[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 20815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-9188]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XV93


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and to 
Conduct San Joaquin River Chinook Salmon Scoping Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent; scoping meeting.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces its intent to prepare an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) to analyze the potential impacts of the proposed 
reintroduction of spring-run Chinook salmon to the mainstem of the San 
Joaquin River.

DATES: NMFS will conduct a public scoping meeting in order to provide 
information and solicit comments for the preparation of the EA. The 
meeting will be held on April 28, 2010, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Pacific 
Time, at the Department of Water Resource, South Central Office, 3374 
East Shields Avenue, Fresno, CA 93726. Written comments must be 
postmarked by June 21, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Comments related to the preparation of the EA should be sent 
to National Marine Fisheries Service, Attn: Elif Fehm-Sullivan, 650 
Capitol Mall, Suite 8-300, Sacramento, CA 95814. Comments may also be 
submitted electronically to [email protected]. Comments and 
materials received will be available for public inspection, by 
appointment, during normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elif Fehm-Sullivan, telephone 916 930 
3723.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Proposed Action

    The proposed action is to reintroduce spring-run Chinook salmon 
into the mainstem of the San Joaquin River which will include 
collection of founding stock, propagation, and release under 
authorities of section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), 
Natural Resource Defense Council, et al. v. Rodgers et. al. 
(Settlement), the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Public Law 
111-11, Title X. (Restoration Act), and section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA. 
This proposed reintroduction includes designating an experimental 
population for spring-run Chinook salmon within the San Joaquin River 
from below the confluence with the Stanislaus River to Friant Dam. The 
proposed action will include promulgation of a 4(d) rule.

Geographic Scope

    The proposed planning area for the proposed reintroduction will 
consist of the aquatic ecosystems and natural communities, and 
potentially adjacent riparian and floodplain natural communities, 
within and along the San Joaquin River and from the confluence of the 
Stanislaus River (approximately 3 miles northeast of Vernalis, 
California) upstream to Friant Dam and it's associated tributaries 
including; the Stanislaus River below Goodwin Dam, the Tuolumne River 
below La Grange Dam, and the Merced River below Crocker-Huffman Dam.

Covered Species

    The species that is intended to be the initial focus of the 
reintroduction is the spring-run Central Valley Chinook salmon 
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).

Request for Comments

    The primary purpose of the scoping process is to identify important 
issues raised by the public related to the issuance of an ESA 10(j) 
rule and promulgation of an ESA 4(d) rule associated with the 
reintroduction of spring-run Chinook salmon to the San Joaquin River. 
Written comments from interested parties are invited to ensure that the 
full range of issues related to the proposed development of the 4(d) 
rule and the proposed reintroduction. All comments received, including 
names and addresses, will become part of the official administrative 
record and may be made available to the public. Information regarding 
this proposed action is available in alternative formats upon request.

Reasonable Accommodations

    Persons needing reasonable accommodation to attend and participate 
should contact Elif Fehman-Sullivan (see FOR FURTHER CONTACT 
INFORMATION). To allow sufficient time to process requests, please call 
no later than five days prior to attending the meeting.

    Dated: April 15, 2010.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-9188 Filed 4-20-10; 8:45 am]
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