Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish, 21591-21594 [E8-8688]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 78 (Tuesday, April 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21591-21594]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-8688]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XH27


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION:  Applications for scientific research permits, permit 
modifications, and renewals.

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SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received 15 scientific 
research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon. 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.

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 May 22, 2008.

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 e-mail to resapps.nwr@NOAA.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Garth Griffin, Portland, OR (ph.: 
503-231-2005, Fax: 503-230-5441, e-mail: Garth.Griffin@noaa.gov). 
Permit application instructions are available from the address above.

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 upper Willamette River (UWR), 
endangered upper Columbia River (UCR), threatened Snake River (SR) 
spring/summer (spr/sum), threatened SR fall, threatened Puget Sound 
(PS).
    Chum salmon (O. keta): threatened Columbia River (CR), threatened 
Hood Canal summer (HCS).
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened LCR, threatened UWR, threatened 
middle Columbia River (MCR), threatened SR, endangered UCR, threatened 
PS.
    Coho salmon (O. kisutch): threatened LCR, threatened Southern 
Oregon Northern California Coasts (SONCC), threatened Oregon Coast 
(OC).
    Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): endangered SR.

 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 1114 - Renewal

    The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WFDW) is seeking to 
renew permit 1114 for a period of five years. The original permit was 
in place for five years (63 FR 20169) with three modifications (63 FR 
43381, 65 FR 15314, 66 FR 38641); it expired on December 31, 2002. The 
next Permit 1114 was also in place for five years and expired on 
December 31, 2007. Under the new Permit, the WDFW would conduct a study 
that would annually take juvenile, endangered UCR spring Chinook 
salmon; and juvenile and adult endangered UCR steelhead in the State of 
Washington. Under this permit, the WDFW would capture juvenile UCR 
spring Chinook salmon and steelhead as part of a long-term, ongoing 
smolt monitoring program at Rock Island Dam on the Columbia River. 
Under the new permit (as with the old) the captured smolts would be 
held for as long as 24 hours and all would be anesthetized, sampled for 
data relating to their species, size, origin (hatchery or natural), and 
examined for the presence of a coded wire tag (CWT) or passive 
integrated transponder (PIT) tag. Some of the captured fish would be 
examined for evidence of gas bubble trauma (GBT) and others would be 
implanted with a PIT tag. All captured fish would be allowed to recover 
before being released in the dam's tailrace. The WDFW also expects to 
capture a few downstream-migrating steelhead kelts during the course of 
the trapping operation. These fish would simply be anesthetized and 
immediately moved to the lower sections of the adult fishway where they 
could recover on their own and continue their migration. The WDFW does 
not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small 
percentage may die as a result of the research activities.
    The purpose of the research is to provide important information 
regarding what effects the annual mid- and upper (Columbia) river water 
allocation budget has on listed salmonids. The data being collected 
would be used to assess the effects of the water allocation plan and 
thereby improve smolt migration conditions (e.g., through releasing 
adequate amounts of upstream water during the migration period) and 
increase listed spring Chinook and steelhead survival rates. Another 
important objective of the program is to help resource managers develop 
the Basin-wide database for PIT-tagged salmonids and thus increase what 
is known about smolt migration timing and behavior in the Columbia 
River system.

Permit 1134 - Renewal

    The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is seeking 
to renew Permit 1134, under which they have been conducting research 
for more than ten years. The original permit was in place for five 
years (63 FR 30199) with one amendment (67 FR 43909); it expired on 
December 31, 2002. The next permit was also in place for five years 
expiring on December 31, 2007. The CRITFC is now requesting a new five-
year permit to continue covering five study projects that, among them, 
would annually take adult and juvenile threatened SR fall Chinook 
salmon; adult and juvenile threatened SR spring/summer Chinook salmon; 
and adult and juvenile threatened SR steelhead in the Snake River 
basin. There have been some changes in the research over the last ten 
years and these changes are reflected in this application, nonetheless, 
the projects proposed are largely continuations of ongoing research. 
They are: Project 1 - Adult Spring/summer and Fall Chinook

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Salmon and Summer Steelhead Ground and Aerial Spawning Ground Surveys; 
Project 2 - Cryopreservation of Spring/summer Chinook Salmon and Summer 
Steelhead Gametes; Project 3 - Adult Chinook Salmon Abundance 
Monitoring Using Video Weirs, Acoustic Imaging, and PIT tag Detectors 
in the South Fork Salmon River; Project 4 - Snorkel, Seine, fyke net, 
Minnow Trap, and Electrofishing Surveys and Collection of Juvenile 
Chinook Salmon and Steelhead; and Project 5 Juvenile Anadromous 
Salmonid Emigration Studies Using Rotary Screw Traps. Under these 
tasks, listed adult and juvenile salmon would be variously (a) 
observed/harassed during fish population and production monitoring 
surveys; (b) captured (using seines, trawls, traps, hook-and-line 
angling equipment, and electrofishing equipment) and anesthetized; (c) 
sampled for biological information and tissue samples, (d) PIT-tagged 
or tagged with other identifiers, (e) and released. The CRITFC does not 
intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small percentage 
may die as a result of the research activities.
    The research has many purposes and would benefit listed salmon and 
steelhead in different ways. However, in general, the studies are part 
of ongoing efforts to monitor the status of listed species in the Snake 
River basin and to use that data to inform decisions about land- and 
fisheries management actions and to help prioritize and plan recovery 
measures for the listed species. Under the proposal, the studies would 
continue to benefit listed species by generating population abundance 
estimates, allowing comparisons to be made between naturally 
reproducing populations and those being supplemented with hatchery 
fish, and helping preserve listed salmon and steelhead genetic 
diversity.

Permit 1379 - Modification 1

    The CRITFC is seeking to modify Permit 1379. The CRITFC is 
currently authorized to annually take listed salmonids (endangered UCR 
Chinook and steelhead; threatened MCR steelhead; threatened LCR 
steelhead and Chinoook; threatened LCR coho; threatened SR Chinook and 
steelhead; and endangered SR sockeye) while conducting research 
designed to increase what we know about the status and productivity of 
various fish populations, collect data on migratory and exploitation 
(harvest) patterns, and develop baseline information on various 
population and habitat parameters in order to guide salmonid 
restoration strategies. The studies are: Project 1 Juvenile Upriver 
Bright Fall Chinook Sampling at the Hanford Reach; Project 2 Adult 
Chinook, Sockeye, and Coho Sampling at Bonneville Dam; and Project 3 
Adult Sockeye Sampling at Tumwater Dam, Wenatchee River. They wish to 
modify the permit by (a) increasing the number of adult steelhead they 
take during the activities at Bonnevile Dam, and (b) ensuring that 
tagging is a permitted activity during the Hanford Reach sampling. They 
are also asking to increase the number of SR Chinook they handle but 
not the number of mortalities.
    The CRITFC is currently authorized to obtain fish from the adult 
collection facility at Bonneville Dam. The fish are anesthetized, 
measured, examined for marks, scale-sampled, and allowed to return to 
the river. They use similar techniques to sample listed fish at 
Tumwater Dam on the Wenatchee River. They use beach- and stick seines 
to capture juvenile fish in the Hanford reach of the Columbia River and 
are seeking express authorization to tag those fish. Under the other 
portions of the research, CRITFC captures and transports fish to a 
holding facility where they are anesthetized, examined for marks, 
adipose-clipped, coded wire tagged, allowed to recover, and released. 
The CRITFC wishes to be allowed to continue all these activities along 
with the modifications given above. They do not intend to kill any of 
the fish being captured but a small number may die as an unintended 
result of the activities.

Permit 1422 - Renewal

    The United States Forest Service (USFS) is seeking to renew Permit 
1422 for a period of five years. The permit was originally in place for 
five years and expired on December 31, 2007. Under Permit 1422, the 
USFS was previously authorized to annually take juvenile endangered UCR 
Chinook salmon, juvenile endangered UCR steelhead, and juvenile 
threatened MCR steelhead during research activities taking place at 
various points in the Yakima, Methow, Entiat, and Wenatchee River 
drainages in Washington State. They wish to continue those activities. 
Under the renewed permit, the fish would be captured (using minnow 
traps, hook-and-line angling, and electrofishing equipment), 
identified, and immediately released. The purpose of the research is to 
determine fish distribution in the subbasins listed above. The research 
would benefit the fish by giving land managers information they need in 
order to design forest management activities (e.g., timber sales, 
grazing plans, road building) in such a way as to conserve listed 
species. The USFS does not intend to kill any of the listed fish being 
captured, but a small percentage may die as an unintended result of the 
research activities.

Permit 1465 - Renewal

    The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) is asking to 
renew Permit 1465 for a period of five years. Their current permit 
expires on December 31, 2008, but they wish to renew it now and modify 
it slightly. They are currently authorized to annually take juvenile 
threatened SR steelhead, threatened SR fall Chinook salmon, threatened 
SR spr/sum Chinook salmon, and endangered SR sockeye salmon during the 
course of two research projects designed to ascertain the condition of 
many Idaho streams and determine the degree to which they meet certain 
critical stream health parameters. Thus far, the fish have largely been 
captured using backpack electrofishing equipment (though boat 
electrofishing equipment has also been used), weighed and measured 
(some may be anesthetized to limit stress), and released. The IDEQ 
wishes to modify their permit by including a greater component of boat 
electrofishing, but the number of fish they are proposing to take would 
actually decrease from their currently allotted levels.
    The purposes of the research are to (a) determine whether aquatic 
life is being properly supported in Idaho's rivers, streams and lakes, 
and (b) assess the overall condition of Idaho's surface waters. The 
fish would benefit from the research because the data it produces would 
be used to inform decisions about how and where to protect and improve 
water quality in the state. The IDEQ does not intend to kill any of the 
fish being captured, but a small percentage may die as an unintended 
result of the research activities.

Permit 1480 - Renewal

    The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is asking to renew 
Permit 1480 for a period of five years. Their current permit expires on 
December 31, 2008, but they wish to renew it now. They are currently 
authorized to annually take adult and juvenile endangered UCR Chinook 
and steelhead in three tributaries to the Methow River in Washington 
State. The purpose of the research is to monitor the contribution these 
streams make to Chinook and steelhead production in the Methow subbasin 
both before and after human-made passage barriers in the streams have 
been removed. The research would benefit the fish by generating 
information on the effectiveness of such restoration actions in the 
area, and that

[[Page 21593]]

information, in turn, would be used to guide other such efforts 
throughout the region. The USGS proposes to capture the fish using 
weirs/traps and backpack electrofishing equipment anesthetize them, 
PIT-tag them (if they are large enough), allow them to recover, and 
release them. Several instream PIT-tag interrogation sites would be put 
into place to monitor the fish in the tributaries. In addition, tissue 
samples would be taken from some of the fish. The USGS does not intend 
to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small percentage may die 
as an unintended result of the research activities.

Permit 1560 - Renewal

    The USGS is asking to renew Permit 1480 for a period of five years. 
Their current permit expires on December 31, 2008, but they wish to 
renew and slightly modify it now. Permit 1560 currently authorizes the 
USGS to annually take adult and juvenile threatened LCR Chinook salmon, 
threatened CR chum salmon, threatened MCR steelhead, and threatened LCR 
coho salmon in the White Salmon River, Washington, a tributary to the 
lower Columbia River. The USGS is seeking to continue that research. 
The objectives of the research are to (1) determine fish assemblage 
composition and fish use in the lower White Salmon River; (2) assess 
salmonid growth and survival as indices of productivity; (3) contribute 
to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's efforts to characterize life 
history, genetics, and health of Chinook stocks that currently use the 
lower White Salmon River; and (4) coordinate with ongoing sampling 
efforts associated with dam removal projects in the Elwah River system 
(Olympic Peninsula, Washington). The USGS would augment those 
objectives slightly by adding a baseline analysis for pathogens 
(disease) in the White River.
    The study would benefit listed salmonids by providing information 
on the effects dam removal may have on important fish species such as 
Chinook, coho, steelhead, Pacific lamprey, bull trout, and sea-run 
cutthroat trout. The USGS proposes to conduct snorkel surveys instead 
of capturing fish whenever possible but they would also capture fish 
using backpack electrofishing equipment, traps, and angling. The 
researchers wold then anesthetise, measure, weigh and inspect the fish 
for external diseases. The researchers would also clip the fins of some 
captured fish in order to collect genetic tissues and gauge trapping 
efficiency. The researchers would seek to avoid adult salmonids, but 
some may be handled as an unintentional result of sampling. Some LCR 
Chinook fry would be sacrificed for the disease analysis, but otherwise 
the USGS does not intend to kill the fish being captured nonetheless, 
some juvenile fish may die as an unintentional result of the research 
activities.

Permit 1562 - Modification 1

    The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Laboratory and 
Environmental Assessment Division is asking to modify Permit 1562 a 
five-year research permit to take adult and juvenile UWR Chinook and 
steelhead; adult and juvenile LCR Chinook, coho, and steelhead; adult 
and juvenile CR chum; adult and juvenile MCR steelhead; adult and 
juvenile SR steelhead, fall-run Chinook, spring/summer-run Chinook, and 
sockeye; adult and juvenile OC coho; and adult and juvenile SONCC coho 
during the course of monitoring to evaluate the status of the chemical, 
habitat, and biological integrity of all perennial streams (wadeable 
and non-wadeable) across the United States. The monitoring would be 
conducted as part of the national Environmental Monitoring and 
Assessment Program (EMAP) which aims to advance the science of 
ecological monitoring and ecological risk assessment, guide national 
monitoring with improved scientific understanding of ecosystem 
integrity and dynamics, and demonstrate multi-agency monitoring through 
large regional projects. EMAP develops indicators to monitor the 
condition of ecological resources. The monitoring would benefit listed 
salmonids by providing data and assessments of fish habitat conditions 
and ecological resources to decision-makers and the public. 
Additionally, The DEQ would be able to make estimates of stream and 
river conditions across Oregon with known statistical confidences.
    The DEQ proposes to capture (using backpack and/or boat 
electrofishing), identify, measure, and release juvenile fish. Adult 
fish may be encountered but would not be netted. The DEQ does not 
intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a few may die as an 
unintended result of the activities.

Permit 10111

    The Oregon State University (OSU) Department of Fisheries and 
Wildlife is requesting a five-year research permit to take adult and 
juvenile UWR Chinook and steelhead during the course of research 
designed to provide information on the dynamics and use of cold water 
refuges for anadromous salmon and other cold water species. The 
information would provide a more rigorous understanding of thermal 
regimes in river systems and offer guidance for conservation and 
restoration planning, and species management. The study would benefit 
listed salmonids by helping determine whether the ecosystem services of 
cold water habitats can be quantified and incorporated into restoration 
and conservation programs. The OSU proposes to capture (using boat 
electrofishing), identify, measure, and release juvenile fish. Adult 
fish may be encountered but would not be netted. The OSU does not 
intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a few may die as an 
unintended result of the activities.

Permit 10114

    The Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) is 
requesting a five-year research permit to take adult and juvenile PS 
Chinook and steelhead, and adult and juvenile HCS chum during research 
designed to characterize bay sediments and identify contaminated areas 
for future cleanup in Puget Sound, Washington. The study would 
ultimately benefit listed salmonids by helping minimize their exposure 
to contaminants during cleanup of the impacted sediments. The SAIC 
proposes to capture (using beach seining and otter trawling), identify, 
measure, enumerate, and release juvenile and adult fish. The SAIC does 
not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a few may die as 
an unintended result of the activities.

Permit 13374

    The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is seeking a five-year 
permit to annually take juvenileMCR steelhead during the course of 
research designed to assess the current distribution and health of the 
fish in Rock Creek, Washington (a tributary to the Columbia River). The 
research would benefit the fish by helping managers plan recovery 
actions in the area particularly the Rock Creek Subbasin Recovery 
Planning Group. The researchers would use backpack electrofishing units 
to capture the fish. The fish would then be anesthetized, measured, and 
given PIT tags. Some of the fish would also receive fin clips for 
genetic sampling purposes. Another portion of the fish would be 
sacrificed to determine if any pathogens are present in the population. 
Any fish that die as an accidental result of the capturing and tagging 
activities would be used in place of fish that would have been lethally 
taken for the pathogen analysis.

[[Page 21594]]

Permit 13375

    Forest and Channel Metrics (FCM) Inc. is seeking a two-year permit 
to capture and handle juvenile UCR Chinook and steelhead, LCR Chinook 
and steelhead, SR Chinook (spr/sum) and steelhead, PS Chinook, and LCR 
coho salmon while conducting headwater stream surveys over large 
portions of Washington State. The purpose of the research is to provide 
owners of industrial forest lands and the major state lands managers in 
Washington with accurate maps of where threatened and endangered 
salmonids are on their various properties. The work would benefit the 
salmon and steelhead by helping land managers plan and carry out their 
activities in ways that would have the smallest effect possible on the 
listed fish. The fish would be captured using backpack electrofishing 
equipment and released without tagging or even handling more than is 
necessary to ensure that they have recovered from the effects of being 
captured. The FCM researchers do not intend to kill any listed 
salmonids, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the 
activities.

Permit 13380

    The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) is seeking to 
annually take natural juvenile SR spring/summer Chinook salmon and SR 
steelhead in the Salmon River subbasin, Idaho. This research was 
authorized for the past five years as part of Permit 1403, but the 
researchers determined, upon expiration of that permit in 2007, that 
they should seek an individual permit for their activities. The 
research is designed to assess three alternative methods of nutrient 
enhancement (Salmon carcasses, carcass analogues, and nutrient Pellets) 
on biological communities in Columbia River tributaries. In general, 
the purpose of the research is to learn how salmonids acquire nutrients 
from the carcasses of dead spawners and test three methods of using 
those nutrients to increase growth and survival among naturally 
produced salmonids. The research would benefit the fish by helping 
managers use nutrient enhancement techniques to recover listed salmonid 
populations. Moreover, managers would gain a broader understanding of 
the role marine-derived nutrients play in ecosystem health as a whole. 
This, in turn, would help inform management decisions and actions 
intended to help salmon recovery in the future.
    Under the proposed research, the fish would variously be (a) 
captured (using seines, nets, traps, and possibly, electrofishing 
equipment) and anesthetized; (b) measured, weighed and fin-clipped; (c) 
held for a time in enclosures in the stream from which they are 
captured; and (d) released. Some fish would also be intentionally 
killed as part of the research. It is also likely that a small 
percentage of the fish being captured would unintentionally be killed 
during the process. In addition, tissue samples would be taken from 
adult carcasses found on streambanks.

Permit 13381

    The research proposed under this permit was authorized for the past 
five years as part of Permit 1406, but the researchers determined, upon 
expiration of that permit in 2007, that they should seek an individual 
permit for their activities. The NWFSC is therefore requesting a five-
year permit to annually take juvenile threatened SR spr/sum Chinook 
salmon and juvenile threatened SR steelhead at various places in the 
Salmon River drainage in Idaho and at Little Goose Dam on the lower 
Snake River. The listed fish would be variously captured (using seines, 
dip nets, and electrofishing), re-captured at a smolt bypass facility, 
anesthetized, tagged with PIT tags or otherwise marked, tissue sampled, 
weighed, measured, and released.
    The purpose of the research is to continue monitoring juvenile 
outmigration behavior among steelhead spr/sum Chinook salmon 
populations in Idaho. The research would benefit the fish by continuing 
to supply managers with the information they need to budget water 
releases at hydropower facilities in ways that would help protect 
migrating juveniles. Some juvenile listed fish would be intentionally 
killed as part of the research. It is also likely that a small 
percentage of the fish being captured would unintentionally be killed 
during the process.

Permit 13382

    The research proposed under this permit was authorized for the past 
five years as part of Permit 1406, but the researchers determined, upon 
expiration of that permit in 2007, that they should seek an individual 
permit for their activities. The NWFSC is therefore requesting a five-
year permit to annually take juvenile threatened SR spr/sum Chinook 
salmon and natural, juvenile threatened SR steelhead at various places 
in the Snake River drainage in Idaho and in various streams of 
Southeast Washington and Northeast Oregon. The listed fish would be 
variously captured (using seines, dip nets, traps, and electrofishing), 
anesthetized, tissue sampled, weighed, measured, and released.
    The purpose of the research is to continue monitoring the effects 
of supplementation among steelhead spring/summer Chinook salmon 
populations in Idaho. The research would benefit the fish by continuing 
to supply managers with the information they need to use hatchery 
programs to conserve listed species. The researchers do not intend to 
kill any of the fish being captured, but some may die as an unintended 
result of the process.
    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: April 16, 2008.
Marta Nammack,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-8688 Filed 4-21-08; 8:45 am]
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