[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 3 (Thursday, January 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-99]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 122795B]
Endangered Species; Permits
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Issuance of an amendment of permit 747 (P45H).
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued an amendment to a
permit that authorizes a take of listed species for the purpose of
scientific research and enhancement, subject to certain conditions set
forth therein, to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) located in
Red Bluff, CA.
ADDRESSES: The action request and related documents are available for
review in the following offices, by appointment:
Office of Protected Resources, F/PR8, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway,
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226 (301-713-1401); and
Director, Southwest Region, NMFS, NOAA, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite
4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213 (310-980-4016).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The amendment of permit 747 was issued under
the authority of section 10 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA)
(16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) and the NMFS regulations governing listed fish
and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 217-222).
The amendment of permit 747 was issued on December 20, 1995. Permit
747 authorizes FWS to take endangered Sacramento River winter-run
chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) associated with scientific
research and enhancement activities. The amendment provides an
extension of the permit for 90 days; a moratorium on the collection of
adult listed fish for broodstock for the duration of the permit; and
authorization to release juvenile, listed, artificially-propagated,
winter-run chinook salmon in December, 1995, rather than January, 1996
as previously authorized.
Permit 747 was to expire on December 31, 1995. An extension of the
permit is necessary to allow FWS to continue research and enhancement
activities until new permits replace permit 747 and to have an
opportunity to address technical concerns with FWS' listed fish
artificial propagation program, as proposed in their new section 10
enhancement permit application, P45V (60 FR 58334, November 27, 1995).
Genetics research has found that FWS' artificial propagation of winter-
run chinook salmon has likely resulted in some hybridization with
spring-run chinook salmon. In addition, hatchery-produced winter-run
chinook salmon have not been returning to the mainstem Sacramento River
as intended, but rather have been returning to Battle Creek where
Coleman National Fish Hatchery is located, apparently as a result of
imprinting on Battle Creek water.
The purpose of the moratorium on the collection of adult listed
fish for broodstock is to avoid compromising the genetic integrity of
the winter-run chinook salmon population due to the present
circumstances and to avoid a significant drain on the 1996 spawning
population if juveniles continue to imprint exclusively on Battle
Creek. The earlier juvenile fish release is an attempt to improve the
likelihood that the fish will imprint on mainstem Sacramento River
water. Any suspected progeny of hybrid crosses between winter-run
chinook salmon and spring-run chinook salmon will not be released. The
amendment is in effect for the duration of the permit. The new
expiration date of permit 747 is March 31, 1996.
Issuance of the amendment, as required by the ESA, was based on a
finding that such action: (1) Was requested in good faith, (2) will not
operate to the disadvantage of the listed species that is the subject
of the permit, and (3) is consistent with the purposes and policies set
forth in section 2 of the ESA and the NMFS regulations governing listed
species permits.
Dated: December 27, 1995.
Ann D. Terbush,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-99 Filed 1-3-96; 8:45 am]
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