Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish, 71315-71321 [2011-29762]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 222 / Thursday, November 17, 2011 / Notices
consultants and officials followed by
an evening VIP Reception.
Tuesday, April 24 (Moscow, Russia)—
Presentations by major automotive
companies, followed by one-on-one
meetings. Depart for St. Petersburg.
Wednesday, April 25 (St. Petersburg,
Russia)—Meetings with auto industry
representatives and regional
government officials and plant visits
in St. Petersburg and Leningrad
Oblast. Evening networking event
and/or cultural program.
Thursday, April 26 (Samara, Russia)—
Depart for Samara/Togliatti. Meetings
with auto industry representatives
and regional government officials and
plant visits in Samara followed by
evening networking event.
Friday, April 27 (Moscow, Russia)—
Meetings with auto industry
representatives and regional
government officials and plant visits
in Togliatti, followed by return to
Moscow.
Saturday, April 28—Depart Moscow for
U.S.
jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Participation Requirements
All parties interested in participating
in this mission to Russia must complete
and timely submit an application
package for consideration by the
Department of Commerce. All
applicants will be evaluated on their
ability to meet certain conditions and
best satisfy the selection criteria as
outlined below. A minimum of 15
companies and a maximum of 20
companies will be selected to
participate in the mission from the
applicant pool.
Fees and Expenses: After a company
has been selected to participate in the
mission, a participation fee paid to the
U.S. Department of Commerce is
required. The participation fee for one
company representative will be $4,952
for small or medium-sized enterprises
(SME) 1 and $5,701 for large companies,
which will cover one representative.2
The fee for each additional firm
representative (large firm or SME) is
$1,220. The participation fee covers all
in-country travel—airport transfers and
bus transportation to/from group
meetings and site visits, train fare from
Moscow to St. Petersburg, airfare from
St. Petersburg to Samara and from
Samara back to Moscow, as well as one1 An SME is defined as a firm with 500 or fewer
employees or that otherwise qualifies as a small
business under SBA regulations.
2 Parent companies, affiliates, and subsidiaries
will be considered when determining business size.
The dual pricing reflects the Commercial Service’s
user fee schedule that became effective May 1,
2008.
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on-one meetings with potential Russian
business partners. The Commercial
Service will assist in booking hotels at
favorable rates, but lodging costs, meals
and incidental expenses will be the
responsibility of each mission
participant.
Conditions for Participation
An applicant must submit a
completed and signed mission
Application and a completed Market
Interest Questionnaire, which must
include adequate information on the
company’s products and/or services,
primary market objectives, and goals for
participation. If the Department of
Commerce receives an incomplete
application, the Department may reject
the application, request additional
information, or take the lack of
information into account when
evaluating the applications.
Each applicant must also certify that
the products and services to be
promoted through the mission are either
produced in the United States or
marketed under the name of a U.S. firm
and have at least 51 percent U.S.
content of the value of the finished
product or service.
Selection Criteria for Participation:
Selection will be based on the following
criteria:
• Suitability of the company’s
products or services to the market;
• Applicant’s potential for business
in Russia and in the region, including
likelihood of exports resulting from the
mission; or investments that will lead to
exports.
• Consistency of the applicant’s goals
and objectives with the stated scope of
the mission.
Referrals from political organizations
and any documents containing
references to partisan political activities
(including political contributions) will
be removed from an applicant’s
submission and will not be considered
during the selection process.
Timeframe for Recruitment and
Applications
Mission recruitment will be
conducted in an open and public
manner, including publication in the
Federal Register, posting on the
Commerce Department trade mission
calendar (https://www.trade.gov/trademissions) and other internet web sites,
press releases to general and trade
media, email, direct mail, broadcast fax,
notices by industry trade associations
and other multiplier groups, and
publicity at industry meetings,
symposia, conferences, and trade shows.
CS St. Petersburg will conduct a
webinar on automotive opportunities in
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the Russian market in November 2011;
the mission will be promoted during the
webinar as well.
Recruitment for the mission will
begin immediately and will close on
January 6, 2012. The U.S. Department of
Commerce will review all applications
immediately after the deadline. We will
inform applicants of selection decisions
as soon as possible. Applications
received after the deadline will be
considered only if space and scheduling
constraints permit.
CS is amending this notice to allow
for vetting and selection decisions on a
rolling basis beginning November 15,
2011, until the maximum of 20
participants is selected. Although
applications will be accepted through
January 6, 2012 (and after that date if
space remains and scheduling
constraints permit), interested U.S.
firms and trade organizations which
have not already submitted an
application are encouraged to do so as
soon as possible. We will inform
applicants of selection decisions as soon
as possible after they are internally
reviewed. Applications received after
January 6, 2012 will be considered only
if space and scheduling contracts
permit.
Contacts
Eduard Roytberg, Senior International
Trade Specialist, CS Ontario, CA. Tel:
1 (909) 466–4138. Fax: 1 (909) 466–
4140. Eduard.Roytberg@trade.gov.
Alexander Kansky, Commercial
Specialist, CS St. Petersburg. Tel: 7
(812) 331–2881. Fax: 7 (812) 331–
2861. Alexander.Kansky@trade.gov.
Vladislav Borodulin, Commercial
Specialist. Tel: 7 (495) 728–5235. Fax:
7 (495) 728–5585.
Vladislav.Borodulin@trade.gov.
Kenneth C. Duckworth, Principal
Commercial Officer, CS St.
Petersburg. Tel: 7 (812) 326–2560. Tel:
7 (812) 326–2561.
Kenneth.Duckworth@trade.gov.
Elnora Moye,
Trade Program Assistant.
[FR Doc. 2011–29649 Filed 11–16–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–FP–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XA824
Endangered and Threatened Species;
Take of Anadromous Fish
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
AGENCY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 222 / Thursday, November 17, 2011 / Notices
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Applications for 13 new
scientific research permits, 12 research
permit renewals, and one permit
modification.
Notice is hereby given that
NMFS has received 26 scientific
research permit application requests
relating to Pacific salmon, the southern
distinct population segment of Pacific
eulachon, the southern distinct
population segment of Pacific green
sturgeon, and three species of rockfish
from the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin.
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
December 19, 2011.
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
nmfs.nwr.apps@noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rob
Clapp, Portland, OR (ph.: (503) 231–
2314), Fax: (503) 230–5441, email:
Robert.Clapp@noaa.gov). Permit
application instructions are available
from the address above, or online at
https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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SUMMARY:
Species Covered in This Notice
The following listed species are
covered in this notice:
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus
tshawytscha): Threatened Puget Sound
(PS); threatened upper Willamette River
(UWR); threatened lower Columbia
River (LCR); endangered upper
Columbia River (UCR); threatened
Snake River (SR) spring/summer (spr/
sum); threatened SR fall;
Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened PS;
threatened UWR, threatened LCR;
threatened UCR; threatened SR;
threatened middle Columbia River
(MCR).
Chum salmon (O. nerka): threatened
Hood Canal (HC) summer-run,
threatened CR.
Coho salmon (O. kisutch): threatened
LCR, threatened Oregon Coast (OC).
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Rockfish: Puget Sound/Georgia Basin
(PS/GB) bocaccio (Sebastes
paucispinis); PS/GB canary rockfish
(Sebastes pinniger), and PS/GB
yelloweye rockfish (Sebastes
ruberrimus).
Eulachon: the southern Distinct
Populations Segment (SDPS) of Pacific
eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus).
Pacific green sturgeon (Acipenser
medirostris): Threatened SDPS.
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 1290–7R
The Northwest Fisheries Science
Center (NWFSC) is seeking to renew a
permit that currently allows it to take
listed salmonids while conducting
research in the lower Columbia River
from Bonneville Dam to the mouth of
the river. The fish would be drawn from
the following species: UCR Chinook and
steelhead, SR spr/sum and fall Chinook,
SR steelhead, SR sockeye, MCR
steelhead, LCR Chinook, LCR coho, LCR
steelhead, CR chum, UWR Chinook and
steelhead. The purposes of the research
are to (1) characterize salmonid species
and population level abundance and
timing, (2) determine growth rate, size,
food habits, and pathogen prevalence
and intensity, and (3) investigate the
relationship between forage fish and
salmonid populations. The research
would benefit salmonids and their
recovery planning by gathering
information on species- and populationlevel abundance in the Lower Columbia
River and helping determine the extent
to which diseases and forage fish affect
the fishes’ growth and survival during
the transition from the estuarine to
marine environments. The NWFSC
would use purse seines to capture the
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fish; they would then anesthetize them,
measure them, scan them for tags, and
fin-clip them. Some of the juvenile fish
would be intentionally killed for
laboratory analyses. The NWFSC would
also collect and intentionally kill
juvenile salmonids at the Bonneville
Dam juvenile bypass facility. Any fish
killed unintentionally would be
retained in place of those that otherwise
would be sacrificed. A small number of
adult salmonids, SDPS green sturgeon,
and SDPS eulachon may be captured
and immediately released during the
course of the research. The NWFSC does
not intend to kill SDPS eulachon, but a
few may die as a result of the research.
No sturgeon are expected to be killed.
Permit 1318–9R
The Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife (ODFW) is seeking to renew its
permit to take juvenile UCR Chinook
and steelhead, SR spr/sum and fall
Chinook, SR steelhead, SR sockeye,
MCR steelhead, LCR Chinook, LCR
coho, LCR steelhead, CR chum, UWR
Chinook and steelhead, and OC coho in
streams in the Willamette and Columbia
basins, and on the Oregon coast. The
permit would cover the following
projects: (1) Warm water fish
management surveys; (2) investigations
of natural production of spring Chinook
salmon in the Mohawk system; (3)
genetic characterization of rainbow trout
in the Upper Willamette System; (4) fish
abundance, population status, genetics
and disease surveys in the Upper
Willamette Basin; (5) native rainbow
and cutthroat trout surveys for
abundance, size composition, and
migration patterns in the mainstem
McKenzie River; (6) resident redband
population estimates in the Deschutes
River; (7) resident redband population
estimates in the Crooked River; and (8)
fish population sampling in the North
Willamette Watershed District. The
research would benefit the fish by
providing information on population
structure, abundance, genetics, disease
occurrence, and species interactions.
That information would be used to
direct management actions to benefit
listed species. Juvenile salmonids
would be collected via boat
electrofishing, and then some of them
would be anesthetized, sampled for
length and weight, allowed to recover
from the anesthesia, and released. Most
salmonids would only be shocked and
allowed to swim away, or be netted and
released immediately. The ODFW does
not intend to kill any of the fish being
captured, but a small number may die
as an unintended result of the activities.
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 222 / Thursday, November 17, 2011 / Notices
Permit 1330–5R
Weyerhaeuser Company (WeyCo) is
seeking to renew its permit to annually
take juvenile LCR Chinook salmon, LCR
coho salmon, and LCR steelhead while
conducting research designed to
determine salmonid abundance,
distribution, and productivity in the
Toutle River subbasin and on lands
owned by WeyCo around Mt. St. Helens
in Washington. The information would
be used to help develop and implement
effective fish-conscious forest
management practices and regulations.
The research would benefit listed
species by contributing information to
help WeyCo maintain high quality
habitat and development recovery plans
for listed species. Juvenile salmonids
would be collected using backpack
electrofishing equipment, anesthetized,
sampled for biological data (identified,
measured, weighed), allowed to recover
from the anesthesia, and released.
WeyCo does not intend to kill any of the
fish being captured, but a small number
may die as an unintentional result of the
activities.
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Permit 1339–3R
The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) under the
authorization of the Columbia River
Intertribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is
seeking to renew its permit to annually
take adult and juvenile SR spr/sum
Chinook salmon and SR steelhead while
conducting research in a number of the
tributaries to the Imnaha River (Cow,
Lightning, Horse, Big Sheep, Camp,
Little Sheep, Freezeout, Grouse,
Crazyman, Mahogany, and Gumboot
Creeks), the Grande Ronde River (Joseph
Creek, Wenaha and Minam rivers) the
Clearwater River (South Fork Clearwater
River and Lolo Creek), and the Snake
River (Lower Granite Dam adult trap).
The Imnaha and Grande Ronde Rivers
are in Northeast Oregon, the Clearwater
is in Idaho, and the work in the Snake
River would take place in Washington.
The permit would be a renewal and
expansion of work the NPT has been
conducting for over a decade in the
Northwest.
The purpose of the research is to
acquire information on the status
(escapement abundance, genetic
structure, life history traits) of juvenile
and adult steelhead in the Imnaha,
Grande Ronde, and Clearwater River
basins. The research would benefit the
listed species by providing information
on current status that fishery managers
can use to determine if recovery actions
are helping increase wild Snake River
salmonid populations. Baseline
information on steelhead populations in
the Imnaha, Grande Ronde, and
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Clearwater River basins would also be
used to help guide future management
actions. Adult and juvenile salmon and
steelhead would be observed, harassed,
handled, and marked. The researchers
would use temporary/portable picket
and resistance board weirs and rotary
screw traps to capture the fish and
would then sample them for biological
information (fin tissue and scale
samples). They may also mark some of
the fish with opercule punches, fin
clips, dyes, and PIT, floy, and/or Tyvek
disk tags. Adult steelhead carcasses
would also be collected and sampled.
The researchers do not intend to kill any
of the fish being captured, but a small
number may die as an unintended result
of the activities.
and the Lower Columbia River basin.
The purpose of the warmwater fish
surveys is to provide stock assessment
of inland game fish communities and
thereby improve fishery management.
The research would benefit salmonids
by helping managers write warmwater
fish species harvest regulations that
reduce potential impacts on listed
salmonids. The WDFW proposes
capturing fish using boat electrofishing,
fyke nets, and gillnets. After being
captured, the listed salmon and
steelhead would be placed in aerated
live wells, identified, and released. The
researchers do not propose to kill any of
the listed salmonids being captured, but
a small number may die as an
unintended result of the activities.
Permit 1341–4R
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
(Tribes) are seeking to renew and
modify their permit to take SR sockeye
salmon and SR spr/sum Chinook
salmon while conducting research
designed to estimate their overwinter
survival and downstream migration
survival and timing. The researchers
would also conduct limnological studies
on the lakes and monitor sockeye
rearing. This research—which has been
conducted every year since 1996—
would continue to provide information
on the relative success of the Pettit and
Alturas Lakes sockeye salmon
reintroduction programs and thereby
benefit the listed fish by improving
those programs. Juvenile SR sockeye
salmon, spr/sum Chinook salmon, and
steelhead would be collected at Pettit
and Alturas Lakes, ID, using rotary
screw traps and weirs. The fish would
be sampled for biological information
and released or tagged with passive
integrated transponders and released. In
addition, to determine trap efficiencies,
a portion of the captured juvenile SR
sockeye salmon would be marked with
a small cut on their caudal fins, released
upstream of the traps, captured at the
traps a second time, and released. The
Tribes do 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 1379–6R
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish
Commission (CRITFC) is seeking to
renew a permit that currently allows
them to take listed salmonids (UCR
steelhead and Chinook; LCR steelhead
and Chinook; MCR steelhead; and SR
steelhead, spr/sum Chinook, fall
Chinook, and 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. Much of the work in the
permit has been conducted for at least
14 years—first under permit 1134, and
then under five previous versions of
1379. The permit would comprise four
studies: Project 1—Juvenile Upriver
Bright Fall Chinook Sampling at the
Hanford Reach; Project 2—Adult
Chinook, Sockeye, and Coho Sampling
at Bonneville Dam; Project 3—Adult
Sockeye Sampling at Tumwater and
Wells Dams; and Project 4—Acoustic
trawl survey for Lake Wenatchee
juvenile sockeye salmon. This renewal
would increase slightly the number of
fish CRITFC is allowed to handle. The
research, as a whole, would benefit
listed fish by helping managers set inriver and ocean harvest regimes so that
they have minimal impacts on listed
populations. It would also help
managers prioritize projects in a way
that gives maximum benefit to listed
species–including projects designed to
help the listed fish recover.
The CRITFC would obtain fish from
the adult collection facilities at
Bonneville, Wells, and Tumwater dams.
The fish would be anesthetized,
measured, examined for marks, scalesampled, and allowed to return to the
river. The researchers would also use
Permit 1345–7R
The Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking to
renew for five years a research permit
that currently allows them to take
juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon,
LCR Chinook salmon, LCR coho salmon,
LCR steelhead, and PS steelhead. The
WDFW administers a multitude of water
bodies through the state of Washington,
and this permit would provide them
with coverage throughout Puget Sound
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beach- and stick seines to capture and
tag juvenile fish in the Hanford reach of
the Columbia River and capture fish
during mid-water trawls in Lake
Wenatchee. Those fish that are not
immediately released upon capture
would be transported to a holding
facility where they would be
anesthetized, examined for marks,
adipose-clipped, coded wire tagged,
allowed to recover, and released. The
CRITFC does not intend to kill any of
the fish being captured but a small
number may die as an unintended result
of the activities.
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Permit 1525–5M
The NWFSC is seeking to modify its
permit that currently allows it to
annually take listed salmonids while
studying habitat occurrence, diet,
contaminant concentrations, and health
indicators in juvenile salmonids from
the Lower Willamette and Columbia
Rivers. The NWFSC is requesting to
increase the number of juvenile fish
they may take from the following
species: SR spring/summer Chinook
salmon, SR fall Chinook salmon, SR
steelhead, UCR Chinook salmon, UCR
steelhead, MCR steelhead, LCR Chinook
salmon, LCR steelhead, UWR Chinook
salmon, UWR steelhead, and CR chum
salmon. The purposes of the study are
to (1) determine contaminant
concentrations in fish, (2) understand
bioaccumulation in juvenile salmon and
determine site specific factors, (3)
analyze for the presence of
physiological biomarkers, and (4)
investigate the presence of indicators of
exposure to environmental estrogens.
The research would benefit the fish by
providing information to resource
managers on contaminant presence and
concentrations, fish presence, and
habitat parameters. The NWFSC would
collect samples with seines or high
speed rope trawls in the lower
Willamette River, Oregon, and in the
Columbia River from Bonneville Dam to
the mouth. Researchers would handle
juvenile fish and intentionally kill some
of them to determine pathogen
prevalence and intensity, biochemical
composition, histopathological
attributes, and for stomach content
analyses.
Permit 1566–3R
The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5
years a research permit that currently
allows them to take juvenile PS Chinook
salmon, HC summer-run chum salmon,
and PS steelhead. The researchers
would sample fish throughout the Puget
Sound—emphasizing urban bays such
as Elliott Bay, Port Gardner Bay, and
Commencement Bay. The objective of
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this study is to sample outmigrant
juvenile salmon from various
embayments in the Puget Sound area
and screen them for exposure to
estrogenic compounds, PBDEs,
pharmaceuticals, and personal care
products. Juvenile Chinook salmon are
anticipated to be the most affected by
these contaminants because of their
extended estuarine residence, so the
NWFSC has chosen them as the target
species for this study. The research
would benefit Chinook by identifying
areas in Puget Sound where they may be
at risk due to contaminant exposure, so
appropriate toxics reduction activities
can be undertaken. The NWFSC
proposes to use beach seines to capture
fish every 6 to 8 weeks between May
and September at approximately seven
locations. Up to 60 juvenile Chinook
salmon per site per sampling event
would be weighed, measured, and
euthanized with MS–222. The NWFSC
would take bile, plasma, and stomach
contents from the fish and then conduct
whole-body analyses on them. Juvenile
Chinook and other fish species not
needed for sample collection would be
counted, identified, and released. Any
PS Chinook unintentionally killed
during the research would be used in
lieu of a fish that would otherwise be
sacrificed.
Permit 1568–4R
The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5
years a research permit that currently
allows them to take juvenile PS Chinook
salmon and PS steelhead in the
marshes, channels, and near-shore areas
of the lower 10 miles of mainstem
channel of the Snohomish River and in
Ebey, Union, and Steamboat sloughs.
The purposes of the research are to
understand (1) how habitat use within
the estuary varies with life history type,
(2) how habitat use varies within and
between years, and (3) how selected
biotic and physical factors affect
patterns of habitat use. This research
would benefit listed salmon by
providing information to help recovery
planning and monitoring in the
Snohomish River estuary and other
estuaries of the Puget Sound. The
NWFSC proposes to use beach seines to
capture fish. The fish would be
anesthetized, measured, weighed,
tissue-sampled, and checked for
external marks and coded-wire tags
depending on the species. A small
portion of the captured juvenile PS
Chinook would be killed for whole-body
analysis, but most are not intended to be
sacrificed. At the lab, specimens would
be thawed, weighed, and measured.
Then the researchers would remove and
preserve fish body tissues, otoliths, and
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coded wire tags (from any hatchery
fish). Any PS Chinook unintentionally
killed during the research would be
used in lieu of a fish that would
otherwise be sacrificed.
Permit 1590–4R
The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5
years a research permit that currently
allows them to take juvenile and subadult PS Chinook salmon, HC summerrun chum salmon, PS steelhead, and PS/
GB bocaccio. The NWFSC research may
also cause them to take the following
species for which there are currently no
ESA take prohibitions: the SDPS
eulachon, PS/GB canary rockfish, and
PS/GB yelloweye rockfish. Sampling
sites would be located throughout the
Puget Sound and San Juan Islands,
Washington. The purposes of NWFSC’s
research are (1) To describe the behavior
and life history of resident Chinook
salmon and (2) determine whether the
proportion of PS Chinook salmon
adopting a resident life strategy varies
among populations and hatchery stocks.
This information would be used to
develop a conceptual model of the life
history of resident PS Chinook. The
research would benefit listed salmonids
by helping managers develop a better
understanding of the abundance,
distribution, and habitat requirements of
this life history strategy. The NWFSC
proposes to use shoreline and boat
angling, beach seining, and purse
seining to capture the fish. All nontarget species would be released directly
from the net or line. Captured PS
Chinook would be anesthetized,
measured, checked for fin clips or coded
wire tags, and fin clipped for tissue
samples. Some first- and second-year PS
Chinook would be outfitted with
acoustic transmitters and tracked using
an array of fixed acoustic receivers
throughout Puget Sound. The
researchers do not propose to kill any of
the listed fish being captured, but a
small number may die as an unintended
result of the activities.
Permit 1598–3R
The Washington State Department of
Transportation (WSDOT) is seeking to
renew for 5 years a research permit that
currently allows them to take juvenile
PS Chinook salmon, UCR spring-run
Chinook salmon, SR spring/summer-run
Chinook salmon, SR fall-run Chinook
salmon, LCR Chinook salmon, HC
summer-run chum salmon, CR chum
salmon, LCR coho salmon, OL sockeye
salmon, SR sockeye salmon, LCR
steelhead, PS steelhead, MCR steelhead,
SR steelhead, and UCR steelhead. The
WSDOT research may also cause them
to take SDPS eulachon—for which there
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are currently no ESA take prohibitions.
Sample sites would be located
throughout the state of Washington. The
purposes of WSDOT’s research are to
determine the distribution and diversity
of anadromous fish species in
waterbodies crossed by or adjacent to
the state transportation systems
(highways, railroads, and/or airports).
This information would be used to
assess the impacts projects proposed at
those facilities may have on listed
species. The research would benefit the
listed species by helping WSDOT
minimize project impacts on listed fish
to the greatest extent possible.
Depending on the size of the stream
system, the WSDOT proposes to use dip
nets, stick seines, baited gee minnow
traps, or electrofishing to capture the
fish. The captured fish would be
identified and immediately released.
The researchers do not propose to kill
any of the listed fish being captured, but
a small number may die as an
unintended result of the activities.
Permit 1601–3R
The United States Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS) is seeking to renew for 5
years a research permit that currently
allows them to take juvenile and adult
PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead.
Sampling sites would be located in
Thornton, Piper’s, and Venema Creeks
in Seattle, Washington (Lake
Washington subbasin). The purpose of
FWS’s research is to gather information
that would help resource managers plan
restoration projects by helping
determine which project types are most
effective at mitigating the effects of
urbanization. The research would
benefit the listed species by determining
which restoration strategies are effective
in restoring fish habitat and populations
and improve overall salmon habitat
restoration. The FWS proposes
capturing fish using the three-pass
electrofishing method. Block nets would
be placed at the upper and lower end of
a habitat site; and with a backpack
electrofishing unit, three sequential
passes would be conducted. Fish
stunned during electrofishing would be
captured with a dip net, identified to
species, placed in an aerated holding
bin, and released. The researchers do
not propose to kill any of the listed
salmonids being captured, but a small
number may die as an unintended result
of the activities.
Permit 16069
The City of Portland is seeking a fiveyear permit to take listed salmonids and
SPDS green sturgeon while developing
the Portland Watershed Management
Plan (Plan). The purpose of the Plan is
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to improve watershed health in the
Portland area. Researchers for the City
of Portland would sample 32 sites a year
for (1) water chemistry (e.g.,
temperature, dissolved oxygen,
nutrients, pathogens); (2) water level
and velocity; (3) physical habitat
characteristics (e.g., plant composition,
substrate composition, and bank
condition); and (4) fish, amphibian, and
reptile abundance and diversity. The
research would benefit listed salmonids
by producing data to be used in
conserving and restoring critical habitat.
The researchers would use boat and
backpack electrofishing equipment to
capture, handle, and release juvenile
UCR Chinook and steelhead, SR spr/
sum and fall Chinook, SR steelhead, SR
sockeye, MCR steelhead, LCR Chinook,
LCR coho, LCR steelhead, CR chum,
UWR Chinook and steelhead, and OC
coho in the Columbia and Willamette
rivers and tributaries in Portland,
Oregon. The researchers would avoid
contact with adult fish but may shock a
few adult salmonids as well as adult
SDPS eulachon and SDPS green
sturgeon. The researchers do not expect
to kill any listed fish, but a small
number may die as an unintended result
of the research activities.
Permit 16446
The Confederated Tribes of the
Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) are
seeking a 5-year permit to take MCR
steelhead and, possibly, SR spring/
summer Chinook salmon during the
course of research designed to monitor
listed fish population status in the
Walla Walla River watershed,
Washington. The data gathered (on fish
abundance, trends, genetics, diversity,
productivity, and population structure)
would be used to inform management
decisions regarding land use activities
and listed salmonid recovery planning
in the Walla Walla subbasin. The
researchers would use rotary screw
traps and backpack electrofishing units
to capture the fish. At the screw traps,
the fish would then be identified,
measured, weighed, tissue sampled,
implanted with PIT-Tags (if they do not
already have tags), and released. Fish
captured via electrofishing would be
handled, measured, allowed to recover,
and released in a safe area. Some adult
carcasses would also be sampled. The
researchers do not expect to kill any of
the fish being captured, but a small
number may die as an unintended result
of the research activities.
Permit 16470
Cramer Fish Sciences (CFS) is seeking
a 1-year permit to annually capture,
handle, and release MCR steelhead in
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the 1-mile reach just downstream from
Bowman Dam on the Crooked River,
Oregon. The purpose of the research is
to establish baseline conditions
(population numbers, presence, etc.)
among the indigenous fish species in
the action area so that it can be
determined what effect the construction
(and operation) of a small hydroelectric
facility at Bowman Dam may have on
those species. The research will benefit
listed species by helping managers at
the power facility tailor their operations
to cause the least possible harm to the
species that may be affected. The
researchers will use backpack
electrofishing equipment to capture the
MCR steelhead. They will then measure
the fish, allow them to recover, and
release them back to the capture site.
The researchers do not expect to kill any
listed fish, but a small number may die
as an unintended result of the research
activities.
Permit 16484
Symbiotics Energy is seeking a 1-year
permit to annually capture, handle, and
release MCR steelhead at a trapping
facility just downstream from Bowman
Dam on the Crooked River, Oregon. The
study has two goals: (1) To describe the
existing aquatic resources in the
Crooked River downstream of a
proposed hydroelectric project at
Bowman Dam, and (2) to determine the
survival and injury rates of various
species and sizes of fish as they attempt
to migrate through the existing flow
release facilities at Bowman Dam. The
research would benefit the fish by
helping managers at the power facility
determine the best way to conduct their
operations while mitigating adverse
effects on local fauna. The researchers
would capture the MCR steelhead fish at
a screw trap, measure them, and release
them back to the river. The researchers
do not expect to kill any listed fish, but
a small number may die as an
unintended result of the research
activities.
Permit 16521
The WDFW is seeking a 5-year permit
to annually capture, handle, and release
juvenile UCR steelhead and Chinook
salmon in the Hanford reach of the
Columbia River and near the Tri-Cities,
Washington. The purpose of the
research is to gather data on fall
Chinook abundance, length frequency
distribution, and losses in the area. The
information collected from these
surveys has been used and continues to
be used to evaluate protections for
juvenile fall Chinook under the Hanford
Reach Fall Chinook Protection Program
Agreement and gauge the efficacy of the
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Coded Wire Tagging Program for
marking of wild Up-River Bright fall
Chinook in the Hanford Reach. These
surveys can provide biologists and
managers with definitive data on the
presence of or impacts on both nonlisted and ESA Listed Chinook and
steelhead residing in near shore habitats
in this area of the Columbia River.
These data, in turn, would be used to
help guide management actions for the
benefit of the listed species in the
future. The researchers would use beach
seines and backpack electrofishing
equipment to capture the fish. The
captured fish would be anesthetized,
measured, allowed to recover, and
released back to the river. The
researchers do not expect to kill any
listed fish, but a small number may die
as an unintended result of the research
activities.
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Permit 16550
The Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) is
seeking a 5-year research permit to
annually take juvenile and adult PS
Chinook salmon, HC summer-run chum
salmon, PS steelhead, PS/GB bocaccio,
and SDPS green sturgeon. The WFC
research may also cause them to take
SDPS eulachon and PS/GB canary
rockfish—for which there are currently
no ESA take prohibitions. Sampling
would take place in the nearshore
habitats of Hood Canal and in the
Nisqually River estuary. The purpose of
the research is to study temporal and
spatial usage patterns of juvenile salmon
in critical rearing habitats of nearshore
habitats. The research would benefit the
listed species by helping inform
conservation and habitat restoration
actions. The WFC would use beach
seines and fyke nets to capture the fish.
Once captured, all fish would be held in
aerated five-gallon buckets of seawater,
enumerated by species, measured for
length, scanned for coded wire tags
(CWT), inspected for adipose fin clips,
fin clipped for genetic samples (only
from wild juvenile Chinook), and
released. To determine their hatchery of
origin, hatchery Chinook and coho
salmon with coded wire tags would be
euthanized using an overdose of MS–
222. The researchers do not propose to
kill any other listed species being
captured, but a small number may die
as an unintended result of the activities.
Permit 16612
Terrafilia is seeking a 5-year research
permit to annually take juvenile PS
Chinook salmon and PS steelhead.
Sampling sites would be located in
Cornet Bay on the northern shoreline of
Whidbey Island in Deception Pass State
Park. The purpose of Terrafilia’s
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research is to monitor juvenile PS
Chinook salmon response to restoration
activities in Cornet Bay. The research
would benefit the listed species by
determining if the region’s restoration
strategies effectively restore fish habitat
and populations. Terrafilia would use a
small beach seine to capture the fish.
The surveys would be conducted twice
a month at 10 sites from early March
through the end of June to August. One
beach seine set would be made at each
site per each sampling day. All fish
would be enumerated by species, and
fork lengths would be measured for the
first 20 individuals of each species. The
researchers do not propose to kill any
other listed species being captured, but
a small number may die as an
unintended result of the activities.
Permit 16666
The FWS is seeking a 5-year permit to
take listed salmonids while conducting
research on hatchery-origin steelhead in
Abernathy Creek, Washington. The goal
is to determine the natural reproductive
success and relative fitness of hatcheryorigin and natural-origin steelhead and
to assess the overall demographic effects
of hatchery fish supplementation in
Abernathy Creek relative to two
adjacent control streams. The research
would benefit listed salmonids by
producing data to be used in hatchery
and genetic management plans. The
research was previously permitted
under a separate research authorization
and has been ongoing for several years.
The FWS would use backpack
electrofishing equipment to capture,
handle, and release juvenile salmonids.
Steelhead are not listed in these
streams, but the FWS have captured
juvenile LCR coho salmon and observed
adult LCR Chinook salmon in previous
years of research. The FWS would avoid
electrofishing near adult coho and
Chinook. The researchers do not expect
to kill any listed fish, but a small
number may die as an unintended result
of the research activities.
Permit 16702
The NWFSC is seeking a 5-year
research permit to annually take
juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS
steelhead in the Snohomish River
estuary. The purposes of the research is
to monitor juvenile PS Chinook salmon
habitat use in response to multiple
restoration activities at the Qwuloolt
restoration site adjacent to Ebey Slough.
Specifically, the goals are to identify the
life history types present, their spatial
and temporal distribution, their feeding
ecology, and interactions with other
biota. The research would benefit the
listed species by determining if the
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restoration strategies are effectively
restoring fish habitat and increasing fish
populations. Sampling would take place
year round: Biweekly from February to
September, and then once a month from
October to January. Both beach seines
(mainstem habitat) and fyke traps (tidal
channels) would be used to quantify
fish distribution throughout the project
area and in adjacent restoration sites.
Up to 15 marked and unmarked,
juvenile Chinook salmon (10 from each
beach seine sampling day, five from
each fyke trap site) would be sacrificed
using a lethal dose of MS–222 and taken
to the lab for further processing. All
other juvenile PS Chinook and all PS
steelhead captured would be measured
(fork length), counted, and released.
Any PS Chinook unintentionally killed
during the research would be used in
lieu of a fish that would otherwise be
sacrificed.
Permit 16741
The FWS is seeking a 5-year permit to
annually capture, handle, and release
adult and juvenile MCR steelhead
during the course of research designed
to describe life history patterns of
fluvial bull trout in the lower Walla
Walla basin and investigate their use of
the mainstem Columbia and lower
Walla Walla Rivers. The research would
benefit listed species by generating data
to be used in local recovery planning
efforts and in evaluating the effects of
flow management actions in the
mainstem Columbia and Walla Walla
Rivers. The researchers would use sing
nets, hook-and-line fishing, and screw
traps to capture the fish. The captured
fish would be identified, measured, and
quickly released back to the river. The
researchers do not expect to kill any
listed fish, but a small number may die
as an unintended result of the research
activities.
Permit 16751
The United States Geological Survey
(USGS) is seeking a 5-year permit to
annually take juvenile and adult PS
Chinook salmon, HC summer-run chum
salmon, and PS steelhead. The USGS’s
research may also cause them to take
SDPS eulachon—for which there are
currently no ESA take prohibitions.
Sampling sites would be in the Cedar,
Dungeness, Nooksack, Skagit,
Skykomish, Snohomish, Snoqualmie,
and Stillaguamish river systems of the
Puget Sound. The purpose of USGS’s
research is to identify and assess Pacific
lamprey distribution in Puget Sound
watersheds. The research would benefit
the listed species by providing
information about salmonid distribution
and about Pacific lamprey, an important
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component to the Puget Sound
ecosystem. The lamprey would be
captured via backpack electrofishing
and the use of seines. Sampling would
target silt-mud substrates that are
preferred habitats for juvenile lamprey
but are unlikely to harbor salmonids.
Samples would be taken in the late
summer and fall before peak lamprey
emigration. Electrofishing methods
would be modified to target juvenile
lamprey and would be unlikely to harm
them or other fish species. A subsample
of the captured lamprey would be
measured and weighed (up to 30 per
site) and up to five fish per site may be
tissue sampled or sacrificed. All other
fish (including all listed fish) would be
released at the capture site. The
researchers do not propose to kill any
other listed species being captured, but
a small number may die as an
unintended result of the activities.
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Permit 16798
The FWS is seeking a 5-year research
permit to annually take juvenile and
adult PS Chinook salmon and PS
steelhead. Sampling sites would be
located in the south fork of the
Skokomish River. The purpose of FWS’s
research is to complete an extensive
assessment of engineered logjams (ELJs)
placed in the Skokomish River by
comparing a reach where ELJs were
placed with an adjacent reach lacking
ELJs. The research would benefit the
listed species by assessing if the ELJs
increase habitat diversity for both
juvenile (rearing) and adult (holding,
spawning) salmon and stabilize
substrate in the active channel. The
FWS proposes to capture fish using a
combination of beach and purse seining,
electrofishing, and snorkeling. Captured
fish would be PIT-tagged and injected
with elastomer dyes, or soaked in a
Bismarck brown dye. Approximately 25
fish per site would be subjected to
gastric lavage. All fish would be
released at their capture sites. The
researchers do not propose to kill any
fish, but a small number may die as an
unintended result of the activities.
Permit 16918
The Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) is
seeking a 5-year research permit to
annually take adult SDPS green
sturgeon. The WFC research may also
cause them to take SDPS eulachon—for
which there are currently no ESA take
prohibitions. Sampling would take
place in the Grays Harbor estuary and
the lower, tidally-influenced portions of
its major tributaries. The purpose of
WFC’s research is to document the
distribution, abundance, habitat use,
and timing of juvenile salmonids and
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other fishes in the Grays Harbor estuary.
The research would benefit listed
species by helping managers plan
salmonid habitat restoration and
protection projects. Sampling would
consist of beach seining and fyke
netting. For green sturgeon, the
researchers would measure fork length,
photograph scutes, and release the fish.
Eulachon would be transferred to
buckets, measured for fork length (to
determine potential reproductive
status), enumerated, and released. The
researchers do not propose to kill any
fish, but a small number may die as an
unintended result of the 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: November 10, 2011.
Marta Nammack,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division,
Office of Protected Resources, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–29762 Filed 11–16–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XA828
North Pacific Fishery Management
Council; Public Meetings
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
AGENCY:
The North Pacific Fishery
Management Council (Council) and its
advisory committees will hold public
meetings, December 5–13, 2011 at the
Anchorage Hilton Hotel.
DATES: The Council will begin its
plenary session at 8 a.m. on Wednesday,
December 7 continuing through
Tuesday, December 13, 2011. Council’s
Advisory Panel (AP) will begin at 8
a.m., Monday, December 5 and continue
through Friday, December 9, 2011. The
Scientific Statistical Committee (SSC)
will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday,
December 5 and continue through
Wednesday, December 7, 2011. The
SUMMARY:
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Halibut Charter Implementation
Committee will meet Tuesday,
December 6 at 4 p.m. in Lupine/Willow
room. All meetings are open to the
public, except executive sessions.
ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at
the Hilton Hotel, 500 West Third
Avenue, Anchorage, AK.
Council address: North Pacific
Fishery Management Council, 605 W.
4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK
99501–2252.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Witherell, Council staff,
telephone: (907) 271–2809.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Council Plenary Session
The agenda for the Council’s plenary
session will include the following
issues. The Council may take
appropriate action on any of the issues
identified.
Reports
1. Executive Director’s Report
(including Standard Operations and
Procedures (SOPPs) review/approval
and update on workshop with
International Pacific Halibut
Commission (IPHC)).
NMFS Management Report
Alaska Department of Fish & Game
Report (including halibut subsistence
update);
NOAA Enforcement Report;
United States Coast Guard Report;
United States Fish & Wildlife Service
Report;
Protected Species Report (including
Steller Sea Lion (SSL) Center of
Independent Experts (CIE) Terms of
Reference).
2. Pacific Cod Jig Fishery
Management: Report on Board of
Fisheries action and discuss next steps.
3. Salmon Fishery Management Plan
(FMP): Final action to approve Salmon
FMP.
4. Groundfish Harvest Specifications:
Approve final BSAI groundfish
specifications and Stock Assessment
Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) reports.
Approve final GOA groundfish
specifications and SAFE reports.
5. Bering Sea Aleutian Island (BSAI)
Crab Stakeholders reports(5-year review
issues): Crew compensation/active
participation/excessive lease rates;
binding arbitration; community issues/
Right of first refusal (ROFR).
6. Freezer Longline Vessel
Replacement: Initial review of analysis
to allow replacement of freezer longline
vessels.
7. Halibut Catch Sharing plan: IPHC
report on 2012 staff recommendations;
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 222 (Thursday, November 17, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71315-71321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29762]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XA824
Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
[[Page 71316]]
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Applications for 13 new scientific research permits, 12
research permit renewals, and one permit modification.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received 26 scientific
research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon, the
southern distinct population segment of Pacific eulachon, the southern
distinct population segment of Pacific green sturgeon, and three
species of rockfish from the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin. 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 December 19,
2011.
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 nmfs.nwr.apps@noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rob Clapp, Portland, OR (ph.: (503)
231-2314), Fax: (503) 230-5441, email: Robert.Clapp@noaa.gov). 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 Puget Sound
(PS); threatened upper Willamette River (UWR); threatened lower
Columbia River (LCR); endangered upper Columbia River (UCR); threatened
Snake River (SR) spring/summer (spr/sum); threatened SR fall;
Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened PS; threatened UWR, threatened
LCR; threatened UCR; threatened SR; threatened middle Columbia River
(MCR).
Chum salmon (O. nerka): threatened Hood Canal (HC) summer-run,
threatened CR.
Coho salmon (O. kisutch): threatened LCR, threatened Oregon Coast
(OC).
Rockfish: Puget Sound/Georgia Basin (PS/GB) bocaccio (Sebastes
paucispinis); PS/GB canary rockfish (Sebastes pinniger), and PS/GB
yelloweye rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus).
Eulachon: the southern Distinct Populations Segment (SDPS) of
Pacific eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus).
Pacific green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris): Threatened SDPS.
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 1290-7R
The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) is seeking to renew
a permit that currently allows it to take listed salmonids while
conducting research in the lower Columbia River from Bonneville Dam to
the mouth of the river. The fish would be drawn from the following
species: UCR Chinook and steelhead, SR spr/sum and fall Chinook, SR
steelhead, SR sockeye, MCR steelhead, LCR Chinook, LCR coho, LCR
steelhead, CR chum, UWR Chinook and steelhead. The purposes of the
research are to (1) characterize salmonid species and population level
abundance and timing, (2) determine growth rate, size, food habits, and
pathogen prevalence and intensity, and (3) investigate the relationship
between forage fish and salmonid populations. The research would
benefit salmonids and their recovery planning by gathering information
on species- and population-level abundance in the Lower Columbia River
and helping determine the extent to which diseases and forage fish
affect the fishes' growth and survival during the transition from the
estuarine to marine environments. The NWFSC would use purse seines to
capture the fish; they would then anesthetize them, measure them, scan
them for tags, and fin-clip them. Some of the juvenile fish would be
intentionally killed for laboratory analyses. The NWFSC would also
collect and intentionally kill juvenile salmonids at the Bonneville Dam
juvenile bypass facility. Any fish killed unintentionally would be
retained in place of those that otherwise would be sacrificed. A small
number of adult salmonids, SDPS green sturgeon, and SDPS eulachon may
be captured and immediately released during the course of the research.
The NWFSC does not intend to kill SDPS eulachon, but a few may die as a
result of the research. No sturgeon are expected to be killed.
Permit 1318-9R
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is seeking to
renew its permit to take juvenile UCR Chinook and steelhead, SR spr/sum
and fall Chinook, SR steelhead, SR sockeye, MCR steelhead, LCR Chinook,
LCR coho, LCR steelhead, CR chum, UWR Chinook and steelhead, and OC
coho in streams in the Willamette and Columbia basins, and on the
Oregon coast. The permit would cover the following projects: (1) Warm
water fish management surveys; (2) investigations of natural production
of spring Chinook salmon in the Mohawk system; (3) genetic
characterization of rainbow trout in the Upper Willamette System; (4)
fish abundance, population status, genetics and disease surveys in the
Upper Willamette Basin; (5) native rainbow and cutthroat trout surveys
for abundance, size composition, and migration patterns in the mainstem
McKenzie River; (6) resident redband population estimates in the
Deschutes River; (7) resident redband population estimates in the
Crooked River; and (8) fish population sampling in the North Willamette
Watershed District. The research would benefit the fish by providing
information on population structure, abundance, genetics, disease
occurrence, and species interactions. That information would be used to
direct management actions to benefit listed species. Juvenile salmonids
would be collected via boat electrofishing, and then some of them would
be anesthetized, sampled for length and weight, allowed to recover from
the anesthesia, and released. Most salmonids would only be shocked and
allowed to swim away, or be netted and released immediately. The ODFW
does not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small
number may die as an unintended result of the activities.
[[Page 71317]]
Permit 1330-5R
Weyerhaeuser Company (WeyCo) is seeking to renew its permit to
annually take juvenile LCR Chinook salmon, LCR coho salmon, and LCR
steelhead while conducting research designed to determine salmonid
abundance, distribution, and productivity in the Toutle River subbasin
and on lands owned by WeyCo around Mt. St. Helens in Washington. The
information would be used to help develop and implement effective fish-
conscious forest management practices and regulations. The research
would benefit listed species by contributing information to help WeyCo
maintain high quality habitat and development recovery plans for listed
species. Juvenile salmonids would be collected using backpack
electrofishing equipment, anesthetized, sampled for biological data
(identified, measured, weighed), allowed to recover from the
anesthesia, and released. WeyCo does not intend to kill any of the fish
being captured, but a small number may die as an unintentional result
of the activities.
Permit 1339-3R
The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) under the authorization of the Columbia
River Intertribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is seeking to renew its
permit to annually take adult and juvenile SR spr/sum Chinook salmon
and SR steelhead while conducting research in a number of the
tributaries to the Imnaha River (Cow, Lightning, Horse, Big Sheep,
Camp, Little Sheep, Freezeout, Grouse, Crazyman, Mahogany, and Gumboot
Creeks), the Grande Ronde River (Joseph Creek, Wenaha and Minam rivers)
the Clearwater River (South Fork Clearwater River and Lolo Creek), and
the Snake River (Lower Granite Dam adult trap). The Imnaha and Grande
Ronde Rivers are in Northeast Oregon, the Clearwater is in Idaho, and
the work in the Snake River would take place in Washington. The permit
would be a renewal and expansion of work the NPT has been conducting
for over a decade in the Northwest.
The purpose of the research is to acquire information on the status
(escapement abundance, genetic structure, life history traits) of
juvenile and adult steelhead in the Imnaha, Grande Ronde, and
Clearwater River basins. The research would benefit the listed species
by providing information on current status that fishery managers can
use to determine if recovery actions are helping increase wild Snake
River salmonid populations. Baseline information on steelhead
populations in the Imnaha, Grande Ronde, and Clearwater River basins
would also be used to help guide future management actions. Adult and
juvenile salmon and steelhead would be observed, harassed, handled, and
marked. The researchers would use temporary/portable picket and
resistance board weirs and rotary screw traps to capture the fish and
would then sample them for biological information (fin tissue and scale
samples). They may also mark some of the fish with opercule punches,
fin clips, dyes, and PIT, floy, and/or Tyvek disk tags. Adult steelhead
carcasses would also be collected and sampled. The researchers 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 1341-4R
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes (Tribes) are seeking to renew and
modify their permit to take SR sockeye salmon and SR spr/sum Chinook
salmon while conducting research designed to estimate their overwinter
survival and downstream migration survival and timing. The researchers
would also conduct limnological studies on the lakes and monitor
sockeye rearing. This research--which has been conducted every year
since 1996--would continue to provide information on the relative
success of the Pettit and Alturas Lakes sockeye salmon reintroduction
programs and thereby benefit the listed fish by improving those
programs. Juvenile SR sockeye salmon, spr/sum Chinook salmon, and
steelhead would be collected at Pettit and Alturas Lakes, ID, using
rotary screw traps and weirs. The fish would be sampled for biological
information and released or tagged with passive integrated transponders
and released. In addition, to determine trap efficiencies, a portion of
the captured juvenile SR sockeye salmon would be marked with a small
cut on their caudal fins, released upstream of the traps, captured at
the traps a second time, and released. The Tribes do 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 1345-7R
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking to
renew for five years a research permit that currently allows them to
take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon, LCR Chinook salmon, LCR coho
salmon, LCR steelhead, and PS steelhead. The WDFW administers a
multitude of water bodies through the state of Washington, and this
permit would provide them with coverage throughout Puget Sound and the
Lower Columbia River basin. The purpose of the warmwater fish surveys
is to provide stock assessment of inland game fish communities and
thereby improve fishery management. The research would benefit
salmonids by helping managers write warmwater fish species harvest
regulations that reduce potential impacts on listed salmonids. The WDFW
proposes capturing fish using boat electrofishing, fyke nets, and
gillnets. After being captured, the listed salmon and steelhead would
be placed in aerated live wells, identified, and released. The
researchers do not propose to kill any of the listed salmonids being
captured, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the
activities.
Permit 1379-6R
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is seeking
to renew a permit that currently allows them to take listed salmonids
(UCR steelhead and Chinook; LCR steelhead and Chinook; MCR steelhead;
and SR steelhead, spr/sum Chinook, fall Chinook, and 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. Much of the work in the permit has been
conducted for at least 14 years--first under permit 1134, and then
under five previous versions of 1379. The permit would comprise four
studies: Project 1--Juvenile Upriver Bright Fall Chinook Sampling at
the Hanford Reach; Project 2--Adult Chinook, Sockeye, and Coho Sampling
at Bonneville Dam; Project 3--Adult Sockeye Sampling at Tumwater and
Wells Dams; and Project 4--Acoustic trawl survey for Lake Wenatchee
juvenile sockeye salmon. This renewal would increase slightly the
number of fish CRITFC is allowed to handle. The research, as a whole,
would benefit listed fish by helping managers set in-river and ocean
harvest regimes so that they have minimal impacts on listed
populations. It would also help managers prioritize projects in a way
that gives maximum benefit to listed species-including projects
designed to help the listed fish recover.
The CRITFC would obtain fish from the adult collection facilities
at Bonneville, Wells, and Tumwater dams. The fish would be
anesthetized, measured, examined for marks, scale-sampled, and allowed
to return to the river. The researchers would also use
[[Page 71318]]
beach- and stick seines to capture and tag juvenile fish in the Hanford
reach of the Columbia River and capture fish during mid-water trawls in
Lake Wenatchee. Those fish that are not immediately released upon
capture would be transported to a holding facility where they would be
anesthetized, examined for marks, adipose-clipped, coded wire tagged,
allowed to recover, and released. The CRITFC does not intend to kill
any of the fish being captured but a small number may die as an
unintended result of the activities.
Permit 1525-5M
The NWFSC is seeking to modify its permit that currently allows it
to annually take listed salmonids while studying habitat occurrence,
diet, contaminant concentrations, and health indicators in juvenile
salmonids from the Lower Willamette and Columbia Rivers. The NWFSC is
requesting to increase the number of juvenile fish they may take from
the following species: SR spring/summer Chinook salmon, SR fall Chinook
salmon, SR steelhead, UCR Chinook salmon, UCR steelhead, MCR steelhead,
LCR Chinook salmon, LCR steelhead, UWR Chinook salmon, UWR steelhead,
and CR chum salmon. The purposes of the study are to (1) determine
contaminant concentrations in fish, (2) understand bioaccumulation in
juvenile salmon and determine site specific factors, (3) analyze for
the presence of physiological biomarkers, and (4) investigate the
presence of indicators of exposure to environmental estrogens. The
research would benefit the fish by providing information to resource
managers on contaminant presence and concentrations, fish presence, and
habitat parameters. The NWFSC would collect samples with seines or high
speed rope trawls in the lower Willamette River, Oregon, and in the
Columbia River from Bonneville Dam to the mouth. Researchers would
handle juvenile fish and intentionally kill some of them to determine
pathogen prevalence and intensity, biochemical composition,
histopathological attributes, and for stomach content analyses.
Permit 1566-3R
The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5 years a research permit that
currently allows them to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon, HC summer-run
chum salmon, and PS steelhead. The researchers would sample fish
throughout the Puget Sound--emphasizing urban bays such as Elliott Bay,
Port Gardner Bay, and Commencement Bay. The objective of this study is
to sample outmigrant juvenile salmon from various embayments in the
Puget Sound area and screen them for exposure to estrogenic compounds,
PBDEs, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. Juvenile Chinook
salmon are anticipated to be the most affected by these contaminants
because of their extended estuarine residence, so the NWFSC has chosen
them as the target species for this study. The research would benefit
Chinook by identifying areas in Puget Sound where they may be at risk
due to contaminant exposure, so appropriate toxics reduction activities
can be undertaken. The NWFSC proposes to use beach seines to capture
fish every 6 to 8 weeks between May and September at approximately
seven locations. Up to 60 juvenile Chinook salmon per site per sampling
event would be weighed, measured, and euthanized with MS-222. The NWFSC
would take bile, plasma, and stomach contents from the fish and then
conduct whole-body analyses on them. Juvenile Chinook and other fish
species not needed for sample collection would be counted, identified,
and released. Any PS Chinook unintentionally killed during the research
would be used in lieu of a fish that would otherwise be sacrificed.
Permit 1568-4R
The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5 years a research permit that
currently allows them to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS
steelhead in the marshes, channels, and near-shore areas of the lower
10 miles of mainstem channel of the Snohomish River and in Ebey, Union,
and Steamboat sloughs. The purposes of the research are to understand
(1) how habitat use within the estuary varies with life history type,
(2) how habitat use varies within and between years, and (3) how
selected biotic and physical factors affect patterns of habitat use.
This research would benefit listed salmon by providing information to
help recovery planning and monitoring in the Snohomish River estuary
and other estuaries of the Puget Sound. The NWFSC proposes to use beach
seines to capture fish. The fish would be anesthetized, measured,
weighed, tissue-sampled, and checked for external marks and coded-wire
tags depending on the species. A small portion of the captured juvenile
PS Chinook would be killed for whole-body analysis, but most are not
intended to be sacrificed. At the lab, specimens would be thawed,
weighed, and measured. Then the researchers would remove and preserve
fish body tissues, otoliths, and coded wire tags (from any hatchery
fish). Any PS Chinook unintentionally killed during the research would
be used in lieu of a fish that would otherwise be sacrificed.
Permit 1590-4R
The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5 years a research permit that
currently allows them to take juvenile and sub-adult PS Chinook salmon,
HC summer-run chum salmon, PS steelhead, and PS/GB bocaccio. The NWFSC
research may also cause them to take the following species for which
there are currently no ESA take prohibitions: the SDPS eulachon, PS/GB
canary rockfish, and PS/GB yelloweye rockfish. Sampling sites would be
located throughout the Puget Sound and San Juan Islands, Washington.
The purposes of NWFSC's research are (1) To describe the behavior and
life history of resident Chinook salmon and (2) determine whether the
proportion of PS Chinook salmon adopting a resident life strategy
varies among populations and hatchery stocks. This information would be
used to develop a conceptual model of the life history of resident PS
Chinook. The research would benefit listed salmonids by helping
managers develop a better understanding of the abundance, distribution,
and habitat requirements of this life history strategy. The NWFSC
proposes to use shoreline and boat angling, beach seining, and purse
seining to capture the fish. All non-target species would be released
directly from the net or line. Captured PS Chinook would be
anesthetized, measured, checked for fin clips or coded wire tags, and
fin clipped for tissue samples. Some first- and second-year PS Chinook
would be outfitted with acoustic transmitters and tracked using an
array of fixed acoustic receivers throughout Puget Sound. The
researchers do not propose to kill any of the listed fish being
captured, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the
activities.
Permit 1598-3R
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is
seeking to renew for 5 years a research permit that currently allows
them to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon, UCR spring-run Chinook salmon,
SR spring/summer-run Chinook salmon, SR fall-run Chinook salmon, LCR
Chinook salmon, HC summer-run chum salmon, CR chum salmon, LCR coho
salmon, OL sockeye salmon, SR sockeye salmon, LCR steelhead, PS
steelhead, MCR steelhead, SR steelhead, and UCR steelhead. The WSDOT
research may also cause them to take SDPS eulachon--for which there
[[Page 71319]]
are currently no ESA take prohibitions. Sample sites would be located
throughout the state of Washington. The purposes of WSDOT's research
are to determine the distribution and diversity of anadromous fish
species in waterbodies crossed by or adjacent to the state
transportation systems (highways, railroads, and/or airports). This
information would be used to assess the impacts projects proposed at
those facilities may have on listed species. The research would benefit
the listed species by helping WSDOT minimize project impacts on listed
fish to the greatest extent possible. Depending on the size of the
stream system, the WSDOT proposes to use dip nets, stick seines, baited
gee minnow traps, or electrofishing to capture the fish. The captured
fish would be identified and immediately released. The researchers do
not propose to kill any of the listed fish being captured, but a small
number may die as an unintended result of the activities.
Permit 1601-3R
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is seeking to
renew for 5 years a research permit that currently allows them to take
juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead. Sampling sites
would be located in Thornton, Piper's, and Venema Creeks in Seattle,
Washington (Lake Washington subbasin). The purpose of FWS's research is
to gather information that would help resource managers plan
restoration projects by helping determine which project types are most
effective at mitigating the effects of urbanization. The research would
benefit the listed species by determining which restoration strategies
are effective in restoring fish habitat and populations and improve
overall salmon habitat restoration. The FWS proposes capturing fish
using the three-pass electrofishing method. Block nets would be placed
at the upper and lower end of a habitat site; and with a backpack
electrofishing unit, three sequential passes would be conducted. Fish
stunned during electrofishing would be captured with a dip net,
identified to species, placed in an aerated holding bin, and released.
The researchers do not propose to kill any of the listed salmonids
being captured, but a small number may die as an unintended result of
the activities.
Permit 16069
The City of Portland is seeking a five-year permit to take listed
salmonids and SPDS green sturgeon while developing the Portland
Watershed Management Plan (Plan). The purpose of the Plan is to improve
watershed health in the Portland area. Researchers for the City of
Portland would sample 32 sites a year for (1) water chemistry (e.g.,
temperature, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, pathogens); (2) water level
and velocity; (3) physical habitat characteristics (e.g., plant
composition, substrate composition, and bank condition); and (4) fish,
amphibian, and reptile abundance and diversity. The research would
benefit listed salmonids by producing data to be used in conserving and
restoring critical habitat. The researchers would use boat and backpack
electrofishing equipment to capture, handle, and release juvenile UCR
Chinook and steelhead, SR spr/sum and fall Chinook, SR steelhead, SR
sockeye, MCR steelhead, LCR Chinook, LCR coho, LCR steelhead, CR chum,
UWR Chinook and steelhead, and OC coho in the Columbia and Willamette
rivers and tributaries in Portland, Oregon. The researchers would avoid
contact with adult fish but may shock a few adult salmonids as well as
adult SDPS eulachon and SDPS green sturgeon. The researchers do not
expect to kill any listed fish, but a small number may die as an
unintended result of the research activities.
Permit 16446
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR)
are seeking a 5-year permit to take MCR steelhead and, possibly, SR
spring/summer Chinook salmon during the course of research designed to
monitor listed fish population status in the Walla Walla River
watershed, Washington. The data gathered (on fish abundance, trends,
genetics, diversity, productivity, and population structure) would be
used to inform management decisions regarding land use activities and
listed salmonid recovery planning in the Walla Walla subbasin. The
researchers would use rotary screw traps and backpack electrofishing
units to capture the fish. At the screw traps, the fish would then be
identified, measured, weighed, tissue sampled, implanted with PIT-Tags
(if they do not already have tags), and released. Fish captured via
electrofishing would be handled, measured, allowed to recover, and
released in a safe area. Some adult carcasses would also be sampled.
The researchers do not expect to kill any of the fish being captured,
but a small number may die as an unintended result of the research
activities.
Permit 16470
Cramer Fish Sciences (CFS) is seeking a 1-year permit to annually
capture, handle, and release MCR steelhead in the 1-mile reach just
downstream from Bowman Dam on the Crooked River, Oregon. The purpose of
the research is to establish baseline conditions (population numbers,
presence, etc.) among the indigenous fish species in the action area so
that it can be determined what effect the construction (and operation)
of a small hydroelectric facility at Bowman Dam may have on those
species. The research will benefit listed species by helping managers
at the power facility tailor their operations to cause the least
possible harm to the species that may be affected. The researchers will
use backpack electrofishing equipment to capture the MCR steelhead.
They will then measure the fish, allow them to recover, and release
them back to the capture site. The researchers do not expect to kill
any listed fish, but a small number may die as an unintended result of
the research activities.
Permit 16484
Symbiotics Energy is seeking a 1-year permit to annually capture,
handle, and release MCR steelhead at a trapping facility just
downstream from Bowman Dam on the Crooked River, Oregon. The study has
two goals: (1) To describe the existing aquatic resources in the
Crooked River downstream of a proposed hydroelectric project at Bowman
Dam, and (2) to determine the survival and injury rates of various
species and sizes of fish as they attempt to migrate through the
existing flow release facilities at Bowman Dam. The research would
benefit the fish by helping managers at the power facility determine
the best way to conduct their operations while mitigating adverse
effects on local fauna. The researchers would capture the MCR steelhead
fish at a screw trap, measure them, and release them back to the river.
The researchers do not expect to kill any listed fish, but a small
number may die as an unintended result of the research activities.
Permit 16521
The WDFW is seeking a 5-year permit to annually capture, handle,
and release juvenile UCR steelhead and Chinook salmon in the Hanford
reach of the Columbia River and near the Tri-Cities, Washington. The
purpose of the research is to gather data on fall Chinook abundance,
length frequency distribution, and losses in the area. The information
collected from these surveys has been used and continues to be used to
evaluate protections for juvenile fall Chinook under the Hanford Reach
Fall Chinook Protection Program Agreement and gauge the efficacy of the
[[Page 71320]]
Coded Wire Tagging Program for marking of wild Up-River Bright fall
Chinook in the Hanford Reach. These surveys can provide biologists and
managers with definitive data on the presence of or impacts on both
non-listed and ESA Listed Chinook and steelhead residing in near shore
habitats in this area of the Columbia River. These data, in turn, would
be used to help guide management actions for the benefit of the listed
species in the future. The researchers would use beach seines and
backpack electrofishing equipment to capture the fish. The captured
fish would be anesthetized, measured, allowed to recover, and released
back to the river. The researchers do not expect to kill any listed
fish, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the
research activities.
Permit 16550
The Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) is seeking a 5-year research permit
to annually take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon, HC summer-run
chum salmon, PS steelhead, PS/GB bocaccio, and SDPS green sturgeon. The
WFC research may also cause them to take SDPS eulachon and PS/GB canary
rockfish--for which there are currently no ESA take prohibitions.
Sampling would take place in the nearshore habitats of Hood Canal and
in the Nisqually River estuary. The purpose of the research is to study
temporal and spatial usage patterns of juvenile salmon in critical
rearing habitats of nearshore habitats. The research would benefit the
listed species by helping inform conservation and habitat restoration
actions. The WFC would use beach seines and fyke nets to capture the
fish. Once captured, all fish would be held in aerated five-gallon
buckets of seawater, enumerated by species, measured for length,
scanned for coded wire tags (CWT), inspected for adipose fin clips, fin
clipped for genetic samples (only from wild juvenile Chinook), and
released. To determine their hatchery of origin, hatchery Chinook and
coho salmon with coded wire tags would be euthanized using an overdose
of MS-222. The researchers do not propose to kill any other listed
species being captured, but a small number may die as an unintended
result of the activities.
Permit 16612
Terrafilia is seeking a 5-year research permit to annually take
juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead. Sampling sites would be
located in Cornet Bay on the northern shoreline of Whidbey Island in
Deception Pass State Park. The purpose of Terrafilia's research is to
monitor juvenile PS Chinook salmon response to restoration activities
in Cornet Bay. The research would benefit the listed species by
determining if the region's restoration strategies effectively restore
fish habitat and populations. Terrafilia would use a small beach seine
to capture the fish. The surveys would be conducted twice a month at 10
sites from early March through the end of June to August. One beach
seine set would be made at each site per each sampling day. All fish
would be enumerated by species, and fork lengths would be measured for
the first 20 individuals of each species. The researchers do not
propose to kill any other listed species being captured, but a small
number may die as an unintended result of the activities.
Permit 16666
The FWS is seeking a 5-year permit to take listed salmonids while
conducting research on hatchery-origin steelhead in Abernathy Creek,
Washington. The goal is to determine the natural reproductive success
and relative fitness of hatchery-origin and natural-origin steelhead
and to assess the overall demographic effects of hatchery fish
supplementation in Abernathy Creek relative to two adjacent control
streams. The research would benefit listed salmonids by producing data
to be used in hatchery and genetic management plans. The research was
previously permitted under a separate research authorization and has
been ongoing for several years. The FWS would use backpack
electrofishing equipment to capture, handle, and release juvenile
salmonids. Steelhead are not listed in these streams, but the FWS have
captured juvenile LCR coho salmon and observed adult LCR Chinook salmon
in previous years of research. The FWS would avoid electrofishing near
adult coho and Chinook. The researchers do not expect to kill any
listed fish, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the
research activities.
Permit 16702
The NWFSC is seeking a 5-year research permit to annually take
juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead in the Snohomish River
estuary. The purposes of the research is to monitor juvenile PS Chinook
salmon habitat use in response to multiple restoration activities at
the Qwuloolt restoration site adjacent to Ebey Slough. Specifically,
the goals are to identify the life history types present, their spatial
and temporal distribution, their feeding ecology, and interactions with
other biota. The research would benefit the listed species by
determining if the restoration strategies are effectively restoring
fish habitat and increasing fish populations. Sampling would take place
year round: Biweekly from February to September, and then once a month
from October to January. Both beach seines (mainstem habitat) and fyke
traps (tidal channels) would be used to quantify fish distribution
throughout the project area and in adjacent restoration sites. Up to 15
marked and unmarked, juvenile Chinook salmon (10 from each beach seine
sampling day, five from each fyke trap site) would be sacrificed using
a lethal dose of MS-222 and taken to the lab for further processing.
All other juvenile PS Chinook and all PS steelhead captured would be
measured (fork length), counted, and released. Any PS Chinook
unintentionally killed during the research would be used in lieu of a
fish that would otherwise be sacrificed.
Permit 16741
The FWS is seeking a 5-year permit to annually capture, handle, and
release adult and juvenile MCR steelhead during the course of research
designed to describe life history patterns of fluvial bull trout in the
lower Walla Walla basin and investigate their use of the mainstem
Columbia and lower Walla Walla Rivers. The research would benefit
listed species by generating data to be used in local recovery planning
efforts and in evaluating the effects of flow management actions in the
mainstem Columbia and Walla Walla Rivers. The researchers would use
sing nets, hook-and-line fishing, and screw traps to capture the fish.
The captured fish would be identified, measured, and quickly released
back to the river. The researchers do not expect to kill any listed
fish, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the
research activities.
Permit 16751
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is seeking a 5-year
permit to annually take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon, HC
summer-run chum salmon, and PS steelhead. The USGS's research may also
cause them to take SDPS eulachon--for which there are currently no ESA
take prohibitions. Sampling sites would be in the Cedar, Dungeness,
Nooksack, Skagit, Skykomish, Snohomish, Snoqualmie, and Stillaguamish
river systems of the Puget Sound. The purpose of USGS's research is to
identify and assess Pacific lamprey distribution in Puget Sound
watersheds. The research would benefit the listed species by providing
information about salmonid distribution and about Pacific lamprey, an
important
[[Page 71321]]
component to the Puget Sound ecosystem. The lamprey would be captured
via backpack electrofishing and the use of seines. Sampling would
target silt-mud substrates that are preferred habitats for juvenile
lamprey but are unlikely to harbor salmonids. Samples would be taken in
the late summer and fall before peak lamprey emigration. Electrofishing
methods would be modified to target juvenile lamprey and would be
unlikely to harm them or other fish species. A subsample of the
captured lamprey would be measured and weighed (up to 30 per site) and
up to five fish per site may be tissue sampled or sacrificed. All other
fish (including all listed fish) would be released at the capture site.
The researchers do not propose to kill any other listed species being
captured, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the
activities.
Permit 16798
The FWS is seeking a 5-year research permit to annually take
juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead. Sampling sites
would be located in the south fork of the Skokomish River. The purpose
of FWS's research is to complete an extensive assessment of engineered
logjams (ELJs) placed in the Skokomish River by comparing a reach where
ELJs were placed with an adjacent reach lacking ELJs. The research
would benefit the listed species by assessing if the ELJs increase
habitat diversity for both juvenile (rearing) and adult (holding,
spawning) salmon and stabilize substrate in the active channel. The FWS
proposes to capture fish using a combination of beach and purse
seining, electrofishing, and snorkeling. Captured fish would be PIT-
tagged and injected with elastomer dyes, or soaked in a Bismarck brown
dye. Approximately 25 fish per site would be subjected to gastric
lavage. All fish would be released at their capture sites. The
researchers do not propose to kill any fish, but a small number may die
as an unintended result of the activities.
Permit 16918
The Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) is seeking a 5-year research permit
to annually take adult SDPS green sturgeon. The WFC research may also
cause them to take SDPS eulachon--for which there are currently no ESA
take prohibitions. Sampling would take place in the Grays Harbor
estuary and the lower, tidally-influenced portions of its major
tributaries. The purpose of WFC's research is to document the
distribution, abundance, habitat use, and timing of juvenile salmonids
and other fishes in the Grays Harbor estuary. The research would
benefit listed species by helping managers plan salmonid habitat
restoration and protection projects. Sampling would consist of beach
seining and fyke netting. For green sturgeon, the researchers would
measure fork length, photograph scutes, and release the fish. Eulachon
would be transferred to buckets, measured for fork length (to determine
potential reproductive status), enumerated, and released. The
researchers do not propose to kill any fish, but a small number may die
as an unintended result of the 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: November 10, 2011.
Marta Nammack,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-29762 Filed 11-16-11; 8:45 am]
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