Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 200 / Monday, October 18, 2004 / Notices 61347

III. Data

OMB Number: 0648–0502.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Regular submission.

Affected Public: Business or other for 

profit organizations; and individuals or 

households.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

997.

Estimated Time Per Response: Each 

catch report is expected to take 

approximately 15 minutes (0.25 hours) 

per submission.

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 2,533.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to 

Public: $0.

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden 

(including hours and cost) of the 

proposed collection of information; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and

(d) ways to minimize the burden of 

the collection of information on 

respondents, including through the use 

of automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology.

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be summarized and/or 

included in the request for OMB 

approval of this information collection; 

they also will become a matter of public 

record.

Dated: October 12, 2004.

Gwellnar Banks,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer.

[FR Doc. 04–23287 Filed 10–15–04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 050304B]

Endangered and Threatened Species: 

Extension of Public Comment Period 

and Notice of Rescheduled Public 

Hearing on Proposed Hatchery Listing 

Policy

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce.

ACTION: Extension of public comment 

period; notice of rescheduled public 

hearing.

SUMMARY: In June 2004, NMFS proposed 

a new policy for the consideration of 

hatchery salmon (chum, Oncorhynchus 

keta; coho, O. kisutch, sockeye, O. 

nerka; chinook, O. tshawytscha) and O. 

mykiss (inclusive of anadromous 

steelhead and resident rainbow trout) in 

Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing 

determinations and subsequently 

extended the due date for public 

comments and announced public 

hearings. NMFS is again extending the 

public comment period on the proposed 

policy through November 12, 2004. 

Additionally, NMFS is rescheduling a 

public hearing in Portland, OR 

(originally to be held on October 13, 

2004) to be held on November 9, 2004.

DATES: The due date for written 

comments is extended from October 20, 

2004, to November 12, 2004. A public 

hearing is rescheduled to be held on 

November 9, 2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on the proposed hatchery listing policy 

(69 FR 31354; June 3, 2004) by any of 

the following methods:

E-mail: The mailbox address for 

submitting e-mail comments on the 

proposed hatchery listing policy is 

hatch.policy@noaa.gov. Please include 

in the subject line of the e-mail 

comment the document identifier 

‘‘Hatchery Listing Policy.’’

Mail: Submit written comments and 

information to Chief, NMFS, Protected 

Resources Division, 525 NE Oregon 

Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232–

2737. Please identify the comment as 

regarding the ‘‘Hatchery Listing Policy.’’

You may hand-deliver written 

comments to our office at the street 

address given above, suite 210. Business 

hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Hand Delivery/Courier: NMFS, 

Protected Resources Division, 525 NE 

Oregon Street, Suite 210, Portland, OR 

97232–2737. Business hours are noted 

above.

Fax: 503–230–5435. Please identify 

the fax comment as regarding the 

‘‘Hatchery Listing Policy.’’

The public hearing will be held at the 

Doublettree Hotel Portland-Columbia 

River, 1401 N. Hayden Island Drive, 

Portland, OR 97217. You may obtain 

information updates on the public 

hearing on the Internet at the following 

web address: http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/

AlseaResponse/20040528/

meetings.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Garth Griffin, NMFS, Northwest Region, 

(503) 231–2005. Copies of the Federal 

Register notices cited herein and 

additional salmon-related materials are 

available on the Internet at http://

www.nwr.noaa.gov/1srd/

ProplDetermins/. For information 

regarding public hearings on the 

proposed hatchery listing policy being 

held in California, please contact Craig 

Wingert, NMFS, Southwest Region, 

(562) 980–4021. Information on public 

hearings in California is also available 

on the Internet at http://

swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/news/

SalmonidHearings.NR.pdf.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On June 3, 2004, NMFS published a 

proposed policy addressing the role of 

hatchery produced Pacific salmon and 

O. mykiss in ESA listing determinations 

(69 FR 31354; ‘‘proposed hatchery 

listing policy’’). The proposed hatchery 

listing policy would supersede NMFS’

1993 Interim Policy on salmonid 

artificial (hatchery) propagation (58 FR 

17573; April 5, 1993), which requires 

revision following the 2001 U.S. District 

Court ruling in Alsea Valley Alliance v. 

Evans (161 F. Supp. 2d 1154, D. Oreg. 

2001; appeal dismissed, 358 F.3d 1181 

(9th Cir. 2004); Alsea ruling). The Alsea

ruling held that NMFS had made an 

improper distinction under the ESA by 

not listing certain artificially propagated 

salmon populations determined to be 

part of the same Evolutionarily 

Significant Unit (ESU) as listed natural 

populations. Under the proposed 

hatchery listing policy: hatchery fish 

with a level of genetic divergence 

relative to local natural populations that 

is no more than would be expected 

between closely related populations 

within the ESU would be included as 

part of the ESU; within-ESU hatchery 

fish would be considered in 

determining whether the ESU should be 

listed under the ESA; and within-ESU 

hatchery fish would be included in any 

listing of the ESU. NMFS applied this 

proposed policy in conducting its 

comprehensive review of ESA listing 

status for 26 previously listed ESUs, and 

one candidate ESU, of West Coast 

salmon and O. mykiss.

With the publication of the proposed 

hatchery listing policy NMFS 

announced a 90–day public comment 

period extending through September 1, 

2004. In Federal Register notices 

published on August 31, 2004 (69 FR 

53039) and September 9, 2004 (69 FR 

54647), NMFS extended the public 

comment period for the proposed policy 

through October 20, 2004. Additionally, 

NMFS announced that it would hold 

61348 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 200 / Monday, October 18, 2004 / Notices 

public hearings at eight locations in the 

Pacific Northwest and six locations in 

California to provide additional 

opportunities and formats to receive 

public input. To date NMFS has held 

seven of these public hearings in 

Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, and all 

six public hearings in California.

Extension of Public Comment Period

NMFS has received a request from a 

U.S. congressional representative to 

extend the public comment period and 

postpone any remaining public 

meetings to provide additional 

opportunity for the public to consider 

the proposed hatchery listing policy and 

to provide comment. In this notice 

NMFS is extending the public comment 

period through November 12, 2004.

Rescheduling of Public Hearing

In addition to extending the public 

comment period, NMFS is rescheduling 

a public hearing in Portland, OR 

(originally to be held on October 13, 

2004) to be held on November 9, 2004 

(see ADDRESSES for hearing location).

Public Hearing Format

Joint Commerce-Interior ESA 

implementing regulations state that the 

Secretary shall promptly hold at least 

one public hearing if any person 

requests one within 45 days of 

publication of a proposed regulation to 

list a species or to designate critical 

habitat (see 50 CFR 424.16(c)(3)). In past 

ESA rule-making, NMFS has conducted 

traditional public hearings, consisting of 

recorded oral testimony from interested 

individuals. This format, although 

providing an alternative means of public 

input, is time consuming for the 

attendees and does not provide 

opportunities for dialogue and 

information exchange. In the Federal 

Register notice published on August 31, 

2004 (69 FR 53039), NMFS described an 

alternative ‘‘open-house’’ format aimed 

at providing all hearing participants 

with the opportunity to obtain 

information on and discuss the 

proposed hatchery listing policy. NMFS 

has held seven of these ‘‘open-house’’

style public hearings, and believes that 

the new format improves the ability of 

the public to engage effectively in the 

rulemaking process.

Afternoon Practitioners’ Session

An afternoon session (1:30 p.m. to 

4:30 p.m., November 9, 2004) in 

Portland (Oregon) will be provided for 

local practitioners and stakeholders 

involved with managing the ESA on a 

regular basis, including: tribal 

governments; forestry and agricultural 

interests; home builders and developers; 

the sport and commercial fishing 

community; the environmental 

community; the business community; 

utility and special districts; local 

government elected officials and their 

staff; other locally based Federal and 

state agencies; and public interest 

groups. Attendance at the afternoon 

sessions in Portland (Oregon) will be on 

a pre-registration basis. Information on 

attending the practitioners’ afternoon 

session in Portland is available from 

NMFS upon request (see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT, above) as well as 

on the Internet at http://

www.nwr.noaa.gov/AlseaResponse/

20040528/PortlandMeeting.html.

Evening Open House and Public 

Testimony

An evening ‘‘open house’’ session, 

designed for broader public 

participation, will be conducted in 

Portland (Oregon) on the same day as 

the afternoon practitioners’ session 

(November 9, 2004) from 6:30 p.m. to 

9:30 p.m. The ‘‘open house’’ format will 

provide the general public with an 

opportunity to meet with NMFS staff in 

small groups on specific topics. This 

evening meeting will also provide 

opportunities for the public to make 

formal recorded comments on the 

proposal. There is no need to register; 

just drop in anytime during the course 

of the evening event.

Special Accommodations

This hearing is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language or other aids should be 

directed to Garth Griffin (see 

ADDRESSES) 7 days before the meeting 

date.

References

Copies of the Federal Register notices 

and related materials cited in this 

document are available on the Internet 

at http://nwr.noaa.gov, or upon request 

(see ADDRESSES section above).

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.

Dated: October 12, 2004.

Laurie K. Allen,

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 04–23281 Filed 10–15–04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 052104F]

Endangered and Threatened Species: 

Extension of Public Comment Period 

and Notice of Rescheduled Public 

Hearing on Proposed Listing 

Determinations for West Coast 

Salmonids

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce.

ACTION: Extension of public comment 

period; notice of rescheduled public 

hearing.

SUMMARY: In June 2004, NMFS proposed 

to list 27 Evolutionarily Significant 

Units (ESUs) of salmon (chum, 

Oncorhynchus keta; coho, O. kisutch, 

sockeye, O. nerka; chinook, O. 

tshawytscha) and O. mykiss as 

threatened and endangered under the 

Endangered Species Act (ESA) and 

subsequently extended the public 

comment period and announced public 

hearings. NMFS is again extending the 

public comment period on the proposed 

listing determinations through 

November 12, 2004. Additionally, 

NMFS is rescheduling a public hearing 

in Portland, Oregon (originally to be 

held on October 13, 2004) to be held on 

November 9, 2004.

DATES: The due date for written 

comments is extended from October 20, 

2004, to November 12, 2004. A public 

hearing is rescheduled to November 9, 

2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on the proposed hatchery listing policy 

(69 FR 31354; June 3, 2004) by any of 

the following methods:

E-mail: The mailbox address for 

submitting e-mail comments on the 

proposed listing determinations is 

salmon.nwr@noaa.gov. Please include 

in the subject line of the e-mail 

comment the document identifier 

‘‘Proposed Listing Determinations.’’

Mail: Submit written comments and 

information to Chief, NMFS, Protected 

Resources Division, 525 NE Oregon 

Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232–

2737. Please identify the comment as 

regarding the ‘‘Proposed Listing 

Determinations.’’ You may hand-deliver 

written comments to our office at the 

street address given above, suite 210. 

Business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, except Federal 

holidays.

Hand Delivery/Courier: NMFS, 

Protected Resources Division, 525 NE