Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish, 25648-25649 [2018-11863]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 107 (Monday, June 4, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25648-25649]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11863]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG182


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Joint notice of receipt and notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received one permit 
application from the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District 
(District) to enhance propagation and survival of species listed under 
the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended, for a five-year 
period (with a five-year renewal). As part of this permit application, 
the District has submitted a Rescue and Rearing Management Plan (RRMP). 
The RRMP specifies operational methods for South-Central California 
Coast (S-CCC) steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) rescue, rearing, and 
relocation activities associated with the Sleepy Hollow Steelhead 
Rearing Facility (Facility). The Facility is located on the Carmel 
River on the Central California Coast. This document serves to notify 
the public of the availability of the permit application and associated 
RRMP for review and comment prior to a decision by NMFS whether to 
issue the permit. The permit application and associated RRMP can be 
viewed online at: https://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/hatcheries/carmel_rrmp/carmel_rrmp_nor.html.

DATES: Comments or requests for a public hearing on applications must 
be received at the appropriate address or fax number (see Addresses) no 
later than 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on July 5, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the application should be submitted to 
the California Coastal Office, NMFS, c/o Erin Seghesio, 777 Sonoma 
Avenue Room 325, Santa Rosa, CA 95404. Comments may also be submitted 
via fax to 707-578-3435, or by email to: [email protected]. Include in the subject line of the email 
the following identifier: Comments on Permit 14741.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Seghesio at 707-578-8515, 
[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following listed species are covered in this notice:
    Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss): Threatened, South-Central 
California Coast (S-CCC).

    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 parts 
222-227). 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 permit.

    Any one 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.

Permit Applications Received

Permit 14741

    The District has applied for a permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) of 
the ESA for a period of five years (with a five-year renewal) that 
would allow take of juvenile and adult steelhead from the threatened S-
CCC Distinct Population Segment (DPS) pursuant to an RRMP, which was 
developed with technical assistance from NMFS. The objective of the 
District's program is to assist with the restoration, conservation, and 
maintenance of the steelhead population in the Carmel River Watershed 
as mitigation for environmental impacts caused by diversion of surface 
and subsurface streamflow in the lower 24 miles of the mainstem Carmel 
River. The program which was initiated in 1997, was necessary to ensure 
compliance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) from the 
environmental impacts of California American Water Company's water 
withdrawals.
    The RRMP will be implemented as an enhancement program at the 
Facility; actions taken pursuant to the permit are designed to enhance 
survival of S-CCC steelhead that are subject to annual low-flow river 
dryback. The RRMP incorporates three main components: (1) Rescue and 
relocation activities; (2) captive rearing activities; and (3) 
subsequent post-release monitoring. There is no captive spawning of 
steelhead reared at the facility.
    Activities that constitute take of S-CCC steelhead and would be 
permitted include: Rearing, handling and transport, and tagging. The 
RRMP includes measures to minimize the likelihood of genetic or 
ecologic effects to naturally produced S-CCC steelhead resulting from 
operations at the Facility, and rescue and translocation activities. 
Post-release monitoring activities conducted by the District will 
collect necessary data to document achievement of performance 
indicators specified in the RRMP. For a more detailed discussion of 
these activities, please see the permit application.

Public Comments Solicited

    NMFS invites the public to comment on the permit application and 
associated RRMP during a 30 day public comment period beginning on the 
date of this notice. This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) 
of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1529(c)). All comments and materials received, 
including names and addresses, will become part of the administrative 
record and may be released to the public. 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 during the comment period to determine whether the 
application meets the requirements of section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA 
and Federal regulations. The final permit decision will not be made 
until after the end of the 30-day public comment period and after NMFS 
has fully considered all relevant comments received. NMFS will publish 
public notice of its final action in the Federal Register.


[[Page 25649]]


    Dated: May 29, 2018.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-11863 Filed 6-1-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P