[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 130 (Thursday, July 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39856-39857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-17076]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XA537
Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Issuance of three scientific research permits.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued Permit 15548 to
T.R. Payne and Associates, Permit 14419 to the Sonoma County Water
Agency, and Permit 16115 to URS Corporation.
ADDRESSES: The approved application for each permit is available on the
Applications and Permits for Protected Species (APPS), https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov Web site by searching the permit number within the
Search Database page. The applications, issued permits and supporting
documents are also available upon written request or by appointment:
Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 777 Sonoma Avenue, Room 325, Santa
Rosa, California 95404 (ph: (707) 575-6097, fax: (707) 578-3435).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Jahn at 707-575-6097, or e-
mail: Jeffrey.Jahn@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority
The issuance of permits and permit modifications, as required by
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) (ESA), is
based on a finding that such permits/modifications: (1) Are applied for
in good faith; (2) would not operate to the disadvantage of the listed
species which are the subject of the permits; and (3) are consistent
with the purposes and policies set forth in section 2 of the ESA.
Authority to take listed species is subject to conditions set forth in
the permits. Permits and modifications are issued in accordance with
and are subject to the ESA and NMFS regulations (50 CFR parts 222-226)
governing listed fish and wildlife permits.
Species Covered in This Notice
This notice is relevant to federally endangered Central California
Coast coho salmon (Oncorhyncus kisutch), threatened California Coastal
Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), and threatened Central California
Coast steelhead (O. mykiss).
Permits Issued
Permit 15548
A notice of the receipt of an application for a scientific research
permit (15548) was published in the Federal Register on December 8,
2010 (75 FR 76400). Permit 15548 was issued to T.R. Payne and
Associates on March 21, 2011.
Permit 15548 authorizes capture by backpack electrofishing,
handling (measuring), and release of juvenile Central California Coast
(CCC) steelhead. Permit 15548 authorizes unintentional lethal take of:
juvenile CCC steelhead not to exceed 3 percent of the total number of
fish captured. Permit 15548 does not authorize any lethal take of adult
CCC steelhead.
Permit 15548 is for research to be conducted in Suisun Creek, Green
Valley Creek, and Ledgewood Creek in Solano and Napa counties in
California. The purpose of the project is to collect data in these
watersheds to monitor the distribution, relative abundance and
diversity of the fish populations and to describe the existing habitat
conditions. Permit 15548 expires on December 31, 2021.
Permit 14419
A notice of the receipt of an application for a scientific research
permit (14419) was published in the Federal Register on February 15,
2011 (76 FR 8713). Permit 14419 was issued to the Sonoma County Water
Agency on April 25, 2011.
Permit 14419 authorizes the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) to
take adult and juvenile California Coastal (CC) Chinook salmon, adult
and juvenile Central California Coast (CCC) coho salmon, and adult and
juvenile CCC steelhead associated with five research projects in the
Russian River watershed in central California. The goal is to detect
and depict trends in ESA-listed salmonid populations in the Russian
River watershed and to monitor the results of salmonid habitat
enhancement efforts in this watershed.
Under Permit 14419, authorized researched methods include
downstream-migrant trapping (rotary screw traps, fyke nets, and pipe/
funnel nets), electrofishing (backpack and boat), beach seining, fin-
clipping, scale sampling, passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagging,
acoustic/radio telemetry, gastric lavage, otolith extraction, and
anesthetizing and handling fish. Permit 14419 does not authorize any
intentional lethal take of ESA-listed salmonids. Permit 14419
authorizes unintentional lethal take of ESA-listed salmonids associated
with research activities not to exceed three percent of the annual
total expected take for each species and life-stage. Permit 14419
expires on December 31, 2021.
Permit 16115
A notice of the receipt of an application for a scientific research
permit (16115) was published in the Federal Register on March 22, 2011
(76 FR 15946). Permit 16115 was issued to URS Corporation on June 3,
2011.
Permit 16115 authorizes capture by backpack electrofishing,
handling (measuring), and release of juvenile Central California Coast
(CCC) steelhead. Permit 16115 authorizes unintentional lethal take of
juvenile CCC steelhead not to exceed four percent of the total number
of fish
[[Page 39857]]
captured. Permit 16115 does not authorize any lethal take of adult CCC
steelhead.
Permit 16115 is for research to be conducted in the Guadalupe River
watershed in Santa Clara County, California. The main purpose of the
project is to assess mercury levels within individuals of two non ESA-
listed target species. In addition to this work, the project will also
collect CCC steelhead to determine CCC steelhead presence/absence,
distribution, and to determine habitat use and preference within the
Guadalupe River watershed. Permit 16115 expires on December 31, 2016.
Dated: June 30, 2011.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-17076 Filed 7-6-11; 8:45 am]
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