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Endangered Species; Permits

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[Federal Register: February 21, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 35)]
[Notices]
[Page 11002-11003]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21fe01-36]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 021301A]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Receipt of three applications for scientific research permits
(1290, 1291, 1292).

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the following actions regarding
permits for takes of endangered and threatened species for the purposes
of scientific research and/or enhancement: NMFS has received
applications for ESA section 10(a)(1)(A) scientific research permits
from the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NMFS at Seattle, WA
(NWFSC); the U.S. Geological Survey at Cook, WA (USGS); and the U.S.
Forest Service at La Grande, OR (USFS).

DATES: Comments or requests for a public hearing on any of the new
applications or modification requests must be received at the
appropriate address or fax number no later than 5 p.m. eastern standard
time on March 23, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on any of the new applications or
modification requests should be sent to the appropriate office as
indicated below. Comments may also be sent via fax to the number
indicated for the application or modification request. Comments will
not be accepted if submitted via e-mail or the Internet. The
applications and related documents are available for review in the
indicated office, by appointment:
    For permits 1290, 1291, 1292: Protected Resources Division, F/NWO3,
525 NE Oregon Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-2737 (ph: 503-230-
5400, fax: 503-230-5435).
    Documents may also be reviewed by appointment in the Office of
Protected Resources, F/PR3, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver
Spring, MD 20910-3226 (301-713-1401).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For permits 1290, 1291, 1292: Robert
Koch, Portland, OR (ph: 503-230-5424, fax: 503-230-5435, e-mail:
Robert.Koch@noaa.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

    Issuance of permits and permit modifications, as required by the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) (ESA), is based on
a finding that such permits/modifications: (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.
Permits and modifications are issued in accordance with and are subject
to the ESA and NMFS regulations governing listed fish and wildlife
permits (50 CFR parts 222-226).
    Those individuals 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). The holding of such
hearing is at the discretion of the Assistant Administrator for
Fisheries, NOAA. All statements and opinions contained in the permit
action summaries are those of the applicant and do not necessarily
reflect the views of NMFS.

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following species and evolutionarily significant units (ESU's)
are covered in this notice:
    Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka): endangered Snake River (SnR).
    Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha): endangered, naturally produced and
artificially propagated, upper Columbia River (UCR) spring; threatened,
naturally produced and artificially propagated, SnR spring/summer;
threatened SnR fall; threatened lower Columbia River (LCR); threatened
upper Willamette River (UWR).
    Chum salmon (O. keta): threatened Columbia River.
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): endangered, naturally produced and
artificially propagated, UCR; threatened SnR; threatened middle
Columbia River (MCR); threatened LCR; threatened UWR.

New Applications Received

    The Fish Ecology Division of the Northwest Fisheries Science
Center, NMFS requests a 5-year permit (1290) for annual takes of 11 of
the 12 ESA-listed anadromous fish species identified in this notice
(all ESU's except endangered SnR sockeye salmon) associated with
research to be conducted in the Columbia River estuary. The purpose of
the research is to determine the prevalence and intensity of pathogens
in juvenile salmonids. The research will benefit ESA-listed salmonids
by contributing information on the extent to which

[[Page 11003]]

diseases affect the growth and survival of juvenile salmonids in the
estuarine and early ocean environments. This proposed research project
is intended to complement the pathogen research that is being conducted
by the Environmental Conservation Division, NWFSC, NMFS under
scientific research permit 1140 (see 63 FR 18891, April 16, 1998). ESA-
listed juvenile fish are proposed to be captured, handled, and released
or taken lethally. ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect mortalities are
also requested. ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect mortalities are
proposed to be retained for research purposes or returned to the water.
    The Columbia River Research Laboratory, USGS requests a 5-year
permit (1291) for annual takes of SnR sockeye salmon, SnR spring/summer
chinook salmon, SnR fall chinook salmon, UCR spring chinook salmon, SnR
steelhead, UCR steelhead, and MCR steelhead associated with scientific
research at John Day, The Dalles, and Bonneville Dams on the lower
Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest. The purpose of the research is
to monitor juvenile fish movement, distribution, behavior, and survival
from John Day Dam downstream past Bonneville Dam using radiotelemetry
technology. The research will benefit ESA-listed fish species by
providing information on spill effectiveness, forebay residence times,
and guidance efficiency under various flow regimes that will allow
Federal resource managers to make adjustments to bypass/collection
structures to optimize downriver migrant survival at the hydropower
projects. The proposed research is intended to complement the research
that is being conducted by USGS under scientific research permit 1130
(see 63 FR 9505, February 25, 1998). ESA-listed juvenile fish are
proposed to be obtained from Smolt Monitoring Program (SMP) personnel
at Bonneville and/or John Day Dams, handled, and released or implanted
with radio transmitters, transported, held for as long as 24 hours,
released, and tracked electronically. SMP personnel are authorized to
collect ESA-listed juvenile fish under a separate take authorization.
ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect mortalities associated with the
research are also requested.
    The Pacific Northwest Research Station of USFS requests a 2-year
permit (1292) for annual takes of UCR spring chinook salmon, UCR
steelhead, and MCR steelhead associated with research to be conducted
in the Yakima River subbasin, the Wenatchee River subbasin, the Entiat
River subbsasin, and the Methow River subbasin in Washington. The
purpose of the research is to determine the extent and distribution of
hybridization between westslope cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, and
anadromous steelhead for selected populations in the MCR and UCR
Basins. The research will benefit ESA-listed species by providing
information on westslope cutthroat trout and rainbow trout/steelhead
interactions and could provide insight into possible genetic
introgression of introduced rainbow trout stocks in the areas of native
rainbow trout/steelhead distribution. USFS also proposes to analyze
phenotypic characteristics that may be used by biologists in the future
to more definitively distinguish cutthroat trout, rainbow trout/
steelhead, and hybrid forms in the field. ESA-listed juvenile fish are
proposed to be captured by the use of angling with flies that have
barbless hooks. After being captured, the juvenile fish are proposed to
be released immediately (in the case of non-target species) or examined
for biological information, sampled non-lethally for caudal fin tissue,
and released. ESA-listed juvenile fish indirect mortalities associated
with the research are also requested.

    Dated: February 13, 2001.
Phil Williams,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-4169 Filed 2-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S

 
 

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