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Endangered and Threatened Species; Notice of an Additional Public Hearing for Proposed Rules Governing Take of West Coast Chinook, Chum, Coho and Sockeye Salmon and Steelhead Trout

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 

[Federal Register: February 16, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 32)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 7819-7820]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16fe00-44]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 223

[I.D. 081699C, 092199A, 092799G]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Notice of an Additional Public
Hearing for Proposed Rules Governing Take of West Coast Chinook, Chum,
Coho and Sockeye Salmon and Steelhead Trout

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; notification of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is announcing an additional public hearing for the
following: Proposed Rule Governing Take of Seven Threatened
Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) of West Coast Salmonids;
Proposed Rule Governing Take of Threatened Snake River, Central
California Coast, South/Central California Coast, Lower Columbia River,
Central Valley California, Middle Columbia River, and Upper Willamette
River Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) of West Coast Steelhead;
and Limitation on Section 9 Protections Applicable to Salmon Listed as
Threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), for Actions Under
Tribal Resource Management Plans. NMFS is holding this additional
public hearing for all three rules to facilitate public participation
in this regulatory process.

DATES: The meeting date is February 22, 2000, 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at Whitman College, Cordiner Hall,
345 Boyer Avenue, Walla Walla, WA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Garth Griffin, (503) 231-2005; Craig
Wingert, (562) 980-4021; or Chris Mobley, (301) 713-1401. Copies of the
Federal Register documents cited herein and additional salmon-related
materials are available via the Internet at www.nwr.noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Under section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) is required to adopt such regulations
as he deems necessary and advisable for the conservation of species
listed as threatened. On December 30, 1999 (64 FR 73479), NMFS issued a
proposed rule under section 4(d) of the ESA which contains the
regulations that it believes, are necessary and advisable to conserve
threatened Snake River, Central California Coast, South/Central
California Coast, Lower Columbia River, Central Valley California,
Middle Columbia River, and Upper Willamette River ESUs of West Coast
Steelhead. The proposed rule applies ESA section 9(a)(1) prohibitions
to the previously mentioned steelhead ESUs, but proposes not to apply
the take prohibitions to 13 specific programs which limit impacts on
listed steelhead to an extent that makes added protection through
Federal regulation not necessary and advisable for the conservation of
these ESUs (see 64 FR 73479).
    On January 3, 2000 (65 FR 170), NMFS issued a proposed rule under
section 4(d) of the ESA which was nearly identical to the December 30,
1999, proposal except that it applied to the following species of
salmon: Oregon Coast Coho, Puget Sound, Lower Columbia and Upper
Willamette Chinook, Hood Canal Summer-run and Columbia River Chum, and
Ozette Lake Sockeye.
    Also on January 3, 2000 (65 FR 108), NMFS issued a proposed rule
under section 4(d) of the ESA that would not impose the section 9(a)(1)
prohibitions on take when impacts on threatened salmonids result from
implementation of a tribal resource management plan, where the
Secretary has determined that implementing that Tribal Plan will not
appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery for the
listed species. This proposal applies to threatened salmonids that are
currently subject to ESA section 9(a)(1) take prohibitions: Snake River
spring/summer chinook salmon; Snake River fall chinook salmon; Central
California Coast (CCC) coho salmon; and Southern Oregon/Northern
California Coast (SONCC) coho salmon. This proposed limitation on take
prohibitions would also be available for all other threatened salmonid
ESUs whenever final ESA section 9(a) prohibitions are made applicable
to those ESUs.
    On February 14, 2000, NMFS published a Federal Register document
under the Proposed Rules section which extended the public comment
periods for all 3 proposed rules and announced additional public
hearings in Washington and Idaho. Because these closely related rules
had public comment periods that ended on different dates (February 22,
2000, for the steelhead proposal and March 3, 2000, for the other 2
proposals, respectively), NMFS extended the comment period for all
three rules to March 6, 2000, to avoid confusion and to facilitate
public participation.
    NMFS has received a request for an additional public hearing to
allow further opportunity for the public to participate in the exchange
of information and opinion among interested parties and to provide oral
and written testimony. NMFS finds that the request is reasonable and
has scheduled the meeting accordingly (see DATES and ADDRESSES).
    NMFS is soliciting specific information, comments, data, and/or
recommendations on any aspect of the December 30, 1999, and January 3,
2000, proposals from all interested parties.

[[Page 7820]]

This information is considered critical in helping NMFS make final
determinations on the proposals. NMFS will consider all information,
comments, and recommendations received during the comment period and at
the public hearings before reaching a final decision.

Special Accommodations

    These hearings are physically accessible to people with
disabilities. Requests for sign language or other aids should be
directed to Garth Griffin (see ADDRESSES) 7 days before the meeting
date.

    Dated: February 10, 2000.
Penelope D. Dalton,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Services.
[FR Doc. 00-3725 Filed 2-15-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F

 
 

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