Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 5 / Tuesday, January 8, 2013 / Notices 1203 

Permit 13380—2R 

The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 

five years a permit that currently allows 

them to annually take natural juvenile 

SR spring/summer Chinook salmon and 

SR steelhead in the Salmon River 

subbasin in Idaho. This research has 

been in progress for over ten years and 

is designed to assess three alternative 

methods of nutrient enhancement 

(Salmon carcasses, carcass analogues, 

and nutrient pellets) on biological 

communities in Columbia River 

tributaries. In general, the purpose of 

the research is to learn how salmonids 

acquire nutrients from the carcasses of 

dead spawners and test three methods 

of using those nutrients to increase 

growth and survival among naturally 

produced salmonids. The research 

would benefit the fish by helping 

managers use nutrient enhancement 

techniques to recover listed salmonid 

populations. Moreover, managers would 

gain a broader understanding of the role 

marine-derived nutrients play in 

ecosystem health as a whole. This, in 

turn, would help inform management 

decisions and actions intended to help 

salmon recovery in the future. 

Under the proposed research, the fish 

would variously be (a) captured (using 

seines, nets, traps, and possibly, 

electrofishing equipment) and 

anesthetized; (b) measured, weighed 

and fin-clipped; (c) held for a time in 

enclosures in the stream from which 

they are captured; and (d) released. A 

number of the captured fish would also 

be intentionally killed so the researchers 

may conduct stable isotope, otolith, and 

diet analyses with the purpose of 

linking growth and survival to habitat 

conditions. It is also likely that a small 

percentage of the fish being captured 

would unintentionally be killed during 

the process; in such instances, any 

unintentional mortalities would be used 

in place of any fish that would 

otherwise be lethally taken. In addition, 

tissue samples would be taken from 

adult carcasses. 

Permit 16979 

The Washington Department of Fish 

and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking a fiveyear permit to collect data on UCR 

Chinook and steelhead abundance, 

status, distribution, diversity, species/ 

ecological interactions, and behavior in 

the Columbia River from its confluence 

with the Yakima River upstream to 

Chief Joseph Dam. The research will 

benefit fish by helping managers (a) 

understand the distribution and 

proportion of hatchery and natural 

origin steelhead, and Chinook in UCR 

tributaries, (b) understand the 

influences of other biotic and abiotic 

factors with respect to recovering listed 

species, (c) understand the potential 

effects of proposed land use practices, 

(d) determine appropriate regulatory 

and habitat protection measures in the 

areas where land use actions are 

planned, (e) project the impacts of 

potential hydraulic projects, and (f) 

evaluate the effectiveness of local forest 

practices and instream habitat 

improvement projects in terms of their 

ability to protect and enhance listed 

salmonid populations. 

The researchers would capture fish 

via a wide variety of means (snorkeling, 

dip netting, seining, using electrofishing 

equipment, traps and weirs, and 

barbless hook-and-line sampling). The 

captured fish would be variously tissue 

sampled, measured, tagged, allowed to 

recover, and released. The researchers 

do not intend to kill any of the fish 

being captured, but a small percentage 

of them may inadvertently be killed as 

a result of the proposed activities. 

Permit 17306 

The Oregon Department of Fish and 

Wildlife (ODFW) is seeking a five-year 

permit to capture threatened MCR 

steelhead (adults and juveniles) in the 

upper Deschutes River, Oregon. The 

various proposed activities would 

include adult and juvenile snorkel 

surveys throughout the basin, screw 

trapping, backpack and boat 

electrofishing and mark/recapture 

studies, hook and line surveys, 

telemetry, seining, spawning ground 

surveys using weirs and redd counts, 

monitoring habitat restoration projects, 

and setting traps and nets in reservoirs 

for population monitoring. Data 

collected from this work would be used 

to inform management decisions. 

Biologists from the ODFW have been 

conducting this work in the area for 

decades without the need for a permit, 

but since threatened MCR steelhead 

have recently been reintroduced to the 

area, they are seeking a permit that 

would allow them to continue it. The 

researchers do not intend to kill any of 

the fish being captured, but a small 

percentage may be killed as an 

inadvertent result of the 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. 

Angela Somma, 

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office 

of Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–00138 Filed 1–7–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XC426 

Endangered and Threatened Species; 

Take of Anadromous Fish 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Issuance of five scientific 

research permits. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

NMFS has issued Permit 14808 to the 

California Department of Fish and Game 

(CDFG), Permit 15573 to the GlennColusa Irrigation District (GCID), Permit 

16543 to the California Department of 

Water Resources (CDWR), Permit 13791 

to the United States Fish and Wildlife 

Service (USFWS), and Permit 17077 to 

Dr. Peter Moyle with the University of 

California, Davis (UCD). 

ADDRESSES: The approved application 

for each permit is available on the 

Applications and Permits for Protected 

Species (APPS), https:// 

apps.nmfs.noaa.gov Web site by 

searching the permit number within the 

Search Database page. The applications, 

issued permits and supporting 

documents are also available upon 

written request or by appointment: 

Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 

650 Capitol Mall, Room 5–100, 

Sacramento, CA 95814 (phone: (916) 

930–3600, fax: (916) 930–3629). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Amanda Cranford at 916–930–3706, or 

email: Amanda.Cranford@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Authority 

The 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 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with 
1204 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 5 / Tuesday, January 8, 2013 / Notices 

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 (50 CFR parts 222–226) 

governing listed fish and wildlife 

permits. 

Species Covered in This Notice 

This notice is relevant to federally 

endangered Sacramento River (SR) 

winter-run Chinook salmon 

(Oncorhyncus tshawytscha), threatened 

Central Valley (CV) spring-run Chinook 

salmon (O. tshawytscha), threatened 

California Central Valley (CCV) 

steelhead (O. mykiss), and threatened 

southern distinct population segment 

(SDPS) of North American green 

sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris), 

henceforth referred to as ESA-listed 

salmonids and SDPS green sturgeon. 

Permits Issued 

Permit 14808 

A notice of the receipt of an 

application for a scientific research 

permit (14808) was published in the 

Federal Register on April 24, 2012 (77 

FR 24469). Permit 14808 was issued to 

CDFG on September 26, 2012 and 

expires on December 31, 2017. 

Permit 14808 is for research to be 

conducted at two different sites within 

the upper Sacramento River, California. 

The main purpose of the research 

conducted by CDFG is to monitor the 

outmigration of juvenile salmonids on a 

real-time basis and provide daily 

summaries of timing, abundance and 

size distribution of salmonids in the 

Sacramento River at two different sites 

before they enter the Delta. Data can 

then be forwarded to various water 

agencies for better management 

decisions and to reduce frequency of 

ESA-listed fish entrainment. Permit 

14808 authorizes capture (by rotary 

screw trap), anesthetizing, handling 

(fork length measurements and wet 

weights), and release of smolt and 

juvenile SR winter-run and CV springrun Chinook salmon, adult and juvenile 

CCV steelhead and juvenile SDPS green 

sturgeon downstream of the trapping 

location. 

Permit 14808 authorizes non-lethal 

take and low levels (not to exceed two 

percent) of unintentional lethal take. 

Permit 14808 also authorizes 

intentional, directed lethal take of smolt 

and juvenile adipose fin-clipped, 

hatchery produced, SR winter-run 

Chinook salmon for coded wire tag 

retrieval and processing. 

Permit 15573 

A notice of the receipt of an 

application for a scientific research and 

enhancement permit renewal (15573) 

was published in the Federal Register 

on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78226). 

Permit 15573 was issued to GCID on 

October 5, 2012 and expires on 

December 31, 2017. 

Permit 15573 is for research to be 

conducted in an oxbow of the 

Sacramento River, immediately 

downstream of the Hamilton City 

Pumping Plant, Glenn County, 

California. The primary objectives to 

which ESA-listed salmonids and SDPS 

green sturgeon may be taken are to 

collect emigration data as a reference 

and research tool to provide short-term 

monitoring specifically related to 

restoration actions and long-term 

monitoring to detect annular and cyclic 

population changes. Take activities 

associated with research on smolt and 

juvenile ESA-listed salmonids and 

juvenile SDPS green sturgeon include 

the following: capture (by rotary screw 

trap), anesthetizing, and release of fish 

downstream of the trapping location. 

Permit 15573 authorizes non-lethal 

and low levels (not to exceed two 

percent) of unintentional lethal take of 

smolt and juvenile ESA-listed 

salmonids and juvenile SDPS green 

sturgeon. Permit 15573 does not 

authorize any intentional lethal take of 

ESA-listed salmonids and SDPS green 

sturgeon. 

Permit 16543 

A notice of the receipt of an 

application for a scientific research and 

enhancement permit (16543) was 

published in the Federal Register on 

July 18, 2012 (77 FR 42278). Permit 

16543 was issued to CDWR on October 

22, 2012 and expires on December 31, 

2014. 

Permit 16543 is for research to be 

conducted in the Sacramento-San 

Joaquin Delta, California. The primary 

objectives to which ESA-listed 

salmonids and SDPS green sturgeon 

may be taken are to provide information 

on spatial and environmental patterns of 

predation; critical information for 

guiding future restoration projects on 

conditions likely to support or 

discourage higher predation rates on 

ESA-listed and native fishes. Take 

activities associated with research on 

adult ESA-listed salmonids and both 

juvenile and adult SDPS green sturgeon 

include the following: capture (by 

trammel net), handling (species 

identification and enumeration), and 

release of fish downstream of the 

capture location. 

Permit 16543 authorizes CDWR nonlethal take of adult ESA-listed 

salmonids and both juvenile and adult 

SDPS green sturgeon. Permit 16543 does 

not authorize any unintentional or 

intentional lethal take of ESA-listed 

salmonids and SDPS green sturgeon. 

Permit 13791 

A notice of the receipt of an 

application for a scientific research and 

enhancement permit (13791) was 

published in the Federal Register on 

April 24, 2012 (77 FR 24469). Permit 

13791 was issued to USFWS on October 

23, 2012 and expires on December 31, 

2015. 

Permit 13791 is for research to be 

conducted in the Sacramento River 

basin and the Sacramento-San Joaquin 

Delta, California. The primary objectives 

to which ESA-listed salmonids and 

SDPS green sturgeon may be taken by 

the USFWS’ Delta Juvenile Fish 

Monitoring Program and the Breach III 

Project are to provide basic biological 

and population information on fishes of 

management concern. Additionally, 

data collected can be used by natural 

resource managers to evaluate the 

effectiveness of water operations, 

aquatic habitat restoration, and fish 

management practices within the San 

Francisco Estuary (SFE) and its 

watershed. Take activities associated 

with research on juvenile ESA-listed 

salmonids and SDPS green sturgeon 

include the following: capture (by fyke 

nets, multi-mesh gill nets, larval fish 

trawls, midwater trawls, Kodiak trawls, 

electrofishing and beach seines), 

handling (species and race 

identification and enumeration, forklength measurements, tissue/scale 

samples if applicable), and release of 

fish downstream of the capture location. 

Permit 13791 authorizes non-lethal 

take and low levels (not to exceed 12.5 

percent) of unintentional lethal take. 

Permit 13791 also authorizes 

intentional, directed lethal take of smolt 

and juvenile adipose fin-clipped, 

hatchery produced, SR winter-run and 

CV spring-run Chinook salmon for 

coded wire tag retrieval and processing. 

Permit 17077 

A notice of the receipt of an 

application for a scientific research and 

enhancement permit (17077) was 

published in the Federal Register on 

August 24, 2012 (77 FR 51520). Permit 

17077 was issued to Dr. Peter Moyle on 

November 26, 2012 and expires on 

December 31, 2015. 

Permit 17077 is for research to be 

conducted in three distinct regions 

across the SFE: the Cache-Lindsay 

Slough complex, the Sherman Lake 


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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 5 / Tuesday, January 8, 2013 / Notices 1205 

complex, and Suisun Marsh. The 

primary objectives to which ESA-listed 

salmonids and SDPS green sturgeon 

may be taken by Dr. Moyle are to 

determine the extent that native fishes 

use intertidal and subtidal shallow 

water and marsh (SWM) habitats in the 

northern arc of the SFE and to 

understand how fishes commonly 

inhabiting Suisun Marsh use the 

Sacramento River corridor to access 

SWM habitats that are not currently 

surveyed in Sherman Lake, Cache 

Slough and Lindsey Slough. Further, Dr. 

Moyle will model fish abundance and 

assembly using biophysical habitat data 

(including slough geomorphology, 

hydrology, and water quality) to guide 

restoration projects that will 

successfully support native fishes and 

discourage aliens. 

Permit 17077 authorizes non-lethal 

take and low levels (not to exceed 20 

percent, equivalent to one fish) of 

unintentional lethal take of adult and 

juvenile ESA-listed salmonids and both 

adult and juvenile SDPS green sturgeon. 

Permit 17077 does not authorize any 

intentional lethal take of ESA-listed 

salmonids or SDPS green sturgeon. 

Angela Somma, 

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office 

of Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–00139 Filed 1–7–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XC359 

Taking and Importing Marine 

Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals 

Incidental to Hydrographic Surveys 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for 

letter of authorization; request for 

comments and information. 

SUMMARY: NMFS’ Office of Protected 

Resources has received a request from 

the NOAA Office of Coast Survey (OCS) 

for authorization to take small numbers 

of marine mammals incidental to 

conducting hydrographic surveys, over 

the course of 5 years from the date of 

issuance. Pursuant to regulations 

implementing the Marine Mammal 

Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is 

announcing receipt of OCS’s request 

under the MMPA for the development 

and implementation of regulations 

governing the incidental taking of 

marine mammals. We invite 

information, suggestions, and comments 

on OCS’s application and request. 

DATES: Comments and information must 

be received no later than February 7, 

2013. 

ADDRESSES: Comments on the 

application should be addressed to P. 

Michael Payne, Chief, Permits and 

Conservation Division, Office of 

Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West 

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910– 

3225. The mailbox address for providing 

email comments is ITP.Laws@noaa.gov. 

We are not responsible for email 

comments sent to addresses other than 

the one provided here. Comments sent 

via email, including all attachments, 

must not exceed a 10-megabyte file size. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ben 

Laws, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, (301) 427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Availability 

An electronic copy of OCS’s 

application may be obtained by visiting 

the Internet at: http:// 

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/ 

incidental.htm#applications. 

The OCS released a draft 

Environmental Assessment, prepared 

pursuant to requirements of the 

National Environmental Policy Act, for 

the conduct of their hydrographic 

surveys on June 20, 2012. A copy of the 

draft EA which would also support our 

proposed rulemaking under the MMPA, 

is also available at http:// 

www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/Legal/. 

Background 

Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 

U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) directs the Secretary 

of Commerce (Secretary) to allow, upon 

request, the incidental, but not 

intentional, taking of small numbers of 

marine mammals by U.S. citizens who 

engage in a specified activity (other than 

commercial fishing) if certain findings 

are made and regulations are issued. 

Incidental taking shall be allowed if 

NMFS finds that the taking will have a 

negligible impact on the species or 

stock(s) affected and will not have an 

unmitigable adverse impact on the 

availability of the species or stock(s) for 

taking for subsistence uses, and if the 

permissible methods of taking and 

requirements pertaining to the 

mitigation, monitoring and reporting of 

such taking are set forth. 

NMFS has defined ‘‘negligible 

impact’’ in 50 CFR 216.103 as ‘‘an 

impact resulting from the specified 

activity that cannot be reasonably 

expected to, and is not reasonably likely 

to, adversely affect the species or stock 

through effects on annual rates of 

recruitment or survival.’’ Except with 

respect to certain activities not pertinent 

here, the MMPA defines ‘‘harassment’’ 

as: ‘‘any act of pursuit, torment, or 

annoyance which (i) has the potential to 

injure a marine mammal or marine 

mammal stock in the wild [Level A 

harassment]; or (ii) has the potential to 

disturb a marine mammal or marine 

mammal stock in the wild by causing 

disruption of behavioral patterns, 

including, but not limited to, migration, 

breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or 

sheltering [Level B harassment].’’ 

Summary of Request 

On December 27, 2012, we received a 

complete and adequate application from 

OCS requesting authorization for take of 

marine mammals incidental to 

hydrographic surveys conducted by 

OCS. The requested governing 

regulations would be valid for 5 years 

from the date of issuance. OCS operates 

active acoustic devices that have the 

potential to disturb marine mammals, 

and operates throughout coastal waters 

of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. 

During 2013–18, OCS plans to conduct 

surveys in all coastal waters of the U.S. 

except for those in the Caribbean and in 

Hawaii and other Pacific islands. 

Because the specified activities have the 

potential to take marine mammals 

present within the action areas, OCS 

requests authorization to take small 

numbers of multiple species or stocks of 

marine mammal. 

Specified Activities 

Hydrographic survey projects support 

OCS’s mandated mission to provide 

reliable nautical charts and other 

products necessary for safe navigation, 

economic security, and environmental 

sustainability in U.S. coastal waters. 

OCS surveys approximately 3,000 

square nautical miles of coastal waters 

each year, and proposes to continue the 

same level of activity. In order to 

conduct these surveys, OCS uses active 

acoustic devices, including some that 

may result in behavioral harassment of 

marine mammals. These include highfrequency single-beam and multibeam 

echosounders and side-scan sonars 

mounted on or towed behind vessels 

traveling at a slow speed. 

A more detailed description of the 

hydrographic surveys conducted by 

OCS may be found in their application, 

which is available at: http:// 

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/ 

incidental.htm. 


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