Permits: Endangered and threatened species,

[Federal Register: March 25, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 57)]

[Notices]

[Page 14431-14432]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr25mr99-49]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 031999D]

Endangered Species; Permits

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of a request for modification 1 to permit 1094.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at Olympia, WA (WDFW) has applied in due form for a permit modification that would authorize takes of anadromous fish species listed under the Endangered Species Act for research/enhancement purposes.

DATES: Written comments or a request for a public hearing on this request for a permit modification must be received on or before April 26, 1999.

[[Page 14432]]

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for review in the following office, by appointment:

Protected Resources Division (PRD), F/NWO3, 525 NE Oregon Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-4169 (503-230-5400).

Written comments or requests for a public hearing should be submitted to the Chief, PRD in Portland, OR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Koch (503-230-5424).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: WDFW requests a permit modification under the authority of section 10 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) and the NMFS regulations governing ESA-listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 217-227).

Permit 1094 authorizes WDFW an annual take of adult and juvenile, endangered, naturally produced and artificially propagated, upper Columbia River (UCR) steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) associated with a hatchery supplementation program in the mid- to upper Columbia River Basin. Incidental takes of ESA-listed species resulting from WDFW hatchery operations and hatchery produced fish releases are also authorized by the permit. WDFW believes the artificial propagation of ESA-listed steelhead will benefit the species by enhancing the population, which is not currently able to naturally replace itself. For modification 1, WDFW requests an increase in the number of ESA- listed juvenile steelhead releases from the program in 1999 for scientific research and enhancement purposes, which may result in an increase in incidental takes of ESA-listed species. Also for modification 1, WDFW requests incidental takes of juvenile, endangered, UCR spring chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) associated with the program. WDFW has provided a revised conservation plan designed to minimize and mitigate the potential increase in incidental takes of ESA-listed species. The revised conservation plan includes a strategy to manage adult returns. The increases in hatchery produced fish releases is requested to be valid in 1999 only. Takes of endangered, UCR spring chinook salmon are requested to be valid for the duration of the permit, which expires on May 31, 2003.

Those individuals requesting a hearing on this application should set out the specific reasons why a hearing would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). The holding of such a hearing is at the discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA. All statements and opinions contained in the above application summary are those of the applicant and do not necessarily reflect the views of NMFS.

Dated: March 19, 1999. Kevin Collins, Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 99-7236Filed3-24-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-F