50172 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 188 / Wednesday, September 30, 2009 / Notices 

minimum restoration actions, the 

abundance and productivity of these 

three populations are expected to 

increase considerably over the baseline. 

Coordination/Governance 

Coordination of actions and 

information-sharing among fisheries 

biologists, Tribes, local governments, 

citizen groups, and state and Federal 

agencies based in both Oregon and 

Washington is a key component of 

recovery for this DPS. Benefits of 

coordination include: 

• Dealing with shared migration areas 

consistently 

• Developing coherent MPG-level 

strategies where populations are in two 

states (Cascades Eastern Slope MPG; 

Umatilla/Walla Walla MPG), or the 

same population is in both states (Walla 

Walla population) 

• Promoting consistent methods for 

setting recovery objectives, evaluating 

strategies, and monitoring progress 

across populations, MPGs, and the DPS 

This coordination is under 

development. The recent creation of the 

Middle Columbia Recovery Forum, to be 

convened regularly by NMFS, is 

intended to facilitate such collaboration 

between scientists and recovery 

planners on both sides of the Columbia 

River. The Plan describes in more detail 

the proposed roles and responsibilities. 

Research, Monitoring, and Adaptive 

Management 

The Plan identifies the many 

knowledge gaps and uncertainties 

involved in designing recovery actions 

for Middle Columbia steelhead. Because 

the proposed recovery actions are based 

on hypotheses about the relationships 

between fish, limiting factors, human 

activities, and the environment, the Plan 

recommends research and monitoring to 

determine progress in recovery. 

Monitoring is the basis for adaptive 

management -- the process of adjusting 

management actions and/or directions 

based on new information. Research, 

monitoring, and adaptive management 

will be built into the implementation 

plans for each management unit plan, 

after this Plan is approved. 

Public Reviews 

The ESA requires that, at least every 

5 years, the Secretary of Commerce shall 

conduct a review of all ESA-listed 

species and determine whether any 

species should: (1) be removed from 

such list; (2) be changed in status from 

an endangered species to a threatened 

species; or (3) be changed in status from 

a threatened species to an endangered 

species. Accordingly, at five-year 

intervals, NMFS will conduct reviews of 

the Middle Columbia steelhead DPS. 

These reviews will consider information 

that has become available since the most 

recent listing determinations, and make 

recommendations whether there is 

substantial information to suggest that a 

change in listing status may be 

warranted. If an ESU or DPS may 

warrant a change in status NMFS will 

conduct a formal, much more in-depth, 

ESA status review consistent with 

section 4(a) of the Act. Any formal 

status reviews will be based on the 

NMFS Listing Status Decision 

Framework and will be informed by the 

information obtained through 

implementation of the monitoring, 

research, and evaluation programs in 

each management unit plan and the 

recovery modules. Similarly, new 

information considered during the fiveyear reviews may also compel more indepth assessments of implementation 

and effectiveness monitoring and 

associated research to inform adaptive 

management decisions at the 

management unit and module level. 

Conclusion 

NMFS has reviewed the Plan, the 

public comments, and the conclusions 

of the ICTRT from its reviews of the 

Plan. Based on that review, NMFS 

concludes that the Plan meets the 

requirements in section 4(f) of the ESA 

for developing a recovery plan. 

Literature Cited 

ICTRT (Interior Columbia Technical 

Recovery Team). 2007. Viability Criteria 

for Application to Interior Columbia 

Basin Salmonid ESUs. Review draft 

March 2007. Available at: 

www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/trt/ 

trtlviability.cfm 

ICTRT (Interior Columbia Technical 

Recovery Team). 2008. Current Status 

Reviews: Interior Columbia Basin 

Salmon and Steelhead ESUs. Volume 

III: Middle Columbia River Steelhead 

Distinct Population Segment (DPS). 

Draft, May 9, 2008. 

McClure, M.M., E.E. Holmes, B.L. 

Sanderson, and C.E. Jordan. 2003. A 

large-scale, multispecies status 

assessment: Anadromous salmonids in 

the Columbia River basin. Ecological 

Applications 13(4):964–989. 

McElhany, P., M.H. Ruckelshaus, M.J. 

Ford, T.C. Wainwright, and E.P. 

Bjorkstedt. 2000. Viable salmon 

populations and the recovery of 

evolutionarily significant units. U.S. 

Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Tech. 

Memo., NMFS NWFSC 42, 156p. 

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

National Marine Fisheries Service 

(NMFS). 2008. Recovery Plan Module 

for Mainstem Columbia River 

Hydropower Projects (‘‘Hydro 

Module’’). NMFS Northwest Region. 

Portland, Oregon. 

National Marine Fisheries Service 

(NMFS). 2007. Columbia River Estuary 

ESA Recovery Plan Module for Salmon 

and Steelhead. November 5, 2007. 

Available at www.nwr.noaa.gov/ 

Salmon-Recovery-Planning/ESARecovery-Plans/Estuary-Module.cfm 

National Marine Fisheries Service 

(NMFS). 2008. Endangered Species Act 

- Section 7 Consultation Biological 

Opinion and Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

Consultation: consultation on remand 

for operation of the Columbia River 

Power System and 19 Bureau of 

Reclamation Projects in the Columbia 

Basin (‘‘FCRPS BiOp’’). NMFS, 

Portland, Oregon. 

Dated:September 22, 2009. 

Angela Somma, 

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office 

of Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–23604 Filed 9–29–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XR72 

Endangered Species; File No. 10022 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for 

modification. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

Raymond Carthy, Department of 

Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, 

University of Florida, P.O. Box 110485, 

Gainesville, Florida 23611–0450, has 

requested a modification to scientific 

research Permit No. 10022. 

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e–mail 

comments must be received on or before 

October 30, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: The modification request 

and related documents are available for 

review upon written request or by 

appointment in the following offices: 

Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, 1315 East–West Highway, Room 

13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone 

(301)713–2289; fax (301)713–0376; 

andSoutheast Region, NMFS, 263 13th 

Ave South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701; 

phone (727)824–5312; fax (727)824– 

5309. 


CPrice-Sewell on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 188 / Wednesday, September 30, 2009 / Notices 50173 

Written comments or requests for a 

public hearing on this request should be 

submitted to the Chief, Permits, 

Conservation and Education Division, 

F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, 1315 East–West Highway, Room 

13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those 

individuals requesting a hearing should 

set forth the specific reasons why a 

hearing on this particular modification 

request would be appropriate. 

Comments may also be submitted by 

facsimile at (301)713–0376, provided 

the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy 

submitted by mail and postmarked no 

later than the closing date of the 

comment period. 

Comments may also be submitted by 

e–mail. The mailbox address for 

providing e–mail comments is 

NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Include 

in the subject line of the e–mail 

comment the following document 

identifier: File No. 10022–01. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Patrick Opay or Amy Hapeman, 

(301)713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

subject modification to Permit No. 

10022, issued on April 29, 2008 (73 FR 

23195) is requested under the authority 

of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, 

as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and 

the regulations governing the taking, 

importing, and exporting of endangered 

and threatened species (50 CFR 222– 

226). 

Permit No. 10022 authorizes the 

permit holder to conduct research off 

the northwest coast of Florida for 5 

years. Researchers may capture up to 40 

loggerhead (Caretta caretta), 600 green 

(Chelonia mydas), and 110 Kemp’s 

ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtles 

using strike–net or set–net capture 

techniques. Animals may be weighed, 

measured, photographed, skin biopsied, 

flipper and passive integrated 

transponder (PIT) tagged, and released. 

The permit holder requests 

authorization to use satellite telemetry 

to assess habitat use of sea turtles and 

study whether relocation distances for 

sea turtles captured in relocation 

trawlers are appropriate. The permit 

holder would attach transmitters to up 

to 12 green sea turtles captured by their 

project by research nets in St. Joseph 

Bay, Apalachicola Bay, and St. Andrews 

Bay. The permit holder would also 

attach transmitters to up to 25 green, 

hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), 

Kemp’s ridley, and loggerhead sea 

turtles (any combination) already legally 

captured by relocation trawlers in the 

St. Andrews Bay area. These animals 

would also be flipper and PIT tagged, 

measured, photographed, tissue 

sampled and weighed before release. 

The activities authorized by the 

modification would occur over the 

course of the permit through April 30, 

2013. 

Dated: September 24, 2009. 

P. Michael Payne, 

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–23605 Filed 9–29–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XR89 

Western Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings and 

hearings. 

SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) will 

hold its 102nd Scientific and Statistical 

Committee (SSC) and 146th Council 

meetings to take recommendations and 

action on fishery management issues in 

the Western Pacific Region. 

DATES: The 102nd SSC Meeting will be 

held October 14–16, 2009, and the 146th 

Council meeting will be held October 

20–23, 2009. All meetings will be held 

in Honolulu, HI. For specific times and 

agendas, see SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION. 

ADDRESSES: The SSC meetings will be 

held at the Council Office, 1164 Bishop 

Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813, 

telephone: (808) 522–8220. The Council 

Meeting will be held at the Laniakea 

YWCA-Fuller Hall, 1040 Richards 

Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, telephone: 

(808) 538–7061. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director; 

telephone: (808) 522–8220. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

addition to the agenda items listed here, 

the SSC and Council will hear 

recommendations from Council 

advisory groups. Public comment 

periods will be provided throughout the 

agendas. The order in which agenda 

items are addressed may change. The 

meetings will run as late as necessary to 

complete scheduled business. 

Schedule and Agenda for 102nd SSC 

Meeting 

8:30 a.m., Wednesday October 14, 2009 

1. Introductions 

2. Approval of Draft Agenda and 

Assignment of Rapporteurs 

3. Status of the 101st SSC Meeting 

Recommendations 

4. Report from the Pacific Islands 

Fisheries Science Center Director 

5. Program Planning 

A. Update on Catch Shares Task Force 

B. Habitat 

1. Habitat Assessment and 

Improvement Plan 

2. Report on Deep-Slope Habitat 

Workshop 

3. Review of Essential Fish Habitat 

(EFH) and Habitat Areas of Particular 

Concern (HAPC) 

C. Public Hearing 

D. Discussion and Recommendations 

6. Insular Fisheries 

A. Hawaii Archipelago 

1. Western Pacific Stock Assessment 

Review (WPSAR) of Hawaii bottomfish 

2. Haleiwa Shark Viewing Tour 

Research 

3. Larval Dispersal Model 

B. Recommendations on Acceptable 

Biological Catches for Insular Stocks 

(Action) 

C. Public Hearing 

D. Discussion and Recommendations 

8:30 a.m., Thursday October 15, 2009 

7. Pelagic Fisheries 

A. Longline Management 

1. Recommendations on Tuna Quota 

Management (Action) 

2. Recommendations on Territory 

Bigeye Longline Quotas (Action) 

B. Non-Longline Management 

1. Social and economic aspects of 

Hawaii’s small boat fisheries 

2. Cross Seamount Total Allowable 

Catch 

3. Main Hawaiian Islands shortline 

management 

C. Update on Blue Shark Stock 

Assessment 

D. Hawaii Longline Shark Bycatch 

Information 

E. American Samoa and Hawaii 

Longline Quarterly Reports 

F. International Fisheries/Meetings 

1. Stock Assessments 

a. Western & Central Pacific Ocean 

(WCPO) Bigeye Tuna 

b. WCPO Yellowfin Tuna 

c. South Pacific Albacore Tuna 

d. North Pacific Swordfish Tuna 

1. Report of the Western & Central 

Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) 

Science Committee 

2. Report of the WCPFC Northern 

Committee 

3. Report of the WCPFC Technical & 

Compliance Committee 


CPrice-Sewell on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES