Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish, 9260 [2015-03499]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 34 (Friday, February 20, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 9260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03499]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 34 / Friday, February 20, 2015 / 
Notices

[[Page 9260]]



DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD77


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Notice; availability of joint state/tribal hatchery plans and 
request for comment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Washington Department of Fish 
and Wildlife and the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe have submitted three 
Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans, to be considered jointly, to 
NMFS pursuant to the limitation on take prohibitions for actions 
conducted under Limit 6 of the 4(d) Rule for salmon and steelhead 
promulgated under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The plans specify 
the propagation of three species of salmon in the Dungeness River 
watershed of Washington State. This document serves to notify the 
public of the availability for comment of the proposed evaluation of 
the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) as to whether implementation of 
the joint plan will appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and 
recovery of ESA-listed Puget Sound Chinook salmon and Puget Sound 
steelhead.
    This notice further advises the public of the availability for 
review of a draft Environmental Assessment of the effects of the NMFS 
determination on the subject joint plans.

DATES: Comments must be received at the appropriate address or fax 
number (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific time on March 23, 
2015.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the proposed evaluation and pending 
determination should be addressed to the NMFS Sustainable Fisheries 
Division, 510 Desmond Dr., Suite 103, Lacey, WA 98503. Comments may be 
submitted by email. The mailbox address for providing email comments 
is: DungenessHatcheries.wcr@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line of 
the email comment the following identifier: Comments on Dungeness River 
hatchery programs. Comment may also be sent via facsimile (fax) to 
(360) 753-9517.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Tynan at (360) 753-9579 or email: 
tim.tynan@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

ESA-Listed Species Covered in This Notice

    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Threatened, naturally 
produced and artificially propagated Puget Sound.
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened, naturally produced and 
artificially propagated Puget Sound.
    Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened, naturally produced and 
artificially propagated Hood Canal summer-run.
    Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus): Threatened Puget Sound/
Washington Coast.
    The Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe and the WDFW have submitted to NMFS 
plans for three jointly operated hatchery programs in the Dungeness 
River basin. The plans were submitted in January 2013, pursuant to 
limit 6 of the 4(d) Rule for the listed Puget Sound Chinook salmon 
evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) and listed Puget Sound steelhead 
distinct population segment (DPS). The plans reflect refinements of 
existing plans provided previously and evaluated pursuant to the 4(d) 
Rule. The hatchery programs release ESA-listed Chinook salmon and non-
listed coho and fall-run pink salmon into the Dungeness River 
watershed. All three programs release fish native to the Dungeness 
River basin. All of the programs are currently operating.
    As required by the ESA 4(d) Rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000, as 
updated in 70 FR 37160, June 28, 2005), the Secretary is seeking public 
comment on her pending determination as to whether the joint plans for 
hatchery programs in the Dungeness River would appreciably reduce the 
likelihood of survival and recovery of the ESA-listed Puget Sound 
salmon and steelhead.
    Under section 4(d) of the ESA, the Secretary is required to adopt 
such regulations as she deems necessary and advisable for the 
conservation of species listed as threatened. NMFS has issued a final 
ESA 4(d) Rule for salmon and steelhead, adopting in Limit 6 regulations 
necessary and advisable to harmonize statutory conservation 
requirements with tribal rights and the Federal trust responsibility to 
tribes (50 CFR 223.209).
    This 4(d) Rule applies the prohibitions enumerated in section 
9(a)(1) of the ESA. NMFS did not find it necessary and advisable to 
apply the take prohibitions described in section 9(a)(1)(B) and 
9(a)(1)(C) to artificial propagation activities if those activities are 
managed in accordance with a joint plan whose implementation has been 
determined by the Secretary to not appreciably reduce the likelihood of 
survival and recovery of the listed salmonids. As specified in limit 6 
of the 4(d) Rule, before the Secretary makes a decision on the joint 
plan, the public must have an opportunity to review and comment on the 
pending determination.

Authority

    Under section 4 of the ESA, the Secretary of Commerce is required 
to adopt such regulations as she deems necessary and advisable for the 
conservation of species listed as threatened. The ESA salmon and 
steelhead 4(d) Rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000, as updated in 70 FR 
37160, June 28, 2005) specifies categories of activities that 
contribute to the conservation of listed salmonids and sets out the 
criteria for such activities. Limit 6 of the updated 4(d) Rule (50 CFR 
223.203(b)(6)) further provides that the prohibitions of paragraph (a) 
of the updated 4(d) Rule (50 CFR 223.203(a)) do not apply to activities 
associated with a joint state/tribal artificial propagation plan 
provided that the joint plan has been determined by NMFS to be in 
accordance with the salmon and steelhead 4(d) Rule (65 FR 42422, July 
10, 2000, as updated in 70 FR 37160, June 28, 2005).

    Dated: February 13, 2015.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-03499 Filed 2-19-15; 8:45 am]
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