[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 10 (Friday, January 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2189-2196]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00747]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XE396
Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Issuance seven new scientific research permits, and fourteen
renewal scientific research permits.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued Permit 1440-2R to
the Interagency Ecological Program (IEP); Permit 13675-2R to the
Fishery Foundation of California (FFC); Permit 13791-2R to the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Stockton Fish and Wildlife
Office (SFWO); Permit 14516-2R to Dr. Jerry Smith, Associate Professor
in the Department of Biological Sciences at San Jose State University;
Permit 15215 to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW),
Fisheries Branch, Fish Health Laboratory; Permit 16274 to the Mendocino
Redwood Company (MRC); Permit 17063 to the United States Forest Service
(USFS), Redwood Sciences Laboratory; Permit 17077-2R to Dr. Peter
Moyle, with the University of California at Davis, Department of
Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology; Permit 17219 and Permit 19320
to the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), Fisheries
Ecology Division; Permit 17272 to the USFWS, Arcata Fish and Wildlife
Office Fisheries Program (AFWO); Permit 17351 to the Green Diamond
Resource Company (GDRC); Permit 17396 to the USFWS, Anadromous Fish
Restoration Program (AFRP); Permit 17867 to the Humboldt Redwood
Company (HRC); Permit 17877 to the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR); Permit
17916 to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Arcata Field Office;
Permit 18012 to the CDFW, Bay Delta Region; Permit 18712 to H.T. Harvey
& Associates; Permit 18937 to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
University of California, San Diego, California Sea Grant College
Program (CSGCP); Permit 19121 to the United States Geological Survey
(USGS), California Water Survey; and Permit 19400 to ICF consulting.
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, CA 95404 ph: (707) 575-6080, fax: (707) 578-3435).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Abrams, Santa Rosa, CA (ph.: 707-
575-6080), Fax: 707-578-3435, email: [email protected]).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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
The following listed species are covered in this notice:
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Threatened Snake River
spring/summer-run (SR spr/sum); threatened Lower Columbia River
(LCR);threatened California Coastal (CC); threatened Central Valley
spring-run (CVSR); endangered Sacramento River winter-run (SRWR).
Coho salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened Southern Oregon/Northern
California Coast (SONCC); endangered Central California Coast (CCC).
Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened Northern California (NC);
threatened CCC; threatened California Central Valley (CCV); threatened
South-Central California Coast (S-CCC); endangered Southern California
(SC).
North American green sturgeon (Acipenser medisrostris): Threatened
southern distinct population segment (sDPS).
Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus): threatened sDPS.
Permits Issued
Permit 1440-2R
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit renewal (1440-2R) was published in the Federal Register on July
29, 2015 (80 FR 45197). Permit 1440-2R was issued to IEP on December
23, 2015 and expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 1440-2R authorizes IEP to take CVSR Chinook salmon, SRWR
Chinook salmon, CCV steelhead, CCC steelhead and sDPS green sturgeon
while conducting 11 surveys in the San Francisco Bay-Delta region. The
studies examine the abundance, and temporal and spatial distribution of
various life stages of pelagic fishes of management concern, including
listed species, and their food (e.g., zooplankton) resources, along
with environmental conditions. These IEP studies are intended to
monitor/inform the effectiveness of water operations, aquatic habitat
restoration, and fish management practices, thereby providing a benefit
to listed fish. The 11 studies included are: (1) Adult Striped Bass, a
striped bass population study; (2) Fall Midwater Trawl, which monitors
the relative abundance of native and introduced fish species; (3)
Sturgeon Tagging, a white sturgeon tagging program; (4) Summer Townet,
which targets delta smelt and young-of-the-year striped bass; (5)
Estuarine and Marine Fish, a San Francisco Bay trawl study; (6) 20mm
Survey, a study to monitor juvenile delta smelt distribution and
relative abundance; (7) Yolo Bypass, a research effort to understand
fish and invertebrate use of the Yolo Bypass seasonal floodplain; (8)
Upper Estuary Zooplankton, which targets multiple zooplankters; (9)
Spring Kodiak Trawl, which determines the relative abundance and
distribution of spawning delta smelt; (10) Suisun Marsh Survey,
monitoring to determine the effects of the Suisun Marsh Salinity
Control Gates operation on fish, including listed salmonids; and (11)
Smelt Larva Survey, which provides distribution data for
[[Page 2190]]
longfin smelt larvae in the Delta. Listed fish may be captured by fyke
net, gill net, midwater trawl, trammel net, hoop net, otter trawl,
larval fish net, zooplankton net, Kodiak trawl net, rotary screw trap,
and beach seine. The majority of captured fishes will be identified to
species, enumerated, measured for standard length, and released.
Juvenile SRWR and CVSR Chinook salmon will be identified using the
Delta Model Length-at-Date-of-Capture Table. Listed species will be
processed first and released. A subsample of wild juvenile SRWR and
CVSR Chinook salmon sized captures will be tissue sampled for genetic
analysis, and a subsample of hatchery juvenile SRWR and CVSR Chinook
salmon sized captures will be sacrificed (i.e., intentional directed
mortality) in order to collect coded wire tag data for management
purposes and for stock confirmation. To reduce handling mortality,
investigators will conduct water to water transfers, use fish-friendly
nets, avoid handling when possible, and will not release fish from a
vessel under way.
Permit 13675-2R
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit renewal (13675-2R) was published in the Federal Register on July
29, 2015 (80 FR 45197). Permit 13675-2R was issued to the FFC on
December 23, 2015 and expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 13675-2R authorizes the FFC annually take juvenile-CVSR
Chinook salmon, SRWR Chinook salmon, CCV steelhead, and sDPS green
sturgeon while conducting research designed to monitor the use of the
Fremont Landing Conservation Bank (FLCB) and the Bullock Bend
Mitigation Bank (BBMB) at the confluence of the Sacramento and Feather
rivers in California's Central Valley. The banks are restored areas
that provides mitigation for impacts on listed salmonid species in the
Central Valley. The monitoring will evaluate the use of the FLCB and
the BBMB by listed fish, provide data directly related to success
criteria described in the conservation/mitigation bank management plan,
and benefit listed fish by informing adaptive management strategies
being conducted at the FLCB and the BBMB. The researchers will use
beach seines and fyke nets to capture listed fish. Once captured, all
listed fish will be identified by species and released. A subsample
will be measured for fork length. No anesthesia will be used, and no
additional handling procedures would take place. Captured fish will
remain completely wetted at all times to minimize stress. Any fish
exhibiting signs of physiological stress would be immediately released.
The researchers are not proposing to kill any of the fish they capture,
but some may die as an unintended result of the research.
Permit 13791-2R
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit renewal (13791-2R) was published in the Federal Register on July
29, 2015 (80 FR 45197). Permit 13791-2R was issued to the USFWS SFWO on
December 23, 2015 and expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 13791-2R authorizes the USFWS SFWO to annually take juvenile
and smolt CVSR Chinook salmon, SRWR Chinook salmon, CCV steelhead, and
juvenile and larval sDPS green sturgeon while conducting seven research
studies. The purpose of the studies is to evaluate/monitor the: (1)
Abundance, temporal and spatial distribution, and survival of salmonids
and other fishes in the lower Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and the
San Francisco Estuary (SFE); (2) occurrence and habitat use of fishes,
especially early life history stages, within the Liberty Island and
Cache Slough Complex, (3) relative gear efficiencies for all IEP fish
survey nets, and also the distribution of delta smelt; (4) littoral
habitat use of juvenile Chinook salmon within the Delta; (5) the effect
of projected water operations on delta smelt; (6) length at date race
criteria of SRWR Chinook salmon sized juvenile Chinook salmon; and (7)
SRWR and CVSR Chinook salmon floodplain usage in the Yolo bypass. These
studies will result in capture/handle/release take, tissue sampling,
and/or intentional directed mortality. Intentional directed mortality
will apply to only juvenile hatchery adipose clipped salmonids and
larval green sturgeon. Capture methods will include Kodiak trawl,
midwater trawl, beach seine, zooplankton net, larval net, gill net,
fyke net, purse seine, and boat electrofishing. All listed fish except
adipose fin clipped SRWR and CVSR Chinook salmon will be immediately
collected from the sampling gears, placed in containers filled with
river water collected at the location being sampled, processed, held in
a recovery container filled with aerated river water, and subsequently
released at the sampled location. A fin tissue sample will be collected
from a subset of natural origin SRWR and CVSR Chinook salmon for stock
determination. The purpose of intentional mortality of hatchery origin
(adipose clipped) SRWR and CVSR Chinook salmon will be to collect coded
wire tags (CWT), and up ten green sturgeon larvae will be killed during
larval fish collections in order to identify the contents of the larval
trawl net, which can only be achieved in the lab. The data provided by
these studies will provide natural resource managers real-time
biological and population data on fishes to evaluate the effect of
water operations and fish management practices within the SFE, thereby
benefiting listed fish.
Permit 14516-2R
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit renewal (14516-2R) was published in the Federal Register on July
29, 2015 (80 FR 45197). Permit 14516-2R was issued to Dr. Jerry Smith
on December 23, 2015 and expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 14516-2R authorizes Dr. Jerry Smith, Associate Professor in
the Department of Biological Sciences at San Jose State University to
annually take multiple life stages of CCC coho salmon and CCC steelhead
while conducting two studies: (1) Stream and lagoon surveys in Gazos
Creek, Waddell Creek, and Scott Creek; and (2) lagoon surveys in
Pescadero Creek Lagoon and San Gregorio Lagoon. The purpose of the
studies is to: (1) Provide an annual index of relative abundance for
juvenile listed salmonids, provide data on lagoon and upstream habitat
utilization and growth, and provide an assessment of trends and year to
year response to variations in habitat conditions; and (2) determine
juvenile listed salmonid abundance and growth, and provide adult life
history information in the lagoons. Capture methods will include
backpack electrofishing, and beach seine. Captured salmonids will be
measured, and a subset of juvenile captures and all adults will have
scale samples taken, before being released at the capture location. A
subsample of juvenile steelhead will also be marked via caudal fin clip
to perform a mark-recapture analysis. Scale and fin tissue samples will
be taken from adult fish carcasses. Captured live fish will be held in
flow-through live cars, covered with a towel to provide shade and cover
to calm fish. Adult fish will be processed and released first. In
lagoons, live cars will be kept in deeper water with cooler
temperatures and less turbidity to prevent warming above ambient
temperatures or a decrease in dissolved oxygen. The researchers are not
proposing to kill any of the fish they capture, but a small number may
die as an unintended result of the activities.
Permit 15215
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit (15215)
[[Page 2191]]
was published in the Federal Register on July 29, 2015 (80 FR 45197).
Permit 15215 was issued to CDFW on December 23, 2015 and expires on
December 31, 2020.
Permit 15215 authorizes the CDFW, Fisheries Branch, Fish Health
Laboratory to take endangered SRWR Chinook salmon, CCC coho salmon and
SC steelhead for a period of five years. The purpose of the research is
to investigate wild fish kills/disease outbreaks that could occur in
California that involve federally listed endangered species. The
research will benefit the listed species by providing fisheries
managers with the necessary information to help alleviate future
outbreaks of fish disease through proper management of fishery and
water resources. The research will only be conducted in the event of
elevated and unexplained endangered species mortality or the presence
of clinically diseased animals. Given such a triggering event,
endangered fish will be collected in any of the state waters of
California in which a disease outbreak/fish die-off occurred. Adult and
juvenile endangered fish will be collected by hand or dip-net, as only
dead and/or moribund fish, or fish displaying clinical signs of
disease, will be collected. Moribund or clinically diseased fish will
be euthanized (i.e., intentional directed mortality). Trained CDFW
pathologists and veterinarians will assess moribund or diseased fish
prior to euthanasia, and only fish that will likely die regardless of
the actions proposed by CDFW will be euthanized. Necropsies will be
performed on dead and euthanized captured fish either in the laboratory
or in the field, fish will be examined for signs of parasitic and
bacterial infections, and fin and/or internal tissues will be collected
for virology, histopathology, immunological testing and/or DNA testing.
Permit 16274
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit renewal (16274) was published in the Federal Register on July
29, 2015 (80 FR 45197). Permit 16274 was issued to the MRC on December
23, 2015 and expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 16274 authorizes the MRC to take CC Chinook salmon, SONCC
coho salmon, CCC coho salmon, NC steelhead, and CCC steelhead while
conducting research and monitoring to assess juvenile and adult
populations of salmonids and their distribution in streams within MRC's
property. Research will be conducted in several watersheds within
Mendocino and northern Sonoma counties. The data gathered will benefit
listed fish by informing a better understanding of salmonid
distribution, abundance, and habitat utilization in these areas.
Juvenile salmonids will be captured by backpack electrofishing,
anesthetized, weighed, measured to fork length, and released. A
subsample of juvenile salmonids will be fin clipped to mark and to
collect tissue samples for genetic analysis. Live adults and/or
juveniles will be observed via snorkel surveys and spawning surveys.
Carcasses will be measured and then marked to ensure duplicate
measurements were not made. Outmigrant trapping will be conducted using
a rotary screw trap or weir/pipe trap; captured outmigrants will be
anesthetized, measured, and released. A subsample of outmigrants will
be marked (dye, elastomer, or fin clip) or Passive Integrated
Transponder (PIT) tagged. All anesthetized fish will be allowed to
recover in a bucket containing aerated natal water prior to being
released back into the stream from which they were taken. The
researchers are not proposing to kill any of the fish they capture, but
a small number may die as an unintended result of the activities.
Permit 17063
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit renewal (17063) was published in the Federal Register on July
29, 2015 (80 FR 45197). Permit 17063 was issued to the USFS, Redwood
Sciences Laboratory on December 23, 2015 and expires on December 31,
2020.
Permit 170963 authorizes the USFS, Redwood Sciences Laboratory to
perform eight studies that together will take CC Chinook salmon, SONCC
coho salmon, CCC coho salmon, NC steelhead, CC steelhead, and SC
steelhead. The purposes of the eight studies are: (1) To investigate
the invasion history of non-listed speckled dace in the Van Duzen River
and the Eel River, (2) to investigate the invasion history of non-
listed California roach in the Van Duzen River and the Eel River, (3)
to develop an Individual Based Modeling (IBM) approach to predict the
effects of management practices on salmonid population in Northern
California, (4) to link abiotic factors (e.g., distance to spawning
ground) to the expression of an anadromous or resident life history for
O. mykiss in the Eel River, (5) to link the distribution and movement
of watershed products (e.g., wood, sediment, and water) in tributaries
and mainstem channels to fish diversity and abundance in Northern
California rivers, (6) to provide managers with insights into the
status and relatedness of Sacramento sucker populations in northern
California, (7) to document the speckled dace invasion of the Mad
River, and (8) to provide managers with a tool to predict the effects
of management decisions on Santa Ana suckers in the Santa Ana River.
Listed adult and juvenile salmonids will be observed via snorkel
surveys. Listed juvenile salmonids will be captured via backpack and/or
boat electrofishing for all eight studies, and also via beach seine
and/or fyke net for Study 6 (i.e., Sacramento sucker relatedness and
distribution). For most studies, listed salmonids that are captured
will be anesthetized, measured and/or weighed, and released. Captured
fishes will be held in multiple live cars to prevent overcrowding and
to maintain acceptable water quality conditions. In addition to
capturing, handling and releasing fish, Study 4 (i.e. factors affecting
the expression of an anadromous versus resident life history in O.
mykiss) will also include intentional directed mortality for otolith
microchemical analyses. A maximum of four O. mykiss will be sacrificed
from each of seventy sample streams distributed throughout the Eel
River, which will include both anadromous (listed as threatened) and
resident (non-listed) life history forms.
Permit 17077-2R
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit renewal (17077-2R) was published in the Federal Register on July
29, 2015 (80 FR 45197). Permit 17077-2R was issued to Dr. Peter Moyle
on December 23, 2015 and expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 17077-2R authorizes Dr. Peter Moyle, with the University of
California at Davis, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation
Biology, to take listed species while conducting research designed to
develop a better understanding of how physical habitat, flow and other
factors interact to maintain assemblages of native and non-native
aquatic species in the upper SFE. This study will provide knowledge
about food web and habitat support for native fishes, including listed
anadromous fish, which are suspected of utilizing such habitats during
development. While listed fish are not the target species for this
study, the study will benefit listed fish by improving management
decisions regarding creating additional habitat, and helping to
anticipate the effects of drought and climate change on food and
habitat availability. Sampling will be conducted in three distinct
regions of the SFE: (1) The Cache-Lindsey complex, (2) the Sherman Lake
complex
[[Page 2192]]
and (3) Suisun Marsh, and will take juvenile and adult CVSR Chinook
salmon, SRWR Chinook Salmon, CCV steelhead, and sDPS green sturgeon.
Capture methods will be similar for each of these regions, and will
include otter trawling, beach seining and boat electrofishing, however
electrofishing will be suspended immediately upon encountering a listed
species. All sampled fish will be placed in a bucket with ambient water
and an aerator, examined for responsiveness and returned to the water
as soon as possible with a minimum of handling, after identification
and length estimates were made. Juvenile SRWR and CVSR Chinook salmon
will be identified using published size-at-date criteria. Only adult
green sturgeon captures will receive additional processing beyond
identification and measuring for length. Adult green sturgeon will be
scanned for the presence of a PIT tag, and a soft pelvic fin tissue
sample will be collected. The researchers are not proposing to kill any
of the fish they capture, but a small number may die as an unintended
result of the activities.
Permit 17219
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit renewal (17219) was published in the Federal Register on July
29, 2015 (80 FR 45197). Permit 17219 was issued to the NMFS SWFSC,
Fisheries Ecology Division on December 23, 2015 and expires on December
31, 2020.
Permit 17219 authorizes the NMFS SWFSC, Fisheries Ecology Division
to conduct research throughout California that will include take of
SRWR Chinook salmon, CVSR Chinook salmon, SONCC coho salmon, CCC coho
salmon, NC steelhead, CCC steelhead, CCV steelhead, S-CCC steelhead, SC
steelhead, and juvenile sDPS green sturgeon. The research will benefit
listed fish by supporting conservation and management of listed
anadromous salmonids and green sturgeon in California by directly
addressing information needs identified by NMFS and other agencies. FED
studies address priority topics identified in NMFS technical recovery
team reports, NMFS recovery plans, joint programs such as the
California Coastal Monitoring Program developed by NMFS and CDFW, and
state programs such as the Fisheries Restoration Grant Program.
Research objectives of specific studies include: (1) Estimating
population abundance and dynamics; (2) evaluating factors affecting
growth, survival, and life-history; (3) assessing life-stage specific
habitat use and movement; (4) collecting data necessary to construct
various types of models (e.g., population, life-cycle, bioenergetics,
and habitat-use models); (5) determining genetic structure of
populations; (6) evaluating the effects of activities such as water
management and habitat restoration on populations; and (7) developing
improved sampling and monitoring methods.
Research and take will involve various life stages (juvenile,
smolt, adult, and carcass). Listed fish will be observed during
spawning surveys, and captured by electrofishing, beach seine, rotary
screw trap, and/or hook-and-line. The majority of captured fish will be
anesthetized, measured to fork length, and released. A subsample of
captured fish will be further sampled by collection of scales, fin
clips, gill clips or stomach contents; and/or marking or tagging
including fin tissue clips, PIT tags, elastomer tags, acoustic tags, or
radio tags. Species care after capture will include use of aerated
buckets or live cars for holding and recovery, and minimization of
handling time. The majority of fish captured will be released alive at
their point of capture following recovery from handling. However, in
limited cases some fish will be: (1) Retained in enclosures in streams
for short-term growth and survival experiments and then released, or
(2) euthanized for analysis of otoliths and/or parasitological/
pathological studies of parasites and diseases of wild juvenile
steelhead.
Permit 17272
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit renewal (17272) was published in the Federal Register on July
29, 2015 (80 FR 45197). Permit 17272 was issued to the USFWS AFWO on
December 23, 2015 and expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 17272 authorizes the USFWS AFWO to take multiple life stages
of hatchery and wild SONCC coho salmon via monitoring and research
activities in Northwest California. The purposes of the five studies
included are to monitor: (1) Chinook salmon fry production and disease
incidence in the Klamath River below Iron Gate dam, (2) Chinook salmon
escapement in the mainstem Klamath River below the Shasta River
confluence, (3) Chinook salmon escapement in the mainstem Klamath River
from Iron Gate dam to the Shasta River confluence, (4) coho salmon
escapement between Iron Gate Dam and the Indian Creek confluence, and
(5) long-term salmonid disease incidence in the lower Klamath River.
Trained AFWO crews will conduct redd surveys, on foot and from rafts,
which could observe/harass spawning SONCC coho salmon. Crews will spend
minimal time around redds and avoid walking on redds. Trained AFWO
crews will also capture juvenile SONCC coho salmon using rotary-screw
traps, frame nets, and beach seines. Juvenile coho salmon will be held
in aerated holding buckets filled with fresh river water then
anesthetized, measured for fork length, weighed, and released back into
the river. There will be some intentional mortality of hatchery
juvenile coho salmon for disease analysis. Aside from these hatchery
fish, the researchers are not proposing to kill any of the fish they
capture, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the
activities. The studies will benefit listed coho salmon by informing
the AFWO goal to develop conservation strategies for aquatic resources
and to evaluate the success of aquatic habitat restoration efforts that
will lead to the recovery and conservation of fish populations and
fisheries in northern California.
Permit 17351
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit renewal (17351) was published in the Federal Register on July
29, 2015 (80 FR 45197). Permit 17351 was issued to the GDRC on December
23, 2015 and expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 17351 authorizes the GDRC to take listed salmonids while
conducting research and monitoring under an existing Aquatic Habitat
Conservation Plan (AHCP). The AHCP, which was approved in 2007 and is
valid until 2057, identifies potential threats to three listed fish
species that may result from GDRC's timber harvest activities and
describes minimization and mitigation measures and effectiveness
monitoring to address potential threats. The requested take limits will
allow for implementation of monitoring and research activities in
several northern California watersheds including the Winchuk River,
Smith River, Lower Klamath basin tributaries, Mad River, Little River,
several Humboldt Bay tributaries, and Eel River. The three species
identified which will be taken as a direct result of this monitoring
are CC Chinook salmon, SONCC coho salmon, and NC steelhead. Research
and take will involve various life stages (fry, juvenile, smolt, adult,
and carcass). Trained GDRC crews will observe listed salmonids during
snorkel surveys and spawning surveys. Crews will avoid walking in
suitable spawning habitats (e.g., riffle crests). Listed salmonids will
be captured by various capture methods including backpack
electrofishing, kick net sampling, rotary screw trapping, v-notch weir
outmigrant trapping, and
[[Page 2193]]
minnow trapping. Most captured fish will be measured and released. A
subsample of captured fish will be anesthetized, then marked via dorsal
fin clip, fin tissue sampled, scale sampled, and/or PIT tagged.
Anesthetized individuals will be allowed to recover in mesh containers
placed in the stream channel prior to release. Data collected will be
used to document long-term population trends and better understand the
potential impacts on the covered species and their habitats that may
result from AHCP covered activities. The researchers are not proposing
to kill any of the fish they capture, but a small number may die as an
unintended result of the activities.
Permit 17396
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit (17396) was published in the Federal Register on July 29, 2015
(80 FR 45197). Permit 17396 was issued to the USFWS AFRP on December
23, 2015 and expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 17396 authorizes the USFWS AFRP to take listed fish while
conducting research designed to: (1) Provide data necessary to evaluate
the effectiveness of AFRP restoration projects, including appraisal of
spawning gravel augmentation, in-channel and floodplain habitat
enhancement actions, and water allocation/flow regime alteration
actions; and (2) provide reconnaissance-level population and biological
data on contemporary anadromous fish population patterns within the
Central Valley of California, in order to prioritize and select future
restoration projects to benefit anadromous salmonids. All AFRP
restoration monitoring projects will serve to benefit anadromous
salmonids by providing data on restoration project effectiveness, and
providing valuable information relating to adaptive management
procedures. Take of listed species including various life stages of
CVSR Chinook salmon, CCV steelhead, and sDPS green sturgeon will result
from activities in the following five projects: (1) Bobcat flat
restoration effectiveness monitoring in the lower Tuolumne River; (2)
adult sturgeon acoustic telemetry in the lower San Joaquin basin; (3)
San Joaquin River sturgeon spawning habitat assessment; (4) steelhead
sampling and acoustic tracking in the lower Stanislaus, Tuolumne and
Merced Rivers; and (5) fish reconnaissance in the San Joaquin River
system. Observe/harass take will result from snorkel surveys. Capture
methods will include beach seine, trammel nets, gill nets, fyke nets,
hook-and-line, egg mats, benthic d-nets, and boat and backpack
electrofishing. The majority of captured listed fish will be handled
and released; a subsample of captures will be anesthetized, scale
sampled, fin clipped (to mark and to collect fin tissue for genetic
analysis), acoustic tagged, and/or subject to intentional directed
mortality. Green sturgeon eggs (n = 100) and larvae (n = 5) will be
intentionally sacrificed, which will be necessary to provide voucher
tissue specimens, and will benefit the species by providing critical
information on green sturgeon spawning habitat. To minimize
physiological stress, all sturgeon will be held in a net pen submerged
in river or with flowing water through their gills while waiting to be
handled. All listed salmonids will be immediately collected from the
sampling gears, placed in five gallon buckets filled with fresh river
water from the location being sampled, processed, held in another
container filled with fresh river water for recovery, and subsequently
released in the sampled location. The new information on these species
generated by these projects will help prioritize future restoration
projects, thus benefiting listed species.
Permit 17867
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit renewal (17867) was published in the Federal Register on July
29, 2015 (80 FR 45197). Permit 17867 was issued to the HRC on December
23, 2015 and expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 17867 authorizes the HRC to take juvenile and adult CC
Chinook salmon, SONCC coho salmon and NC steelhead while conducting
research and monitoring that satisfies two objectives: (1) To comply
with CDFW's Restorable Class I policy by sampling reaches through
snorkel and electrofishing methods to identify Class I habitat within
proposed timber harvest plans, and (2) to monitor fish occupancy trends
at the reach, sub basin, watershed and HRC property level over time by
repeated snorkel surveys at index and randomly selected reaches. Adult
and juvenile salmonids will be observed during snorkel surveys, and
juvenile salmonids will be captured by backpack electrofishing. Snorkel
surveys will be the preferred method of detecting presence/absence of
fish species. Captured fish will be identified, and transported
upstream of the project area. All captured specimens will be kept in
aerated buckets, observed closely, and not released until fully
recovered. The monitoring will help to achieve HRC's fisheries
program's general goal, which is to determine the occurrence,
distribution, population and habitat conditions of anadromous fishes on
HRC lands as well as to monitor, protect, restore and enhance the
anadromous fishery resources in watersheds owned by HRC. The
researchers are not proposing to kill any of the fish they capture, but
a small number may die as an unintended result of the activities.
Permit 17877
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit renewal (17877) was published in the Federal Register on July
29, 2015 (80 FR 45197). Permit 17877 was issued to the BOR on December
23, 2015 and expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 17877 authorizes the BOR to take juvenile, smolt, adult and
carcasses of SONCC coho salmon via: (1) Observation/harassment by way
of snorkel surveys, hand netting that specifically targets other
species, and spawning surveys; and (2) capture by rotary screw trap,
boat electrofishing, hook-and-line, beach seine, fyke net, or minnow
trapping. The BOR applied for this permit as a contingent of the
Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP), an inter-agency partnership
of the BOR, USFWS, Hoopa Valley Tribe, Yurok Tribe, CDFW, Trinity
County, USFS, NMFS, and the California Department of Water Resources.
The TRRP benefits listed species by conducting large-scale channel
restoration and habitat restoration activities in the Trinity River
mainstem and watershed as a means of restoring declining fishery
resources. The following six specific studies are included: (1) Trinity
River juvenile salmonid outmigrant monitoring, (2) juvenile Chinook
salmon density monitoring, (3) Trinity River Chinook salmon redd and
carcass survey, (4) Trinity River invasive brown trout predation on
coho investigation, (5) Trinity River juvenile coho salmon ecology
study, and (6) watershed rehabilitation/research. Fin tissue samples
will be collected from carcasses. The majority of captured juvenile
coho salmon will be anesthetized, measured to fork length and released,
but a subsample will also be PIT tagged. Tagged fish will be held in
recovery pens post tagging to monitor and enhance post-tagging health.
The researchers are not proposing to kill any of the fish they capture,
but a small number may die as an unintended result of the activities.
Permit 17916
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit renewal
[[Page 2194]]
(17916) was published in the Federal Register on July 29, 2015 (80 FR
45197). Permit 17916 was issued to the BLM on December 23, 2015 and
expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 17916 authorizes the BLM to monitor the effects of current
management actions related to the Northwest Forest Plan's Aquatic
Conservation Strategy on anadromous salmonids and their habitats. In
order to monitor land management actions and implement the Northwest
Forest Plan in northern California, BLM needs to obtain updated
information on fish distribution and habitat. Sampling will occur in
various watersheds, including the Mattole River, Eel River, Lost Coast
region tributaries to the Pacific Ocean, and Humboldt Bay tributaries.
Take of CC Chinook salmon, SONCC coho salmon, and NC steelhead will
result from this monitoring and research. The preponderance of
requested take will result from spawning surveys, snorkel surveys, and
presence/absence surveys from the bank, all of which will result in
observe/harass take of juvenile and/or adult salmonids. Capture methods
that will take juvenile salmonids include backpack electrofishing and
beach seine. A small number of salmonid fry may also be captured during
kick net activities intended to sample invertebrates. Electrofishing
will be used only when stream conditions prohibit less invasive
sampling methods. Personnel handling fish will have wet hands and
experience in fish handling. After length measurements were complete,
fish will be placed in a bucket of freshwater for longer than 30
minutes to allow for recovery prior to being released. Recovering fish
will be kept in cool, shaded, aerated water and will not be
overcrowded. This research will benefit listed fish by informing
adaptive management strategies intended to aid in the recovery of at-
risk anadromous salmonids. The researchers are not proposing to kill
any of the fish they capture, but a small number may die as an
unintended result of the activities.
Permit 18012
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit renewal (18012) was published in the Federal Register on July
29, 2015 (80 FR 45197). Permit 18012 was issued to the CDFW, Bay Delta
Region (Region III) on December 23, 2015 and expires on December 31,
2020.
Permit 18012 authorizes the CDFW, Bay Delta Region to take listed
species while conducting two research projects, the Watershed
Restoration Project (WRP) and the Fisheries Management Project (FMP),
designed to assess and restore the productivity of CC Chinook salmon,
CCC coho salmon, NC steelhead, CCC steelhead, and S-CCC steelhead in
Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Monterey
counties in north central California. Program staff will accomplish
this goal by conducting habitat and salmonid surveys to determine
potential limiting factors and stock status in order to identify the
specific measures and actions needed to protect and increase production
of listed salmonids. The authorized studies include: (1) Juvenile
salmonid occurrence, distribution and habitat monitoring; (2) adult
salmonid occurrence, passage, and distribution; (3) spawning ground
surveys; (4) life cycle station monitoring; and (5) juvenile steelhead
lagoon beach seining. Listed fish will be observed/harassed during
snorkel surveys, spawning surveys, carcass surveys, and by the use of
electronic counting stations (i.e., DIDSON camera, Vaki Riverwatcher
and/or video weir). Listed salmonids will be captured using backpack
electrofishing, beach seining, rotary screw traps, fyke/pipe traps, and
potentially adults may be captured using a resistance board weir. The
majority of juvenile captures will be handled (measured for fork length
and weighed), and released. A subset of juvenile salmonid captures will
be anesthetized, fin tissue sampled to collect tissue for genetic
analysis, scale sampled, marked with an upper caudal fin clip, and/or
PIT tagged. Only healthy fish with no signs of stress or injury will be
subjected to marking or tagging. All fish will be allowed to recover
fully and will be observed carefully for injury prior to release.
Captured adult salmonids will be handled (i.e., identified, measured,
weighed, and scale and tissue samples taken), tagged (bi-colored Floy
tags and/or opercular-hole-punched) and released upstream of the weir.
All fish handled will be held in clean and decontaminated containers
that are supplied with cool, aerated water and will be released back
into the stream reach from which they were collected after recovery.
Implementation of these activities under the WRP and the FMP will
benefit listed species by informing recommendations on proposed habitat
restoration projects and by determining the impacts of various
management actions. The researchers are not proposing to kill any of
the fish they capture, but a small number may die as an unintended
result of the activities.
Permit 18712
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit (18712) was published in the Federal Register on July 29, 2015
(80 FR 45197). Permit 18712 was issued to H.T. Harvey & Associates on
December 23, 2015 and expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 18712 authorizes H.T. Harvey & Associates to take juvenile
and smolt CC Chinook salmon, SONCC coho salmon, CCC coho salmon, NC
steelhead, and adult sDPS eulachon while completing a project that is
intended to meet three Marine Protected Area (MPA) monitoring goals set
by the MPA Monitoring Enterprise. The three monitoring goals are: (1)
To assess trends in the condition of ecosystems inside and outside of
MPA's, (2) to evaluate the effects of specific MPA design criteria such
as MPA size and distance between MPAs, and (3) to evaluate the effect
of visitors on MPAs. The project will contribute to the goals of the
monitoring enterprise by describing the baseline biological community
in four northern California estuaries: (1) Mad River Estuary in
Humboldt County, (2) South Humboldt Bay State Marine Recreational
Management Area in Humboldt County, (3) Ten Mile Estuary State Marine
Conservation Area (SMCA) in Mendocino County, and (4) Big River Estuary
SMCA in Mendocino County. Beach seines and fyke nets will be used to
capture fish whereby take (i.e., capture/handle/release) of listed
salmonids will occur. Handling will consist of identifying and
measuring fish to fork length. To ensure that handled fish will
experience minimal adverse effects as a result of the sampling process,
fish will be allowed to recover briefly either in live wells or in
shaded, aerated buckets. The researchers are not proposing to kill any
of the fish they capture, but a small number may die as an unintended
result of the activities.
Permit 18937
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit (18937) was published in the Federal Register on July 29, 2015
(80 FR 45197). Permit 18937 was issued to the Scripps Institution of
Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, CSGCP on December
23, 2015 and expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 18937 authorizes the Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
University of California, San Diego, CSGCP to annually take listed CC
Chinook salmon, CCC coho salmon, and CCC steelhead while monitoring the
status
[[Page 2195]]
and trends of listed salmonids in the Russian River watershed. The
CSGCP will collect data to estimate population metrics such as
abundance, survival, growth, and spatial distribution of multiple life
stages of salmonids, and relate them to different recovery actions
including hatchery releases, habitat enhancement projects, and stream
flow improvement projects. Data collection will be designed to meet
four specific study objectives: (1) Evaluation of the Russian River
Coho Salmon Captive Broodstock Program, (2) implementation of the
California Coastal Salmonid Monitoring Plan, (3) comparing juvenile
coho salmon oversummer survival with stream flow, and (4) evaluation of
habitat enhancement projects. The four studies will provide resource
agencies with valuable information that will help guide future
decisions regarding recovery actions. Fish populations will be
monitored in many tributaries of the Russian River watershed and
several methods that could observe/harass and/or capture fish will be
employed, including: Snorkel surveys, spawning surveys, redd surveys,
downstream migrant trapping (pipe/funnel trap), minnow trapping,
operation of PIT tag detection systems (i.e., PIT tag arrays and PIT
tag wand surveys), and backpack electrofishing. Handling of live fish
captured in traps or during electrofishing surveys will include
anesthetization, measuring for fork length, scanning for CWT and PIT
tags, fin tissue sampling, scale sampling, PIT tagging, and/or gastric
lavage. Adult salmonid carcasses encountered during spawning surveys
will be scanned for PIT tags, measured, fin clipped, scale sampled, and
otoliths will be extracted. All live fish will be released back into
the stream following recovery in aerated buckets of cold water.
Specific measures that will be taken to reduce the risk of injury or
mortality to fish include minimizing the time that fish are handled,
placing potential predators in separate holding buckets, running
aerators in buckets, avoiding overcrowding in buckets, changing water
in the anesthesia bucket frequently, placing a thermometer in holding
buckets and replacing water frequently if the temperatures are rising,
wetting measuring boards and weigh pans, processing listed species
first, checking traps at least once per day and more frequently in high
flow or windy conditions, and placing flow deflectors inside the trap
box to provide refugia for fish. The researchers are not proposing to
kill any of the fish they capture, but a small number may die as an
unintended result of the activities.
Permit 19121
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit (19121) was published in the Federal Register on July 29, 2015
(80 FR 45197). Permit 19121 was issued to the USGS, California Water
Survey on December 23, 2015 and expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 19121 authorizes the USGS, California Water Survey take of
listed species associated with completing two main objectives: (1) To
examine research applications of the SmeltCam that have been developed
and coordinated with the IEP, and (2) to provide fisheries science
support for the BOR's compliance with Biological Opinions. The studies
are intended to: (1) Provide new quantitative data addressing the
potential benefits of habitat restoration to the SFE and Delta
ecosystem and its native fish populations, and (2) determine the
vertical and lateral distribution of delta smelt, and the continued
evaluation and application of SmeltCam technology for studies of delta
smelt and other fishes. The results of these studies are expected to
provide net benefits to listed species by improving our understanding
of their ecology and habitat use, and by informing the development of
new research tools that can guide management decisions and habitat
restoration actions. Sampling will be conducted in Suisun Bay, and will
take multiple life stages of CVSR Chinook salmon, SRWR Chinook salmon,
CCV steelhead, and sDPS green sturgeon. Capture methods will include
beach seine, fyke trap, larval net, otter trawl, midwater trawl, boat
electrofishing, set line, and gill net. All sampling will follow
methods and protocols designed to minimize take of listed species while
conducting research and monitoring. For example, sampling gear such as
gill nets will be watched closely to monitor the status of any fishes
entangled in the net. Set times will be short (approximately one hour),
and nets will be set in habitats that listed fish are unlikely to
inhabit. Listed salmonids captured in the course of sampling will be
identified, carefully measured for length and released. Green sturgeon
will be anesthetized using MS-222, scanned for a presence of a PIT tag,
PIT tagged if no PIT tag is present, tissue sampled, and allowed to
recover prior to release. All fishes collected in any sampling gear
will be handled as gently as possible to facilitate safe release back
to the water. The researchers are not proposing to kill any of the fish
they capture, but a small number may die as an unintended result of the
activities.
Permit 19320
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit (19320) was published in the Federal Register on April 8, 2015
(80 FR 18820). Permit 19320 was issued to the NMFS SWFSC, Fisheries
Ecology Division on December 1, 2015 and expires on October 29, 2020.
Permit 19320 authorizes the NMFS SWFSC, Fisheries Ecology Division
to annually take sub-adult and juvenile listed salmon and steelhead for
a period of five years. The permit will authorize research designed to
(1) determine the inter-annual and seasonal variability in growth,
feeding, and energy status among juvenile salmonids in the coastal
ocean off northern and central California; (2) determine migration
paths and spatial distribution among genetically distinct salmonid
stocks during their early ocean residence; (3) characterize the
biological and physical oceanographic features associated with juvenile
salmon ocean habitat from the shore to the continental shelf break; (4)
identify potential links between coastal geography, oceanographic
features, and salmon distribution patterns; and (5) identify and test
ecological indices for salmon survival. This research will benefit
listed fish by informing comprehensive lifecycle models that
incorporate both freshwater and marine conditions and recognize the
relationship between the two habitats; it will also identify and
predict sources of salmon mortality at sea and thereby help managers
develop indices of salmonid survival in the marine environment.
Listed fish will be captured primarily via surface trawling,
however midwater trawling and beach seining will be used occasionally.
Sub-adult salmonids (i.e., fish larger than 250 mm) that survive
capture will have fin tissue and scale samples taken, and then be
released. Any subadult salmonids that do not survive capture, and all
juvenile salmonids (i.e., fish larger than 80 mm but less than 250 mm)
will be lethally sampled (i.e., intentional directed mortality) in
order to collect (1) otoliths for age and growth studies; (2) coded
wire tags for origin and age of hatchery fish; (3) muscle tissue for
stable isotopes and/or lipid assays; (4) stomachs and contents for diet
studies; and (5) other tissues including the heart, liver, intestines,
pyloric caeca, and kidney for special studies upon request.
Permit 19400
A notice of receipt of an application for scientific research
permit (19400) was published in the Federal Register
[[Page 2196]]
on July 29, 2015 (80 FR 45197). Permit 19400 was issued to ICF
consulting on December 23, 2015 and expires on December 31, 2020.
Permit 19400 authorizes ICF consulting to take juvenile CVSR
Chinook salmon and SRWR Chinook salmon while conducting a study to
investigate if longfin smelt in San Pablo Bay shift their vertical
distribution under different environmental and biological conditions.
Although this study principally targets longfin smelt, ESA listed
Chinook salmon will be encountered during sampling. ICF will collect
data that will be useful to local researchers on captured and/or
photographed listed Chinook salmon, including abundance, length, and
potentially tissue samples. Fish will be sampled using a midwater
trawl, however the majority of tows will be conducted with only a video
device (i.e., SmeltCam) acting as the codend. Therefore, the majority
of take will be observe/harass. The fish camera image program will be
able to determine the length, and thereby an estimate of the race/run/
listing status, of salmon that pass through the net. In order to verify
the results of the SmeltCam, some tows will be conducted with both the
video device and a traditional codend. Physically captured juvenile
salmonids will be placed in a bucket with aerated water, handled (i.e.,
measured to fork length and possibly fin tissue sampled for genetic
analysis), and released. The researchers are not proposing to kill any
of the fish they capture.
Dated: January 12, 2016.
Perry F. Gayaldo,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-00747 Filed 1-14-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P