Rule2026-19813
Fisheries Off West Coast States; West Coast Salmon Fisheries; Rebuilding Plan for the Overfished Queets River Spring/Summer Chinook Salmon Stock
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
September 28, 2026
Effective
October 28, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
This final rule will implement the rebuilding plan recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) for the overfished Queets River Spring/Summer Chinook salmon stock (Queets sp/su Chinook salmon). This final rule identifies changes to the regulations to implement the rebuilding plan.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 186 (Monday, September 28, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 186 (Monday, September 28, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 61162-61163]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19813]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 660
[Docket No. 260923-0007]
RIN 0648-BN25
Fisheries Off West Coast States; West Coast Salmon Fisheries;
Rebuilding Plan for the Overfished Queets River Spring/Summer Chinook
Salmon Stock
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: This final rule will implement the rebuilding plan recommended
by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) for the overfished
Queets River Spring/Summer Chinook salmon stock (Queets sp/su Chinook
salmon). This final rule identifies changes to the regulations to
implement the rebuilding plan.
DATES: Effective October 28, 2026.
ADDRESSES: The documents cited in this document are available on the
Pacific
[[Page 61163]]
Fishery Management Council's (Council) website (<a href="https://www.pcouncil.org">https://www.pcouncil.org</a>) and the NMFS West Coast Region (WCR) website (<a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/rebuilding-plan-overfished-queets-river-spring-summer-chinook-salmon-stock">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/rebuilding-plan-overfished-queets-river-spring-summer-chinook-salmon-stock</a>).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannon Penna, Fishery Management
Specialist, at 562-980-4239 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4a19222b24242524641a2f24242b0a24252b2b642d253c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4d1e252c23232223631d2823232c0d23222c2c632a223b">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In October 2023, NMFS determined that the Queets sp/su Chinook
salmon managed under the Council's Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) met the overfished criteria of the FMP and the
Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA). ``Overfished'' is defined in the FMP as
when the 3-year geometric mean of a salmon stock's annual spawning
escapements falls below the reference point defined as the minimum
stock size threshold (MSST). The 3-year geometric mean spawning
escapement for Queets sp/su Chinook salmon for the 2019-2021 period was
314, which is less than the stock's MSST of 350. In response to the
overfished determination, the Council developed a rebuilding plan,
which was transmitted to NMFS for approval and implementation. NMFS
published a proposed rule (91 FR 7952, February 19, 2026) describing
the rebuilding plan and soliciting comments from the public on the
proposed rule and draft rebuilding plan. NMFS explained in the preamble
to the proposed rule the basis for its proposal to implement the
Council's recommended plan; that explanation is not repeated here.
Public Comment
NMFS solicited public comments on the proposed rule through March
23, 2026. NMFS received four public comments during the open comment
period. All comments addressed matters outside the scope of this
specific rulemaking. The first three comments addressed concerns about
offshore wind energy and the management of fisheries outside the scope
of the MSA. The fourth comment is non-responsive to the proposed
decision because it erroneously presumes NMFS proposed the total
suspension of commercial fishing, a restrictive alternative that the
Council considered but did not recommend and NMFS is not proposing.
Therefore, these comments are not addressed in this final action, and
no changes were made to the final rule in response to public comments.
Classification
Pursuant to section 304(b)(3) of the MSA, the NMFS Assistant
Administrator has determined that this final rule is consistent with
the Salmon FMP, other provisions of the MSA, and other applicable law.
This final rule has been determined to be not significant for
purposes of Executive Order 12866
This final rule is not an Executive Order 14192 regulatory action.
This action was developed after meaningful and timely consultation
or engagement with Tribal officials on the Council and the Northwest
Indian Fish Commission, who have agreed with the rebuilding plan. NMFS
consulted with Tribal officials on the Council and the Northwest Indian
Fish Commission after NMFS invited engagement on this rule. No changes
were made in the final rule in response to tribal consultations.
The Senior Lead Counsel for Regulation of the Department of
Commerce certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small
Business Administration during the proposed rule stage that this action
would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of
small entities. The factual basis for the certification was published
in the proposed rule and is not repeated here. No comments were
received regarding this certification. As a result, a regulatory
flexibility analysis was not required and none was prepared.
This final rule contains no information collection requirements
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 660
Fisheries, Fishing, Recordkeeping and reporting requirements.
Dated: September 24, 2026.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
For the reasons set out above and detailed in the proposed rule,
NMFS amends 50 CFR part 660 as follows:
PART 660--FISHERIES OFF WEST COAST STATES
0
1. The authority citation for part 660 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq., and
16 U.S.C. 7001 et seq.
0
2. Amend Sec. 660.413, by adding paragraph (b) to read as follows:
Sec. 660.413 Overfished species rebuilding plans.
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(b) Queets River Natural Spring/Summer Chinook. The Queets River
Natural Spring/Summer Chinook salmon stock was declared overfished in
2023. The rebuilding plan is to manage the fishery consistent with the
FMP and this subsection. The stock will be considered rebuilt when the
3-year geometric mean of natural-area adult escapement meets or exceeds
S<INF>MSY</INF> (the default criterion in the Salmon FMP).
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2026-19813 Filed 9-25-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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