[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 176 (Thursday, September 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47791-47792]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-24127]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 090297A]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Issuance of permit 1056 (P770#73) and modification 1 to 
scientific research/enhancement permit 1010 (P503S).

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued a permit to the 
Coastal Zone and Estuarine Studies Division, Northwest Fisheries 
Science Center, NMFS at Seattle, WA (CZESD) and a modification to a 
permit to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game at Boise, ID (IDFG) 
that authorize takes of Endangered Species Act-listed species for the 
purpose of scientific research, subject to certain conditions set forth 
therein.

ADDRESSES: The applications and related documents are available for 
review in the following offices, by appointment:
    Office of Protected Resources, F/PR3, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226 (301-713-1401); and
    Protected Resources Division, F/NWO3, 525 NE Oregon Street, Suite 
500, Portland, OR 97232-4169 (503-230-5400).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The permit and the modification to a permit 
were 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 ESA-listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 217-222).
    Notice was published on June 9, 1997 (62 FR 31410) that an 
application had been filed by CZESD for a scientific research permit 
(P770#73). Permit 1056 was issued to CZESD on August 11, 1997. Permit 
1056 authorizes CZESD takes of juvenile, threatened, naturally-produced 
and artificially-propagated, Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon 
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) associated with two scientific research 
studies. The objective of Study 1 is to characterize the run-timing of 
wild fish over a period of years to determine if consistent patterns 
are apparent, and to use this information for real-time management 
decisions regarding water allocation during the smolt outmigrations. 
The long-term objectives of Study 2 are to monitor the nature and 
extent of genetic change over time in supplemented and unsupplemented 
populations and to correlate the genetic changes with measures of 
productivity. The results of this study would also provide information 
on population structure and effective population size. Permit 1056 
expires on December 31, 2001.
    Notice was published on June 9, 1997 (62 FR 31410) that an 
application had been filed by IDFG for modification 1 to scientific 
research/enhancement permit 1010 (P503S). Modification 1 to permit 1010 
was issued to IDFG on August 22, 1997. Permit 1010 authorizes IDFG 
takes of juvenile, ESA-listed, Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon 
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) associated with a captive rearing program. 
For modification 1, IDFG is authorized to release a small number of 
mature spring chinook salmon from its captive rearing program to obtain 
information on the spawning behavior and success of outplanted fish as 
well as to examine the efficacy of all procedures associated with the 
program. Experimental outplanting will allow IDFG to refine transport, 
acclimation, release, segregation, and monitoring methods for future 
releases. In addition, excess hatchery-produced jacks will be 
sacrificed for cryopreservation of sperm,

[[Page 47792]]

dissection for disease or physiological analysis, and genetic sampling. 
The release and/or disposition of maturing fish are for experimental 
purposes. The release of mature ESA-listed fish is valid in 1997 only. 
The sacrifice of excess hatchery-produced jacks is valid for the 
duration of permit 1010. Permit 1010 expires on December 31, 2000.
    Issuance of the permit and the modification to a permit, as 
required by the ESA, was based on a finding that such actions: (1) Were 
requested/proposed in good faith, (2) will not operate to the 
disadvantage of the ESA-listed species that is the subject of the 
permits, and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policies set 
forth in section 2 of the ESA and the NMFS regulations governing ESA-
listed species permits.

    Dated: September 5, 1997.
Nancy Chu,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-24127 Filed 9-10-97; 8:45 am]
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