Notice2024-25214
Notice of Availability of a Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment on the Effects of Permitting Translocation of Sturgeon for Scientific Research and Enhancement Under Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act
Primary source
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Published
October 30, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NOAA has prepared a final programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, analyzing the environmental impacts of the NMFS Office of Protected Resources (OPR) proposal to authorize directed take under the sturgeon Endangered Species Act (ESA) permitting program for the translocation of shortnose (Acipenser brevirostrum) and Atlantic (A. oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) sturgeons for research and enhancement purposes. Based on its finding of no significant impact, NMFS has determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 210 (Wednesday, October 30, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 210 (Wednesday, October 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 86319-86320]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25214]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XE386]
Notice of Availability of a Final Programmatic Environmental
Assessment on the Effects of Permitting Translocation of Sturgeon for
Scientific Research and Enhancement Under Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the
Endangered Species Act
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of final programmatic environmental
assessment and finding of no significant impact.
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SUMMARY: NOAA has prepared a final programmatic environmental
assessment (PEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) under the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, analyzing
the environmental impacts of the NMFS Office of Protected Resources
(OPR) proposal to authorize directed take under the sturgeon Endangered
Species Act (ESA) permitting program for the translocation of shortnose
(Acipenser brevirostrum) and Atlantic (A. oxyrinchus oxyrinchus)
sturgeons for research and enhancement purposes. Based on its finding
of no significant impact, NMFS has determined that an environmental
impact statement need not be prepared.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Markin, Ph.D.,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fd988f9493d3909c8f969493bd93929c9cd39a928b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c1a4b3a8afefaca0b3aaa8af81afaea0a0efa6aeb7">[email protected]</span></a>, (301) 427-8416; Malcolm Mohead,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#75181419161a19185b181a1d101411351b1a14145b121a03"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="93fef2fff0fcfffebdfefcfbf6f2f7d3fdfcf2f2bdf4fce5">[email protected]</span></a>, (301) 427-8427.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
This final PEA analyzes the potential impacts on the natural and
human environments for the authorization of directed take of sturgeon
by translocation, in scientific research or enhancement permits under
section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA, to achieve recovery objectives. For the
purposes of the sturgeon permitting program, translocation is the
intentional capture, holding, handling, transport, and release of
individuals within a river system (e.g., translocation of fish across a
dam or fish passage) or between river systems within the U.S.
historical range of Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon (i.e., Maine to
Florida). Under the Proposed Action, NMFS would authorize directed
[[Page 86320]]
take for the translocation of ESA-listed Atlantic and shortnose
sturgeon as a research or enhancement activity to support sturgeon
conservation management and recovery objectives. NMFS would authorize
translocation concurrent with additional research or enhancement
activities, if the research or enhancement activity's objectives are
(1) stated as a term and condition to implement reasonable and prudent
measures of an active biological opinion, (2) an identified objective
in a NMFS recovery outline or recovery plan for the species, or (3)
determined necessary by NMFS Regional Offices and the NMFS OPR to
recover the species. Programmatic NEPA reviews add value and efficiency
to the decision making process when they inform the scope of decisions
and subsequent tiered NEPA reviews. Therefore, NMFS decided that
completing a PEA for the proposed action was appropriate.
NMFS published a Notice of Availability of the draft PEA in the
Federal Register on December 27, 2023 (88 FR 89385) beginning a 30-day
public comment period. NMFS considered the public comments received on
the draft PEA and has responded to comments in appendix 1 of the final
PEA.
After publishing the draft PEA for public comment, NMFS identified
one additional sampling method that was inadvertently left out of the
draft PEA. Epidermal mucus sampling was found to be consistent with an
existing category of activities that normally do not have a significant
effect on the human environment, and therefore do not require
preparation of an environmental assessment or environmental impact
statement (40 CFR 1501.4). NMFS incorporated this additional method
into the final PEA which resulted in no changes to the impact
determinations. Additional information is located in section 1.2.1 of
the final PEA.
The PEA and FONSI have been prepared in compliance with NEPA of
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the 2020 Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508) as modified by the
Phase 1 2022 revisions, and NOAA policy and procedures (NOAA
Administrative Order 216-6A and its Companion Manual). The final PEA
and FONSI may be downloaded or viewed at: <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/draft-environmental-assessment-permitting-translocation-sturgeon-scientific-research-and">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/draft-environmental-assessment-permitting-translocation-sturgeon-scientific-research-and</a>.
Dated: October 25, 2024.
Amy Sloan,
Acting Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-25214 Filed 10-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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