Notice2022-03296
Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 16, 2022
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received 52 scientific research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon, steelhead, green sturgeon, rockfish, and eulachon. 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 32 (Wednesday, February 16, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 32 (Wednesday, February 16, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8788-8800]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-03296]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XB812]
Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications; for 37 permit renewals,
three permit modifications, and 12 new permits.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received 52 scientific
research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon,
steelhead, green sturgeon, rockfish, and eulachon. 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: <a href="https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/preview_open_for_comment.cfm">https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/preview_open_for_comment.cfm</a>.
DATES: Comments or requests for a public hearing on the applications
must be received at the appropriate address (see ADDRESSES) no later
than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on March 18, 2022.
[[Page 8789]]
ADDRESSES: Because all West Coast NMFS offices are currently closed,
all written comments on the applications should be sent by email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b8d6d5decb96cfdbca95d9c8c8cbf8d6d7d9d996dfd7ce"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a2cccfc4d18cd5c1d08fc3d2d2d1e2cccdc3c38cc5cdd4">[email protected]</span></a> (please include the permit number in the subject
line of the email).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rob Clapp, Portland, OR (ph.: 503-231-
2314, email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c193aea3a4b3b5ef82ada0b1b181afaea0a0efa6aeb7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b7e5d8d5d2c5c399f4dbd6c7c7f7d9d8d6d699d0d8c1">[email protected]</span></a>). Permit application instructions
are available from the address above, or online at <a href="https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov">https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Species Covered in This Notice
The following listed species are covered in this notice:
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Threatened Lower
Columbia River (LCR); threatened Puget Sound (PS); threatened Snake
River (SnkR) spring/summer-run (spr/sum); threatened SnkR fall-run;
endangered Upper Columbia River (UCR) spring-run; threatened Upper
Willamette River (UWR); threatened Central Valley spring-run (CVS);
endangered Sacramento River (SacR) winter-run; threatened California
Coastal (CC).
Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened LCR; threatened Middle Columbia
River (MCR); threatened PS; threatened SnkR; threatened UCR; threatened
UWR; threatened Northern California (NC); threatened Central California
Coast (CCC); threatened California Central Valley (CCV); threatened
South-Central California Coast (SCCC); endangered Southern California
(SC).
Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened Hood Canal Summer-run (HCS),
threatened Columbia River (CR).
Coho salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened LCR; threatened Oregon Coast
(OC) coho; threatened Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast
(SONCC), endangered Central California Coast (CCC).
Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): Endangered SnkR; threatened Ozette Lake
(OL).
Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus): Threatened southern distinct
population segment (SDPS).
Green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris): Threatened SDPS.
Rockfish (Sebastes spp.): Endangered Puget Sound/Georgia Basin (PS/
GB).
Bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis); threatened PS/GB yelloweye
rockfish (S. ruberrimus).
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
1127-6M
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are seeking to modify a permit that for
more than two decades has allowed them to annually take listed SnkR
Chinook salmon and steelhead while conducting research designed to (1)
monitor adult and juvenile fish in key upper Snake River subbasin
watersheds, (2) assess the utility of hatchery Chinook salmon in
increasing natural populations in the Salmon River, and (3) evaluate
the genetic and ecological impacts hatchery Chinook salmon may have on
natural populations. The modification would involve increasing the
number of adult spr/sum Chinook the Tribes may observe and handle by
permitting them to work at a currently unused weir in the East Fork
Salmon River (Idaho). The modification would also involve greatly
decreasing the number of juvenile salmon the Tribes capture and sample
in the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River. The fish would continue to
benefit from the research in two primary ways. First, the research
would broadly be used to help guide restoration and recovery efforts
throughout the Snake River basin. Second, the research would be used to
analyze how hatchery supplementation can be used as a tool for salmon
recovery.
The researchers would use screw traps, weirs, electrofishing, and
hook-and-line angling gear to capture the listed fish. Once captured,
the fish would undergo various sampling, tagging, and handling regimes,
after which they would be allowed to recover and released. Some tissue
samples would be taken from adult fish carcasses, and the researchers
would conduct some snorkeling surveys and redd counts. In all cases,
trained crews would conduct the operations and no adult salmonids would
be electrofished. All activities would take place in the Salmon River
subbasin. The researchers are not proposing to kill any of the fish
they capture, but some may die as an unintended result of the research.
1135-11R
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is seeking to renew a
permit that for more than 20 years has authorized them to take juvenile
LCR steelhead in the Wind River subbasin (Washington). The purpose of
the study is to provide information on LCR steelhead growth, survival,
habitat use, and life histories. This information would improve
understanding of habitat associations and life history strategies for
LCR steelhead in the Wind River and that, in turn, would help state,
tribal, and Federal efforts to restore LCR steelhead. The USGS proposes
to capture juvenile LCR steelhead using backpack electrofishing
equipment, hold the fish in buckets of aerated water, anesthetize them
with MS-222, measure their length and weight, tag age-0 and age-1 fish
with passive integrated transponders (PIT-tags), and release all fish
at the site of collection after they recover from anesthesia. The
researchers do not propose to kill any fish but a small number may die
as an unintended result of research activities.
1175-10R
The Gifford Pinchot National Forest (GPNF) is seeking to renew for
5 years a permit that currently allows them to take juvenile LCR
Chinook salmon, LCR coho salmon, and LCR and MCR steelhead in the
Cowlitz River subbasin (Lewis, Cowlitz, and Washougal Rivers) and
middle Columbia-Hood subbasin (Wind, Little White Salmon, and Big White
Salmon Rivers) in Washington State. The purpose of this research is to
describe fish species presence, distribution, spawning areas, and
habitat conditions on lands that the GPNF administers. The GPNF and
other agencies would use that information in forest management, habitat
restoration, and species recovery efforts. The GPNF proposes to use
backpack electrofishing and seines to capture juvenile salmonids, hold
them for short periods in buckets of aerated water, identify them, and
then release them at the site where they were captured. The researchers
do not propose to kill any fish, but a small number may die as an
unintended result of research activities.
1339-6R
The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) under the authority of the Columbia River
Intertribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is seeking to renew for 5 years
its permit
[[Page 8790]]
to annually take adult and juvenile SnkR spr/sum Chinook salmon and
SnkR 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 northeastern Oregon, the Clearwater River is in Idaho,
and the work in the Snake River would take place in Washington. The
renewed permit would allow the NPT to continue work they have been
conducting for over 2 decades.
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 status information that fishery managers may use to
determine whether 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, 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.
1341-6R
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are seeking to renew for 5 years their
permit to take SnkR sockeye salmon and SnkR 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 Petit and Alturas Lakes
(Idaho) 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 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 tagged juvenile SnkR sockeye salmon
would then be released upstream of the traps, captured at the traps a
second time, and re-released. Adult fish may be trapped as well if any
are released above Sawtooth Fish Hatchery (run by the Idaho Department
of Fish and Game); these fish would be tissue-sampled and then
immediately released above a temporary weir to spawn in Petit Lake. 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 activities.
1345-10R
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking to
renew for 5 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 cover their work throughout Puget Sound and the Lower
Columbia River basin. The purpose of the warmwater fish surveys is to
assess stocks of inland game fish communities and thereby improve
fishery management. The research would benefit salmonids by helping
managers write warmwater fish species harvest regulations in a manner
that would 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 immediately released
before other species are processed. The researchers would avoid
salmonids and do not propose to kill any, but a small number may die as
an unintended result of the activities.
1379-8R
The CRITFC is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that currently
allows them to take adult and juvenile UCR steelhead and Chinook while
conducting research designed to (1) increase what we know about the
status and productivity of various fish populations, (2) collect data
on migratory and exploitation (harvest) patterns, and (3) 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 nearly 20 years--first under permit 1134,
and then under seven previous versions of 1379. The permit would
comprise three studies: Project 1--Juvenile Upriver Bright Fall Chinook
Sampling at the Hanford Reach; Project 2--Adult Sockeye Sampling at
Tumwater and Wells Dams; and Project 3--Acoustic trawl survey for Lake
Wenatchee juvenile sockeye salmon.
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 salmonid 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 researchers would use 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 (Washington).
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 researchers would also collect, anesthetize,
tissue-sample, and tag adult salmonids at Priest Rapids and Wells Dams
in Washington State. The CRITFC 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.
1386-10R
The Washington Department of Ecology (WDOE) is seeking to renew for
5 years a research permit that currently allows them to take juvenile
and adult PS Chinook salmon, UCR spring-run Chinook salmon, SnkR spr/
sum Chinook salmon, SnkR fall-run Chinook salmon, LCR Chinook salmon,
HCS chum salmon, CR chum salmon, LCR coho salmon, OL sockeye salmon,
SnkR sockeye salmon, LCR steelhead, PS steelhead, MCR steelhead, SnkR
steelhead, and UCR steelhead. The purpose of the research is to
investigate the occurrence and concentrations of toxic contaminants in
non-anadromous freshwater fish tissue, sediment, and water at sites all
across Washington. The WDOE conducts this research in order to meet
Federal and state regulatory
[[Page 8791]]
requirements. This research would benefit listed species by identifying
toxic contaminants in resident and prey fish and thereby inform
pollution control actions. The WDOE proposes to capture fish using
various methods including backpack and boat electrofishing, beach
seining, block, fyke, and gill netting, and angling. All captured
salmon and steelhead would either be released immediately or held
temporarily in an aerated live well to help them recover before
release. The researchers do not propose to kill any fish but a small
number may die as an unintended result of research activities.
1410-13M
The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) is seeking to modify
a research permit that currently allows them to take juvenile and adult
CVS, LCR, PS, SacR winter-run, SnkR fall-run, SnkR spr/sum, UCR, and
UWR Chinook salmon; CR chum salmon; LCR, OC, and SONCC coho salmon;
SnkR sockeye salmon; and LCR, MCR, SnkR basin, UCR, and UWR steelhead
while conducting a study of the Columbia River plume and the
surrounding ocean environment off the coasts of Oregon and Washington.
The NWFSC research may also cause them to take SDPS eulachon, a species
for which there are currently no ESA take prohibitions. The
modification would largely entail increasing take for some species
(e.g., juvenile SnkR spr/sum Chinook salmon) and decreasing take for
other species (e.g., SnkR Fall Chinook salmon). The purposes of the
research are to (1) determine the abundance, distribution, growth, and
condition of juvenile Columbia River salmonids in the river's plume and
characterize its physical and biological features as they relate to
salmonid survival; (2) determine the impact that predators and food
supply have on survival among juvenile Columbia River Chinook and coho
salmon as they migrate through the Columbia River estuary and plume;
and (3) synthesize the early ocean ecology of juvenile Columbia River
salmonids, test mechanisms that control salmonid growth and survival,
and produce ecological indices that forecast salmonid survival.
The research would benefit the affected species by (1) providing
data to improve understanding of how the ocean and Columbia River plume
conditions affect juvenile salmonids, (2) helping predict how changing
ocean conditions would affect salmonid growth and survival, and (3)
helping improve salmon management actions in relation to river, plume,
and ocean conditions. This study would work in conjunction with another
NWFSC study (permit 22369-2M) by capturing salmonids using a different
capture method at deeper locations. The NWFSC proposes to capture fish
using a surface trawl, which can cause lethal crushing and descaling
injuries to juvenile salmonids and eulachon. Juvenile salmonids would
be identified to species, measured for length, and frozen for further
analysis (i.e. weight, growth, genetics, diet (stomach contents),
parasites, pathogens, and physiological condition). Adult salmonids
would be held in an aerated livewell, identified to species, measured
for length, checked for tags and marks, and released. Eulachon would
either be returned to the capture location or retained for further
scientific research activities at the NWFSC. The researchers do not
intend to kill any listed adult salmonids, but some may die as an
inadvertent result of the research.
1465-5R
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) is seeking to
renew for five years a research permit that currently allows them to
take juvenile threatened SnkR steelhead, threatened SnkR fall Chinook
salmon, threatened SnkR spr/sum Chinook salmon, and endangered SnkR
sockeye salmon during the course of two research projects designed to
ascertain the condition of many Idaho streams. The purposes of the
research are to (a) determine whether aquatic life is being properly
supported in Idaho's rivers, streams, and lakes, and (b) assess the
overall condition of Idaho's surface waters. The fish would benefit
from the research because the data it produces would be used to inform
decisions about how and where to protect and improve water quality in
the state. The researchers would use backpack- and boat electrofishing
equipment to capture the fish. They would then be weighed and measured
(some may be anesthetized to limit stress) and released. The IDEQ 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.
1564-6R
The University of Washington (UW) is seeking to renew for 5 years a
permit that currently allows them to annually take juvenile natural-
and hatchery-origin PS Chinook and steelhead while conducting research
designed to monitor the success of habitat restoration projects in the
Duwamish River estuary. The goal of these projects is to understand
changes in population characteristics among Chinook salmon in response
to restoration actions. The habitat restoration work is conducted in
association with several entities including King County, the City of
Seattle, Long Live the Kings, and Vigor Shipyards. The researchers
propose to capture fish using enclosure nets and beach seines. Juvenile
salmon and steelhead would be handled (anesthetized, weighed, measured,
and checked for marks or tags), and released. Juvenile steelhead and a
subsample of Chinook salmon captured may have their stomach contents
non-lethally sampled via gastric lavage. The UW researchers do not
propose to kill any listed animals as part of this project, but a small
number may die as an unintended result of the research activities.
1586-5R
The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that currently
allows them to annually take juvenile, subadult, and adult PS Chinook
salmon, and juvenile PS steelhead, HCS chum salmon, and Bocaccio and
yelloweye rockfish. The purpose of the work is to characterize how wild
juvenile PS Chinook salmon and various forage fish species use
nearshore habitats in the oceanographic basins of the Puget Sound, the
Straits of Juan de Fuca, and the San Juan Islands in Washington State.
The permit would also allow the researchers to take adult SDPS
eulachon, a species for which there are currently no take prohibitions.
The goals of this project are to help managers develop protection and
restoration strategies and monitor the effects of recovery actions. To
accomplish this, the proposed work would help researchers (a) determine
if nearshore populations are increasing or decreasing; and (b)
establish baseline abundance, composition, and genetic structure
metrics for nearshore populations throughout the Puget Sound. The
researchers propose to capture fish using beach seines, Nordic surface
trawls, and hook-and-line sampling. Juvenile salmon and steelhead would
be handled (weighed, measured, and checked for marks or tags), and
released. A subset of juvenile Chinook salmon would have fin clip
samples collected. Adult Chinook salmon may have fin clip or scale
samples collected. Captured rockfish, eulachon, and steelhead would be
handled and released. A small subset of juvenile Chinook salmon would
be lethally sacrificed for contaminant, otolith, and stomach content
analyses. Any fish found dead at the time of
[[Page 8792]]
capture or unintentionally killed during sampling would be used in
place of fish that would otherwise be intentionally sacrificed. Aside
from the subset to be lethally sampled, the NWFSC does not propose to
kill any fish being captured as part of this project--though a small
number may die as an unintended result of the research activities.
1587-7R
The USGS's Western Fisheries Research Center is seeking to renew
for 5 years a permit that currently allows them to annually take
juvenile PS Chinook salmon, juvenile PS steelhead, and juvenile HCS
chum salmon while conducting two research projects designed to explore
the influence of large river deltas on nearshore ecosystem processes
and the impacts urbanization has on such processes in the Puget Sound,
Washington. The permit would also allow the researchers to take adult
SDPS eulachon, a species for which there are currently no take
prohibitions. The goals of this work are to understand physio-chemical
processes related to nearshore habitat changes that alter trophic webs,
community dynamics, and forage fish populations. This information, in
turn, would benefit listed fish by helping managers better grasp the
processes and considerations critical to understanding (and thereby
mitigating) human impacts on nearshore salmonid habitats.
The researchers propose to capture fish using lampara seines, dip
nets, beach seines, gill nets, and hook-and-line sampling, and would
only target forage fish species (i.e., sand lance, surf smelt, and
Pacific herring). Though this study does not target ESA-listed species,
some may be unintentionally captured as part of this work. Any such
fish would be handled (weighed, measured, and checked for marks or
tags) and released near their capture location. The USGS does not
propose to kill any listed fish, but a small number may die as an
unintended result of the research activities.
1598-5R
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,
SnkR spr/sum Chinook salmon, SnkR fall-run Chinook salmon, LCR Chinook
salmon, HCS chum salmon, CR chum salmon, LCR coho salmon, OL sockeye
salmon, SnkR sockeye salmon, LCR steelhead, PS steelhead, MCR
steelhead, SnkR steelhead, and UCR steelhead. The WSDOT research may
also cause them to take SDPS eulachon, a species for which there are
currently no ESA take prohibitions. Sample sites would be located
throughout the state of Washington. The purpose of the study is to
determine the distribution and diversity of anadromous fish species in
waterbodies crossed by or adjacent to the state transportation systems
(highways, railroads, airports, etc.).
This information would be used to assess what 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 capture fish using
dip nets, stick seines, baited minnow traps, or backpack
electrofishing. The captured fish would be identified to species and
immediately released. The researchers do not propose to kill any listed
fish being captured, but a small number may die as an unintended result
of the activities.
10093-3R
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is seeking to
renew a 5 year permit to annually take adult and juvenile CC Chinook;
CCC and SONCC coho; and NC, SCCC, SC and CCC steelhead in watersheds
throughout coastal California. The project goal is to restore salmon
and steelhead productivity in coastal California streams through a
comprehensive restoration program. The specific goals of this research
project are to assess fish abundance and distribution in various
streams slated for restoration work. This research would benefit listed
species by providing data to help managers assess and direct habitat
restoration projects across much of the salmonid-bearing waters of
California. Fish would be captured by backpack electrofishing, beach
seines, minnow traps, and weirs; they would also be observed during
snorkel and spawning ground surveys. Some captured fish would be
anesthetized, measured, weighed, tagged, and tissue-sampled for genetic
information. The researchers do not expect to kill any listed salmonids
but a small number may die as an unintended result of the proposed
activities.
13381-4R
The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that currently
allows them to annually take natural juvenile SnkR spr/sum Chinook and
SnkR steelhead in various places in the Salmon River drainage in Idaho
and at Little Goose and Lower Granite Dams on the lower Snake River.
The purpose of the research is to continue monitoring parr-to-smolt
survival and outmigration behavior among wild SnkR spr/sum Chinook
salmon populations from Idaho. Steelhead juveniles that are
inadvertently collected would also be tagged to help supplement an
ongoing Idaho Department of Fish and Game study.
The research would benefit the fish by continuing to supply
managers with the information they need to budget water releases at
hydropower facilities in ways designed to help protect migrating
juvenile salmonids. The information gained would also be used to build
long-term data sets on parr-to-smolt migration behavior and survival
rates. This information, coupled with water quality, weather, and
climate data, is intended to provide a foundation for understanding
these populations' life histories--the knowledge of which is critical
to planning effective recovery actions. The listed fish would be
captured (using seines, dip nets, and electrofishing), anesthetized,
tagged, and released. A portion of these fish would also be re-captured
at a smolt bypass facility, anesthetized, weighed, measured, and
released. The researchers 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.
13382-4R
The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that currently
allows them to annually take juvenile threatened SnkR spr/sum Chinook
salmon and juvenile threatened SnkR steelhead at various places in the
Snake River in Idaho and in various streams of Southeast Washington and
Northeast Oregon. Most of the activities under this permit have been
under way for nearly 20 years--first under Permit 1406 and then under
previous versions of Permit 13382. Under the permit, the listed fish
would be variously captured (using seines, dip nets, traps, and
electrofishing), anesthetized, tissue sampled, weighed, measured, and
released. In addition, a small number of juvenile fish would be caught
using electrofishing methods, anesthetized, and then held in aerated
containers of water with varying temperature regimes to measure their
cardiac performance. The fish would then in all cases be allowed to
recover and returned live to the place of their capture.
The purposes of the research are therefore (1) to continue
monitoring the effects of supplementation among steelhead and spr/sum
Chinook salmon populations in Idaho, and (2) measure
[[Page 8793]]
cardiac performance in juvenile salmonids. The research would benefit
the fish by generating baseline information on elevated temperature
effects and continuing to supply managers with the information they
need when seeking to use hatchery programs to conserve listed species.
The researchers do not intend to kill any of the fish being captured,
but some may die as an unintended result of the process.
14419-4R
The Sonoma County Water Agency is seeking to renew a 5 year permit
to annually take adult and juvenile CC Chinook, CCC coho and CCC
steelhead in the Russian River watershed, California. The project's
goal is to detect and depict trends in ESA-listed salmonid populations
in the Russian River watershed and to monitor the results of salmonid
habitat enhancement efforts. This research would benefit listed species
by providing life cycle and habitat-specific estimates of residence
time, growth, and survival so that resource management agencies can
better identify and prioritize key restoration actions in the Russian
River watershed.
Fish would be captured by downstream-migrant trapping (rotary screw
traps, fyke nets, and pipe/funnel nets), electrofishing (backpack and
boat), otter trawl, hook-and-line sampling, and beach seining. Fish
would also be observed during snorkel and spawning surveys. Some fish
would be anesthetized, measured, weighed, tagged, scale-sampled, and/or
tissue-sampled for genetic information. The stomach contents of a small
subset of fish would be sampled using non-lethal gastric lavage. A
maximum of 130 juvenile steelhead and 150 juvenile Chinook would be
sacrificed for otolith microchemistry analysis. Beyond these subsets,
the researchers do not intend to kill any listed fish, and any that are
inadvertently killed would be used in place of the animals that would
otherwise be sacrificed.
15542-6R
TRPA Fish Biologists is seeking to renew a 5 year research permit
to annually take juvenile and adult CCV steelhead in Lower Putah Creek
in the lower Sacramento River basin, California. The project's goal is
to monitor the distribution and relative abundance of fish populations
in lower Putah Creek downstream from the Putah Diversion Dam. This
research would benefit listed steelhead by providing information on
fish response to river flows, and generating baseline information on
the distribution and diversity of rainbow trout/steelhead in Putah
Creek. Fish would be captured by backpack and boat electrofishing.
Captured fish would be identified by species, measured, weighed,
allowed to recover, and released. The researchers do not expect to kill
any listed salmonids but a small number may die as an unintended result
of the research activities.
15548-2R
TRPA Fish Biologists is seeking to renew a 5 year research permit
to annually take adult and juvenile CCC steelhead in Suisun Creek,
Green Valley Creek, and Ledgewood Creek in Solano and Napa Counties,
California. The project's goal is to monitor fish distribution,
population structure, relative abundance, condition, and general
health. The research would benefit CCC steelhead by producing data that
would be used to help develop the Solano Habitat Conservation Plan in
as fish-friendly a manner as possible. Listed fish would be captured by
backpack and boat electrofishing; they would then be identified by
species, measured, weighed, allowed to recover, and released. The
researchers do not expect to kill any listed salmonids but a small
number may die as an unintended result of the research activities.
15848-3R
The WDFW is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that currently
allows them to annually take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon, PS
steelhead, HCS chum salmon, Bocaccio, and yelloweye rockfish, and adult
SDPS green sturgeon while conducting research to estimate the relative
numerical and biomass abundance of bottom fish in the basins of Puget
Sound, Washington. They would also collect other distributional and
biological information for key marine resources. The researchers may
also capture adult and juvenile SDPS eulachon, a species for which
there are currently no take prohibition. The goals of this work are to
develop a fishery-independent method for tracking population trends
over time and provide managers and stakeholders with information about
ecosystem productivity, community structure, and trends. This
information would benefit listed species by informing an array of
future management decisions.
The researchers would use bottom trawls to capture fish and would
not target listed species, but they may unintentionally encounter some
during the course of the work. All listed animals that may be captured
would be handled (weighed, measured, and checked for marks or tags) and
released near their capture location. The WDFW does not propose to kill
any listed fish as part of this project, but a small number may die as
an unintended result of the proposed activities.
15890-3R
The WDFW is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that currently
allows them to annually take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon, PS
steelhead, HCS chum salmon, Bocaccio, and yelloweye rockfish while
conducting research to estimate the abundance of pelagic forage fish
species in key areas of the Puget Sound, Washington. The researchers
would also encounter SDPS eulachon, a species for which there are
currently no take prohibitions. The goals of this work are to compare
pelagic species stock abundances over time and gather growth,
mortality, and recruitment information about the populations. This
information would benefit listed species by informing an array of
future fishery management decisions.
The researchers propose to capture fish using midwater trawls and,
while they would not target listed species, some may be captured during
the course of the work. Any ESA-listed salmon, steelhead, or rockfish
captured would be handled (weighed, measured, and checked for marks or
tags), tissue-sampled (scale or fin clip), and released near their
capture location. Any SDPS eulachon captured would be handled and
released. The WDFW does not propose to kill any listed fish as part of
this project, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the
research activities.
16021-3R
The WDFW is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that currently
allows them to annually take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon,
Bocaccio, and yelloweye rockfish, and SDPS green sturgeon while
conducting research to study the stock structure, biology, food web
relationships, and abundance of groundfish species in inland marine
waters of Puget Sound, Washington. The researchers may also capture
adult SDPS eulachon, a species for which there are currently no take
prohibitions. The goal of this work is to improve understanding of
groundfish stock structure, life history, biology, geographic
distribution, habitat use, and food web relationships. The researchers
propose to capture fish using hook-and-line angling and live-capture
traps and, though they are not targeting ESA-listed species, they may
inadvertently capture some. In addition, the researchers
[[Page 8794]]
propose to use modified dinglebar trolling gear, although it will only
be deployed in habitats where they do not anticipate encountering ESA-
listed species. All captured rockfish would be handled (weighed,
measured, and checked for marks or tags), sampled for stomach contents,
tissue-sampled, floy-tagged, and released near the site of their
capture. Any ESA-listed salmon, eulachon, or green sturgeon captured
would be handled and swiftly released. The WDFW does not propose to
kill any ESA-listed species as part of this project, but a small number
may die as an unintended result of the proposed activities.
16069-4R
The City of Portland is seeking to renew for 5 years a research
permit that currently allows them to take juvenile UCR spring-run
Chinook salmon, UWR Chinook salmon, SnkR spr/sum Chinook salmon, SnkR
fall-run Chinook salmon, LCR Chinook salmon, CR chum salmon, LCR coho
salmon, SnkR sockeye salmon, LCR steelhead, UWR steelhead, MCR
steelhead, SnkR steelhead, and SDPS green sturgeon in the Columbia and
Willamette rivers and some of their tributaries in Oregon. The
researchers may also take some adult SDPS eulachon (a species for which
there are currently no ESA take prohibitions). This research is part of
the Portland Watershed Management Plan--a series of projects designed
to improve watershed health in the Portland area. Project staff would
annually sample 37 sites across all Portland watersheds and record data
on local hydrology, habitat, water chemistry, and biological
communities.
The research would benefit listed salmonids by providing
information to help managers assess watershed health, critical habitat
status, effectiveness of watershed restoration actions, and compliance
with regulatory requirements. The City of Portland proposes to capture
juvenile fish using backpack and boat electrofishing equipment, hold
them in a bucket of aerated water, take caudal fin clips for genetic
analysis, and release them. The researchers would avoid contact with
adult fish. The researchers do not propose to kill any fish but a small
number may die as an unintended result of the proposed activities.
16091-3R
The WDFW is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that currently
allows them to annually take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon, PS
steelhead, Bocaccio, yelloweye rockfish, and adult SDPS green sturgeon
while monitoring English sole (Parophrys vetulus) for (1) chemical
contaminant levels in fish tissues, (2) pathological disorder
frequency, and (3) other biomarkers signifying biological effects in in
the Puget Sound, Washington. The researchers may also capture SDPS
eulachon, a species for which there are currently no take prohibitions.
The goal of this work is to monitor contaminants in this indicator
benthic fish to better understand toxic contaminant impacts on the
benthic food web, measure changes in toxic contaminant levels at a
local level, and prioritize cleanup efforts in the Puget Sound. This
information would benefit listed fish by helping managers make informed
decisions regarding habitat restoration efforts throughout the Puget
Sound. The researchers propose to capture fish using bottom trawls and,
though they are not targeting listed species, they may capture some as
part of this work. Any viable ESA-listed species captured would be
handled, allowed to recover, and quickly released. The WDFW does not
propose to kill any listed fish, but a small number may die as an
unintended result of the research activities.
16318-4R
Hagar Environmental Services is seeking to renew for 5 years a
permit that currently allows them to annually take juvenile CCC coho
and juvenile CCC and SCCC steelhead in Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San
Luis Obispo counties, California. The purpose of this study is to
gather data on salmonid abundance and distribution and quantify various
habitat parameters with the goal of improving watershed management
across three counties. This research would benefit listed species by
helping managers draft a fish-friendly habitat conservation plan for
the City of Santa Cruz and, in general, better inform land management
decisions throughout the area. Fish would be captured by backpack
electrofishing and beach seines and observed during snorkel surveys.
Some fish would be anesthetized, measured, weighed, tagged, and scale-
and tissue-sampled for genetic information. The researchers do not
expect to kill any listed salmonids but a small number may die as an
unintended result of the research activities.
16521-3R
The WDFW is seeking a to renew for 5 years their 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 fish losses in
the area. The information collected from these surveys is used to
evaluate protections for juvenile fall Chinook under the Hanford Reach
Fall Chinook Protection Program Agreement; it has also been used to
gauge the efficacy of the coded-wire-tagging program for marking wild
up-river bright fall Chinook in the Hanford Reach. These surveys
provide biologists and managers with definitive data on fish presence
and the impacts both listed and non-listed Chinook and steelhead
experience when residing in near-shore habitats in this area of the
Columbia River. These data have been (and would continue to be) used to
help guide management actions for the benefit of the listed species.
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.
16702-4R
The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that currently
allows them to annually take juvenile PS Chinook salmon and steelhead
and adult SDPS eulachon (a species for which there are currently no
take prohibitions) while conducting research designed to characterize
how wild juvenile PS Chinook salmon use habitats in the Snohomish River
estuary and delta in the Puget Sound, Washington. The goal of this
project is to identify the life history types of juvenile PS Chinook
salmon present, characterize their spatial and temporal distribution,
and assess their feeding ecology and interactions with other biota. The
gathered data would benefit listed fish by better informing Snohomish-
area land management decisions as conditions and opportunities change.
The researchers propose to capture fish using beach seines and fyke
nets. Juvenile salmon and steelhead would be handled (weighed,
measured, and checked for marks or tags), and released. A small subset
of hatchery- and naturally-produced juvenile Chinook salmon would be
lethally sacrificed for stable isotope, otolith, and stomach contents
analysis. Any fish found dead at the time of capture or unintentionally
killed during sampling would be used in place of fish that would
otherwise be intentionally sacrificed. Aside from this
[[Page 8795]]
subset, the NWFSC does not propose to kill any other fish being
captured as part of this project, but a small number may die as an
unintended result of the research activities.
17292-3R
NMFS's Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) is seeking to
renew a 5 year research permit to annually take adult and juvenile CC
Chinook, CCC and SONCC coho, and NC, SCCC, SC and CCC steelhead.
Sampling would be conducted in California on a variety of coastal
salmonid populations. The purposes of this research are to: (1)
Estimate population abundance and dynamics; (2) evaluate factors
affecting growth, survival, reproduction, and other life history
patterns; (3) assess life-stage specific habitat use and movement; (4)
evaluate physiological performance and tolerance; (5) determine the
genetic structure of populations; (6) evaluate the effects of water
management and habitat restoration; and (7) develop improved sampling
and monitoring methods. The research would benefit the coastal
California salmon stocks by providing critical information to support
their conservation, management, and recovery.
The listed fish would be captured using backpack electrofishing,
hook-and-line sampling, hand- and dipnets, beach seines, fyke nets,
panel, pipe or rotary screw traps, and weirs. They would also be
observed during spawning ground and snorkel surveys. Some fish would be
anesthetized, measured, weighed, tagged (coded wire, elastomer, radio,
acoustic, PIT, or sonic), and tissue-sampled for genetic information. A
small number of juvenile fish would be sacrificed to support laboratory
experiments and assess mercury levels and RNA expression, but otherwise
the researchers do not intend to kill any of the captured fish--though
some may die as an inadvertent result of the activities.
17299-4R
The SWFSC is seeking to renew a 5 year research permit to annually
take adult and juvenile CCV steelhead, SacR winter-run and CVS Chinook
salmon, and SDPS green sturgeon while conducting research activities in
the California Central Valley. The overall goal of this project is to
provide critical information to support California salmonid stock
conservation and management. The SWFSC would conduct comparative
studies on salmon ecology across all Central Valley habitats (streams,
rivers, and delta) to increase our knowledge of California's Chinook
salmon and steelhead life histories. The proposed action would include
six study efforts: (1) Producing telemetry data to assess river habitat
use, behavior, and survival; (2) estimating predator impacts on salmon;
(3) making physiological measurements of aerobic scope across stocks;
(4) examining otoliths to identify stocks of salmonids and thereby
inform Central Valley project operations and Bay-Delta monitoring; (5)
annually updating strontium and sulfur isoscape validation tools for
reconstructing juvenile habitat use; and (6) applying isotope methods
to reconstruct salmon habitat use and growth studies. The research
would benefit the affected species by providing critical information to
inform life-cycle modeling efforts at the SWFSC and help guide NMFS's
West Coast Region and various Central Valley agencies in their resource
management efforts. In addition, results would also be integrated into
the Central Valley Project Improvement Act and thereby help prioritize
habitat restoration actions.
In situations where the SWFSC are unable to rely on collaborators
to capture fish, collection methods would include rotary screw traps,
fyke nets, backpack- and boat electrofishing, beach seining, tangle
netting, DIDSON (sonar) observations, hook-and-line sampling, and
spawning ground and snorkel surveys. Some fish would be anesthetized,
measured, weighed, tagged (coded wire, elastomer, radio, acoustic, PIT,
or sonic), and tissue sampled (fin clip, scales, stomach lavage).
Another subset would be tested in the laboratory to measure aerobic
scope under a range of temperature and flow combinations. Most of the
fish to be captured would experience no long-term adverse effects,
however, a number of hatchery fish that have had their adipose fins
removed would be sacrificed to collect otoliths for age/growth
analysis, organ tissues for isotope, biochemical and genomic expression
assays and parasite infections, and to assess tag effects/retention. It
should be noted that there are no take prohibitions for such fish and
they are by definition considered excess to the species' recovery
needs.
17306-3R
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is seeking to
renew for 5 years a permit that currently authorizes them 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. Most captured fish
would be identified, measured and released, though some would also be
tissue sampled and/or floy- or PIT-tagged. Data collected from this
work would be used to inform management decisions in the Deschutes
River watershed for the benefit of MCR steelhead. Biologists from the
ODFW have been conducting this work in the area for decades. 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.
17916-2R
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Arcata Field Office, is
seeking to renew a 5 year research permit to annually take adult and
juvenile CC Chinook salmon, SONCC coho salmon, and NC steelhead in
watersheds throughout Northwest California--including the Mattole
River, Eel River, the Lost Coast region tributaries to the Pacific
Ocean, and some Humboldt Bay tributaries. The purpose of this research
is to monitor how current management actions under the Northwest Forest
Plan's Aquatic Conservation Strategy are affecting anadromous salmonids
and their habitats. In order to monitor land management actions and
implement the Northwest Forest Plan in northern California, the BLM
needs to obtain updated information on fish distribution and habitat.
Thus, the information to be gathered would benefit listed species by
informing adaptive management strategies intended to aid salmon
recovery.
Fish would be captured using backpack electrofishing, hand/or dip
nets, beach seines and observed during spawning and snorkel surveys.
Some fish would be anesthetized, measured, and weighed. The researchers
do not expect to kill any listed salmonids but a small number may die
as an unintended result of the research activities.
18012-3R
The CDFW Bay Delta Region's Central Coast Watershed Restoration and
Fisheries Management Program is seeking to renew a 5 year research
permit to annually take adult and juvenile CC Chinook salmon, CCC coho
salmon, and NC, CCC and SCCC steelhead in Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa,
[[Page 8796]]
Marin, San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, California. The
purpose of this research is to assess salmonid stock status throughout
the seven counties and identify factors that may be limiting population
growth and recovery. The proposed studies are: (1) Juvenile salmonid
occurrence, distribution and habitat monitoring; (2) adult salmonid
occurrence, passage, and distribution; (3) spawning ground surveys; (4)
life cycle station monitoring; and (5) juvenile steelhead lagoon
seining and habitat monitoring. This research would benefit listed
species by informing proposed habitat restoration project designs,
helping prioritize watershed restoration efforts, and helping managers
mitigate the negative impacts of various management actions.
Fish would be captured via backpack electrofishing, beach seining,
rotary screw trapping, fyke/pipe trapping, and weirs. They would also
be observed during spawning and snorkel surveys and at electronic
counting stations (by DIDSON (sonar) array, Vaki Riverwatcher, and
video weirs). Most juvenile fish would be handled, measured for fork
length, weighed, and released. Various subsets of the captured juvenile
fish would be anesthetized, tissue-sampled (fin clip) for genetic
analysis, scale sampled, marked with an upper caudal fin clip, and/or
PIT-tagged. Captured adult salmon would be handled (identified,
measured, weighed, and scale- and tissue-sampled), tagged (bi-colored
Floy tags and/or opercule-punched), and released. The researchers do
not expect to kill any listed salmonids but a small number may die as
an unintended result of the research activities.
19820-3R
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) Biogeochemistry &
Fish Ecology Lab is seeking to renew a 5 year research permit to
annually take juvenile SacR winter-run and CVS Chinook, juvenile and
adult CCC and CCV steelhead, and juvenile SDPS green sturgeon in the
San Francisco Bay Area and tributaries. The purpose of this research is
to determine the degree to which Longfin Smelt use tributaries of San
Pablo and San Francisco bays as spawning and rearing habitat. This
information would improve the understanding of how bay tributaries
contribute to the overall population of Longfin Smelt and that
information, in turn, would benefit listed salmonids by improving our
understanding of tributary habitat health in areas not previously
monitored.
Although this study principally targets longfin smelt, SacR winter-
run and CVS Chinook, CCC and CCV steelhead and SDPS green sturgeon may
be encountered during sampling. Fish would be captured with beach
seines, fyke nets, and trawls (otter and Kodiak). Captured fish would
be identified by species, enumerated, and released. A sub-sample of 30
individuals per species would be measured. The researchers do not
propose to kill any fish but a small number may die as an unintended
result of research activities.
20104-3R
The Pacific Shellfish Institute is seeking to renew for 5 years a
permit that currently allows them to annually take juvenile PS Chinook
salmon, PS steelhead, and SDPS green sturgeon in eelgrass and mudflat
habitats in Samish Bay in the Puget Sound and in Willapa Bay on the
coast of Washington. The researchers may also capture SDPS eulachon, a
species for which there are currently no take prohibitions. The
researchers are also requesting to expand their work to include sites
in Hood Canal, South Puget Sound, and Grays Harbor, Washington; Coos
Bay, Oregon; and Humboldt Bay, California. They would also seek to also
take juvenile HCS chum salmon, OC coho salmon, SONCC coho salmon, CC
Chinook salmon, and NC steelhead. The research is designed to quantify
the effects shellfish culture and burrowing shrimp have on seagrass and
its function as habitat for fish and invertebrates. The researchers
would examine the spatial relationships between existing shellfish
culture, burrowing shrimp, and seagrass in several Pacific Northwest
estuaries. They would also synthesize data and parameterize production
functions for higher trophic level species of interest across habitat
types. The goal of this project is to help develop a landscape-scale
understanding of the influence aquaculture has on estuarine habitats
and thereby help managers develop environmentally and economically
sustainable shellfish farming practices that would also help conserve
listed salmonids and other fish.
The researchers propose to capture fish using beach seines, open-
ended fyke nets with cameras, and Breder traps. Captured fish would be
handled (weighed, measured, and checked for marks or tags), and
released. A small subset of fish from all species captured may also be
lethally sacrificed for stable isotope and stomach contents analyses.
Any fish found dead at the time of capture or unintentionally killed
during sampling would be used in place of fish that would otherwise be
intentionally sacrificed. In addition to those intentionally
sacrificed, a small number of listed juvenile fish may die as an
unintended result of the research activities.
20492-3R
The ODFW is seeking to renew a permit a permit that currently
authorizes research in lake, river, backwater, slough, and estuary
habitats in the Willamette and Columbia basins (Oregon) and on the
Oregon coast. The permit would continue to allow the ODFW to take
juvenile CR Chum, LCR Columbia Chinook, UCR Chinook, SnkR spr/sum
Chinook, SnkR fall Chinook, UWR Chinook, LCR Coho, LCR Steelhead, MCR
Steelhead, UCR Steelhead, SnkR Steelhead, UWR Willamette Steelhead,
SnkR Sockeye Salmon, OC Coho, and adult SDPS green sturgeon. The permit
would also allow ODFW to take adult SDPS eulachon--a species for which
there are currently no take prohibitions. The information to be
collected would be used to monitor population structure and abundance
for many species across the landscape. This, in turn, would be used to
improve a suite of listed-fish-affecting management actions throughout
much of Oregon.
The permit would cover the following projects: (1) Warmwater and
Recreational Game Fish Management, (2) District Fish Population
Sampling in the Upper Willamette Basin, and (3) Salmonid Assessment and
Monitoring in the Deschutes River. The researchers propose to use boat
electrofishing to sample fish. Most juveniles and all adults would be
allowed to swim away without being handled after they are
electroshocked, but some juveniles would be netted, identified, and
released immediately. A subset of captured juveniles would be
anesthetized, weighed and measured, allowed to recover, and then
released. All ESA-listed fish would be processed and released before
any non-listed fish are processed. 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.
21185-2R
The Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) is seeking to renew for 5 years a
permit that currently allows them to annually take juvenile PS Chinook
salmon and steelhead while conducting research to validate and correct
existing Washington Department of Natural Resources channel water-type
classifications regarding tributaries to the Puget Sound and the
Deschutes
[[Page 8797]]
River (Washington). The goal of this work is to generate data that can
be used to identify wild fish habitat restoration opportunities and
thereby (a) improve regulatory protection of sensitive aquatic habitats
for ESA-listed Chinook salmon and steelhead, and (b) help land use
planners implement better recovery strategies. The researchers propose
to capture fish using backpack electrofishing. Any juvenile PS
steelhead captured would be handled (weighed, measured, and checked for
marks or tags), tissue-sampled (fin clip or opercule punch), and
released. Juvenile PS Chinook salmon captured would be handled and
released. The WFC does not propose to kill any listed fish as part of
this project, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the
research activities.
21220-2R
The Battelle Memorial National Ecological Observatory Network
(NEON) Program is seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that currently
authorizes them to capture adult and juvenile threatened LCR steelhead
in Martha Creek, Washington while conducting research designed to
monitor climate change, land use alterations, and invasive species
distribution. The NEON researchers would continue to use instream and
riparian sensors in combination with field sampling to characterize
chemical, physical, and biological properties of the stream and
riparian ecosystem. The aquatic sampling suite would consist of
chemical measurements of surface and shallow ground water, physical
measurements of stream and riparian habitat, and biological
measurements of the aquatic community (biofilms, macrophytes, algae,
invertebrates, and fish).
During times when no LCR steelhead adults or redds are present,
NEON would survey fish using three-pass backpack electrofishing with
block nets placed at the upper and lower boundaries of each survey
reach. The captured fish would be held in buckets of cool stream water,
anesthetized with a eugenol solution, identified, photographed,
measured, allowed to recover, and then released back to the stream. If
any adult steelhead are encountered during electrofishing, NEON would
immediately turn off the electrofishing unit, let the fish swim away,
and halt surveys until the researchers determine through consultation
with NMFS and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest that listed adults or
redds are no longer present in the research area. Although NEON's
standardized fish survey protocols describe tissue sampling and
vouchering fish specimens, NEON does not propose to tissue-sample or
intentionally kill any O. mykiss at the Martha Creek research site.
However, a small number of juvenile LCR steelhead may die as an
unintended consequence of the activities.
21330-4R
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is seeking to renew for
5 years a permit that currently allows them to annually take juvenile
and adult PS Chinook salmon and steelhead while conducting research to
document fish presence and abundance in Jim Creek in Snohomish County,
Washington. The goal of this work is to provide data regarding fish
distribution and abundance in Jim Creek to help the U.S. Navy refine
their Integrated Natural Resources Management plan for Naval Radio
Station Jim Creek. The Navy would then use this information to design
and carry out habitat restoration for the benefit of the listed fish.
The researchers propose to capture fish using backpack
electrofishing; they would also conduct snorkel and spawning surveys.
Any juvenile PS Chinook salmon or steelhead captured would be handled
(weighed, measured, and checked for marks or tags) and released. Some
juvenile steelhead may also be tissue-sampled (fin clip or opercule
punch). The USFWS does not propose to kill any listed fish, but a small
number may die as an unintended result of the research activities.
22369-2M
The NWFSC is seeking to modify a permit that currently allows them
to annually take juvenile and adult PS Chinook salmon, PS steelhead,
HCS chum salmon, OL sockeye salmon, SnkR fall-run Chinook salmon, SnkR
spr/sum Chinook salmon, SnkR sockeye salmon, SnkR steelhead, UCR
spring-run Chinook salmon, UCR steelhead, UWR Chinook salmon, MCR
steelhead, LCR Chinook salmon, LCR coho salmon, LCR steelhead, CR chum
salmon, OC coho salmon, SONCC coho salmon, CC Chinook salmon, SacR
winter-run Chinook salmon, CV spring-run Chinook salmon, and SDPS green
sturgeon. The researchers may also capture SDPS eulachon, a species for
which there are currently no take prohibitions. The research involves
using pop-up satellite tags and acoustic tags to identify the ocean
distribution of salmonids off the coast of Washington and mouth of the
Columbia River. The researchers wish to modify their permit by
increasing the amount of take allowed for some of the species they may
encounter.
The primary goal of this project is to investigate nearshore
behavior, distribution, and migration patterns, diet, growth rates, and
habitat use among Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead. The
researchers would also use tissue samples to determine the captured
fishes' genetic origins. The researchers propose to capture fish using
hook-and-line angling. Coho, chum, and sockeye salmon, as well as
eulachon and green sturgeon, would be handled (weighed, measured, and
checked for marks or tags), and released. Chinook and steelhead would
be anesthetized, tagged with PIT and internal acoustic tags, and have
scale and tissue samples collected. A small subset of juvenile Chinook
salmon and steelhead would be lethally sacrificed to collect diet, age,
and growth information. Aside from this subset, the NWFSC does not
propose to kill any other fish being captured as part of this project,
though a small number may die as an unintended result of the research
activities.
23798
Michael Rogner, Senior Restoration Ecologist at River Partners is
seeking a new, 5 year research permit that would allow him to take
juvenile SacR winter-run and CVS Chinook salmon, and CCC and CCV
steelhead in the Sacramento River, CA. The project's goal is to measure
the effectiveness of an experimental approach to prolonging floodplain
inundation for the purpose of maximizing growth and survival among
outmigrating juvenile salmon. This research would benefit listed
species by helping managers find new ways to convert floodplain areas
throughout the Central Valley into habitat suitable for rearing
juvenile salmon. Fish would be captured with fyke nets and
anesthetized, measured, weighed, tagged, and tissue-sampled for genetic
information. The researchers do not expect to kill any listed salmonids
but a small number may die as an unintended result of the research
activities.
25839
ICF Consulting is seeking a new, 5 year research permit to annually
take juvenile CCV spring-run Chinook and juvenile CCV steelhead in the
Lower Yuba River. The purpose of this research is to quantify habitat
productivity and juvenile salmonid growth in seasonally available
habitats in the Lower Yuba River. The information would benefit listed
fish by improve our understanding of how
[[Page 8798]]
juvenile salmonids use these habitats for rearing. The researchers
would survey main channel, side-channel, and intermittently inundated
gravel bar habitats and identify environmental factors underlying
differences among the various sites. This information, in turn, would
be used to evaluate some of the assumptions about juvenile salmonid
growth and habitat suitability that currently guide scientific and
restoration efforts--thus improving such efforts' efficacy.
The researchers would employ single-pass transect backpack
electrofishing to capture salmonids. Fish would be anesthetized,
measured, clipped, weighed, and photographed. While electrofishing
collection efforts would target salmonids, the researchers also expect
to encounter known salmonid predators (e.g., Sacramento Pikeminnow).
Each captured predatory fish would be measured and released. The
researchers do not expect to kill any listed salmonids but a small
number may die as an unintended result of the research activities.
25856
Steve Zeug, Senior Scientist at Cramer Fish Sciences is seeking a
new, 5 year research permit to take adult and juvenile CCV steelhead in
the Stanislaus River. The project's goal is to provide information on
the river's O. mykiss population: Annual growth rates, age and spatial
structure, contribution of resident and anadromous parents to juvenile
production, probability of juvenile outmigration, abundance and
survival of downstream migrants, and timing, age, and size structure of
outmigrating fish. This research would benefit listed steelhead by
improving our fundamental understanding of Central Valley O. mykiss
biology and ecology--information that would be used to better manage
and conserve the species.
The fish would be captured by backpack and raft electrofishing,
hook-and-line sampling, beach seines, fyke nets and rotary screw traps.
Some fish would be anesthetized, measured, weighed, tagged, and tissue-
sampled for genetic information. The researchers do not expect to kill
any listed salmonids but a small number may die as an unintended result
of the research activities.
25965
The ODFW is seeking a new, 5 year research permit to conduct
research on hatchery salmon that may become infected with a harmful
parasite (Ceratonova shasta) between their release into the Deschutes
River (Oregon) and their arrival at the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia
River. The purpose of this research is to determine whether this
parasitic infection is a causal mechanism related to poor smolt-to-
adult return rates among non-listed hatchery Chinook salmon originating
at the Round Butte hatchery on the Deschutes River. It would also
indirectly inform the currently ongoing listed MCR steelhead
reintroduction program on the Deschutes River. Both of these efforts
would benefit listed salmonids by helping managers quantify the degree
of adverse effect the parasite is having in the Deschutes and Columbia
Rivers.
Under this permit, PIT-tagged juvenile hatchery spring Chinook
would be sampled at the Bonneville Dam juvenile bypass system. The
sort-by-code system at the structure would be set to separate PIT-
tagged Round Butte Hatchery spring Chinook from the rest of the
outmigrating salmon as they move through the dam. The segregated fish
would be diverted by watered pipe into a holding tank, transferred as
quickly as possible to buckets of aerated fresh water, and passed
through a PIT-tag reader to confirm their identity as target fish. The
target fish (which are not listed under the ESA) would then be
euthanized, but all captured ESA-listed fish would swiftly be
transferred to the bypass release tank at the juvenile fish facility
and returned to the river without anesthesia or further handling. No
listed fish would be killed during the course of this research.
26049
Dr. Robert Lusardi, Research Ecologist at the Center for Watershed
Sciences, University of California, Davis, is seeking a new, 5 year
research permit to annually take juvenile SacR winter-run chinook and
CCV steelhead in the Sacramento River, CA, below Keswick Dam. The
project's goal is to gather data on how different environmental
variables affect juvenile steelhead growth in spring-fed, runoff, and
regulated reaches of the Sacramento River. This research would benefit
listed species by providing data to improve our understanding of the
mechanisms affecting salmonid growth in different ecosystems across the
landscape, but specifically those effects in regulated rivers below
dams.
The fish would be captured by minnow traps, beach seines, and hook-
and-line sampling. The majority of fish would be captured, handled and
released without harm, but 25 juvenile CCV steelhead would be
sacrificed each year in order to conduct otolith analysis. It is also
possible that a very small number of juvenile SacR winter-run Chinook
would die as an unintended consequence of the proposed action.
26287
The WDFW is seeking a new, 5 year research permit to sample for
invasive European Green Crab (EGC) at several locations in the Puget
Sound, along the Washington Coast, and in the Lower Columbia River
estuary. Though the researchers would not target listed species, they
may encounter juvenile PS Chinook salmon, PS steelhead, HCS chum
salmon, OL sockeye salmon, SR fall-run Chinook salmon, SR spr/sum
Chinook salmon, SRB steelhead, SR sockeye salmon, UCR spring-run
Chinook salmon, UCR steelhead, UWR Chinook salmon, UWR steelhead, CR
chum salmon, LCR Chinook salmon, LCR steelhead, and LCR coho salmon
while conducting this work in the lower Columbia River. They may also
encounter adult SDPS eulachon, a species for which there are currently
no take prohibitions. The researchers would conduct this work in
conjunction with the Northwest Straits Commission (under Permit 26352)
and Washington Sea Grant (under Permit 26359).
The goal of the research is to determine the extent of the threat
posed by the EGC invasion in the in Washington State and, where
possible, help mitigate it. The research would benefit listed species
by monitoring, trapping, and removing individuals of an invasive
species that is known to greatly damage eelgrass beds--an important
habitat type upon which juvenile salmonids depend for rearing and food
production. The researchers propose to use minnow traps, shrimp traps,
and Fukui traps (and equivalent modifications of such traps) to capture
the crabs. Trap configurations and locations would be adjusted to
minimize the risk of encountering adult salmonids or hindering adult
passage through main migration channels. The researchers do not propose
to anesthetize, tag, sample, or kill any of the captured fish, but a
small number may die as an unintended result of the trapping
activities.
26295
Mount Hood Environmental is seeking a new, five-year research
permit to conduct an inventory of all fish and their relative
abundances in the Grande Ronde River in Eastern Oregon. The work would
concentrate specifically on predators that may target listed salmonids.
It is thought that such predators are a major source of listed salmonid
mortality in the Grande Ronde subbasin. This research would help
[[Page 8799]]
determine if that is the case and, ultimately, help managers design
actions (e.g., predator mitigation) to benefit the listed animals.
The researchers would use backpack or boat-mounted electrofishing,
fyke netting, seining, angling, and minnow trapping to perform the
inventories in each study reach. Fyke and minnow traps would be
deployed for several days and checked every 4-6 hours during the day.
Electrofishing, beach seining, and angling would be take place in
conjunction with the trapping efforts. All ESA-listed fish would be
released immediately following capture and identification. If any of
these fish exhibit sign of stress (gill flaring, loss of equilibrium,
slow reaction to touch, etc.) they would be allowed to recover in a
holding tank (or bucket) of aerated water before being released. 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.
26331
The ODFW is seeking a new, five-year research permit to implant
acoustic tags in adult MCR steelhead at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia
River and monitor the fishes' subsequent migration patterns and routes.
The fish would be taken and tagged as they pass through the Bonneville
Dam adult fish facility. Captured adult steelhead would be
anesthetized, held in an oxygenated, river-temperature tank, and
implanted with an acoustic transmitter once they are fully
anesthetized. Following their recovery from anesthesia, tagged adult
steelhead would be released immediately upstream of the adult fish trap
and allowed to proceed up the fish ladder to cross Bonneville Dam. The
fish would then be tracked by acoustic receiver arrays in upstream
reservoirs and dams and at a location near the confluence of the
Columbia and John Day Rivers.
The research is intended to generate information about adult MCR
steelhead migration and, in particular, it is intended to help managers
address the question of why so many steelhead that originate in the
John Day River tend to swim past that river and continue up the
Columbia River when they return as adults. Currently, approximately 60%
of the returning steelhead overshoot the John Day River when they
return as adults. If managers can figure out why that is the case and
develop measures to reduce that percentage (i.e., help the fish find
their way back to their spawning grounds), it could potentially greatly
increase their survival and, therefore, improve spawning success and
overall steelhead numbers in the John Day River. The researchers do not
intend to kill any of the fish being tagged, but a small number may die
as an inadvertent result of the capturing and tagging activities.
26334
Dr. Robert Lusardi, Research Ecologist at the Center for Watershed
Sciences, University of California, Davis, is seeking a new, five-year
research permit that would allow him to annually take juvenile CCC coho
in the Walker Creek drainage, CA. The project's goal is to study
juvenile coho movement and characterize how they use over-summering
habitat in the drainage. This research would benefit CCC coho by
providing data on habitat use and outmigration timing--information that
would be used to inform habitat restoration and species recovery
efforts. The fish would be dip-netted and observed during snorkel
surveys. Some of the captured fish would be anesthetized, measured,
weighed, PIT tagged, and tissue-sampled for genetic information. The
researchers do not expect to kill any listed salmonids but a small
number may die as an unintended result of the research activities.
26352
The Northwest Straits Commission is seeking a new, five-year
research permit that would allow them to interact with listed fish
while capturing, monitoring, and removing EGCs at multiple locations in
the North Puget Sound, Washington. Though the researchers would not
target listed species, they may encounter adult and juvenile PS Chinook
and PS steelhead. The researchers would conduct this work in
conjunction with the WDFW (under Permit 26287) and Washington Sea Grant
(under Permit 26359).
The goal of the research is to determine the extent of the threat
posed by the EGC invasion in the North Puget Sound in Washington State
and, where possible, help mitigate it. The research would benefit
listed species by monitoring, trapping, and removing individuals of an
invasive species that is known to greatly damage eelgrass beds--an
important habitat type upon which juvenile salmonids depend for rearing
and food production. The researchers propose to use minnow traps,
shrimp traps, and Fukui traps (and equivalent modifications of such
traps) to capture the crabs. Trap configurations and locations would be
adjusted to minimize the risk of encountering adult salmonids or
hindering adult passage through main migration channels. The
researchers do not propose to anesthetize, tag, sample, or kill any of
the captured fish, but a small number may die as an unintended result
of the trapping activities.
26359
Washington Sea Grant (WSG) is seeking a new, five-year research
permit that would allow them to interact with listed fish while
capturing, monitoring, and removing EGCs at several locations in Puget
Sound and along the coast of Washington. Though the researchers would
not target listed species, they may encounter adult and juvenile PS
Chinook and PS steelhead, HCS chum, OL sockeye, and SDPS green sturgeon
while sampling and removing the invasive crabs. The researchers may
also encounter adult and juvenile SDPS eulachon, a species for which
there are currently no take prohibitions. The WSG researchers would
carry out this work in conjunction with the WDFW (under permit 26287)
and the Northwest Straits Commission (under permit 26352).
The goal of the research is to determine the extent of the threat
posed by the EGC invasion in Washington State and, where possible, help
mitigate it. The research would benefit listed species by monitoring,
trapping, and removing individuals of an invasive species that is known
to greatly damage eelgrass beds--an important habitat type upon which
juvenile salmonids depend for rearing and food production.
The researchers propose to use minnow traps, shrimp traps, and
Fukui traps (and equivalent modifications of such traps) to capture the
crabs. Trap configurations and locations would be adjusted to minimize
the risk of encountering adult salmonids or hindering adult passage
through main migration channels. All listed animals that may be
captured would be handled only long enough to identify them to species.
They would then swiftly be removed from the trap and released. The
researchers do not propose to anesthetize, tag, sample, or kill any of
the captured fish, but a small number may die as an unintended result
of the trapping activities.
26398
The South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group (SPSSEG) is seeking
a new, 5 year research permit that would allow them to annually take
adult and juvenile PS Chinook salmon, PS steelhead, and HCS chum salmon
while conducting research designed to help plan and monitor habitat
restoration projects in several watersheds that drain into central and
[[Page 8800]]
southern Puget Sound. The goals of this work are to (1) identify
potential restoration sites based on fish presence, (2) investigate
options to improve restoration design at planned sites, and (3) record
and evaluate changes in salmon and steelhead population characteristics
in response to estuarine habitat restoration actions.
The researchers propose to capture juvenile fish using
electrofishing, minnow traps, beach seines, and hook and line sampling.
Juvenile salmon and steelhead would be handled (anesthetized, weighed,
measured, and checked for marks or tags), and released. A subset of
juvenile salmon and steelhead may be PIT-tagged and have their stomach
contents non-lethally sampled via gastric lavage. No adult fish would
be targeted for sampling, though some may be unintentionally captured
in juvenile sampling gear. The researchers do not propose to kill any
fish at all but some 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: February 10, 2022.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-03296 Filed 2-15-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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