonneville pool 
(reservoir) on the Columbia River. The permit would authorize them to 
take juvenile and adult UCR steelhead and spring-run Chinook salmon; 
MCR steelhead; SnkR steelhead, sockeye, and spring/summer-run and fall-
run Chinook salmon; LCR Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead; and 
CR chum salmon. The purpose of the research is to conduct long-term 
monitoring to assess the spatial and temporal status and trends of 
toxics in fish, water, sediment, and other potential media in the 
Columbia River mainstem--eventually from Bonneville Dam to the Canadian 
Border. While the work does not target listed fish, it would benefit 
them by providing information to help state, tribal and federal mangers 
plan restoration and remediation actions designed to improve ecosystem 
function and reduce contaminants in all levels of the food chain.
    The researchers would use a variety of means to capture the fish. 
The main methods would be fyke and hoop nets, minnow traps and nets, 
longlines, and angling. If these methods prove insufficient to 
gathering the needed resident fish samples, boat electrofishing may 
possibly be employed. All adult listed fish would be avoided, and any 
that are captured would immediately be released. Captured juvenile fish 
Juvenile fish would also be minimally handled and released without any 
data being collected on them. The researchers are not proposing to kill 
any listed fish, but a small number from each species may be killed as 
an inadvertent result of the proposed activities.

Permit 27162

    Under permit 27162 the WDNR (Olympic Region) is seeking a new 
permit that would authorize them to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon, PS 
steelhead, HCS chum salmon, and OL sockeye salmon in streams on WDNR 
land on the Olympic Peninsula (Clallam, Jefferson, and Grays Harbor 
counties in Washington) in order to determine listed fish presence or 
absence in small streams. The information gathered would be used to 
determine salmonid presence and distribution and thereby 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

[[Page 10299]]

structures that fish can pass over or through, and support a region-
wide program of road maintenance and other forest management activities 
in the vicinity of streams. Confirming which streams currently support 
ESA-listed fish species would help prioritize those locations for 
restoration actions.
    Juvenile salmonids would be collected via backpack electrofishing, 
handled (anesthetized, weighed, measured, identified, and checked for 
marks or tags), 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.

Permit 27212

    Oregon State University is seeking a new permit to survey waters 
across the pacific Northwest with the intent of mapping sculpin 
diversity and distribution across that range. The permit would 
authorize them to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon and steelhead; HCS 
chum salmon; UCR steelhead and spring-run Chinook salmon; MCR 
steelhead; SnkR steelhead, sockeye, and spring/summer-run and fall-run 
Chinook salmon; LCR Chinook salmon, coho salmon and steelhead; UWR 
Chinook salmon; CR chum salmon; and SDPS eulachon. The purpose of the 
study is to map sculpin diversity and distribution, but it would also 
benefit listed salmonids. Improved data on the listed species' 
distribution, movement, and life histories would help direct the 
efforts recommended in each of the species' recovery plans. Moreover, 
the project would generate presence/absence data to help fill the need 
to monitor ecosystem health and the distribution, population status, 
and migratory movements of all the of listed species that may be 
encountered.
    The fish would be collected via backpack electrofishing and beach 
seine; with the exception of SDPS eulachon, no adults would be taken. 
All captured listed fish would be handled briefly (identified and 
recorded) and immediately released back to the stream of their origin. 
The researchers would reduce possible harm to listed salmonids by: (1) 
avoiding sampling in the heat of the day or during spawning times, (2) 
surveying sample plots in advance for any listed fish, (3) using the 
lowest feasible settings on the electroshocker, (4) using the gentler 
seine net when possible, and (5) consulting with district biologists to 
get their advice on how to minimize harm to endangered and threatened 
species at each site. The researchers are not proposing to kill any 
listed fish, but a small number of each species may be killed as an 
inadvertent result of the proposed activities.
    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: February 13, 2023.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-03336 Filed 2-16-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P