[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 211 (Friday, October 31, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 58942]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28834]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 102197A]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Receipt of an application for a scientific research permit 
(1102).

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Washington Department of Fish 
and Wildlife at White Salmon, WA (WDFW) has applied in due form for a 
permit that would provide authorization for takes of endangered and 
threatened anadromous fish species for the purpose of scientific 
research.

DATES: Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this 
application must be received on or before December 1, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The application 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).
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing should be 
submitted to the Chief, Protected Resources Division in Portland, OR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Koch, Protected Resources 
Division, 503-230-5400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: WDFW requests a permit 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 217-227).
    WDFW (1102) requests a 3-year permit for an annual take of adult, 
endangered, naturally-produced and artificially-propagated, upper 
Columbia River steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss); adult, 
threatened, Snake River steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss); adult, 
threatened, Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus 
tshawytscha); and adult, threatened, Snake River fall chinook salmon 
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) associated with scientific research to 
determine the number and timing of wild and hatchery steelhead trout 
that pass Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest 
and to determine the number and timing of wild and hatchery steelhead 
trout in the treaty fishery conducted by Native Americans on the river. 
Data will be used to determine the fishery impacts to ESA-listed stocks 
and if possible, to shape fisheries to reduce impacts to ESA-listed or 
depressed stocks while focusing harvest on healthy stocks. Tissue 
analysis by starch-gel electrophoresis will be the genetic stock 
identification tool used to differentiate steelhead trout groups by 
Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU). Current steelhead trout 
accounting methods (date or fork length) are insufficient to 
differentiate the passage, timing, and harvest impacts on specific 
ESUs, stocks, or genetic groups. ESA-listed adult fish are proposed to 
be captured at Bonneville Dam, anesthetized, measured and sampled for 
tissues and scales, allowed to recover from the anesthetic, and 
released. ESA-listed adult fish carcasses are also proposed to be 
sampled for tissues and scales.
    Those individuals requesting a hearing (see ADDRESSES) should set 
out the specific reasons why a hearing on this application would be 
appropriate. The holding of such hearing is at the discretion of the 
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA. All statements and 
opinions contained in this application summary are those of the 
applicant and do not necessarily reflect the views of NMFS.

    Dated: October 27, 1997.
Nancy Chu,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-28834 Filed 10-30-97; 8:45 am]
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