Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 219 / Monday, November 15, 2004 / Notices 65581

composition of national interests, 

expertise and geographic representation, 

the Administration has decided to 

reinitiate a request for additional 

nominations in the hopes of receiving a 

more diverse selection of qualified 

candidates to fill the remaining two 

vacancies in time for the Committee’s 

next meeting in January 2005. The 

Department of Commerce is seeking up 

to two highly qualified individuals 

knowledgeable about fisheries and 

living marine resources to serve on the 

Committee.

DATES: Nominations must be 

postmarked on or before November 30, 

2004.

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be sent 

to Laurel Bryant, Executive Director, 

MAFAC, Office of Constituent Services, 

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway #9508, 

Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Laurel Bryant, Executive Director; (301) 

713–2379 x171. E-mail: 

Laurel.Bryant@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

establishment of MAFAC was approved 

by the Secretary on December 28, 1970, 

and initially chartered under the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5, 

U.S.C. App.2, on February 17, 1971. The 

Committee meets twice a year with 

supplementary subcommittee meetings 

as determined necessary by the 

Secretary. Individuals serve for a term of 

three years for no more than two 

consecutive terms if re-appointed. No 

less that 15 and no more than 21 

individuals may serve on the 

Committee. Membership is comprised of 

highly qualified individuals 

representing commercial and 

recreational fisheries interests, 

environmental organizations, academic 

institutions, governmental, tribal and 

consumer groups from a balance of 

geographical regions, including the 

Hawaiian and the Pacific Islands, and 

the U.S. Virgin Islands. Nominations are 

encouraged from all interested parties 

involved with or representing interests 

affected by Agency actions in managing 

living marine resources. Nominees 

should possess demonstrable expertise 

in a field related to the management of 

living marine resources and be able to 

fulfill the time commitments required 

for two meetings annually.

A MAFAC member cannot be a 

Federal agency employee or a member 

of a Regional Fishery Management 

Council. Selected candidates must have 

security checks and complete financial 

disclosure forms. Membership is 

voluntary, and except for reimbursable 

travel and related expenses, service is 

without pay.

Each submission should include the 

submitting person’s or organization’s 

name and affiliation, a cover letter 

describing the nominee’s qualifications 

and interest in serving on the 

Committee, a curriculum vitae or 

resume of nominee, and no more than 

three supporting letters describing the 

nominee’s qualifications and interest in 

serving on the Committee. Selfnominations are acceptable. The 

following contact information should 

accompany each nominee’s submission: 

name, address, phone number, fax 

number, and e-mail address if available.

Nominations should be sent to (see 

ADDRESSES) and nominations must be 

received by (see DATES). The full text of 

the Committee Charter and its current 

membership can be viewed at the 

Agency’s web page at 

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mafac.htm.

Dated: November 9, 2004.

Alan D. Risenhoover,

Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 04–25314 Filed 11–12–04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 102904C]

Endangered and Threatened Species; 

Take of Anadromous Fish

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of applications to renew 

and modify permit 1166 and request for 

comment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

NMFS has received an application to 

renew a permit for scientific research 

from A.A. Rich and Associates (AAR) in 

San Anselmo, California (1166). The 

permit would affect federally 

endangered Sacramento River winterrun Chinook salmon and Southern 

California steelhead, and threatened 

Central Valley steelhead, Central 

California Coast steelhead, and Central 

California Coast coho salmon. This 

document serves to notify the public of 

the availability of the permit 

applications for review and comment.

DATES: Written comments on the permit 

applications must be received no later 

than 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on 

December 15, 2004.

ADDRESSES: E-mailed comments on the 

permit applications must be sent to 

FRNpermits.SR@noaa.gov. The 

applications and related documents are 

available for review by appointment, for 

permit 1166: Protected Resources 

Division, NMFS, 777 Sonoma Avenue, 

Room 315, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 (ph: 

707–575–6097, fax: 707–5783–435).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jeffrey Jahn at phone number 707–575–

6097, or e-mail: Jeffrey.Jahn@noaa.gov

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

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 governing listed fish and 

wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 222–226).

Those individuals requesting a 

hearing on an application listed in this 

notice should set out the specific 

reasons why a hearing on that 

application would be appropriate (see 

ADDRESSES). The holding of such a 

hearing is at the discretion of the 

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 

NOAA. All statements and opinions 

contained in the permit action 

summaries are those of the applicant 

and do not necessarily reflect the views 

of NMFS.

Species Covered in This Notice

This notice is relevant to federally 

endangered Sacramento River winterrun Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus 

tshawytscha) and Southern California 

steelhead (O. mykiss), threatened 

Central Valley steelhead (O. mykiss), 

Central California Coast steelhead (O. 

mykiss), and Central California Coast 

coho salmon (O. kisutch). Application 

Received 

AAR requests to renew and modify a 

5–year permit (1166) for take of juvenile 

Sacramento River winter-run Chinook 

salmon and Central Valley steelhead to 

conduct pre-project fish surveys on the 

San Joaquin River and Old River in 

California. AAR requests authorization 

for an estimated annual take of 30 

juvenile Sacramento River winter-run 

Chinook salmon and 80 juvenile Central 

Valley steelhead, with no more than 5 

percent unintentional mortality to result

65582 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 219 / Monday, November 15, 2004 / Notices 

from capture by beach seine, scale 

samples, and release of fish.

AAR also requests take of juvenile 

Central California Coast steelhead and 

juvenile Central California Coast coho 

salmon to conduct pre- and post-project 

fish surveys, relocation activities, and 

fish monitoring activities in various 

streams in Marin, Sonoma and 

Mendocino counties. AAR requests 

authorization for an estimated annual 

take of 450 juvenile Central California 

Coast steelhead, and 50 juvenile Central 

California Coast coho salmon, with no 

more than 5 percent unintentional 

mortality to result from capture (dip net, 

seine, electrofishing) and release of fish.

In addition, AAR requests take of 

juvenile Southern California steelhead 

to conduct fish monitoring activities in 

Hilton Creek, tributary to the Santa 

Ynez River in Santa Barbara County. 

AAR requests authorization for an 

estimated annual take of 2 juvenile 

Southern California Coast steelhead 

with no more than 5 percent 

unintentional mortality to result from 

capture (dip net, seine, electrofishing) 

and release of fish.

Dated: November 9, 2004.

Phil Williams,

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office 

of Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 04–25316 Filed 11–12–04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 052104F]

Endangered and Threatened Species: 

Take of Threatened West Coast 

Salmonids

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Draft 

Environmental Assessment (EA) and 

Request for Comments.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the 

availability of a draft EA for NMFS’ June 

2004 proposed amendments to the 

Endangered Species Act (ESA) 

protective regulations for West Coast 

threatened salmon and steelhead 

(Oncorhynchus spp.) The ESA 

protective regulations provide for 

‘‘limits’’ on ESA prohibitions for 

specified categories of activities 

determined to contribute to conserving 

listed salmonids. The draft EA analyzes 

the impacts of: (1) revising and 

simplifying existing protective 

regulations so that all threatened West 

Coast salmon and steelhead are subject 

to the same limits, and (2) revising the 

current protective regulations so that the 

section 9 take prohibitions do not apply 

to adipose-fin-clipped hatchery fish and 

resident O. mykiss (rainbow trout). 

NMFS is furnishing this notification to 

allow other agencies and the public an 

opportunity to review and comment on 

the draft EA. All comments received 

will become part of the public record 

and will be available for review.

DATES: All comments on the draft EA 

must be received no later than 5 p.m. 

Pacific Standard Time on December 15, 

2004.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft EA are 

available on the Internet at http://

www.nwr.noaa.gov/1salmon/salmesa/

draft4dEA.html, or upon request (see 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

You may submit comments on the 

draft EA by any of the following 

methods:

E-mail: The mailbox address for 

submitting e-mail comments on the 

draft EA is 

salmon.draft4dEA@nwr.noaa.gov. 

Please include in the subject line of the 

e-mail comment the document identifier 

‘‘Draft 4(d) EA’’

Mail: Submit written comments and 

information to Chief, NMFS, Protected 

Resources Division, 525 NE Oregon 

Street, Suite 500, Portland, Oregon, 

97232–2737. Please identify the 

comment as regarding the ‘‘Draft 4(d) 

EA.’’ You may hand-deliver written 

comments to our office at the street 

address below. 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, 

Oregon, 97232–2737. Business hours are 

noted above.

Fax: 503–230–5435. Please identify 

the fax comment as regarding the ‘‘Draft 

4(d) EA.’’

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

NMFS, Northwest Region, Protected 

Resources Division by phone at (503) 

872–2791. Copies of the Federal 

Register notices cited herein and 

additional salmon-related materials are 

available on the Internet at http://

www.nwr.noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Species Covered in This Notice

The following species and 

Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) 

are covered in this notice:

Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha): the 

Sacramento River winter-run, Central 

Valley spring-run, California Coastal, 

Upper Willamette River, Lower 

Columbia River, Puget Sound, Snake 

River fall-run, and Snake River spring/

summer-run chinook ESUs;

Coho salmon (O. kisutch): Southern 

Oregon/Northern California Coast, 

Oregon coast, and Lower Columbia 

River coho ESUs;

Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): the Ozette 

Lake sockeye ESU;

Chum salmon (O. keta): the Columbia 

River and Hood Canal summer-run 

chum ESUs;

Steelhead and rainbow trout (O. 

mykiss): South-Central California Coast, 

Central California Coast, California 

Central Valley, Northern California, 

Upper Willamette River, Lower 

Columbia River, Middle Columbia 

River, Snake River Basin, and Upper 

Columbia River O. mykiss ESUs.

Background

On June 14, 2004, NMFS published 

proposed ESA listing determinations for 

27 ESUs of salmon and O. mykiss (69 FR 

33101). NMFS proposed threatened 

status for 23 ESUs in California, Oregon, 

Washington, and Idaho, and as part of 

that rulemaking also proposed 

amendments to the existing 4(d) 

protective regulations for threatened 

salmon and steelhead ESUs. The 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) requires that Federal agencies 

conduct an environmental analysis of 

their actions to determine if the actions 

may affect the human environment. 

Accordingly, NMFS has prepared a draft 

EA that analyzes the impacts of the 

proposed amendments to the 4(d) 

protective regulations for West Coast 

salmonids, and is making it available for 

public review and comment.

This draft EA analyzes two 

alternatives: (1) No Action (no revision 

to the current 4(d) protective 

regulations); and (2) the Proposed 

Action Alternative (revision and 

simplification of existing 4(d) protective 

regulations). The Proposed Action 

Alternative includes the following 

amendments:

Apply the 4(d) protections and 14 

limits promulgated in 2000 (as modified 

in the proposed amendments) to three 

ESUs being newly proposed for 

threatened status; Apply the same 4(d) 

protections and 14 limits promulgated 

in 2000 (as modified in proposed 

amendments) to all threatened ESUs; 

Amend an expired 4(d) limit which 

provided a temporary exemption for 

ongoing research with pending permit 

applications during the 2000 4(d) 

rulemaking, to temporarily exempt 

ongoing research during the current 

rulemaking process; Move the