Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish, 67796 [2012-27665]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 220 (Wednesday, November 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 67796]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27665]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC342


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Notice of receipt of a permit application; request for 
comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received an application 
for a permit (Permit 15610) to conduct research for scientific purposes 
from the Oregon State University, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife 
(OSU). The requested permit would affect the endangered Southern 
California (SC) Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of steelhead 
(Oncorhynchus mykiss). The public is hereby notified of the 
availability of the permit application for review and comment before 
NMFS either approves or disapproves the application.

DATES: Written comments on the permit application must be received at 
the appropriate address or fax number (see ADDRESSES) on or before 
December 14, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the permit application should be sent to 
Matt McGoogan, Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 501 W. Ocean Blvd., 
Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802. Comments may also be sent using email 
FRNpermits.1b@noaa.gov or fax (562.980.4027). The permit application is 
available for review, by appointment, at the foregoing address and is 
also available for review online at the Authorizations and Permits for 
Protected Species Web site at https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt McGoogan at phone number (562) 
980-4026 or email: matthew.mcgoogan@noaa.gov.

Authority

    Issuance of permits, as required by the Endangered Species Act of 
1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) (ESA), is based on a finding that such 
permits: (1) are applied for in good faith; (2) would not operate to 
the disadvantage of the listed species which are the subject of the 
permits; and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policies set 
forth in Section 2 of the ESA. Authority to take listed species is 
subject to conditions set forth in the permits. Permits are issued in 
accordance with and are subject to the ESA and NMFS regulations 
governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 222-226).
    Those individuals requesting a hearing on an application listed in 
this notice should provide the specific reasons why a hearing on that 
application would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). The holding of such a 
hearing is at the discretion of the Assistant Administrator for 
Fisheries, NOAA. All statements and opinions contained in the permit 
action summaries are those of the applicant and do not necessarily 
reflect the views of NMFS.

Permit Application Received

    OSU has applied for a permit (Permit 15610) to study steelhead in 
the Ventura River watershed in Ventura County, California. The primary 
objectives of this study are to (1) determine if population genetic 
structure exists in the steelhead and rainbow trout subpopulations in 
the Ventura Basin, (2) determine smoltification patterns of steelhead 
and rainbow trout in the Ventura Basin and influence between the two 
life history forms, and (3) determine downstream migration patterns for 
steelhead and rainbow trout and how those patterns may be influenced by 
environmental conditions. Research activities include (1) Monitoring 
water temperature, (2) capturing smolts and adult steelhead in a 
migrant trap at the Robles Diversion Dam, (3) capturing smolts and 
juvenile steelhead using a seine in the Ventura River estuary, (4) 
capturing smolts and juvenile steelhead by electrofishing pre-
determined sample sites throughout the Ventura River watershed, (5) 
recording weight and length of smolts and juvenile steelhead, (6) 
removing tissue (gill and fin clip) samples from smolts and juvenile 
steelhead, (7) analyzing fin clips for genetic structure, (8) analyzing 
gill samples for ATPase (decomposition of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) 
into adenosine diphosphate and a free phosphate ion) as an indicator of 
smoltification, and (9) inserting Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) 
tags into smolts and juvenile steelhead. Field activities for the 
proposed research will occur between December 2012 and May 2014. For 
the proposed study, OSU has requested non-lethal capture and release of 
up to 210 juvenile steelhead (30 juvenile steelhead from 7 different 
sites over the course of 1 year) for the purpose of genetic sampling 
(fin clip), the capture and release of up to 684 steelhead smolts (342 
smolts annually over 2 years of sampling) and 304 juvenile steelhead 
(152 juvenile steelhead annually over 2 years of sampling) for the 
purpose of PIT tagging and tissue (gill/ATPase) sampling, capture and 
release of up to 10 adult steelhead (5 adults annually over 2 years of 
sampling) for genetic sampling (fin clip), and up to 40 tissue samples 
(fin clip) from adult steelhead carcasses (20 adult carcasses annually 
over 2 years of sampling). The unintentional lethal take that may occur 
as a result of research activities is a total of 9 juvenile steelhead 
and 16 steelhead smolts. Overall, no intentional lethal take of 
steelhead is expected in association with any aspect of these research 
activities. See the permit application for greater details on the study 
and related methodology.

    Dated: November 8, 2012.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-27665 Filed 11-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P