Endangered and threatened species: Chinook salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, and steelhead,
[Federal Register: August 2, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 147)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 41835-41839]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02au99-38]
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
RIN 1018-AF70
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing of Nine Evolutionarily Significant Units of Chinook Salmon, Chum Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, and Steelhead
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is adding several Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), and steelhead
[[Page 41836]]
(Oncorhynchus mykiss) to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (List) in accordance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The Puget Sound chinook salmon ESU in Washington, the Lower Columbia River chinook salmon ESU in Washington and Oregon, and the Upper Willamette spring-run chinook salmon ESU in Oregon are added as threatened; the Upper Columbia River spring-run chinook salmon ESU in Washington is added as endangered; the Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon ESU in Washington and the Columbia River chum salmon ESU in Washington and Oregon are added as threatened; the Ozette Lake sockeye salmon ESU in Washington is added as threatened; and the Middle Columbia River steelhead ESU in Washington and Oregon and the Upper Willamette River steelhead ESU in Oregon are added as threatened. This amendment is based on determinations by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, which has jurisdiction for these species, published in the Federal Register on March 24, 1999 (64 FR 14308), and March 25, 1999 (64 FR 14508, 64 FR 14517, 64 FR 14528).
DATES: The effective date for listing of these ESUs is May 24, 1999. The amendments to the list in 50 CFR 17.11(h) are effective August 2, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Division of Endangered Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop 420, Arlington, Virginia 22203.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard E. Hannan, Acting Chief, Division of Endangered Species, at the above address or telephone 703- 358-2171.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In accordance with the Act and Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970, NMFS has jurisdiction over west coast steelhead. Under section 4(a)(2) of the Act, NMFS must decide whether a species under its jurisdiction should be classified as endangered or threatened. The Service is responsible for the actual amendment of the List in 50 CFR 17.11(h).
On March 24, 1999 (64 FR 14308), NMFS published a final rule listing four chinook salmon ESUs as threatened; the Puget Sound chinook salmon ESU in Washington, the Lower Columbia River chinook salmon ESU in Washington and Oregon, and the Upper Willamette spring-run chinook salmon ESU in Oregon; the Upper Columbia River spring-run chinook salmon ESU in Washington was listed as endangered. On March 25, 1999 (64 FR 14508), NMFS published a final rule listing two chum salmon ESUs as threatened; the Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon ESU in Washington and the Columbia River chum salmon ESU in Washington and Oregon. On March 25, 1999 (64 FR 14528), NMFS published a final rule listing one sockeye salmon ESU; the Ozette Lake sockeye salmon ESU in Washington as threatened. On March 25, 1999 (64 FR 14517), NMFS published a final rule listing two steelhead ESUs as threatened; the Middle Columbia River steelhead ESU in Washington and Oregon and the Upper Willamette River steelhead ESU in Oregon. NMFS had previously issued proposed listing rules for the chinook salmon ESUs on March 9, 1998 (63 FR 11482), for the chum salmon ESUs on March 10, 1998 (63 FR 11774), for the sockeye salmon ESU on March 10, 1998 (63 FR 11750), and for the steelhead ESUs on March 10, 1998 (63 FR 11798).
The proposed rules identified above solicited comments from peer reviewers, the public, and all other interested parties. The final rules addressed the comments received in response to the proposed rules. Because NMFS provided public comment periods on the proposed rules, and because this action of the Service to amend the List in accordance with the determinations by NMFS is administrative and nondiscretionary, the Service has omitted the notice and public comment procedures of 5 U.S.C. 553(b) for this action.
National Environmental Policy Act
The Service has determined that an Environmental Assessment, as defined under the authority of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, need not be prepared in connection with regulations adopted pursuant to section 4(a) of the Act. The Service published a notice outlining its reasons for this determination in the Federal Register on October 25, 1983 (48 FR 49244).
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.
Regulation Promulgation
Accordingly, the Service amends part 17, subchapter B of chapter I, title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:
PART 17--[AMENDED]
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The authority citation for part 17 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544; 16 U.S.C. 4201-4245; Pub. L. 99-625, 100 Stat. 3500, unless otherwise noted.
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Amend Sec. 17.11(h) by adding the following, in alphabetical order under FISHES, to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife:
Sec. 17.11 Endangered and threatened wildlife.
* * * * *
(h) * * *
Species
Vertebrate
population where
Critical Special Historic range endangered or
Status When listed habitat rules Common name
Scientific name
threatened
*
*
*
*
*
*
* Fishes
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*
*
*
*
*
*
* Salmon, chinook.................. Oncorhyncus
North America from U.S.A. (WA) all T
664
NA
NA tshawytscha.
Ventura R. in
naturally spawned California to
populations from Point Hope, Alaska rivers and streams and the Mackenzie flowing into Puget R. area in Canada, Sound, including Northeast Asia the Straits of from Hokkaido, Juan De Fuca from Japan to the
the Elwha R. Anadyr R., Russia. eastward, and Hood Canal, South Sound, North Sound and the Strait of Georgia. Salmon, chinook.................. Oncorhyncus
North America from U.S.A. (OR, WA) all T
664
NA
NA tshawytscha.
Ventura R. in
naturally spawned California to
populations from Point Hope, Alaska the Columbia R. and the Mackenzie and its R. area in Canada, tributaries Northeast Asia upstream from its from Hokkaido, mouth to a point Japan to the
east of the Hood Anadyr R., Russia. R. and White Salmon R., including the Willamette R. to Willamette Falls in Oregon, excluding the spring run in the Clackamas R. Salmon, chinook.................. Oncorhyncus
North America from U.S.A. (OR) all T
664
NA
NA tshawytscha.
Ventura R. in
naturally spawned California to
populations in the Point Hope, Alaska Clackamas R. and and the Mackenzie the Willamette R. R. area in Canada, and its Northeast Asia tributaries above from Hokkaido, Willamette Falls. Japan to the Anadyr R., Russia. Salmon, chinook.................. Oncorhyncus
North America from U.S.A. (WA) all E
664
NA
N tshawytscha.
Ventura R. in
naturally spawned California to
populations in the Point Hope, Alaska Columbia R. and the Mackenzie tributaries R. area in Canada, upstream of Rock Northeast Asia Island Dam and from Hokkaido, downstream of Japan to the
Chief Joseph Dam, Anadyr R., Russia. excluding the Okanogan R., and the Columbia R. from a line between the west end of Clatsop jetty, OR, and the west end of Peacock jetty, WA, upstream to Chief Joseph Dam, including spring- run hatchery stocks (and their progeny) in Chiwawa R., Methow R., Twisp R., Chewuch R., White R., and Nason Creek.
[[Page 41838]]
Salmon, chum..................... Oncorhyncus keta.... North Pacific Rim U.S.A. (WA) all T
664
NA
NA from Korea and the naturally spawned Japanese Island of summer-run Honshu east to populations in Monterey Bay,
Hood Canal and its California, Arctic tributaries and Ocean from the Olympic Peninsula Laptev Sea in
rivers between Russia to
Hood Canal and Mackenzie R. in Dungeness Bay. Canada. Salmon, chum..................... Oncorhyncus keta.... North Pacific Rim U.S.A. (OR, WA) all T
664
NA
NA from Korea and the naturally spawned Japanese Island of populations in the Honshu east to Columbia R. and Monterey Bay,
its tributaries. California; Arctic Ocean from the Laptev Sea in Russia to Mackenzie R. in Canada.
*
*
*
*
*
*
* Salmon, sockeye.................. Oncorhyncus nerka... North Pacific Basin U.S.A. (WA) all T
664
NA
NA from U.S.A. (CA) naturally spawned to Russia.
populations in Ozette Lake and its tributary streams.
*
*
*
*
*
*
* Steelhead........................ Oncorhyncus mykiss.. North Pacific Ocean U.S.A. (OR) all T
664
NA
NA from the Kamchatka naturally spawned Peninsula in Asia winter-run to the northern populations in the Baja Peninsula. Willamette R. and its tributaries from Willamette Falls to the Calapooia R., inclusive. Steelhead........................ Oncorhyncus mykiss.. North Pacific Ocean U.S.A. (OR, WA) All T
664
NA
NA from the Kamchatka naturally spawned Peninsula in Asia populations in to the northern streams above and Baja Peninsula. excluding the Wind R. in Washington, and the Hood R. in Oregon, upstream to, and including, the Yakima R. Excluded are steelhead from the Snake R. Basin.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
[[Page 41839]]
Dated: July 12, 1999. Marshall P. Jones, Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 99-19712Filed7-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-U
