Notice2023-03336
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 17, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received 17 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
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 33 (Friday, February 17, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 33 (Friday, February 17, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10295-10299]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03336]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XC771]
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 application; 7 permit renewals, 1 permit
modification, and 9 new permits.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received 17 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 or fax number (see
ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on March 20,
2023.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the applications should be sent to the
Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100,
Portland, OR 97232-1274. Comments may also be sent via fax to 503-230-
5441 or by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d4bab9b2a7faa3b7a6f9b5a4a4a794babbb5b5fab3bba2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="056b6863762b7266772864757576456b6a64642b626a73">[email protected]</span></a> (include the permit number
in the subject line of the fax or email).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shivonne Nesbit, Portland, OR (ph.:
541-805-5320), email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9bc8f3f2edf4f5f5feb5d5fee8f9f2efdbf5f4fafab5fcf4ed"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="edbe85849b82838388c3a3889e8f8499ad83828c8cc38a829b">[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; 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 (S-CCC); 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 southern
Distinct Population Segment (SDPS).
Rockfish (Sebastes spp.): Endangered Puget Sound/Georgia Basin (PS/
GB) DPS bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis); threatened PS/GB DPS 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
Permit 1134-8R
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is seeking
to renew for 5 years a permit under which they have been conducting
research for more than 20 years. The permit would continue covering
three study projects that, among them, would annually take adult and
juvenile SnkR steelhead and spring/summer-run Chinook salmon in the
Snake River basin. There have been some significant changes in the
research over the last ten years, nonetheless, the projects proposed
are essentially continuations of ongoing research. They are: Project
1--Cryopreservation of Spring/summer Chinook Salmon and Summer
Steelhead Gametes; Project 2--Snorkel, Seine, fyke net, Minnow Trap,
and Electrofishing Surveys and Collection of Juvenile Chinook Salmon
and Steelhead; and Project 3--Juvenile Anadromous Salmonid Emigration
Studies Using Rotary Screw Traps. Under these tasks, listed adult and
juvenile salmon would be variously (1) observed/harassed during fish
population and production monitoring surveys; (2) captured (using dip
nets, seines, trawls, traps, hook-and-line angling equipment, and
electrofishing equipment) and anesthetized; (3) sampled for biological
information and tissue samples; (4) tagged with passive integrated
transponders (PIT-tags) or tagged with other identifiers, and (5)
released. It should be noted that in the past, this permit covered five
projects instead of three and authorized a great deal more adult and
juvenile take of both species than it would under this proposed action.
The research has many purposes and would benefit listed salmon and
steelhead in different ways. In general, the studies are part of
ongoing efforts to monitor the status of listed species in the Snake
River basin and to use those data to inform decisions about land- and
fisheries management actions and to help prioritize and plan listed
species recovery measures. Under the proposal, the studies would
continue to benefit listed species by generating population abundance
estimates; providing information on adult and juvenile salmon and
steelhead life histories in the in the Snake, Salmon, Clearwater,
Grande Ronde, and Imnaha River subbasins; and helping preserve listed
salmon and steelhead genetic diversity. The CRITFC researchers do not
intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small percentage
may die as a result of the research activities.
[[Page 10296]]
Permit 15573-4R
The Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District (GCID) is seeking to renew for
5 years a research permit that would authorize them to take juvenile
SacR winter-run Chinook salmon, CVS Chinook salmon, CCV steelhead, SDPS
green sturgeon in the Sacramento River, CA. The study's purpose is to
monitor restoration actions and to detect annular and cyclic population
changes. The GCID project provides the longest and most complete
anadromous fish data set on the Sacramento River. As a result, the
research would benefit the affected species by informing operational
decisions for state and Federal water facilities and supplementing
other out-migrant monitoring projects conducted in the Sacramento River
Basin.
The researchers propose to use a rotary screw trap to capture the
targeted fish. A subsample of captured juveniles would be anesthetized,
tissue-sampled, PIT-tagged and released. All juvenile fish would be
captured, handled (anesthetized, weighed, measured, and checked for
marks or tags), and released. The researchers are not proposing to kill
any of the listed fish being captured, but a small number of fish may
be killed as an inadvertent result of these activities.
Permit 15824-3R
The County of Santa Cruz is seeking to renew for 5 years a research
permit that currently allows them to take juvenile CCC coho, CCC
steelhead, and S-CCC steelhead in the San Lorenzo River and its
tributaries, Aptos Creek and its tributaries, Corralitos Creek and its
tributaries, and Soquel Creek and its tributaries. The study's purpose
is to document habitat conditions and collect data on juvenile salmonid
abundance in Santa Cruz County watersheds. The research would benefit
the affected species by providing data on salmonid spawning and rearing
habitat conditions and thereby help inform habitat restoration and
conservation efforts and land and water use decisions.
The researchers at Santa Cruz County propose to use backpack
electrofishing and beach seines to capture fish and to observe fish
during snorkel surveys. Captured fish would be anesthetized, identified
to species, measured, PIT tagged, have a tissue sample taken for
genetic analysis (fin clip and scales), and allowed to recover before
being released back to the stream. The researchers do not intend to
kill any listed fish, but some may die as an inadvertent result of the
research.
Permit 16303-3R
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is seeking to renew a
research permit that allows them to take juvenile PS/GB DPS bocaccio,
juvenile HCS chum salmon, juvenile PS steelhead, and juvenile,
subadult, and adult PS Chinook salmon throughout the marine waters of
Puget Sound, Hood Canal, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca (Washington
State). The USGS research may also cause them to take adult SDPS
eulachon and juvenile PS/GB DPS yelloweye rockfish--species for which
there are currently no ESA take prohibitions. The purpose of the USGS
study is to examine salmonid stage-specific growth, as well as
bioenergetics, competition, and predation during the early marine
growth period. Additionally, unlisted salmonid species, herring, and
other forage fish species would be studied for the potential effects
arising from fluctuations in temporal-spatial food supplies,
temperature, competition, and predation. This research would benefit
the affected species by quantifying key factors limiting survival and
production of Chinook salmon (particularly during juvenile outmigration
and the first marine growing season) and advancing knowledge of the
ecological role and contribution that the little-studied resident
Chinook salmon make to Puget Sound Chinook salmon populations as a
whole.
The USGS proposes capturing fish by beach seine, purse seine,
Lampara seine, and micro-trolling (i.e., hook-and-line angling). All
captured, viable subadult or adult salmon and any rockfish would be
released as swiftly as possible. Listed rockfish would be released via
rapid submergence to their capture depth to reduce the effects from
barotrauma, and sub-adult/adult salmonids would be released at the
surface. Under all capture methods, the juvenile salmonids would be
anesthetized, identified to species, checked for coded wire tags
(CWTs), measured to length, gastric-lavaged, tissue-sampled (fin clip
and scales), and released. All juvenile, hatchery-origin, CWT fish
(marked and unmarked) captured during the seining would be
intentionally sacrificed to determine their origins. The researchers
also propose to intentionally kill small numbers of hatchery- and
natural-origin juvenile Chinook salmon for otolith collection and
whole-body chemical analyses. Additionally, a small number of listed
fish may die as an unintended result of the activities.
Permit 21061-2R
Windward Environmental is seeking to renew a permit that would
authorize them to take juvenile and adult PS steelhead and Chinook
salmon and juvenile PS/GB DPS bocaccio in order to establish baseline
Lower Duwamish Waterway-wide concentrations of contaminants in non-
listed resident fish species and evaluate how well this superfund site
is progressing toward meeting the cleanup target tissue concentrations
set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The research may also
cause unintentional take of juvenile PS/GB DPS yelloweye rockfish--a
species for which there are currently no ESA take prohibitions. The
information would be used to determine progress towards cleanup goals
for the Lower Duwamish Waterway and inform future sediment remediation
efforts. This information would benefit listed species ESA-listed
species by confirming where contaminated areas are and how concentrated
contaminants continue to be within the Lower Duwamish River, and
whether cleanup activities to date have been successful in reducing
contaminant concentrations in resident fish species and their
invertebrate prey. This information will also inform future sediment
remediation efforts in the Puget Sound and elsewhere.
The researchers may unintentionally capture juvenile and adult ESA-
listed fish while conducting otter trawls that target sole and
surfperch. All captured juvenile or adult ESA-listed fish captured
would be identified, enumerated, and immediately released at the
location of capture. The researchers would also deploy crab traps
targeting Dungeness crab, although neither juvenile nor adult ESA-
listed fish are expected to be unintentionally captured by this gear.
The researchers do not intend to kill any listed fish, but some may die
as an inadvertent result of the proposed activities.
Permit 22093-2R
Under permit 22093-2R the Snoqualmie Valley Watershed Improvement
District (SVWID) is seeking to renew a permit that would authorize them
to take adult and juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead in order
to assess the presence or absence of fish in various streams and
agricultural drainage ditches within the boundary of the SVWID. This
information will better inform plans to improve drainage, minimize
flooding, and restore salmon habitat. Data and observations gathered
through this research will also benefit ESA-listed species by providing
data that will inform researchers about the status of these species in
agricultural drainage ditches and small streams that may not otherwise
be studied.
Juveniles would be collected via backpack electrofishing, beach
seining, and minnow traps. Adults would be
[[Page 10297]]
collected via beach seine. Fish would be captured, handled (weighed,
measured, and checked for marks or tags), and released. The researchers
are not proposing to kill any of the listed fish being captured, but a
small number of fish may be killed as an inadvertent result of these
activities.
Permit 22998-2R
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is seeking to
renew a permit that would once again authorize them to annually take
juvenile PS Chinook salmon and steelhead and adult HCS chum salmon in
streams and waterbodies on the Kitsap Peninsula (Kitsap County, WA).
The purpose of the study is to determine where in those waterbodies
ESA-listed salmonids are present. That information would be used help
guide future land use management and fulfill requirements in the Navy
Base Kitsap's Natural Resource Management Plan. This research would
benefit the affected species by helping guide habitat restoration and
providing baseline information on species distribution. Currently,
there is little information about the distribution of ESA-listed
salmonids on Navy Base Kitsap lands.
The FWS would use backpack electrofishing equipment, beach seines,
and dip nets to capture the juvenile fish. For electrofishing, the
captured fish would be anesthetized with tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-
222), identified by species, measured for length, weighed, allowed to
recover, and released. For beach seines and dip netting, the captured
fish would only be identified by species and swiftly released. The
researchers would also conduct snorkel surveys for juvenile PS Chinook
salmon and steelhead, and spawner surveys in which adult chum salmon
may be observed. The FWS does not intend to kill any of the fish being
captured, but a small number of juveniles may die as an unintended
consequence of the proposed activities.
Permit 26368-2M
Idaho State University is seeking to modify a permit that currently
authorizes them to annually take juvenile MCR steelhead, SnkR spring/
summer-run Chinook salmon, SnkR steelhead, UWR Chinook salmon, UWR
steelhead, and OC coho salmon at more than a dozen locations from Idaho
to western Oregon. The modification would entail adding some sampling
locations--particularly in Washington--and therefore would also require
adding small amounts of take for SDPS eulachon and sturgeon and UCR and
PS Chinook and steelhead. The purpose of the research is to conduct a
range-wide comparison of native Rainbow Trout population genetics and
structure across much of western North America. The work would benefit
listed fish by providing of information about population and subspecies
structure, local biodiversity in a variety of settings, and some
measure of how intra- and inter-species variability contribute to
ecosystem maintenance. That information, in turn, would be used to
adjust planning efforts in a manner that would account for variances in
species diversity and population structure and health across a broad
section of the listed species' habitat.
The juvenile fish would be collected via backpack electrofishing
and hook-and-line angling. Only juvenile steelhead would be captured,
handled (anesthetized, weighed, measured, and checked for marks or
tags), sampled, and released. All other listed fish that may be
captured would be allowed to recover in aerated water and then released
immediately. The researchers are not proposing to kill any listed fish,
but a small number may be killed as an inadvertent result of the
proposed activities.
Permit 26714
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is seeking a
permit to capture SnkR steelhead and spring/summer-run Chinook salmon
while surveying the Wallowa River, Oregon, to better understand the
distribution, relative abundance, movement ecology, and angler
exploitation rates of rainbow trout and mountain whitefish in the
river. This work is intended to generate important baseline information
on the status and trends of native fishes in the Wallowa River and
thereby improve managers' ability to conserve and manage them. The
study would benefit listed salmonids by giving mangers information on
(1) salmonid distribution and general habitat use in the Wallowa River,
(2) the distribution and abundance of residualized hatchery steelhead,
and (3) the rates at which anglers capture and handle listed juvenile
steelhead/rainbow trout. This information, in turn, would be used to
limit harvest rates and design recovery actions.
The researchers would use raft-mounted electrofishing equipment to
capture the fish. Most of the listed Chinook and steelhead would be
measured, scanned for tags and marks and immediately released. However,
because they are very difficult to distinguish from non-listed rainbow
trout, a small portion of the captured juvenile SnkR steelhead would
also be tagged and tissue sampled before being released. In all cases,
listed fish would be processed and released before any work is done on
non-listed fish. Also, if an adult Chinook or steelhead fish were to be
encountered, the electrofishing equipment would be turned off and the
electrofishing raft would be moved before the survey is started again.
The researchers do not plan to kill any fish they capture, but some may
die as an unintended result of the activities.
Permit 26766
The Washington Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is seeking a
new permit to conduct fish presence/absence surveys in small streams
across the state of Washington. The permit would authorize them to take
juvenile PS Chinook salmon and steelhead; HC summer-run chum salmon; OL
sockeye salmon; UCR steelhead and spring-run Chinook salmon; MCR
steelhead; SnkR steelhead, sockeye, and spring/summer-run and fall-run
Chinook salmon; LCR Chinook salmon, coho salmon and steelhead; and CR
chum salmon. The purpose of the study is to survey small streams on
privately held land across the state of Washington and determine what
fish are present at each site. The information would be used to (a)
inform landowners of the appropriate riparian management zone to follow
under the state Forest Regulations and (b) identify potential fish
passage barriers. Helping landowners follow the appropriate forest
practice regulations would help protect crucial habitats along riparian
zones. Identifying fish passage barriers would help mangers determine
what barriers could be altered to increase the amount of habitat
accessible to listed fish.
The juvenile fish would be collected via backpack electrofishing
and the captured fish would be handled (anesthetized, weighed,
measured, and checked for marks or tags), and swiftly released near the
point of their capture. The researchers are not proposing to kill any
listed fish, but a small number from each species may be killed as an
inadvertent result of the proposed activities.
Permit 26968
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is seeking a
new permit that would authorize them to take juvenile SONCC coho
salmon, NC steelhead, CC Chinook salmon, SacR winter-run Chinook
salmon, CVS Chinook salmon, CCV steelhead, CCC coho salmon, CCC
steelhead, S-CCC steelhead, SC steelhead, and adult SDPS green sturgeon
in streams and rivers throughout California at pre-selected
[[Page 10298]]
locations. The study's purpose is to assess the condition of the rivers
and streams in California and provide a baseline for future
comparisons. CDFW is participating in the USEPA National Rivers and
Streams Assessment (NRSA), a probability-based survey designed to
assess the condition of the Nation's rivers and streams. NRSA is a
keystone program in California that provides data for the National
Water Quality Inventory Report to Congress (305(b) report) and fulfills
the water quality monitoring requirements of the Clean Water Act.
The researchers at CDFW propose to use kick nets, backpack and boat
electrofishing to capture fish. Captured fish would be handled
(anesthetized, weighed, measured, and checked for marks or tags), and
released. The researchers are not proposing to kill any of the listed
fish being captured, but a small number of fish may be killed as an
inadvertent result of these activities.
Permit 27069
Thomas Gast & Associates Environmental Consultants is seeking a new
permit that would authorize them to take juvenile SacR winter-run
Chinook salmon, CVS Chinook salmon, CCV Valley steelhead, and SDPS
green sturgeon in a backwater area of the Sacramento River directly
downstream of its confluence with Battle Creek. The study's purpose is
to characterize seasonal changes and variability within the fish
community in the backwater area. Data on the fish community composition
will be used to inform the planning and design of an upcoming side-
channel restoration project.
Juveniles would be collected via fyke net, beach seine, and minnow
trap and observed during snorkel surveys. Juvenile fish would be
captured, handled (anesthetized, weighed, measured, and checked for
marks or tags), and released. The researchers are not proposing to kill
any of the listed fish being captured, but a small number of fish may
be killed as an inadvertent result of these activities.
Permit 27091
The Port of Seattle is seeking a permit that would allow them to
take juvenile PS steelhead and Chinook salmon while conducting survey
work designed to examine ecological response to restoration actions
that have been undertaken in the lower Duwamish River waterway in
Washington state. The purpose of the work is to fulfill the conditions
found in the habitat-restoration component of a Natural Resources
Damage Assessment claim made against the Port of Seattle. It would
benefit the listed salmon and steelhead by ensuring the habitat they
use in the lower Duwamish functions to promote their survival; it would
also help the listed species by helping guide similar habitat
restoration actions elsewhere in the Puget Sound and beyond.
All captured salmonids would be sedated with MS-222 and identified
by species, weighed and measured to the nearest millimeter (fork
length). Once measured and weighed, the fish would be placed into a
recovery bucket and be transported to the bank of the Duwamish River
and released downstream of the capture site. The process would be
halted if the fish appear to be overly stressed, or recovery times are
unusually long. Any fish with coded wire tags or that have had their
adipose fins clipped would be noted in order to calculate the ratio of
natural-origin to hatchery fish in the lower Duwamish River. The
researchers do not intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a
small number may die as an unintended consequence of the proposed
activities.
Permit 27098
The WDNR is seeking a new permit that would authorize them to
annually take juvenile UCR steelhead and spring-run Chinook salmon; MCR
steelhead; SnkR steelhead, sockeye, and spr/sum and fall-run Chinook
salmon; LCR Chinook salmon, coho salmon and steelhead; UWR Chinook
salmon and steelhead; and CR chum salmon. The permit would also allow
them to take adult and juvenile SDPS eulachon--a species for which
there are currently no take prohibitions. Under the permit, the WDNR
researchers would monitor, track, trap, and remove invasive European
green crabs on WDNR aquatic lands in the Puget Sound and lower Columbia
River. The purpose of the research is to explore the best means of
locating and eliminating European green crab incursions, and it will
benefit listed salmonid (and other) species by guiding long-term
management actions designed protect their critical habitat.
The researchers would use modified shrimp and minnow traps placed
in the estuarine and marine intertidal and subtidal waters in the Puget
Sound and lower Columbia River. The researchers do not actually expect
to catch any listed salmonids or eulachon; nonetheless, all traps will
be checked very regularly and any listed animals that are captured will
be swiftly released without further handling. The researchers do not
intend to kill any of the fish being captured, but a small number may
die as an unintended consequence of the proposed activities.
Permit 27129
The USGS is seeking a new permit to monitor toxic chemical
contamination levels in resident fish sampled in the Bonneville pool
(reservoir) on the Columbia River. The permit would authorize them to
take juvenile and adult UCR steelhead and spring-run Chinook salmon;
MCR steelhead; SnkR steelhead, sockeye, and spring/summer-run and fall-
run Chinook salmon; LCR Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead; and
CR chum salmon. The purpose of the research is to conduct long-term
monitoring to assess the spatial and temporal status and trends of
toxics in fish, water, sediment, and other potential media in the
Columbia River mainstem--eventually from Bonneville Dam to the Canadian
Border. While the work does not target listed fish, it would benefit
them by providing information to help state, tribal and federal mangers
plan restoration and remediation actions designed to improve ecosystem
function and reduce contaminants in all levels of the food chain.
The researchers would use a variety of means to capture the fish.
The main methods would be fyke and hoop nets, minnow traps and nets,
longlines, and angling. If these methods prove insufficient to
gathering the needed resident fish samples, boat electrofishing may
possibly be employed. All adult listed fish would be avoided, and any
that are captured would immediately be released. Captured juvenile fish
Juvenile fish would also be minimally handled and released without any
data being collected on them. The researchers are not proposing to kill
any listed fish, but a small number from each species may be killed as
an inadvertent result of the proposed activities.
Permit 27162
Under permit 27162 the WDNR (Olympic Region) is seeking a new
permit that would authorize them to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon, PS
steelhead, HCS chum salmon, and OL sockeye salmon in streams on WDNR
land on the Olympic Peninsula (Clallam, Jefferson, and Grays Harbor
counties in Washington) in order to determine listed fish presence or
absence in small streams. The information gathered would be used to
determine salmonid presence and distribution and thereby inform land
management decisions on WDNR holdings. This information would benefit
listed species by helping WDNR identify existing man-made fish barriers
that should be removed or replaced with
[[Page 10299]]
structures that fish can pass over or through, and support a region-
wide program of road maintenance and other forest management activities
in the vicinity of streams. Confirming which streams currently support
ESA-listed fish species would help prioritize those locations for
restoration actions.
Juvenile salmonids would be collected via backpack electrofishing,
handled (anesthetized, weighed, measured, identified, and checked for
marks or tags), and released back to the waters from which they came.
In some cases, the researchers may not actually capture any fish but
would merely note their presence, however electrofishing where listed
species are observed would still be reported as take. The researchers
are not proposing to kill any of the listed fish being taken, but a
small number may be killed as an inadvertent result of these
activities.
Permit 27212
Oregon State University is seeking a new permit to survey waters
across the pacific Northwest with the intent of mapping sculpin
diversity and distribution across that range. The permit would
authorize them to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon and steelhead; HCS
chum salmon; UCR steelhead and spring-run Chinook salmon; MCR
steelhead; SnkR steelhead, sockeye, and spring/summer-run and fall-run
Chinook salmon; LCR Chinook salmon, coho salmon and steelhead; UWR
Chinook salmon; CR chum salmon; and SDPS eulachon. The purpose of the
study is to map sculpin diversity and distribution, but it would also
benefit listed salmonids. Improved data on the listed species'
distribution, movement, and life histories would help direct the
efforts recommended in each of the species' recovery plans. Moreover,
the project would generate presence/absence data to help fill the need
to monitor ecosystem health and the distribution, population status,
and migratory movements of all the of listed species that may be
encountered.
The fish would be collected via backpack electrofishing and beach
seine; with the exception of SDPS eulachon, no adults would be taken.
All captured listed fish would be handled briefly (identified and
recorded) and immediately released back to the stream of their origin.
The researchers would reduce possible harm to listed salmonids by: (1)
avoiding sampling in the heat of the day or during spawning times, (2)
surveying sample plots in advance for any listed fish, (3) using the
lowest feasible settings on the electroshocker, (4) using the gentler
seine net when possible, and (5) consulting with district biologists to
get their advice on how to minimize harm to endangered and threatened
species at each site. The researchers are not proposing to kill any
listed fish, but a small number of each species may be killed as an
inadvertent result of the proposed 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 13, 2023.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-03336 Filed 2-16-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 17, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.