Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish, 1201-1203 [2013-00138]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 5 / Tuesday, January 8, 2013 / Notices draft HGMP. The HGMP specifies methods for the operation of the Iron Gate hatchery coho salmon program, located along the Klamath River, within the State of California. This document serves to notify the public of the availability of the permit application and HGMP for public review and comment prior to a decision by NMFS whether to issue the permit. This notice also announces the availability for public review and comment of a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) regarding issuance of the permit, which involves take of coho salmon listed as threatened under the ESA. Written comments on the permit application, draft HGMP, and draft EA must be received at the appropriate address or fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on February 7, 2013. ADDRESSES: Written comments on the application, draft HGMP or draft EA should be submitted to Jim Simondet, Klamath Branch Supervisor, NMFS Northern California Office, 1655 Heindon Rd, Arcata, California 95521. Comments may also be submitted via fax (707) 825–4840, or you may transmit your comment as an attachment to the following email address: IronGate HGMP.SWR@noaa.gov. Copies of the draft EA and HGMP are available for public review during regular business hours from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the NMFS Arcata office, 1655 Heindon Road, Arcata, CA 95521, (707) 825–5171. The permit application may be viewed online at: https://apps.nmfs. noaa.gov/preview/preview_open_for_ comment.cfm. DATES: Jim Simondet, Klamath Branch Supervisor, NMFS, telephone (707) 825–5171, email: jim.simondet@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with Background Section 9 of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1538) and Federal regulations prohibit the take of fish or wildlife species listed as endangered or threatened. The term ‘‘take’’ is defined under the ESA to mean to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct (16 U.S.C. 1532(19)). NMFS may issue permits to take listed species for scientific purposes or to enhance the propagation or survival of the affected species under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1539(a)(1)(A)). NMFS regulations governing such permits are found at 50 CFR 222.308. VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:11 Jan 07, 2013 Jkt 229001 The CDFG and PacifiCorp have applied for a permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA for a period of 10 years that would allow CDFG to take adult and juvenile coho salmon in the threatened Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast Evolutionarily Significant Unit pursuant to a HGMP, which was developed with technical assistance from NMFS. The HGMP will be implemented as part of the existing coho salmon artificial propagation program at Iron Gate Hatchery. Actions taken pursuant to the permit are designed to enhance the survival of coho salmon residing in the Upper Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam. The HGMP incorporates two main components: Artificial propagation and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Artificial propagation activities that could lead to the take of listed coho salmon include: Adult broodstock collection, spawning, rearing, handling, evaluation, tagging and release of progeny. The HGMP includes measures to increase the fertilization of eggs and survival rate for each life stage and to minimize the likelihood of genetic or ecological effects to listed natural fish resulting from the hatchery operations and propagation of hatchery fish. Monitoring and evaluation will occur by conducting coho spawning ground and carcass surveys in the mainstem Klamath River and tributaries that comprise habitat for the Upper Klamath River coho salmon population unit. These data will be used to estimate adult natural and hatchery escapement levels and spawn timing to each stream for the Upper Klamath population unit as a whole. M&E activities will also collect necessary data to document achievement of performance indicators specified in the HGMP. For a more detailed discussion of the project please see the permit application package. National Environmental Policy Act Compliance Proposed permit issuance triggers the need for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NMFS has prepared a draft EA which evaluates the impacts of the proposed issuance of the permit and implementation of the HGMP, as well as the No Action Alternative in which the permit would not be issued and the HGMP may not be fully implemented. Public Comments Solicited NMFS invites the public to comment on the permit application, draft HGMP, and draft EA during a 30 day public comment period beginning on the date of this notice. All comments and materials received, including names and PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 1201 addresses, will become part of the administrative record and may be released to the public. This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1529(c)) and regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1506.6). We provide this notice in order to allow the public, agencies, or other organizations to review and comment on these documents. Next Steps NMFS will evaluate the application, associated documents, and comments submitted to determine whether the application meets the requirements of section 10(a)(1)(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 and after NMFS has fully considered all relevant comments received during the comment period. NMFS will publish notice of its final action in the Federal Register. Angela Somma, Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2013–00137 Filed 1–7–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XC425 Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Applications for two new scientific research permits and four research permit renewals. AGENCY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received six scientific research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon. The proposed research is intended to increase knowledge of species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to help guide management and conservation efforts. 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 February 7, 2013. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\08JAN1.SGM 08JAN1 1202 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 5 / Tuesday, January 8, 2013 / Notices 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. ADDRESSES: 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: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Species Covered in This Notice The following listed species are covered in this notice: Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): endangered upper Columbia River (UCR); threatened Snake River (SR) spring/sum (spr/ sum); threatened SR fall; Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened UCR; threatened SR; threatened middle Columbia River (MCR). Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): endangered SR. Authority Scientific research permits are issued in accordance with section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et. seq) and regulations governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR 222–226). NMFS issues permits based on findings that such permits: (1) Are applied for in good faith; (2) if granted and exercised, would not operate to the disadvantage of the listed species that are the subject of the permit; and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policy of section 2 of the ESA. The authority to take listed species is subject to conditions set forth in the permits. Anyone requesting a hearing on an application listed in this notice should set out the specific reasons why a hearing on that application would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). Such hearings are held at the discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NMFS. Applications Received srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with Permit 1124—5R The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is seeking to renew for five years a permit under which they have been conducting six research projects in the Snake River basin for more than 10 years. The permit would continue to cover the following actions: One general fish population inventory; one project designed to monitor fish health VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:11 Jan 07, 2013 Jkt 229001 throughout the state; two projects looking at natural and hatchery Chinook salmon production (in which sockeye may rarely be captured); one project monitoring natural steelhead; and one project centering on recovering sockeye salmon in Idaho. Much of the work being conducted under these projects is covered by other ESA authorizations; the work contemplated here is only the work that may affect sockeye salmon. The purposes of the research are therefore to monitor listed salmonid health, help guide sockeye salmon recovery operations, and out rightly rescue sockeye salmon in need of help due to circumstances such as being trapped by low flows. The benefits to the salmon will come in the form of information to help guide resource managers in restoring the listed fish and, as stated, in directly rescuing them from peril. The fish would be captured by various methods–screw traps, electrofishing, hook-and-line-angling, mid-water trawl–and most would immediately be released. A few of the captured fish may die as a result of the research. Permit 1134—6R The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is seeking to renew for five years a permit under which they have been conducting research for nearly 15 years. The permit would continue covering five study projects that, among them, would annually take adult and juvenile threatened SR fall Chinook salmon, adult and juvenile threatened SR spring/ summer Chinook salmon, and adult and juvenile threatened SR steelhead in the Snake River basin. There have been some changes in the research over the last ten years; nonetheless, the projects proposed are largely continuations of ongoing research. They are: Project 1— Adult Spring/summer and Fall Chinook Salmon and Summer Steelhead Ground and Aerial Spawning Ground Surveys; Project 2—Cryopreservation of Spring/ summer Chinook Salmon and Summer Steelhead Gametes; Project 3—Adult Chinook Salmon Abundance Monitoring Using Video Weirs, Acoustic Imaging, and PIT tag Detectors in the South Fork Salmon River; Project 4—Snorkel, Seine, fyke net, Minnow Trap, and Electrofishing Surveys and Collection of Juvenile Chinook Salmon and Steelhead; and Project 5—Juvenile Anadromous Salmonid Emigration Studies Using Rotary Screw Traps. Under these tasks, listed adult and juvenile salmon would be variously (1) observed/harassed during fish population and production monitoring surveys; (2) captured (using seines, PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 trawls, traps, hook-and-line angling equipment, and electrofishing equipment) and anesthetized; (3) sampled for biological information and tissue samples, (4) PIT-tagged or tagged with other identifiers, (5) and released. The research has many purposes and would benefit listed salmon and steelhead in different ways. However, in general, the studies are part of ongoing efforts to monitor the status of listed species in the Snake River basin and to use those data to inform decisions about land- and fisheries management actions and to help prioritize and plan recovery measures for the listed species. Under the proposal, the studies would continue to benefit listed species by generating population abundance estimates, allowing comparisons to be made between naturally reproducing populations and those being supplemented with hatchery fish, and helping preserve listed salmon and steelhead genetic diversity. The CRITFC does not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small percentage may die as a result of the research activities. Permit 1480—3R The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is seeking to renew for five years a permit under which they have been conducting research for more than a decade. The renewed permit would continue to allow the USGS to annually take adult and juvenile endangered UCR Chinook and threatened UCR steelhead in nine tributaries to the Methow River (and its mainstem) in Washington State. The purpose of the research is to monitor the contribution these streams make to Chinook and steelhead production in the Methow subbasin— both before and after human-made passage barriers in the streams have been removed. The research would benefit the fish by generating information on the effectiveness of such restoration actions in the area and that information, in turn, would be used to guide other such efforts throughout the region. The USGS proposes to capture the fish—using weirs/traps, nets, and electrofishing equipment—anesthetize them, PIT-tag them (if they are large enough), allow them to recover, and release them. Several instream PIT-tag interrogation sites would be put into place to monitor the fish in the tributaries. In addition, tissue samples would be taken from some of the fish. The USGS does not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small percentage may die as an unintended result of the research activities. E:\FR\FM\08JAN1.SGM 08JAN1 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 5 / Tuesday, January 8, 2013 / Notices Permit 13380—2R The NWFSC is seeking to renew for five years a permit that currently allows them to annually take natural juvenile SR spring/summer Chinook salmon and SR steelhead in the Salmon River subbasin in Idaho. This research has been in progress for over ten years and is designed to assess three alternative methods of nutrient enhancement (Salmon carcasses, carcass analogues, and nutrient pellets) on biological communities in Columbia River tributaries. In general, the purpose of the research is to learn how salmonids acquire nutrients from the carcasses of dead spawners and test three methods of using those nutrients to increase growth and survival among naturally produced salmonids. The research would benefit the fish by helping managers use nutrient enhancement techniques to recover listed salmonid populations. Moreover, managers would gain a broader understanding of the role marine-derived nutrients play in ecosystem health as a whole. This, in turn, would help inform management decisions and actions intended to help salmon recovery in the future. Under the proposed research, the fish would variously be (a) captured (using seines, nets, traps, and possibly, electrofishing equipment) and anesthetized; (b) measured, weighed and fin-clipped; (c) held for a time in enclosures in the stream from which they are captured; and (d) released. A number of the captured fish would also be intentionally killed so the researchers may conduct stable isotope, otolith, and diet analyses with the purpose of linking growth and survival to habitat conditions. It is also likely that a small percentage of the fish being captured would unintentionally be killed during the process; in such instances, any unintentional mortalities would be used in place of any fish that would otherwise be lethally taken. In addition, tissue samples would be taken from adult carcasses. srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with Permit 16979 The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking a fiveyear permit to collect data on UCR Chinook and steelhead abundance, status, distribution, diversity, species/ ecological interactions, and behavior in the Columbia River from its confluence with the Yakima River upstream to Chief Joseph Dam. The research will benefit fish by helping managers (a) understand the distribution and proportion of hatchery and natural origin steelhead, and Chinook in UCR tributaries, (b) understand the VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:11 Jan 07, 2013 Jkt 229001 influences of other biotic and abiotic factors with respect to recovering listed species, (c) understand the potential effects of proposed land use practices, (d) determine appropriate regulatory and habitat protection measures in the areas where land use actions are planned, (e) project the impacts of potential hydraulic projects, and (f) evaluate the effectiveness of local forest practices and instream habitat improvement projects in terms of their ability to protect and enhance listed salmonid populations. The researchers would capture fish via a wide variety of means (snorkeling, dip netting, seining, using electrofishing equipment, traps and weirs, and barbless hook-and-line sampling). The captured fish would be variously tissue sampled, measured, tagged, allowed to recover, and released. The researchers do not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small percentage of them may inadvertently be killed as a result of the proposed activities. Permit 17306 The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is seeking a five-year permit to capture threatened MCR steelhead (adults and juveniles) in the upper Deschutes River, Oregon. The various proposed activities would include adult and juvenile snorkel surveys throughout the basin, screw trapping, backpack and boat electrofishing and mark/recapture studies, hook and line surveys, telemetry, seining, spawning ground surveys using weirs and redd counts, monitoring habitat restoration projects, and setting traps and nets in reservoirs for population monitoring. Data collected from this work would be used to inform management decisions. Biologists from the ODFW have been conducting this work in the area for decades without the need for a permit, but since threatened MCR steelhead have recently been reintroduced to the area, they are seeking a permit that would allow them to continue it. The researchers do not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small percentage may be killed as an inadvertent 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 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 1203 notice of its final action in the Federal Register. Angela Somma, Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2013–00138 Filed 1–7–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XC426 Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Issuance of five scientific research permits. AGENCY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued Permit 14808 to the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), Permit 15573 to the GlennColusa Irrigation District (GCID), Permit 16543 to the California Department of Water Resources (CDWR), Permit 13791 to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and Permit 17077 to Dr. Peter Moyle with the University of California, Davis (UCD). ADDRESSES: The approved application for each permit is available on the Applications and Permits for Protected Species (APPS), https:// apps.nmfs.noaa.gov Web site by searching the permit number within the Search Database page. The applications, issued permits and supporting documents are also available upon written request or by appointment: Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 650 Capitol Mall, Room 5–100, Sacramento, CA 95814 (phone: (916) 930–3600, fax: (916) 930–3629). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amanda Cranford at 916–930–3706, or email: Amanda.Cranford@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: Authority The issuance of permits and permit modifications, as required by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531–1543) (ESA), is based on a finding that such permits/modifications: (1) Are applied for in good faith; (2) would not operate to the disadvantage of the listed species which are the subject of the permits; and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policies set forth in section 2 of the E:\FR\FM\08JAN1.SGM 08JAN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 8, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1201-1203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-00138]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC425


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Applications for two new scientific research permits and four 
research permit renewals.

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

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received six scientific 
research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon. The 
proposed research is intended to increase knowledge of species listed 
under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to help guide management and 
conservation efforts. 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 February 7, 
2013.

[[Page 1202]]


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): endangered upper Columbia 
River (UCR); threatened Snake River (SR) spring/sum (spr/sum); 
threatened SR fall;
Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened UCR; threatened SR; threatened middle 
Columbia River (MCR).
Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): endangered SR.

Authority

    Scientific research permits are issued in accordance with section 
10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et. seq) and regulations 
governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR 222-226). NMFS 
issues permits based on findings that such permits: (1) Are applied for 
in good faith; (2) if granted and exercised, would not operate to the 
disadvantage of the listed species that are the subject of the permit; 
and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policy of section 2 of the 
ESA. The authority to take listed species is subject to conditions set 
forth in the permits.
    Anyone requesting a hearing on an application listed in this notice 
should set out the specific reasons why a hearing on that application 
would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). Such hearings are held at the 
discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NMFS.

Applications Received

Permit 1124--5R

    The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is seeking to renew 
for five years a permit under which they have been conducting six 
research projects in the Snake River basin for more than 10 years. The 
permit would continue to cover the following actions: One general fish 
population inventory; one project designed to monitor fish health 
throughout the state; two projects looking at natural and hatchery 
Chinook salmon production (in which sockeye may rarely be captured); 
one project monitoring natural steelhead; and one project centering on 
recovering sockeye salmon in Idaho. Much of the work being conducted 
under these projects is covered by other ESA authorizations; the work 
contemplated here is only the work that may affect sockeye salmon. The 
purposes of the research are therefore to monitor listed salmonid 
health, help guide sockeye salmon recovery operations, and out rightly 
rescue sockeye salmon in need of help due to circumstances such as 
being trapped by low flows. The benefits to the salmon will come in the 
form of information to help guide resource managers in restoring the 
listed fish and, as stated, in directly rescuing them from peril. The 
fish would be captured by various methods-screw traps, electrofishing, 
hook-and-line-angling, mid-water trawl-and most would immediately be 
released. A few of the captured fish may die as a result of the 
research.

Permit 1134--6R

    The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is seeking 
to renew for five years a permit under which they have been conducting 
research for nearly 15 years. The permit would continue covering five 
study projects that, among them, would annually take adult and juvenile 
threatened SR fall Chinook salmon, adult and juvenile threatened SR 
spring/summer Chinook salmon, and adult and juvenile threatened SR 
steelhead in the Snake River basin. There have been some changes in the 
research over the last ten years; nonetheless, the projects proposed 
are largely continuations of ongoing research. They are: Project 1--
Adult Spring/summer and Fall Chinook Salmon and Summer Steelhead Ground 
and Aerial Spawning Ground Surveys; Project 2--Cryopreservation of 
Spring/summer Chinook Salmon and Summer Steelhead Gametes; Project 3--
Adult Chinook Salmon Abundance Monitoring Using Video Weirs, Acoustic 
Imaging, and PIT tag Detectors in the South Fork Salmon River; Project 
4--Snorkel, Seine, fyke net, Minnow Trap, and Electrofishing Surveys 
and Collection of Juvenile Chinook Salmon and Steelhead; and Project 
5--Juvenile Anadromous Salmonid Emigration Studies Using Rotary Screw 
Traps. Under these tasks, listed adult and juvenile salmon would be 
variously (1) observed/harassed during fish population and production 
monitoring surveys; (2) captured (using seines, trawls, traps, hook-
and-line angling equipment, and electrofishing equipment) and 
anesthetized; (3) sampled for biological information and tissue 
samples, (4) PIT-tagged or tagged with other identifiers, (5) and 
released.
    The research has many purposes and would benefit listed salmon and 
steelhead in different ways. However, in general, the studies are part 
of ongoing efforts to monitor the status of listed species in the Snake 
River basin and to use those data to inform decisions about land- and 
fisheries management actions and to help prioritize and plan recovery 
measures for the listed species. Under the proposal, the studies would 
continue to benefit listed species by generating population abundance 
estimates, allowing comparisons to be made between naturally 
reproducing populations and those being supplemented with hatchery 
fish, and helping preserve listed salmon and steelhead genetic 
diversity. The CRITFC does not intend to kill any of the fish being 
captured, but a small percentage may die as a result of the research 
activities.

Permit 1480--3R

    The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is seeking to renew for 
five years a permit under which they have been conducting research for 
more than a decade. The renewed permit would continue to allow the USGS 
to annually take adult and juvenile endangered UCR Chinook and 
threatened UCR steelhead in nine tributaries to the Methow River (and 
its mainstem) in Washington State. The purpose of the research is to 
monitor the contribution these streams make to Chinook and steelhead 
production in the Methow subbasin--both before and after human-made 
passage barriers in the streams have been removed. The research would 
benefit the fish by generating information on the effectiveness of such 
restoration actions in the area and that information, in turn, would be 
used to guide other such efforts throughout the region. The USGS 
proposes to capture the fish--using weirs/traps, nets, and 
electrofishing equipment--anesthetize them, PIT-tag them (if they are 
large enough), allow them to recover, and release them. Several 
instream PIT-tag interrogation sites would be put into place to monitor 
the fish in the tributaries. In addition, tissue samples would be taken 
from some of the fish. The USGS does not intend to kill any of the fish 
being captured, but a small percentage may die as an unintended result 
of the research activities.

[[Page 1203]]

Permit 13380--2R

    The NWFSC is seeking to renew for five years a permit that 
currently allows them to annually take natural juvenile SR spring/
summer Chinook salmon and SR steelhead in the Salmon River subbasin in 
Idaho. This research has been in progress for over ten years and is 
designed to assess three alternative methods of nutrient enhancement 
(Salmon carcasses, carcass analogues, and nutrient pellets) on 
biological communities in Columbia River tributaries. In general, the 
purpose of the research is to learn how salmonids acquire nutrients 
from the carcasses of dead spawners and test three methods of using 
those nutrients to increase growth and survival among naturally 
produced salmonids. The research would benefit the fish by helping 
managers use nutrient enhancement techniques to recover listed salmonid 
populations. Moreover, managers would gain a broader understanding of 
the role marine-derived nutrients play in ecosystem health as a whole. 
This, in turn, would help inform management decisions and actions 
intended to help salmon recovery in the future.
    Under the proposed research, the fish would variously be (a) 
captured (using seines, nets, traps, and possibly, electrofishing 
equipment) and anesthetized; (b) measured, weighed and fin-clipped; (c) 
held for a time in enclosures in the stream from which they are 
captured; and (d) released. A number of the captured fish would also be 
intentionally killed so the researchers may conduct stable isotope, 
otolith, and diet analyses with the purpose of linking growth and 
survival to habitat conditions. It is also likely that a small 
percentage of the fish being captured would unintentionally be killed 
during the process; in such instances, any unintentional mortalities 
would be used in place of any fish that would otherwise be lethally 
taken. In addition, tissue samples would be taken from adult carcasses.

Permit 16979

    The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking a 
five-year permit to collect data on UCR Chinook and steelhead 
abundance, status, distribution, diversity, species/ecological 
interactions, and behavior in the Columbia River from its confluence 
with the Yakima River upstream to Chief Joseph Dam. The research will 
benefit fish by helping managers (a) understand the distribution and 
proportion of hatchery and natural origin steelhead, and Chinook in UCR 
tributaries, (b) understand the influences of other biotic and abiotic 
factors with respect to recovering listed species, (c) understand the 
potential effects of proposed land use practices, (d) determine 
appropriate regulatory and habitat protection measures in the areas 
where land use actions are planned, (e) project the impacts of 
potential hydraulic projects, and (f) evaluate the effectiveness of 
local forest practices and instream habitat improvement projects in 
terms of their ability to protect and enhance listed salmonid 
populations.
    The researchers would capture fish via a wide variety of means 
(snorkeling, dip netting, seining, using electrofishing equipment, 
traps and weirs, and barbless hook-and-line sampling). The captured 
fish would be variously tissue sampled, measured, tagged, allowed to 
recover, and released. The researchers do not intend to kill any of the 
fish being captured, but a small percentage of them may inadvertently 
be killed as a result of the proposed activities.

Permit 17306

    The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is seeking a 
five-year permit to capture threatened MCR steelhead (adults and 
juveniles) in the upper Deschutes River, Oregon. The various proposed 
activities would include adult and juvenile snorkel surveys throughout 
the basin, screw trapping, backpack and boat electrofishing and mark/
recapture studies, hook and line surveys, telemetry, seining, spawning 
ground surveys using weirs and redd counts, monitoring habitat 
restoration projects, and setting traps and nets in reservoirs for 
population monitoring. Data collected from this work would be used to 
inform management decisions. Biologists from the ODFW have been 
conducting this work in the area for decades without the need for a 
permit, but since threatened MCR steelhead have recently been 
reintroduced to the area, they are seeking a permit that would allow 
them to continue it. The researchers do not intend to kill any of the 
fish being captured, but a small percentage may be killed as an 
inadvertent 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.

Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-00138 Filed 1-7-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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