[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 10, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6576-6577]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-2652]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XN07
Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
[[Page 6577]]
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comment.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that The Northwest Indian Fisheries
Commission (NWIFC) has submitted an amendment to its Tribal Resource
Management Plan (Tribal Plan) for NMFS to evaluate. The amendment would
allow tribal researchers to take adult and juvenile Puget Sound
steelhead and adult Puget Sound Chinook salmon in addition to the fish
they already take under the current Tribal Plan. It was presented by
the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) on behalf of the Northwest Indian
Tribes; the submission fulfills the Tribes' obligations under the
protective regulations promulgated for Puget Sound Chinook salmon,
Puget Sound steelhead, and Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Tribal Plan describes research and
assessment activities that may affect listed Puget Sound Chinook
salmon, Puget Sound steelhead, and Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon in
Washington State. NMFS has completed an evaluation of how well the
Tribal Plan fulfills ESA criteria and proposes to determine that the
Tribal Plan will not appreciably reduce any listed species' likelihood
of survival and recovery. The Secretary of Commerce is making NMFS'
evaluation and proposed determination available for public comment.
DATES: Written comments on the Secretary's evaluation and proposed
determination must be received at the appropriate address or fax number
(see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on March 12,
2009.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests for copies of the proposed
evaluation should be addressed to Gary Rule, Protected Resources
Division, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1201 NE Lloyd Boulevard,
Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97232-1274. Comments may also be sent via fax
to (503) 230 5441. Comments will not be accepted if submitted via e-
mail or the Internet.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Rule, Portland, OR (ph.: 503- 230
5424, Fax: 503-210-5441, e-mail: [email protected]).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Species Covered in This Notice
Puget Sound Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Puget Sound steelhead (O. mykiss)
Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon (O. keta)
Authority
Under section 4 of the ESA, the Secretary is required to adopt such
regulations as he deems necessary and advisable for the conservation of
the species listed as threatened. The ESA Tribal 4(d) rule (70 FR
37160, June 28, 2005) states that the ESA section 9 take prohibitions
do not apply to Tribal Plans that will not appreciably reduce any
listed species' likelihood of survival and recovery.
The Tribal Plan
The NWIFC - through the BIA and on behalf of the Northwest Indian
Tribes - has submitted an amendment to its Tribal Plan for scientific
research and assessment activities within the range of ESA-listed Puget
Sound Chinook salmon, Puget Sound steelhead, and Hood Canal summer-run
chum salmon. The amendment would alter the current Tribal Plan by
allowing researchers to take adult and juvenile Puget Sound steelhead
and adult Puget Sound Chinook salmon. The Northwest Indian Tribes
conduct, independently and in cooperation with other agencies, a
variety of research and assessment projects. These projects provide the
technical basis for managing fisheries and conserving and restoring
salmon stocks and their habitat. The need for an improved understanding
of salmonid survival in the freshwater and early marine life stages
drives much of the current research. The Tribal Plan includes
implementation, monitoring, and evaluation procedures designed to
ensure that the research is consistent with the objectives of the ESA.
The research activities described in the Tribal Plan would take place
over an 8-year period starting in 2009.
As 50 CFR 223.209 requires, the Secretary must determine whether
the Tribal Plan would appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and
recovery for Puget Sound Chinook salmon, Puget Sound steelhead, and
Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon. In keeping with those requirements,
the Secretary must take comments on how well the Tribal Plan addresses
the criteria in Sec. 223.209 when making that determination. NMFS
proposes after having evaluated the submission to determine that the
Tribal plan will not appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and
recovery for Puget Sound Chinook salmon, Puget Sound steelhead, or Hood
Canal summer-run chum salmon.
Dated: February 4, 2009.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-2652 Filed 2-9-09; 8:45 am]
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