[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 160 (Monday, August 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56800-56804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17885]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XD258]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of application for ten permit renewals, one 
permit modification, and eight new permits.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received 18 scientific 
research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon, 
steelhead, green sturgeon, rockfish, and eulachon. NMFS has also 
received one permit application to enhance the propagation and survival 
of one listed salmonid species (Snake River steelhead). The proposed 
activities in all permits are intended to increase knowledge of species 
listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to help guide 
management and conservation efforts.

DATES: Comments or requests for a public hearing on the applications 
must be received at the appropriate address or fax number (see 
ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on September 20, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the applications should be sent to the 
Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100, 
Portland, OR 97232-1274. Comments may also be sent via fax to 503-230-
5441 or by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#533d3e35207d2430217e32232320133d3c32327d343c25"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="56383b3025782135247b37262625163839373778313920">[email protected]</span></a> (include the permit number 
in the subject line of the letter, fax, or email). The applications may 
be viewed online at: https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/preview_open_for_comment.cfm. Permit application instructions are 
available from the address above, or online at https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rob Clapp, Portland, OR, 541-231-2314, 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f3a19c91968187ddb09f928383b39d9c9292dd949c85"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="11437e737463653f527d706161517f7e70703f767e67">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following ESA-listed species are covered in this notice:
    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): threatened Lower 
Columbia River (LCR); threatened Puget Sound (PS); threatened Snake 
River (SnkR) spring/summer-run; threatened SnkR fall-run; endangered 
Upper Columbia River (UCR) spring-run; threatened Upper Willamette 
River (UWR); threatened Central Valley spring-run (CVS); endangered 
Sacramento River (SacR) winter-run; and threatened California Coastal 
(CC).
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened LCR; threatened Middle Columbia 
River (MCR); threatened PS; threatened SnkR; threatened UCR; threatened 
UWR; threatened Northern California (NC); threatened Central California 
Coast (CCC); threatened California Central Valley (CCV); and endangered 
Southern California (SC).
    Chum salmon (O. keta): threatened Hood Canal Summer-run (HCS); and 
threatened Columbia River (CR).
    Coho salmon (O. kisutch): threatened LCR; threatened Oregon Coast 
(OC) coho; threatened Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast 
(SONCC); and endangered CCC.
    Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): endangered SnkR; and threatened Ozette 
Lake (OL).
    Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus): threatened southern Distinct 
Population Segment (SDPS).
    Green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris): threatened SDPS.
    Rockfish (Sebastes spp.): endangered Puget Sound/Georgia Basin (PS/
GB)
    bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis); and threatened PS/GB yelloweye 
rockfish (S. ruberrimus).

Authority

    Scientific research permits and permits to enhance propagation or 
survival are issued in accordance with section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA 
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and regulations governing listed fish and 
wildlife permits (50 CFR 222-226). NMFS issues permits based on 
findings that such permits: (1) are applied for in good faith; (2) if 
granted and exercised, would not operate to the disadvantage of the 
listed species that are the subject of the permit; and (3) are 
consistent with the purposes and policy of section 2 of the ESA. The 
authority to take listed species is subject to conditions set forth in 
the permits.
    Anyone 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). Such hearings are held at the 
discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NMFS.

Applications Received

Permit 15169-3R

    The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking to renew a permit that 
would authorize them to take juvenile and adult CC Chinook salmon, CCC 
coho salmon, and CCC steelhead as part of a long-term monitoring 
program within the NPS's San Francisco Bay area network. The research 
includes seven studies within, or proximate to, NPS lands in: Lagunitas 
Creek, Olema Creek, Pine Gulch, Redwood Creek, and Rodeo Creek, and 
Easkoot Creek in Marin County; West Union and San Vicente Creeks in San 
Mateo County; Alhambra and Franklin Creeks in Contra Costa County; and 
Tomales Bay, CA. Study 1 monitors salmonid smolt outmigration. Study 2 
is a juvenile salmonid diet composition study. Study 3 is a spawner 
survey study. Study 4 focuses on summer/fall juvenile salmonid 
distribution, population abundance, and habitat monitoring. Study 5 is 
a juvenile salmonid winter habitat utilization study. Study 6 uses a 
floating resistance-board weir-trap to monitor adult

[[Page 56801]]

salmonid spawning. Study 7 is a biotelemetry study in the Tomales Bay 
watershed. The research would continue a long-term monitoring program 
and would benefit affected species by identifying species trends that 
are used to guide management practices, develop and implement 
restoration actions, and evaluate conservation action success--all of 
which would serve to benefit listed salmonids and their habitats along 
the central California coast.
    The researchers propose to capture juvenile fish via backpack 
electrofishing, beach seining, screw trapping, and fyke- and hoop-
netting. Juvenile fish would be captured, handled, and released. They 
would also be observed during snorkel surveys. A subsample of captured 
juveniles would be anesthetized, tissue-sampled and receive passive 
integrated transponder (PIT) tags. Adult fish would primarily be 
collected via weir, but a few individuals would be captured via screw 
trap and fyke net. Adults would also be observed during spawning and 
snorkel surveys. Adults captured at the weir would be captured, handled 
(anesthetized, weighed, measured, and checked for marks or tags), and 
released. A subsample of captured adults would be anesthetized, tissue-
sampled and PIT-tagged. Some tissues may be collected from carcasses 
encountered during the spawning surveys. The researchers do not intend 
to kill any listed fish, but a small number may die as an inadvertent 
result of the proposed activities.

Permit 16329-4R

    The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking to 
renew a permit that currently authorizes them take juvenile and adult 
CR chum salmon; LCR, UWR, UCR spring-run, SnkR fall-run, and SnkR 
spring/summer-run Chinook salmon; LCR, OC, and SONCC coho salmon; and 
LCR, UWR, MCR, UCR, and SnkR basin steelhead in all Oregon State 
waters. The purpose of the research is to assess environmental 
impairment from pollutants and evaluate the effectiveness of management 
activities in protecting and restoring aquatic ecosystems. The 
scientific research permit would authorize listed species to be taken 
under four DEQ programs: (1) Biomonitoring Program, (2) Oregon Toxics 
Monitoring Program, (3) Mixing Zone Surveys, and (4) Spill Impact and 
Cleanup Effectiveness Evaluations. Together, these programs are used to 
assess watershed and aquatic community health, determine the presence 
and effects of contaminants, and gauge the effectiveness of waste 
treatment and spill cleanup procedures. The information gathered would 
help the DEQ fulfill its mission to assess, restore, enhance, and 
maintain the quality of Oregon's waters, as directed by state and 
Federal laws. The research would benefit listed species by providing 
information on watershed health and contaminants--information that 
would be used to inform efforts to protect and restore salmonid 
habitat.
    The DEQ proposes to capture fish from spring through fall using 
backpack and boat electrofishing, seining, and angling. After capturing 
the fish, the researchers would quickly transfer them to buckets of 
aerated water, weigh and measure some of them, and release them near 
the site of their capture within 20 minutes. No drugs or anesthesia 
would be used. The researchers propose to intentionally kill small 
numbers of non-listed, resident fish. The researchers would not 
intentionally kill any ESA-listed fish, but a small number may die as 
an unintended result of the research activities.

Permit 16506-4R

    Mike Podlech, an independent researcher, is seeking to renew a 
research permit that would authorize him to take juvenile and adult CCC 
coho salmon and CCC steelhead while monitoring population trends in 
Squaw Creek, Pescadero Creek, and Mill Creek, CA. The research would 
benefit affected species by providing population data to inform ongoing 
watershed restoration and salmonid recovery efforts. The research 
includes three studies. The objective of Study 1 (Squaw Creek) is to 
continue a 39-year monitoring program of the juvenile CCC steelhead 
population in a largely undisturbed watershed. Study 2 (Pescadero 
Creek) aims to expand upon limited baseline CCC steelhead and CCC coho 
salmon population data and initiate long-term smolt outmigration 
monitoring in a degraded watershed. Mill Creek (Study 3) would take 
place in a tributary to San Vicente Creek, the southernmost watershed 
with a remnant natural CCC coho salmon population. Salmonid populations 
in the San Vicente Creek watershed have been studied extensively over 
the past two decades, but the Mill Creek tributary has received 
relatively little attention. However, a legacy dam was removed from 
Mill Creek in 2021 and juvenile CCC coho salmon were detected in the 
stream for the first time in 2022. Study 3 is intended to monitor the 
trajectory of the population and measure the upstream range of CCC coho 
salmon in this tributary and thereby help inform future management 
decisions for the benefit of the listed coho.
    Under the three studies, juveniles would be collected via backpack 
electrofishing and fyke nets. Juvenile fish would be captured, handled, 
and released. A subsample of captured juveniles would be anesthetized, 
tissue-sampled and PIT-tagged. Though adult fish would not be targeted, 
a few individuals might be collected via fyke net. All captured adults 
would simply be handled and released. The researchers do not intend to 
kill any ESA-listed fish, but a small number may die as an inadvertent 
result of the proposed activities.

Permit 16544-2R

    The California Department of Fish and Wildlife's (CDFW's), South 
Coast Region is seeking to renew a permit that would authorize them to 
take juvenile and adult SC steelhead in order to monitor the species' 
population status, trends, spatial structure, and life history 
diversity in an area stretching from Topanga Canyon to Santa Maria, CA. 
This long-term monitoring study would benefit SC steelhead by providing 
data to inform management decisions and recovery efforts.
    Juvenile fish would be collected via backpack electrofishing, dip 
net, fyke net, minnow trap, weir, hook-and-line angling, and beach 
seine. They would also be observed during snorkel surveys. Most 
juvenile fish would simply be captured, handled, and released, but a 
subsample would be anesthetized, tissue-sampled and PIT-tagged. Adult 
fish would be collected via dip net, hook-and-line angling, beach 
seine, trap, and weir, and they would also be observed during snorkel 
surveys. Spawned adults or post-spawn carcasses would be enumerated 
during spawning surveys. A subsample of captured adults would be 
anesthetized, tissue-sampled and PIT-tagged. The researchers do not 
intend to kill any ESA-listed fish, but a small number may die as an 
inadvertent result of the proposed activities.

Permit 17551-4R

    The CDFW is seeking to renew a permit that would authorize them to 
take juvenile and adult SacR winter-run Chinook salmon, CVS Chinook 
salmon, and CCV steelhead, and juvenile SDPS green sturgeon. The 
purpose of this study is to monitor SDPS green sturgeon recruitment to 
the juvenile life stage and to learn more about green sturgeon movement 
patterns (including ocean entry) and habitat use in the lower 
Sacramento River, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and greater San 
Francisco. Though green sturgeon are

[[Page 56802]]

the target species, Chinook salmon and steelhead may be encountered, 
but they would immediately be released if that happens. This study 
would benefit green sturgeon by providing information on their temporal 
and spatial movement patterns, rearing habitat preferences, and 
survival. This information, in turn, would be used to improve species 
and water management in the region.
    Juvenile green sturgeon would be collected by gill netting them. A 
subsample of the juveniles would be anesthetized, tissue-sampled and 
PIT-tagged. The researchers do not intend to kill any ESA-listed fish, 
but a small number may die as an inadvertent result of the proposed 
activities.

Permit 19400-4R

    ICF International (a consulting firm) is seeking to renew a permit 
that would authorize them to take juvenile SacR winter-run Chinook 
salmon, CVS Chinook salmon, CCV steelhead, and SDPS green sturgeon in 
order to determine how juvenile salmonids use the San Francisco estuary 
for rearing. This study would benefit affected species by providing a 
better understanding of fine-scale distribution patterns of fishes in 
navigation channels and near dredge operations in the San Francisco 
Estuary. This, in turn, would inform ongoing and proposed restoration 
projects. The research includes two studies: (1) investigating the use 
of alternative monitoring techniques including SONAR and environmental 
DNA (eDNA) to monitor fish species near restoration projects and dredge 
operations, and (2) evaluating non-invasive sampling methods to 
supplement physical fish collection by pairing trawls with acoustic 
methods and eDNA data to provide an estimate of rare species biomass 
and habitat use.
    Juvenile fish would be collected via plankton nets, bottom trawl, 
and midwater trawl. Juvenile fish would be captured, handled, and 
released. The researchers do not intend to kill any ESA-listed fish, 
but a small number may die as an inadvertent result of the proposed 
activities.

Permit 20047-3R

    The University of Washington (UW) is seeking to renew a permit that 
would authorize them to continue to take annually juvenile PS Chinook 
salmon, PS steelhead, PS/GB DPS bocaccio, PS/GB DPS yelloweye rockfish, 
HCS chum salmon, and adult SDPS eulachon in order to study the fish 
communities associated with tideflats with and without seagrass in 
Puget Sound and coastal Washington. This study would fill current 
information gaps on how habitat structure impacts higher trophic levels 
in nearshore habitats in the Pacific Northwest, and benefit ESA-listed 
salmon and steelhead recovery by reducing the uncertainty around 
current ecosystem linkages that are used to select habitat sites to 
preserve and restore.
    Juvenile salmon, steelhead, and rockfish and adult eulachon would 
be collected via beach seine, handled (weighed, measured, and checked 
for marks or tags), and released. The researchers are not proposing to 
kill any of the ESA-listed fish being captured, but a small number of 
fish may be killed as an inadvertent result of these activities.

Permit 22303-2R

    The NMFS West Coast Region is seeking to renew a permit that would 
authorize them to take adult LCR Chinook salmon, CC Chinook salmon, 
SacR winter-run Chinook salmon, CVS Chinook salmon, and SDPS green 
sturgeon in order to characterize the physical interaction between 
green sturgeon and bottom trawl nets used in the CA halibut fishery 
that operates out of Half Moon Bay and San Francisco, CA. This study 
would benefit green sturgeon by providing information to evaluate and 
develop methods to minimize gear interactions and bycatch of green 
sturgeon.
    Adult green sturgeon would be collected bottom trawl. Green 
sturgeon adults would be captured, handled (anesthetized, weighed, 
measured, and checked for marks or tags), and released. Though green 
sturgeon are the target species, LCR, CC, SacR and CVS Chinook salmon 
might also be encountered. The researchers do not intend to kill any 
ESA-listed fish, but a small number may die as an inadvertent result of 
the proposed activities.

Permit 22700-2R

    The Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project is seeking to renew a 
permit that would authorize them to take adult CCC coho salmon and CCC 
steelhead in order to gather data on their genetics and life histories 
in the San Lorenzo River watershed, CA. This study would benefits 
affected species by proving abundance assessments and life history data 
and thereby help facilitate recovery actions.
    Adult fish would be collected from a fish ladder at the Felton 
Diversion Facility weir on the San Lorenzo River. Adult fish would be 
captured, handled (weighed, measured, and checked for marks or tags), 
and released; a subsample of them would be anesthetized, tissue-
sampled, and PIT-tagged. The researchers do not intend to kill any ESA-
listed fish, but a small number may die as an inadvertent result of the 
proposed activities.

Permit 22939-2R

    TRPA Fish Biologists (a consulting firm) is seeking to renew a 
permit that would authorize them to take juvenile SacR winter-run 
Chinook salmon, CVS Chinook salmon, CCV steelhead, and SDPS green 
sturgeon while conducting seasonal presence/absence and relative 
abundance surveys for native fish species in a delta wetland area known 
as The Big Ditch on the Peterson Ranch in eastern Solano County, 
California. Before this study, no information was available on ESA-
listed species presence or seasonal use of the Big Ditch Project area. 
The study would benefit the affected species by continuing to provide 
baseline information on seasonal fish use and thereby inform habitat 
restoration actions.
    Juvenile fish would be collected via beach seine and minnow trap. 
Juvenile fish would be captured, handled, and released, and a subsample 
of them would be anesthetized, tissue-sampled and PIT-tagged prior. The 
researchers do not intend to kill any ESA-listed fish, but a small 
number may die as an inadvertent result of the proposed activities.

Permit 25466-2M

    TRPA Fish Biologists are seeking to modify a permit that currently 
authorizes them to take juvenile and adult CCV steelhead with the 
purpose of providing information on fish distribution, relative 
abundance, and diversity in Ulatis Flood Control Project (Ulatis 
Project) stream channels. The Ulatis Project is located in the 
Vacaville-Elmira urban corridor in CA and is made up of approximately 
43.5 miles (~70km) of realigned and engineered stream channels that 
were created to alleviate recurring floods in the lower Ulatis 
watershed. The modification would entail adding sampling locations 
(middle and upper Ulatis and Alamo Creek channels); it would also 
require adding small amounts of take for juvenile CCV steelhead. The 
study would benefit CCV steelhead by providing biological data 
(lengths, weights, and counts) on the fish populations in the lower 
basin. This information would be used to monitor CCV steelhead 
distribution and diversity and to assess population responses to 
managed flows.
    Juvenile fish would be collected via backpack electrofishing. A 
subsample of captured juveniles would be

[[Page 56803]]

anesthetized, tissue-sampled and PIT-tagged prior to release. The 
researchers do not intend to kill any ESA-listed fish, but a small 
number may die as an inadvertent result of the proposed activities.

Permit 25795

    Washington State University (WSU) is seeking a new permit that 
would authorize them to annually take adult PS Chinook salmon, PS 
steelhead, HCS chum salmon, and SDPS green sturgeon in order to study 
the reproductive physiology of pink salmon and genetics and population 
structure of Pacific spiny dogfish in Puget Sound. The study of pink 
salmon reproductive biology is likely to benefit ESA-listed salmon and 
steelhead by providing a better understanding of the molecular 
processes governing the regulation of age at maturity and tissue 
remodeling in Pacific salmonids using an unlisted model organism. The 
age at maturity of Pacific salmon and steelhead has important 
implications for their migratory behavior and reproductive timing and 
success.
    Fish would be collected via hook-and-line angling over 
approximately 4 days of sampling between July and September in multiple 
locations in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound. ESA-listed 
species are not being targeted by this sampling, but up to one adult 
from each hatchery or natural-origin component of the above species may 
be unintentionally captured. Any ESA-listed species captured would be 
handled (checked for marks or tags and potentially measured) and 
quickly released. The researchers are not proposing to kill any of the 
listed fish being captured, but a small number of fish may be killed as 
an inadvertent result of these activities.

Permit 25808

    The U.S. Marine Corps is seeking a new permit that would authorize 
them to take juvenile and adult SC steelhead during the course of 
documenting their biodiversity and freshwater habitat in the three 
largest watersheds located on U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton: 
Santa Mateo Creek, San Onofre Creek, and the Santa Margarita River, CA. 
The study would benefit SC steelhead by providing species presence and 
habitat suitability data to inform future management and recovery 
strategies (e.g., helping locate and preserve drought refugia).
    Juveniles would be collected via backpack electrofishing and 
observed at weirs, fish ladders, and dams, and during snorkel surveys. 
Juvenile fish would be captured, handled, and released. A subsample of 
captured juveniles would be anesthetized, tissue-sampled and PIT-
tagged. Adults would be observed at weirs, fish ladders, and dams and 
during snorkel surveys. The researchers do not intend to kill any 
listed fish, but a small number may die as an inadvertent result of the 
proposed activities.

Permit 27030

    The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is seeking a 5-year 
permit to enhance the propagation and survival of SnkR steelhead in Big 
Bear Creek in northern Idaho. Under this permit, the IDFG would trap 
adult natural steelhead in the Big Bear Creek watershed and transport 
them to a point upstream of Big Bear Falls (a semi-impassable barrier) 
and release them back into Big Bear Creek. The adults would be 
anesthetized, tissue-sampled, radio-tagged, and transported in 50-
gallon (~189.27 L) aerated tanks approximately 2 miles (~3.22 km) 
upstream. In addition, the IDFG would use backpack electrofishing to 
sample juvenile steelhead upstream from the falls, and a screw trap to 
sample them at the mouth of Big Bear Creek. All captured juveniles 
would be anesthetized, weighed, measured, tissue-sampled, and PIT-
tagged.
    The purpose of this project is to improve steelhead access to 
spawning and juvenile rearing habitat above Big Bear Falls. Rearing 
capacity in the Big Bear Creek watershed is limited, and life cycle 
modelling indicates enhanced adult steelhead passage at the falls could 
increase smolt production by an additional 5,000 smolts per year. 
Transporting adult steelhead around Big Bear Falls would benefit listed 
fish by increasing available habitat capacity in the drainage and 
thereby potentially alleviate density-dependent effects and increase 
population productivity. The IDFG does not intend to kill any of the 
fish being captured, but a small number may die as an inadvertent 
result of the activities.

Permit 27068

    The Makah Tribe is seeking a new permit that would authorize them 
to take juvenile and adult fish from every species listed in the first 
part of this notice except for SDPS eulachon and green sturgeon. This 
proposed work would expand salmon research under four specific areas of 
investigation: (1) improving knowledge of Chinook salmon ecology in 
marine waters of northwestern Washington (with a focus on winter and 
early spring); (2) better understanding how offshore troll fishery gear 
affects Chinook and Coho salmon injury and mortality rates 
(specifically with regard to hook size); (3) improving understanding of 
the factors limiting Lake Ozette sockeye salmon recovery; and (4) 
monitoring the recent increase in abundance of invasive European green 
crabs (EGC) in Makah Bay, its tributaries, and the Strait of Juan de 
Fuca. Each of these studies would provide information addressing data 
gaps or current threats that would help the Makah Tribe manage their 
fisheries resources, and inform recovery actions for ESA-listed 
salmonid species.
    As part of the first effort, adult or subadult salmon or steelhead 
may collected by hook-and-line angling. This study targets Chinook and 
coho salmon, so any other salmon or steelhead would be handled 
(weighed, measured, and checked for marks and tags) and released. 
Captured Chinook and coho salmon would be handled and have scale and 
fin clip samples collected, and those in suitable condition would be 
anesthetized and tagged with popup satellite archival tags or acoustic 
tags as appropriate based on their size. During investigations of 
hooking injury and mortality rates, adult or subadult fish would be 
collected by hook-and-line angling using barbless J hooks of variable 
size (1/0 and 6/0), handled (weighed, measured, and checked for marks 
and tags), checked for hooking location and any injuries, and then have 
the hook removed and be released following catch-and-release best 
practices. No ESA-listed species are specifically targeted in either of 
these studies, but some may be unintentionally captured as a part of 
this effort and ESA-listed Chinook and coho salmon species are 
components of the target species of salmon being studied in these 
areas.
    For the Lake Ozette sockeye salmon study, both juvenile and adult 
salmon would be collected. Juveniles would be collected via minnow or 
screw traps (or smolt wheel), and adults would be collected via weir or 
gill/tangle netting. Juvenile fish would be captured, handled 
(measured, weighted, and checked for marks or tags), anesthetized, and 
tagged with surgically implanted acoustic tags prior to release. 
Captured adults would be handled (measured, weighted, and checked for 
marks or tags), anesthetized, tissue-sampled, and tagged with 
surgically implanted acoustic tags prior to release. Lastly, the effort 
to monitor the presence and abundance of invasive EGC involves setting 
small minnow traps, shrimp pots, or modified fukui traps that may 
unintentionally capture juvenile ESA-listed fish. Any fish 
unintentionally captured would be released from traps

[[Page 56804]]

and returned to the water at the site of capture with as little 
handling as possible. The researchers are not proposing to kill any of 
the listed fish being captured, but a small number of fish may be 
killed as an inadvertent result of these activities.

Permit 27150

    The IDFG is seeking a 5-year permit to conduct three studies in the 
Clearwater River basin in Idaho. They are (1) Standard Resident Fish 
Stream Surveys, (2) Juvenile O. mykiss Composition in the Lower 
Clearwater River Drainage, and (3) Seasonal Resident Fish Movement and 
Angler Encounter Rates. Studies 1 and 3 would be conducted 
concurrently, and all three would involve capturing juvenile SnkR 
steelhead via boat electrofishing. Approximately half of the captured 
fish would simply be handled, measured, identified, and released. The 
rest of the captured fish would also be tissue-sampled, and some would 
be marked for the purpose of determining recapture rates. Some of the 
captured fish may also be anesthetized to reduce handling and sampling 
stress.
    The purposes of the work are (1) to gather information on fish 
distribution, abundance, and composition--with an emphasis on 
evaluating the distribution and impacts of non-native predator fish; 
(2) assess the genetic and behavioral influences that hatchery-produced 
steelhead in the Clearwater River watershed have on ESA-listed, natural 
O. mykiss in the area; and (3) monitor westslope cutthroat trout 
distribution and movement. The three projects, collectively, would 
benefit ESA-listed steelhead by helping managers monitor the species' 
abundance, composition, density, distribution, age structure, growth, 
and sources of mortality. Additionally, the work would help managers 
better understand interactions between the listed fish, their non-
native predators, other conspecific (but not listed) fish, and the 
angling community. All the information to be gained would be used to 
inform management decisions regarding fishing regulations and seasons, 
predator control measures, and various recovery actions for the listed 
SnkR steelhead. The researchers do not intend to kill any of the fish 
being captured, but a small number may die as an inadvertent result of 
the activities.

Permits 27299 and 27469

    Cramer Fish Sciences is seeking two new permits that would 
authorize them to take juvenile and adult SacR winter-run Chinook 
salmon during the course of conducting two Chinook egg-to-fry survival 
studies in the Sacramento River, CA, between Keswick Dam and the 
confluence of the river and Clear Creek. The purpose of both these 
studies is to estimate Chinook salmon egg mortality and temperature 
exposure as well as intergravel water velocity and dissolved oxygen 
concentration in artificial redds placed in Chinook fall- and winter-
run spawning habitat. Additionally, egg survival would be evaluated in 
natural fall- and winter-run redds that are predicted to be exposed to 
temperatures above mortality thresholds. Though SacR winter-run Chinook 
are not the target species, a few individual fish might be encountered 
or observed during stream or snorkel surveys. The research is not 
expected to kill any ESA-listed fish.

Permit 27513

    Stillwater Sciences is seeking a new permit that would authorize 
them to take juvenile NC steelhead, CC Chinook salmon, and CCC coho 
salmon while assessing aquatic habitat conditions and fish use in the 
lower Navarro River and its estuary in California--including some of 
the river's lower tributary reaches (Marsh, Flume, Murray, Barton, Ray, 
and Mustard gulches). The research would benefit ESA-listed species by 
providing information on opportunities and constraints for salmonid 
habitat restoration in the estuary and lower mainstem Navarro River 
corridor. Documenting seasonal salmonid distribution, habitat use, and 
relative abundance of fish species would help managers develop and 
prioritize restoration actions for the lower Navarro River and estuary 
and contribute to those actions' effectiveness.
    Juvenile fish would be collected via dip net, beach seine, and 
minnow trap and observed during snorkel surveys. Juvenile fish would be 
captured, handled, and released; a subsample would be anesthetized, 
tissue-sampled and PIT-tagged. The researchers do not intend to kill 
any ESA-listed fish, but a small number may die as an inadvertent 
result of the proposed activities.
    This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS 
will evaluate the applications, associated documents, and comments 
submitted to determine whether the applications meet the requirements 
of section 10(a) of the ESA and Federal regulations. The final permit 
decisions will not be made until after the end of the 30-day comment 
period. NMFS will publish notice of its final action in the Federal 
Register.

    Dated: August 15, 2023.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-17885 Filed 8-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P


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