Notice2024-03986
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 27, 2024
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 activities in all permits are 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 89 Issue 39 (Tuesday, February 27, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 27, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14438-14442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03986]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD746]
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 for 11 permit renewals and 6
new permits.
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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
activities in all permits are 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>.
[[Page 14439]]
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 28,
2024.
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#036d6e65702d7460712e62737370436d6c62622d646c75"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a1cfccc7d28fd6c2d38cc0d1d1d2e1cfcec0c08fc6ced7">[email protected]</span></a> (include the permit number
in the subject line of the letter, fax, or email).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rob Clapp, Portland, OR (phone: (541)
231-2314, email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7f2d101d1a0d0b513c131e0f0f3f11101e1e51181009"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d587bab7b0a7a1fb96b9b4a5a595bbbab4b4fbb2baa3">[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 PS; Threatened LCR; threatened
Middle Columbia River (MCR); threatened SnkR; threatened UCR;
threatened UWR; threatened Northern California (NC); threatened
California Central Valley (CCV).
Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened Hood Canal Summer-run (HCS);
threatened Columbia River (CR).
Coho salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened LCR; threatened Oregon Coast
(OC); threatened Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast (SONCC).
Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): Endangered SnkR.
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 and permits to enhance propagation or
survival 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 1127-7R
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are seeking to renew a permit that for
nearly three decades has allowed them to annually take listed SR
steelhead and spr/sum Chinook salmon while conducting research designed
to (1) monitor adult and juvenile fish in key upper SnkR 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 fish would primarily benefit from the research
in two ways. First, the research would broadly be used to help guide
restoration and recovery efforts throughout the SnkR basin. Second, the
research would be used to determine how hatchery supplementation can be
used as a tool for salmon recovery. The research would also help the
Tribes re-establish traditional fishing opportunities and connect with
and protect cultural, ecological, and social values and rights.
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;
they would then 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, no adult salmonids would be
electrofished, and 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.
Permit 1410-14R
The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) is seeking to renew
a research permit that currently allows them to take juvenile and adult
CC, CVS, LCR, PS, SacR, 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, 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. This renewal would also
allow the researchers to lethally sample a subset of adult salmon to
allow for tissue and otolith collection. 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. Information on adults would also help researchers
better understand the relationship between older salmon individuals and
predators such as Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs). The NWFSC
proposes to capture fish using a surface trawl, which can cause
lethally crush and descale 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).
All juvenile salmon are lethally sampled, and a
[[Page 14440]]
subset of adult salmon will be lethally sampled for tissue analyses
including otoliths and stomach contents. The remaining adult salmonids
that are not lethally sampled 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.
Permit 1484-8R
The Washington Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is seeking to
renew for 5 years a permit that currently authorizes them to take
juvenile CR chum salmon, LCR Chinook salmon, LCR coho salmon, and LCR
and MCR steelhead in WDNR-managed forests in Washington State. The
purpose of the study is to survey stream reaches above natural barriers
to determine if fish are present. This information is needed to
determine appropriate widths of riparian buffers to leave intact during
timber harvest. This study would benefit listed species by documenting
the need for increased riparian buffers, which better protect aquatic
and riparian habitat where fish are present. In addition, data on the
distribution of fish gained from this study would be used to inform
land management decisions and thereby better protect listed species.
The WDNR proposes to capture juvenile fish using single-pass
backpack electrofishing. The researchers would turn off the electricity
as soon as a fish is seen. Fish would be identified regardless of
whether they are netted; if fish are netted they would be held in the
water only long enough to identify them and then released at the site
of capture. The WDNR does 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 14046-5R
The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks (KCDNRP)
is seeking to renew for 5 years a research permit that currently allows
them to take juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead. Sampling
sites would be in four Puget Sound (Washington) sub-basins--Snoqualmie,
Lake Washington, Duwamish, and Puyallup--and intertidal nearshore areas
in the Puget Sound (King County, Washington). The purposes of the study
are to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of restoration actions through
biological monitoring; (2) understand how juvenile salmonids use
specific riverine habitats in order to prioritize restoration projects
and guide project design; (3) assess salmonid habitat status and trends
in small streams with varying degrees of land use while monitoring
current stream conditions; and (4) assess contaminant levels in various
freshwater fish. The research would benefit the affected species by
determining how restoration and recovery actions are contributing to
listed species recovery, providing information on the extent of
juvenile salmonid rearing in off-channel areas, guiding future
restoration projects based upon monitoring results, providing
information on habitat use by yearling fall-run Chinook salmon, and
contributing to our knowledge of Chinook salmon life histories.
The KCDNRP proposes to capture fish using beach seines, fyke nets,
gill nets, hook and line angling, minnow traps, and backpack and boat-
operated electrofishing. Most of the captured fish would be
anaesthetized, identified to species, allowed to recover, and released.
A subset of the Chinook salmon would also be tagged (acoustic, passive
integrated transponder (PIT), and elastomer), dyed (Bismark Brown),
gastric lavaged, and have scales collected. The researchers do not
intend to kill any listed fish, but some may die as an inadvertent
result of the research.
Permit 15207-5R
The Amnis Opes Institute (AOI) is seeking to renew for 5 years a
research permit that currently allows them to take juvenile and adult
LCR, PS, SnkR fall-run, SnkR spr/sum, UCR, and UWR Chinook salmon; CR
and HCS chum salmon; LCR, OC, and SONCC coho salmon; SnkR sockeye
salmon; and LCR, MCR, PS, SnkR, UCR, and UWR steelhead throughout
Idaho, Oregon, and Washington States. The purpose of the study is to
develop baseline data of the physical and chemical habitat for rivers
and streams throughout the United States. Research transects would be
randomly determined and would take place on alternating sides of the
sampled rivers and streams for a distance of 40 times the mean wetted
channel width. The researchers would stop every five channel widths to
process the fish. This research would benefit the affected species by
characterizing the biological condition of rivers and thereby provide
data that supports Clean Water Act implementation.
The AOI researchers propose to capture fish using raft-mounted and
backpack electrofishing equipment; stunned fish would be placed in a
livewell with a soft mesh dip-net. Fish would be identified to species,
measured to length, searched for abnormalities, and returned to the
water when recovered. ESA-listed species would be processed and
released first. If adult salmonids are observed, electrofishing
activities would immediately cease and the researchers would move to
another location before resuming electrofishing activities. The
researchers do not intend to kill any listed fish, but some may die as
an inadvertent result of the research.
16344-3R
The Oregon State University is seeking to renew for 5 years a
research permit that currently allows them to take juvenile listed
hatchery SONCC coho in the Upper Klamath River. The purposes of this
research are to (1) determine the effects of infection by the myxozoan
parasite Ceratonova shasta on coho salmon; and (2) estimate disease
effects for each study year on the wild coho population. The work would
benefit fish by providing information on endemic C. shasta levels in
the Klamath River and thereby help managers monitor and mitigate the
parasite's effects on listed species.
Juvenile coho salmon from Iron Gate, Fall Creek and/or Trinity
River hatcheries would be transported to selected locations on the
Klamath River and monitored for disease after the exposure to C.
shasta. Following exposure, all fish would be transported to the Oregon
State University J. L. Fryer Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory where
time to morbidity, overall morbidity and infection prevalence would be
ascertained through microscopic and molecular analysis of intestinal
tissues. Because all of the fish will be exposed to the parasite C.
shasta, they cannot be released after the experiments. In addition,
infection prevalence data are needed which requires euthanizing all
fish surviving the exposures, since surviving fish may still be
infected with the parasite.
Permit 18260-3R
The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation (CTWS) is
seeking to renew for 5 years a permit that currently authorizes them to
take juvenile and adult LCR Chinook salmon, LCR coho salmon, and LCR
and MCR steelhead. The purpose of the study is to describe abundance,
habitat associations, spawning, distribution, migration patterns,
harvest rates, and limiting factors for Pacific lamprey in Fifteen Mile
Creek and Hood River and their tributaries (Oregon). The research would
provide important basic ecological information about Pacific lamprey,
which is not ESA-listed, but which is an important indicator species
[[Page 14441]]
for characterizing watershed health. Although researchers are targeting
juvenile and adult Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) for
capture, other species may be taken during sampling activities. The
research would benefit listed species by improving understanding of
watershed condition and helping managers prioritize habitat restoration
projects in the Fifteen Mile Creek and Hood River basins. The work
would also help the CTWS people re-connect with, increase, and manage a
traditional food source.
The CTWS proposes to collect fish from March through October using
backpack electrofishing and hand, dip, fyke, and hoop nets. During
electrofishing surveys, the researchers would use ``lamprey settings''
(i.e., very low voltage). The researchers would set hoop (0.8 meter (m)
diameter with 1.9 centimeter (cm) mesh) and fyke (2.5 m high by 2.75 m
wide with 1.9 cm mesh size) nets facing downstream in low velocity
areas. They will modify the fyke net to deter adult steelhead from
entering the hoop net by tying twine across the first throat of the net
to create an effective mesh size across the opening of 7.5 cm. This
modification has effectively deterred steelhead from entering fyke nets
set in previous fieldwork. The researchers propose to measure and PIT-
or radio-tag adult lamprey before releasing them. The researchers would
immediately release any salmonids that are captured or briefly hold
them in buckets of water before releasing them if they require time to
recover from being captured. If salmonids are observed during
electrofishing, the researchers would immediately turn off the
electricity and allow fish to swim away. The CTWS does not propose to
kill any listed salmonids, but a small number may die as an unintended
result of the research activities.
Permit 18331-3R
The Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) is seeking to renew for 5 years a
research permit that currently allows them to take juvenile PS Chinook
salmon and PS steelhead in selected stream channels and floodplain
areas throughout the Kitsap and Snoqualmie sub-basins of Washington
State. The purpose of the study is to classify existing channels by
water type and thereby validate and update county, city, and WDNR
stream classifications and hydrological maps. This research would
benefit the affected species by filling data gaps regarding fish
passage impediments (tidegates, culverts, etc.) and providing fish
species composition and distribution--information needed to identify,
prioritize, and implement restoration projects.
The WFC proposes to capture fish using backpack electrofishing.
Fish would be identified to species, tissue sampled (caudal fin clip--
steelhead only), and released. Once fish presence is established,
either through visual observation or electrofishing, electrofishing
would be discontinued. Surveyors would then proceed upstream until a
change in habitat parameters is encountered and electrofishing would
recommence. The researchers do not intend to kill any listed fish, but
some may die as an inadvertent result of the research.
Permit 22003-2R
The KCDNRP is seeking to renew a 5-year research permit that
currently allows them to annually take juvenile and adult PS Chinook
salmon, PS steelhead, and PS/GB bocaccio and adult SDPS green sturgeon
in the marine waters and shorelines of King County (Washington State).
The KCDNRP research may also cause them to take juvenile and adult SDPS
eulachon and PS/GB yelloweye rockfish--species for which there are
currently no ESA take prohibitions. The purpose of the study is to
capture English sole, brown rockfish (Sebastes auriculatus), copper
rockfish (Sebastes caurinus), quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger),
and various forage fish to monitor tissue levels of toxic chemical
contaminants. This research would benefit the affected species by (1)
providing information on the types and concentrations of chemicals in
fish; (2) helping managers understand the impact chemical exposures
have on marine fish health; (3) filling data gaps to help managers make
informed management decisions; and (4) informing a long-term program to
evaluate changes in chemical body burdens in fish over time as
environmental improvements are made (stormwater discharges reduced,
contaminated sediments remediated, etc.).
The KCDNRP proposes to capture fish using bottom trawls, beach
seines, cast nets, and hook and line (sabiki rigs). Captured ESA-listed
fish would be identified to species and released. Listed rockfish would
be released via rapid submergence to their capture depth to reduce
adverse effects from barotrauma. Targeted species (and incidental
mortalities) would be sacrificed, stored on ice, and analyzed for
contaminants. The researchers do not intend to kill any listed fish,
but some may die as an inadvertent result of the research.
Permit 22319-3R
Herrera Environmental Consultants (HEC) is seeking to renew a 5-
year research permit that currently allows them to annually take
juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS steelhead while conducting a study in
streams near Redmond, Washington. The purpose of the research is to
conduct a paired watershed study monitoring stream health by collecting
benthic macroinvertebrates in urban and nearby relatively pristine
streams. Due to the collection methods, there is a possibility of
capturing juvenile salmonids. The research would benefit listed fish by
determining the effectiveness of stormwater management in urban streams
which can lead directly to water quality and habitat improvement.
The HEC proposes to use a D-frame kick net to capture the fish. Any
fish captured would be identified to species and released. 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 22865-2R
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is seeking to renew a
permit that currently allows them to annually take juvenile UCR Chinook
salmon, UCR steelhead, and MCR steelhead during research activities
taking place at various points in the Yakima, Methow, Entiat, and
Wenatchee River drainages in Washington State. The purpose of the
research is to determine fish distribution in those subbasins. The
research would benefit the fish by giving land managers information
they need to design forest management activities (e.g., timber sales,
grazing plans, road building) in a manner that would help them have the
smallest possible effect on listed species.
Under the renewed permit, the USFS would use using minnow traps,
hook-and-line angling, and electrofishing equipment to capture the
fish. The fish would then be identified and immediately released
whenever possible. The USFS does not intend to kill any of the listed
fish being captured, but a small number may die as an unintended result
of the research activities.
Permit 26300
The Fishery Foundation of California is seeking a new permit that
would authorize them to take juvenile CVS Chinook salmon, CCV
steelhead, and juvenile SDPS green sturgeon. The purpose of this study
is to document the presence of native fish species in
[[Page 14442]]
Snodgrass Slough, the Cosumnes River and Laguna Creek in Sacramento
County, CA prior to a large floodplain restoration project. The study
would benefit affected species by providing data on species presence,
seasonal water conditions and migratory windows that will inform the
restoration project.
Juveniles would be collected via beach seine and fyke net. Juvenile
fish would be captured, handled, 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 27337
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (LEKT) is seeking a 5-year permit
that would allow them to take juvenile HCS chum and PS Chinook and PS
steelhead during the course of research designed to determine fish and
shellfish presence and use in a 28-acre estuarine lagoon at the base of
Ediz Hook in Port Angeles, WA. The study would benefit affected species
by providing data on species presence, and that information, along with
detailed habitat and water quality data, would be used to inform future
restoration actions in the area. Those restoration actions, in turn,
would help the LEKT people once again conduct traditional fishing and
shellfishing activities in the lagoon.
The fish would be captured primarily by beach seining, but some may
be captured in fukui and minnow traps. Once captured, the fish would
simply be handled 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 the proposed activities.
Permit 27619
The Scott River Water Trust is seeking a new permit that would
authorize them to take juvenile and adult SONCC coho salmon in the
Scott River, CA. The purpose of this study is to assess fish passage at
Youngs Dam to determine how and when juvenile and adult salmon utilize
the fish ladder at Youngs Dam. The project seeks to determine an ideal
flow target through the fish ladder in an effort to improve fish
passage at the dam as well as the fish ladder. The study would benefit
SONCC coho by providing data to identify and inform recommendations to
improve volitional fish passage through Youngs Dam.
Juveniles would be collected via beach seines and observed during
snorkel surveys. Juvenile coho would be captured, handled, and
released. A subsample of captured juveniles would be anesthetized,
tissue sampled and PIT-tagged prior to release. Adult coho would be
observed at weirs, fish ladders, dam and during snorkel surveys. 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 27869
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is seeking a 5-year
permit that would allow them to take juvenile HCS chum and PS Chinook
and PS steelhead during the course of research designed to determine
what effect the hatchery barriers have on the distribution of migratory
sculpin (with considerations for how these barriers may also be
affecting the distributions of strictly fluvial sculpin species). The
research would benefit listed species by producing data on how hatchery
weirs affect salmonid migrations in the areas being studied. That data
could then be used to modify weir operations for the benefit of the
migrating fish.
The fish would be largely be collected by electrofishing, but
seining or dipnetting may also be employed. All listed fish would be
immediately released without further handling. Sampling would cease and
the activity would be moved if adult Chinook, chum, or steelhead (or
their redds) are encountered at any time during a survey. 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 27874
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is seeking a
new permit that would authorize them to take juvenile and adult SDPS
green sturgeon in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, CA. The
purpose of this study is to develop an indices of white sturgeon
abundance for use in species management. Though non-listed white
sturgeon are the target species, green sturgeon might be encountered.
Juvenile and adult SDPS green sturgeon would be collected via long
line and hook and line sampling and observed via camera and sonar.
Juvenile and adult fish would be captured, handled, tagged, 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 28047
The USFWS is seeking a 5-year permit that would allow them to take
juvenile LCR, UWR, PS, and CC Chinook; CR and HCS chum; LCR, PS, UWR,
and NC steelhead; and LCR, OC, and SONCC coho. The fish would be taken
during efforts to determine the uppermost ranges of several species of
fish in more than 20 subbasins in Western Oregon and Washington and
Northern California. The research would produce a large amount of
presence/absence data on listed fish and thus help managers plan and
carry out land management actions across a broad portion of three
states.
The researchers would use backpack electrofishing units to capture
the fish. Once captured, all listed salmonids would simply be
identified and immediately released. In all cases, the researchers
would be operating near what is already considered to be the upper
limit of trout distribution, so they are unlikely to encounter many
listed fish in any case. Regardless, 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.
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 21, 2024.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-03986 Filed 2-26-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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