[Federal Register: October 7, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 193)]
[Notices]
[Page 51553-51555]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07oc09-32]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XR39
Endangered and Threatened Species; Recovery Plans
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments and notice of
public meetings.
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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces
availability for public review and comment of the Draft Central Valley
Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Plan (Draft Plan). The Draft Plan
addresses the Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus
tshawytscha) Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU), the Central Valley
spring-run Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) ESU, and the Distinct
Population Segment (DPS) of Central Valley Steelhead (Oncorhynchus
mykiss). NMFS is soliciting review and comment from the public and all
interested parties on the Draft Plan. In addition, four public meetings
will be held in October 2009 as opportunities for providing comments on
the Draft Plan (dates to be determined).
DATES: NMFS will consider and address all substantive comments
received during the comment period. Comments must be received no later
than 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on December 7, 2009. Public meetings
will also be held (see Public Meetings below).
ADDRESSES: Please send written comments and materials to Brian
Ellrott, National Marine Fisheries Service, 650 Capitol Mall, Suite 8-
300, Sacramento, CA 95816. Comments may also be submitted by e-mail to:
CentralValleyPlan.SWR@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line of the e-
mail comment the following identifier: ``Comments on Central Valley
Salmon and Steelhead Draft Plan.'' Comments may be submitted via
facsimile (fax) to (916) 930-3629.
Persons wishing to review the Draft Plan can obtain an electronic
copy (i.e., CD-ROM) from Aimee Diefenbach by calling (916) 930-3600 or
by e-mailing a request to aimee.diefenbach@noaa.gov with the subject
line ``CD-ROM Request for Central Valley Salmon and Steelhead Recovery
Draft Plan.'' Electronic copies of the Draft Plan are also available
on-line on the NMFS website http://swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/recovery/
centralvalleyplan.htm.
The specific dates, times, and locations of public meetings will be
posted on this website as they become available.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Ellrott at (916) 930-3612 or
Howard Brown, NMFS Sacramento River Basin Branch Chief at (916) 930-
3608.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Recovery plans describe actions beneficial to the conservation and
recovery of species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973
(ESA), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The ESA requires that
recovery plans incorporate: (1) objective, measurable criteria which,
when met, would result in a determination that the species is no longer
threatened or endangered; (2) site-specific management actions
necessary to achieve the plan's goals; and (3) estimates of the time
required and costs to implement recovery actions. The ESA requires the
development of recovery plans for each listed species unless such a
plan would not promote its recovery.
NMFS is responsible for developing and implementing ESA recovery
plans for listed salmon and steelhead. In so doing, NMFS' goal is to
restore endangered and threatened Pacific salmonids to the point that
they are again self-sustaining members of their ecosystems and no
longer need the protections of the ESA.
Recovery Plans developed under the ESA are guidance documents, not
regulatory documents. However, the ESA envisions Recovery Plans as the
central organizing tool for guiding the recovery of listed species.
Recovery Plans also guide Federal agencies in fulfilling their
obligations under section 7(a)(1) of the ESA, which calls on all
Federal agencies to ``utilize their authorities in furtherance of the
purposes of this Act by carrying out programs for the conservation of
endangered species and threatened species.'' In addition to outlining
proactive measures to achieve species recovery, Recovery Plans provide
a context and framework for implementing other provisions of the ESA
with respect to a particular species, including consultations on
Federal agency activities under section 7(a)(2) and the development of
Habitat Conservation Plans in accordance with section 10(a)(1)(B).
This Draft Plan serves as a guideline for achieving recovery
criteria and goals by describing the criteria by which NMFS would
measure species recovery, the strategy to achieve recovery, and the
recovery actions necessary to achieve viable ESU's of Sacramento River
winter-run Chinook salmon and Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon,
and a viable DPS of Central Valley steelhead.
Recovery Criteria
Recovery criteria are built upon criteria recommended by the NMFS
Technical Recovery Team (TRT) for the identification of viable
anadromous salmonid populations and ESUs/DPSs. A viable population is
defined as a population having a negligible risk (<5%) of extinction
due to threats from demographic variation, non-catastrophic
environmental variation, and genetic diversity changes over a 100-year
time frame. A viable ESU/DPS is comprised of a sufficient number of
viable populations sufficiently dispersed spatially, but well connected
enough to maintain long-term (1,000-year) persistence and evolutionary
potential (McElhany et al. 2000). The viability criteria are intended
to describe characteristics of the species and its natural environments
necessary for both individual populations and the ESU/DPS as a whole to
be viable, i.e., persist over a specific period of time.
Recovery of winter-run Chinook salmon, spring-run Chinook salmon,
and steelhead in the Central Valley will
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require recovery of a sufficient number of viable populations of each
species within each of the species' historic diversity groups defined
by the TRT. Recovery of individual populations is necessary to conserve
the natural diversity (genetic, phenotypic, and behavioral), spatial
distribution, and abundance of each species, and thus the long-term
viability of each ESU/DPS as a whole. Additionally, the ESU/DPS as a
whole must contain a minimal number of viable populations, or
interacting trans-basin populations, within each diversity group in
order to withstand environmental variation of the sort known to have
occurred in the Central Valley over the last 500-1,000 years. Such
variation has included natural catastrophes such as prolonged drought,
volcanic eruptions, large wildfires, and anthropogenic impacts such as
the 1991 Cantara metam sodium spill. Therefore, for ESUs/DPSs to be
considered viable, they should be able to persist if challenged by
these types of catastrophes as well as anthropogenic climate change.
Recovery Strategy
Achieving recovery of winter-run Chinook salmon, spring-run Chinook
salmon, and steelhead will require a number of coordinated activities,
such as: (1) implementing the strategic and threat-specific recovery
actions identified in this Draft Plan, including actions directed at
increasing the quantity and quality of habitat available to anadromous
salmonids, minimizing hatchery effects, and improving harvest
management; (2) monitoring the abundance and distribution of existing
populations for all three species and their response to recovery
actions; and (3) researching the diverse life-history patterns and
adaptations of Central Valley steelhead to a highly dynamic environment
(e.g., the ecological relationship between anadromous and non-
anadromous life-history forms).
There remain uncertainties regarding the level of recovery
necessary to achieve population viability, therefore, additional
research and monitoring of winter-run Chinook salmon, spring-run
Chinook salmon, and steelhead in the Central Valley is an essential
component of this Draft Plan. As this Draft Plan is implemented over
time, additional information will become available to: (1) refine the
viability criteria; (2) update and refine the species-specific threats
assessments and related recovery actions; (3) determine whether
individual threats have been abated; and (4) evaluate the overall
viability of winter-run Chinook salmon, spring-run Chinook salmon, and
steelhead in the Central Valley. There will be a review of the recovery
actions implemented and population and habitat responses to these
actions at the 5-year and 10-year status reviews for each ESU/DPS.
Effective implementation of recovery actions will also entail: (1)
extensive public education (including the general public, non-
governmental agencies, and local, regional, State, and Federal
governmental agencies,) regarding the role and value of these species
within the larger watershed environment; (2) development of cooperative
relationships with private land owners, special districts, federally-
recognized tribes, and local governments with direct control and
responsibilities over non-federal land-use practices; (3) participation
in the land use and water planning and regulatory processes of local,
regional, State, and Federal agencies; (4) close cooperation with other
state resource agencies such as the California Department of Fish and
Game, California Department of Water Resources, CalTrans, and the
California Department of Parks and Recreation, and (5) partnering with
Federal resource agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of
Defense, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Recovery Actions
Many complex and inter-related biological, economic, social, and
technological issues must be addressed in order to recover anadromous
salmonids in the Central Valley. Policy changes at the Federal, state,
and local levels will likely be necessary to implement many of the
recovery actions identified in this Draft Plan. For example, without
substantial strides in water conservation throughout California, flow
conditions for anadromous salmonids will limit recovery. Similarly,
recovery is unlikely without programs to restore properly functioning
historic habitat such as estuaries, and access to upstream spawning and
rearing habitat.
Implementation and Cost Estimates
Implementation of this Draft Plan by NMFS will take many forms. To
achieve recovery, NMFS will need to promote the Draft Plan and provide
needed technical information and assistance to other entities
responsible for actions that may impact the species' recovery. NMFS
should work with key partners on planning and implementation of all
high priority recovery actions. Additionally it will be important to
work with local governments to ensure that protective measures
consistent with recovery objectives are included in their general and
local plans. NMFS should also work with state and Federal regional
entities on Regional Water Control Board Basin Plans and U.S. Forest
Service Plans.
An implementation schedule describing time frames and costs
associated with individual recovery actions is included in the Draft
Plan and is continuing to be developed as information becomes
available. Estimating total cost to recovery is much more challenging,
if not impossible to estimate for a variety of reasons. These include
the large geographic extent of the Central Valley; the long-term
duration (e.g., likely decades) expected to achieve full recovery; and
the uncertainty associated with population responses to changing
environmental conditions. In some instances, however, NMFS is able to
estimate the costs associated with certain common restoration
activities such as those undertaken as part of the Calfed Ecosystem
Restoration Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Anadromous Fish
Restoration Program, or the California Department of Water Resource's
Fish Passage Improvement Program. An appendix to the Draft Plan
contains estimates for these categories of typical watershed
restoration actions.
The criteria and recovery actions identified in the Draft Plan
provide a comprehensive road-map for recovery and are consistent with
many ongoing activities intended to protect and or restore ecosystem
functions in Central Valley watersheds. As a result, many of these
recovery actions will be undertaken by local, state and Federal
agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations and other private
entities as a part of their local ecosystem protection efforts. Also,
the wide variety of threats to Central Valley salmon and steelhead
provide for a variety of potential funding sources available to develop
and implement these recovery actions, often as part of other ongoing
natural resource restoration, management, and mitigation programs.
Public Comments Solicited
NMFS solicits written comments on the Draft Plan. All comments
received by the date specified above will be considered prior to NMFS'
decision whether to approve the Draft Plan. NMFS seeks comments
particularly in the following areas: (1) the analysis of limiting
factors and threats; (2) the
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recovery objectives, strategies, and actions, especially in regard to
the selection of core populations, priority areas for reintroduction,
and critical recovery actions; (3) the criteria for removing ESUs/DPSs
from the Federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants;
and (4) estimates of time and cost to implement recovery actions. NMFS
will also hold public meetings to provide an opportunity for the public
to learn more about the Draft Plan, ask questions of NMFS staff, and
submit oral or written comments on the Draft Plan.
Public Meetings
Four public meetings will be held, two in Chico, CA and two in
Sacramento, CA . The two Chico meetings will occur on the same date
with one three-hour meeting during the day followed by one two-hour
meeting in the evening. The Sacramento meetings will follow this same
day/evening approach. The meetings will be targeted toward receiving
comments from key stakeholders and salmon recovery ``practitioners''
such as local jurisdiction officials, state and local agency personnel,
industry representatives, public and non-profit interest
representatives, and others who have a professional involvement and
knowledge of salmon recovery issues, as well as general public and
other constituencies.
Literature Cited
McElhany, P., Ruckelshaus, M.H., Ford, M.J., Wainwright, T.C., and
Bjorkstedt, E.P. 2000. Viable Salmonid Populations and the Conservation
of Evolutionarily Significant Units. U.S. Department of Commerce. NOAA
Technical Memorandum. NMFS NWFSC 42. Seattle, WA.Authority: 16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.
Dated:September 30, 2009.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-24224 Filed 10-6-09; 8:45 am]
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