Listing Endangered and Threatened Species: Initiation of Status Review for the Oregon Coast Evolutionarily Significant Unit of Coho Salmon, 19528-19530 [E9-9823]
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19528
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 81 / Wednesday, April 29, 2009 / Notices
Nature of the Proceedings
Section 129 of the URAA governs the
nature and effect of determinations
issued by the Department to implement
findings by WTO dispute settlement
panels and the Appellate Body.
Specifically, section 129(b)(2) provides
that ‘‘notwithstanding any provision of
the Tariff Act of 1930,’’ within 180 days
of a written request from USTR, the
Department shall issue a determination
that would render its actions not
inconsistent with an adverse finding of
a WTO panel or the Appellate Body. See
19 U.S.C. 3538(b)(2). The Statement of
Administrative Action accompanying
the URAA (SAA), H.R. Doc. No. 103–
316, Vol. 1 (1994), reprinted in 1994
U.S.C.C.A.N. 3773 variously refers to
such a determination by the Department
as a ‘‘new,’’ ‘‘second,’’ and ‘‘different’’
determination. See SAA at 1025 and
1027. After consulting with the
Department and the appropriate
congressional committees, USTR may
direct the Department to implement, in
whole or in part, the new determination
made under section 129. See 19 U.S.C.
3538(b)(4). Pursuant to section 129(c),
the new determination shall apply with
respect to unliquidated entries of the
subject merchandise that are entered, or
withdrawn from warehouse, for
consumption on or after the date on
which USTR directs the Department to
implement the new determination. See
19 U.S.C. 3538(c). The new
determination is subject to judicial
review separate and apart from judicial
review of the Department’s original
determination. See 19 U.S.C.
1516a(a)(2)(B)(vii).
parties to this proceeding are addressed
in the final results of proceeding under
section 129 of the URAA. See ‘‘Issues
and Decision Memorandum for the
Final Results of Proceeding Under
Section 129 of the Uruguay Round
Agreements Act: Antidumping
Measures on Stainless Steel from
Mexico’’ from John M. Andersen, Acting
Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty
Operations, to Ronald K. Lorentzen,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Import
Administration, dated March 31, 2009
(Issues and Decision Memorandum),
which is hereby adopted by this notice.
The Issues and Decision Memorandum
is on file in the Central Records Unit
(CRU), room 1117 of the Department of
Commerce main building and can be
accessed directly at https://ia.ita.doc.gov/
download/section129/full–129–
index.html. The paper copy and
electronic version of the Issues and
Decision Memorandum are identical in
content. A list of the issues addressed in
the Issues and Decision Memorandum is
appended to this notice.
Analysis of Comments Received
The issues raised in the case and
rebuttal briefs submitted by interested
The recalculated margins, unchanged
from the preliminary results, are as
follows:
Amended Final Determination2
methodology described in Antidumping
Proceedings: Calculation of the
Weighted–Average Dumping Margin
During an Antidumping Investigation;
Final Modification, 71 FR 77722
(December 27, 2006). The Department
also invited interested parties to
comment on the preliminary results.
After receiving comments and rebuttal
comments from interested parties, the
Department issued its final results for
the section 129 determination on March
31, 2009.
Consistent with section 129(b)(3) of
the URAA, USTR held consultations
with the Department and the
appropriate congressional committees
with respect to this determination. On
April 23, 2009, in accordance with
sections 129(b)(4) and 129(c)(1)(B) of the
URAA, USTR directed the Department
to implement in whole this
determination.
Recalculated Weighted-Average Margins
Manufacturer/Exporter
ThyssenKrupp Mexinox S.A. de C.V.3 ........................
All Others .....................................................................
Final Antidumping Margins
30.85 percent
30.85 percent
30.69 percent
30.69 percent
2 See
Amended Final Determination and Order, 64 FR at 40562.
company was included in the less-than-fair-value investigation under the name of its predecessor, Mexinox S.A. de C.V. However, the
Department subsequently made a formal successor-in-interest finding with respect to this company. See Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils
from Mexico: Final Results of Changed Circumstances Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 67 FR 48878 (July 26, 2002).
3 This
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Implementation
On April 23, 2009, in accordance with
sections 129(b)(4) and 129(c)(1)(B) of the
URAA, USTR directed the Department
to implement this determination,
effective April 23, 2009. Accordingly,
we will instruct U.S. Customs and
Border Protection (CBP) to change the
all–others cash–deposit rate from 30.85
percent ad valorem to 30.69 percent ad
valorem.
This notice serves as the only
reminder to parties subject to
administrative protective order (APO) of
their responsibility concerning the
disposition of proprietary information
disclosed under APO in accordance
with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3). Timely
written notification of return/
destruction of APO materials or
conversion to judicial protective order is
hereby requested. Failure to comply
with the regulations and the terms of an
APO is a sanctionable violation.
This determination is issued and
published in accordance with section
129(c)(2)(A) of the URAA.
Dated: April 23, 2009.
Ronald K. Lorentzen,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Import
Administration.
Appendix I
Issues Raised in the Issues and Decision
Memorandum
Comment 1: Whether the Department
Should Recalculate Margins in Eight
Administrative Reviews
[FR Doc. E9–9809 Filed 4–28–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XO28
Listing Endangered and Threatened
Species: Initiation of Status Review for
the Oregon Coast Evolutionarily
Significant Unit of Coho Salmon
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Initiation of status review and
request for information.
SUMMARY: We, NMFS, initiate a status
review under the Endangered Species
Act (ESA) for the Oregon Coast coho
From Mexico, 64 FR 40560 (July 27, 1999)
(Amended Final Determination and Order).
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17:48 Apr 28, 2009
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29APN1
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 81 / Wednesday, April 29, 2009 / Notices
salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
evolutionarily significant unit (ESU). To
ensure that the status review is
complete and based upon the best
available scientific and commercial
information, we solicit information
regarding the population structure,
status and trends, and limiting factors
and threats of this coho salmon ESU.
DATES: Information and comments on
the subject action must be received by
July 28, 2009.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
identified by RIN 0648–XO28, by any of
the following methods:
• Fax: 503–230–5441.
• Mail: Submit written comments and
information to Chief, NMFS, Protected
Resources Division, 1201 NE Lloyd
Boulevard, Suite 1100, Portland, OR
97232. You may hand-deliver written
comments to our office during normal
business hours at the street address
given above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information regarding this notice
contact Garth Griffin, NMFS, Northwest
Region, (503) 231–2005; or Marta
Nammack, NMFS, Office of Protected
Resources, (301) 713–1401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Background
In a Federal Register notice published
February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7816), we
issued a final determination to list the
Oregon Coast coho salmon ESU as a
threatened species under the ESA, and
also issued final protective regulations
and designated critical habitat. The
current listing of Oregon Coast coho
salmon and associated protections will
remain in place while we conduct this
new review. If we determine that a
change in listing status is warranted,
such a finding would be proposed in a
subsequent Federal Register notice, and
public comment would be solicited. A
thorough review of previous Federal
ESA actions related to Oregon Coast
coho salmon can be found in 73 FR
7816 through 7817 (February 11, 2008).
ESA Statutory, Regulatory, and Policy
Provisions
To be considered for listing under the
ESA, a group of organisms must
constitute a ‘‘species,’’ which is defined
in section 3 of the ESA to include ‘‘any
subspecies of fish or wildlife or plants,
and any distinct population segment
[DPS] of any species of vertebrate fish or
wildlife which interbreeds when
mature.’’ NMFS treats ESUs of Pacific
salmon as constituting a DPS, and hence
a ‘‘species’’ under the ESA (56 FR
58612; November 20, 1991). To qualify
as an ESU, a Pacific salmon population
VerDate Nov<24>2008
17:48 Apr 28, 2009
Jkt 217001
must be substantially reproductively
isolated from other conspecific
populations and represent an important
component in the evolutionary legacy of
the biological species.
The ESA defines an endangered
species as one that is in danger of
extinction throughout all or a significant
portion of its range, and a threatened
species as one that is likely to become
endangered in the foreseeable future
(sections 3(6) and 3(20), respectively).
The statute requires us to determine
whether any species is endangered or
threatened because of any of five factors:
the present or threatened destruction of
its habitat, overexploitation, disease or
predation, the inadequacy of existing
regulatory mechanisms, or any other
natural or manmade factors (section
4(a)(1)(A) (E)). We are to make this
determination based solely on the best
available scientific information after
conducting a review of the status of the
species and taking into account any
efforts being made by states or foreign
governments to protect the species. The
focus of our evaluation of these five
factors is to evaluate whether and to
what extent a given factor represents a
threat to the future survival of the
species. The focus of our consideration
of protective efforts is to evaluate
whether these efforts substantially have
and will continue to address the
identified threats and so ameliorate a
species’ risk of extinction. In making
our listing determination, we must
consider all factors that may affect the
future viability of the species, including
whether regulatory and conservation
programs are inadequate and allow
threats to the species to persist or
worsen, or whether these programs are
likely to mitigate threats to the species
and reduce its extinction risk. The steps
we follow in implementing this
statutory scheme are to: review the
status of the species, analyze the factors
listed in section 4(a)(1) of the ESA to
identify threats facing the species,
assess whether certain protective efforts
mitigate these threats, and make our
best prediction about the species’ future
persistence.
The joint NMFS FWS Policy on
Evaluating Conservation Efforts
(‘‘PECE’’ 68 FR 15100; March 28, 2003)
provides direction for considering
protective efforts identified in
conservation agreements, conservation
plans, management plans, or similar
documents (developed by Federal
agencies, state and local governments,
tribal governments, businesses,
organizations, and individuals) that
have not yet been implemented, or have
been implemented but have not yet
demonstrated effectiveness.
PO 00000
Frm 00045
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
19529
Distribution and Life History Coho
Salmon
Coho salmon (O. kisutch) are a
widespread species of Pacific salmon,
occurring in most major river basins
around the Pacific Rim from Monterey
Bay, California, north to Point Hope,
Alaska, through the Aleutians, and from
the Anadyr River south to Korea and
northern Hokkaido, Japan (Laufle et al.,
1986). From central British Columbia
south, the majority of coho salmon
adults are 3–year-olds, having spent
approximately 18 months in fresh water
and 18 months in salt water (Gilbert,
1912; Pritchard, 1940; Sandercock,
1991). The primary exceptions to this
pattern are ‘‘jacks,’’ sexually mature
males that return to freshwater to spawn
after only 5–7 months in the ocean.
However, in southeast and central
Alaska, the majority of coho salmon
adults are 4–year-olds, having spent an
additional year in fresh water before
going to sea (Godfrey et al., 1975; Crone
and Bond, 1976). The transition zone
between predominantly 3–year-old and
4–year-old adults occurs somewhere
between central British Columbia and
southeast Alaska.
West Coast coho smolts typically
leave freshwater in the spring (April to
June) and re-enter freshwater when
sexually mature from September to
November, and spawn from November
to December and occasionally into
January (Sandercock, 1991). Stocks from
British Columbia, Washington, and the
Columbia River often have very early
(entering rivers in July or August) or late
(spawning into March) runs in addition
to ‘‘normally’’ timed runs.
Information Solicited
ESU Structure and Extinction Risk
To ensure that the updated status
review is complete and based on the
best available and most recent scientific
and commercial data, we solicit
information and comments (see DATES
and ADDRESSES) concerning Oregon
Coast coho salmon. We solicit pertinent
information on the viability of naturally
spawned and hatchery populations such
as: data on population abundance,
recruitment, productivity, escapement,
and reproductive success (e.g., spawnerrecruit or spawner-spawner
survivorship, fecundity, smolt
production estimates, and smolt-toadult ocean survival rates); historical
and present data on hatchery fish
releases, outmigration, survivorship,
returns, straying rates, replacement
rates, and reproductive success in the
wild; data on age structure and
migration patterns of juveniles and
adults; meristic, morphometric, and
E:\FR\FM\29APN1.SGM
29APN1
19530
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 81 / Wednesday, April 29, 2009 / Notices
genetic studies; and information on
harvest rates on hatchery and wild fish.
Data since our last evaluation (2002) is
particularly helpful.
In the February 2008 listing
determination for Oregon Coast coho (73
FR 7816), we noted that the principal
inquiry in determining if this ESU
warrants listing is whether present
habitat conditions are sufficient to
support a viable ESU, particularly
during periods of unfavorable marine
conditions and low marine survival, and
whether future freshwater habitat
conditions are expected to degrade. We
concluded that the present and future
status of freshwater habitat for the
Oregon Coast coho ESU was uncertain.
Accordingly, we also seek information
on spatial or temporal trends in habitat
accessibility, quality, and quantity of
freshwater (including overwintering and
rearing habitats) habitats within the
boundaries of the Oregon Coast coho
ESU.
Efforts Being Made to Protect Oregon
Coast Coho Salmon
We also encourage all parties to
submit information on ongoing efforts to
protect and conserve Oregon Coast coho
salmon, as well as information on
recently implemented or planned
activities and their likely impact(s).
References
Copies of the petition and related
materials are available on the Internet at
https://www.nwr.noaa.gov, or upon
request (see ADDRESSES section above).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
Dated: April 23, 2009.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9–9823 Filed 4–28–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XL62
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Marine Mammal Stock Assessment
Reports
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability; response
to comments.
SUMMARY: As required by the Marine
Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS
has incorporated public comments into
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17:48 Apr 28, 2009
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revisions of marine mammal stock
assessment reports (SARs). These
reports for 2008 are now final and
available to the public.
ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of SARs
are available on the Internet as regional
compilations and individual reports at
the following address: https://
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/sars/. You also
may send requests for copies of reports
to: Chief, Marine Mammal and Sea
Turtle Conservation Division, Office of
Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910–
3226, Attn: Stock Assessments.
Copies of the Alaska Regional SARs
may be requested from Robyn Angliss,
Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 7600
Sand Point Way, BIN 15700, Seattle,
WA 98115.Copies of the Atlantic
Regional SARs may be requested from
Gordon Waring, Northeast Fisheries
Science Center, 166 Water Street,
Woods Hole, MA 02543.
Copies of the Pacific Regional SARs
may be requested from Jim Carretta,
Southwest Fisheries Science Center,
NMFS, 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, La
Jolla, CA 92037–1508.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom
Eagle, Office of Protected Resources,
301–713–2322, ext. 105, e-mail
Tom.Eagle@noaa.gov; Robyn Angliss,
Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 206–
526–4032, email
Robyn.Angliss@noaa.gov; Gordon
Waring, Northeast Fisheries Science
Center, email Gordon.Waring@noaa.gov;
or Jim Carretta, Southwest Fisheries
Science Center, 858–546–7171, email
Jim.Carretta@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 117 of the MMPA (16 U.S.C.
1361 et seq.) required NMFS and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to
prepare stock assessments for each stock
of marine mammals occurring in waters
under the jurisdiction of the United
States. These reports contain
information regarding the distribution
and abundance of the stock, population
growth rates and trends, the stock’s
Potential Biological Removal level
(PBR), estimates of annual humancaused mortality and serious injury
from all sources, descriptions of the
fisheries with which the stock interacts,
and the status of the stock. Initial
reports were completed in 1995.
The MMPA requires NMFS and FWS
to review the SARs at least annually for
strategic stocks and stocks for which
significant new information is available,
and at least once every 3 years for nonstrategic stocks. NMFS and FWS are
PO 00000
Frm 00046
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
required to revise a SAR if the status of
the stock has changed or can be more
accurately determined. NMFS, in
conjunction with the Alaska, Atlantic,
and Pacific Scientific Review Groups
(SRGs), reviewed the status of marine
mammal stocks as required and revised
reports in each of the three regions.
As required by the MMPA, NMFS
updated SARs for 2008, and the revised
reports were made available for public
review and comment (73 FR 40299, July
14, 2008). The MMPA also specifies that
the comment period on draft SARs must
be 90 days. NMFS received comments
on the draft SARs and has revised the
reports as necessary. The final reports
for 2008 are available.
Comments and Responses
NMFS received letters containing
comments on the draft 2008 SARs from
two Federal agencies (Marine Mammal
Commission and Environmental Quality
Division, National Park Service), three
non-governmental organizations (Center
for Biological Diversity, Australians for
Animals International, and Hawaii
Longline Association), and two
individuals. Most letters contained
multiple comments.
Unless otherwise noted, comments
suggesting editorial or minor clarifying
changes were included in the reports.
Such editorial comments and responses
to them are not included in the
summary of comments and responses
below. Other comments recommended
development of Take Reduction Plans or
to initiate or repeat large data collection
efforts, such as abundance surveys,
observer programs, or other mortality
estimates. Comments on actions not
related to the SARs (e.g., convening a
Take Reduction Team or listing a
marine mammal species under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA)) are not
included below. Many comments
recommending additional data
collection (e.g., additional abundance
surveys or observer programs) have been
addressed in previous years. NMFS’
resources for surveys, observer
programs, or other mortality estimates
are fully utilized, and no new large
surveys or other programs may be
initiated until additional resources are
available or until ongoing monitoring or
conservation efforts can be terminated
so that the resources supporting them
can be redirected. Such comments on
the 2008 SARs and responses to them
may not be included in the summary
below because the responses have not
changed.
In some cases, NMFS’ responses state
that comments would be considered for,
or incorporated into, future revisions of
the SAR rather than being incorporated
E:\FR\FM\29APN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 81 (Wednesday, April 29, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19528-19530]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-9823]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XO28
Listing Endangered and Threatened Species: Initiation of Status
Review for the Oregon Coast Evolutionarily Significant Unit of Coho
Salmon
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Initiation of status review and request for information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, NMFS, initiate a status review under the Endangered
Species Act (ESA) for the Oregon Coast coho
[[Page 19529]]
salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) evolutionarily significant unit (ESU). To
ensure that the status review is complete and based upon the best
available scientific and commercial information, we solicit information
regarding the population structure, status and trends, and limiting
factors and threats of this coho salmon ESU.
DATES: Information and comments on the subject action must be received
by July 28, 2009.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by RIN 0648-XO28, by
any of the following methods:
Fax: 503-230-5441.
Mail: Submit written comments and information to Chief,
NMFS, Protected Resources Division, 1201 NE Lloyd Boulevard, Suite
1100, Portland, OR 97232. You may hand-deliver written comments to our
office during normal business hours at the street address given above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding
this notice contact Garth Griffin, NMFS, Northwest Region, (503) 231-
2005; or Marta Nammack, NMFS, Office of Protected Resources, (301) 713-
1401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In a Federal Register notice published February 11, 2008 (73 FR
7816), we issued a final determination to list the Oregon Coast coho
salmon ESU as a threatened species under the ESA, and also issued final
protective regulations and designated critical habitat. The current
listing of Oregon Coast coho salmon and associated protections will
remain in place while we conduct this new review. If we determine that
a change in listing status is warranted, such a finding would be
proposed in a subsequent Federal Register notice, and public comment
would be solicited. A thorough review of previous Federal ESA actions
related to Oregon Coast coho salmon can be found in 73 FR 7816 through
7817 (February 11, 2008).
ESA Statutory, Regulatory, and Policy Provisions
To be considered for listing under the ESA, a group of organisms
must constitute a ``species,'' which is defined in section 3 of the ESA
to include ``any subspecies of fish or wildlife or plants, and any
distinct population segment [DPS] of any species of vertebrate fish or
wildlife which interbreeds when mature.'' NMFS treats ESUs of Pacific
salmon as constituting a DPS, and hence a ``species'' under the ESA (56
FR 58612; November 20, 1991). To qualify as an ESU, a Pacific salmon
population must be substantially reproductively isolated from other
conspecific populations and represent an important component in the
evolutionary legacy of the biological species.
The ESA defines an endangered species as one that is in danger of
extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, and a
threatened species as one that is likely to become endangered in the
foreseeable future (sections 3(6) and 3(20), respectively). The statute
requires us to determine whether any species is endangered or
threatened because of any of five factors: the present or threatened
destruction of its habitat, overexploitation, disease or predation, the
inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms, or any other natural or
manmade factors (section 4(a)(1)(A) (E)). We are to make this
determination based solely on the best available scientific information
after conducting a review of the status of the species and taking into
account any efforts being made by states or foreign governments to
protect the species. The focus of our evaluation of these five factors
is to evaluate whether and to what extent a given factor represents a
threat to the future survival of the species. The focus of our
consideration of protective efforts is to evaluate whether these
efforts substantially have and will continue to address the identified
threats and so ameliorate a species' risk of extinction. In making our
listing determination, we must consider all factors that may affect the
future viability of the species, including whether regulatory and
conservation programs are inadequate and allow threats to the species
to persist or worsen, or whether these programs are likely to mitigate
threats to the species and reduce its extinction risk. The steps we
follow in implementing this statutory scheme are to: review the status
of the species, analyze the factors listed in section 4(a)(1) of the
ESA to identify threats facing the species, assess whether certain
protective efforts mitigate these threats, and make our best prediction
about the species' future persistence.
The joint NMFS FWS Policy on Evaluating Conservation Efforts
(``PECE'' 68 FR 15100; March 28, 2003) provides direction for
considering protective efforts identified in conservation agreements,
conservation plans, management plans, or similar documents (developed
by Federal agencies, state and local governments, tribal governments,
businesses, organizations, and individuals) that have not yet been
implemented, or have been implemented but have not yet demonstrated
effectiveness.
Distribution and Life History Coho Salmon
Coho salmon (O. kisutch) are a widespread species of Pacific
salmon, occurring in most major river basins around the Pacific Rim
from Monterey Bay, California, north to Point Hope, Alaska, through the
Aleutians, and from the Anadyr River south to Korea and northern
Hokkaido, Japan (Laufle et al., 1986). From central British Columbia
south, the majority of coho salmon adults are 3-year-olds, having spent
approximately 18 months in fresh water and 18 months in salt water
(Gilbert, 1912; Pritchard, 1940; Sandercock, 1991). The primary
exceptions to this pattern are ``jacks,'' sexually mature males that
return to freshwater to spawn after only 5-7 months in the ocean.
However, in southeast and central Alaska, the majority of coho salmon
adults are 4-year-olds, having spent an additional year in fresh water
before going to sea (Godfrey et al., 1975; Crone and Bond, 1976). The
transition zone between predominantly 3-year-old and 4-year-old adults
occurs somewhere between central British Columbia and southeast Alaska.
West Coast coho smolts typically leave freshwater in the spring
(April to June) and re-enter freshwater when sexually mature from
September to November, and spawn from November to December and
occasionally into January (Sandercock, 1991). Stocks from British
Columbia, Washington, and the Columbia River often have very early
(entering rivers in July or August) or late (spawning into March) runs
in addition to ``normally'' timed runs.
Information Solicited
ESU Structure and Extinction Risk
To ensure that the updated status review is complete and based on
the best available and most recent scientific and commercial data, we
solicit information and comments (see DATES and ADDRESSES) concerning
Oregon Coast coho salmon. We solicit pertinent information on the
viability of naturally spawned and hatchery populations such as: data
on population abundance, recruitment, productivity, escapement, and
reproductive success (e.g., spawner-recruit or spawner-spawner
survivorship, fecundity, smolt production estimates, and smolt-to-adult
ocean survival rates); historical and present data on hatchery fish
releases, outmigration, survivorship, returns, straying rates,
replacement rates, and reproductive success in the wild; data on age
structure and migration patterns of juveniles and adults; meristic,
morphometric, and
[[Page 19530]]
genetic studies; and information on harvest rates on hatchery and wild
fish. Data since our last evaluation (2002) is particularly helpful.
In the February 2008 listing determination for Oregon Coast coho
(73 FR 7816), we noted that the principal inquiry in determining if
this ESU warrants listing is whether present habitat conditions are
sufficient to support a viable ESU, particularly during periods of
unfavorable marine conditions and low marine survival, and whether
future freshwater habitat conditions are expected to degrade. We
concluded that the present and future status of freshwater habitat for
the Oregon Coast coho ESU was uncertain. Accordingly, we also seek
information on spatial or temporal trends in habitat accessibility,
quality, and quantity of freshwater (including overwintering and
rearing habitats) habitats within the boundaries of the Oregon Coast
coho ESU.
Efforts Being Made to Protect Oregon Coast Coho Salmon
We also encourage all parties to submit information on ongoing
efforts to protect and conserve Oregon Coast coho salmon, as well as
information on recently implemented or planned activities and their
likely impact(s).
References
Copies of the petition and related materials are available on the
Internet at https://www.nwr.noaa.gov, or upon request (see ADDRESSES
section above).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
Dated: April 23, 2009.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-9823 Filed 4-28-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
