14438 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 27, 2024 / Notices 

the lockers, locker banks and storage systems 

that are separately imported in bulk and are 

not incorporated into a locker, locker system 

or knocked down kit at the time of 

importation. Such excluded hardware and 

accessories include but are not limited to 

locks and bulk imported rivets, nuts, bolts, 

hinges, door handles, door/frame latching 

components, and coat hooks. Accessories of 

sheet metal, including but not limited to end 

panels, bases, dividers and sloping tops, are 

not excluded accessories. 

Mobile tool chest attachments that meet 

the physical description above are covered by 

the scope of the Orders, unless such 

attachments are covered by the scope of the 

Orders on certain tool chests and cabinets 

from China. If the Orders on certain tool 

chests and cabinets from China are revoked, 

the mobile tool chest attachments from China 

will be covered by the scope of the Orders. 

The scope also excludes metal safes with 

each of the following characteristics: (1) Pry 

resistant, concealed hinges; (2) body walls 

and doors of steel that are at least 17 gauge 

(0.05625 inch or 1.42874 mm thick); and (3) 

an integrated locking mechanism that 

includes at least two round steel bolts 0.75 

inch (19 mm) or larger in diameter; or three 

bolts 0.70 inch (17.78 mm) or more in 

diameter; or four or more bolts at least 0.60 

inch (15.24 mm) or more in diameter, that 

project from the door into the body or frame 

of the safe when in the locked position. 

The scope also excludes metal safes with 

each of the following characteristics: 

(1) Pry resistant hinges, whether concealed 

or external. External hinges must be 

accompanied by solid steel inactive bolts 

(minimum 0.75 inch (19 mm) diameter) or 

plates (minimum 0.177 inch (4.5 mm) 

thickness), welded or bolted to the door and 

protrude into the safe and into or behind the 

door frame by at least 0.39 inches (10 mm) 

to prevent the physical removal or opening 

of the door; 

(2) body walls and doors made of steel that 

is at least 17 gauge (0.05625 inch or 1.42874 

mm thick); 

(3) an integrated locking mechanism that 

includes one of the following: (a) at least two 

round steel active bolts 0.75 inch (19 mm) or 

larger in diameter; (b) three or more steel 

active bolts 0.70 inch (17.78 mm) or more in 

diameter; (c) four or more steel active bolts 

at least 0.60 inch (15.24 mm) or more in 

diameter; or (d) four or more flat steel locking 

plates (at least two active and two inactive) 

of a minimum of 0.177 inch (4.5 mm) in 

thickness and minimum height of 1.57 inches 

(40 mm), that extend out from the door by 

at least 0.78 inches (20 mm). The bolts or 

plates must project from the door, into the 

safe, and into or behind the door frame by 

at least 0.39 inches (10 mm) to prevent the 

physical removal or opening of the door; and 

(4) made of a welded body construction 

and enter the United States fully assembled. 

The scope also excludes gun safes meeting 

each of the following requirements: 

(1) Shall be able to fully contain firearms 

and provide for their secure storage. 

(2) Shall have a locking system consisting 

of at minimum a mechanical or electronic 

combination lock. The mechanical or 

electronic combination lock utilized by the 

safe shall have at least 10,000 possible 

combinations consisting of a minimum three 

numbers, letters, or symbols. The lock shall 

be protected by a casehardened (Rc 60+) 

drill-resistant steel plate, or drill-resistant 

material of equivalent strength. 

(3) Boltwork shall consist of a minimum of 

three steel locking bolts of at least 1/2-inch 

thickness that intrude from the door of the 

safe into the body of the safe or from the 

body of the safe into the door of the safe, 

which are operated by a separate handle and 

secured by the lock. 

(4) The exterior walls shall be constructed 

of a minimum 12-gauge thick steel for a 

single-walled safe, or the sum of the steel 

walls shall add up to at least 0.100 inches for 

safes with walls made from two pieces of flatrolled steel. 

(5) Doors shall be constructed of a 

minimum one layer of 7-gauge steel plate 

reinforced construction or at least two layers 

of a minimum 12-gauge steel compound 

construction. 

(6) Door hinges shall be protected to 

prevent the removal of the door. Protective 

features include, but are not limited to: 

Hinges not exposed to the outside, 

interlocking door designs, dead bars, 

jeweler’s lugs and active or inactive locking 

bolts. 

The scope also excludes gun safes meeting 

each of the following requirements: 

(1) Shall be able to fully contain firearms 

and provide for their secure storage. 

(2) Shall have a locking system consisting 

of at minimum a mechanical or electronic 

combination lock with a lock body that is 

integrated into the door of the safe. The 

mechanical or electronic combination lock 

utilized by the safe shall have at least 10,000 

possible combinations consisting of a 

minimum three numbers, letters, or symbols. 

(3) Bolt work shall consist of a minimum 

of three steel locking bolts of at least 1/2-inch 

diameter that intrude from the door of the 

safe into the body of the safe or from the 

body of the safe into the door of the safe, 

which are operated by a separate handle and 

secured by the lock. 

(4) The exterior walls (inclusive of the floor 

and top) shall be constructed of a minimum 

14-gauge thick steel and shall be lined with 

one or more layers of fire-retardant gypsum 

board bonded, affixed with brackets or 

otherwise securely attached to the exterior 

walls. The fire retardant gypsum board shall 

be at least 15 mm in thickness for a single 

layer or shall sum to at least 19 mm in 

thickness where multiple layers are 

combined together. 

(5) Doors shall be constructed of a 

minimum of one layer of 14-gauge steel lined 

with a minimum of one layer of 15 mm thick, 

fire-retardant gypsum board bonded, affixed 

with brackets or otherwise securely attached 

to the door. The doors shall fit into jambs 

equipped with a fire seal fitted completely 

around the door frame consisting of a 

hydrated sodium silicate encapsulated in a 

plastic film or sleeve that, when heatactivated by temperatures of over 210 

degrees, expands to cover the space between 

the jambs and door, providing a barrier to 

prevent the intrusion of flames, gas, or smoke 

into the safe. 

(6) Door hinges shall be protected to 

prevent the removal of the door. Protective 

features include but are not limited to: hinges 

not exposed to the outside, interlocking door 

designs, dead bars, jeweler’s lugs and active 

or inactive locking bolts. 

(7) The excluded safe must be imported in 

the fully assembled condition. 

The scope also excludes metal storage 

devices that (1) have two or more exterior 

exposed drawers regardless of the height of 

the unit, or (2) are no more than 30 inches 

tall and have at least one exterior exposed 

drawer. 

Also excluded from the scope are free 

standing metal cabinets less than 30 inches 

tall with a single opening, single door and an 

installed tabletop. 

The scope also excludes metal storage 

devices less than 27 inches wide and deep 

that: (1) Have two doors hinged on the right 

and left side of the door frame respectively 

covering a single opening and that open from 

the middle toward the outer frame; or (2) are 

free standing or wall-mounted, singleopening units 20 inches or less high with a 

single door. 

The subject certain metal lockers are 

classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule 

of the United States (HTSUS) subheading 

9403.20.0078. Parts of subject certain metal 

lockers are classified under HTS subheading 

9403.90.8041. In addition, subject certain 

metal lockers may also enter under HTS 

subheading 9403.20.0050. While HTSUS 

subheadings are provided for convenience 

and Customs purposes, the written 

description of the scope of the Orders is 

dispositive. 

[FR Doc. 2024–03945 Filed 2–26–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD746] 

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 11 permit renewals and 6 new 

permits. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

NMFS has received 17 scientific 

research permit application requests 

relating to Pacific salmon, steelhead, 

green sturgeon, rockfish, and eulachon. 

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. 

The applications may be viewed online 

at: https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/ 

preview_open_for_comment.cfm. 


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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 

March 28, 2024. 

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 nmfs.wcr-apps@

noaa.gov (include the permit number in 

the subject line of the letter, fax, or 

email). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rob 

Clapp, Portland, OR (phone: (541) 231– 

2314, email: Robert.Clapp@noaa.gov). 

Permit application instructions are 

available from the address above, or 

online at https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Species Covered in This Notice 

The following 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 (spr/sum); 

threatened SnkR fall-run; endangered 

Upper Columbia River (UCR) springrun; threatened Upper Willamette River 

(UWR), threatened Central Valley 

spring-run (CVS); endangered 

Sacramento River (SacR) winter-run; 

threatened California Coastal (CC). 

Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened PS; 

Threatened LCR; threatened Middle 

Columbia River (MCR); threatened 

SnkR; threatened UCR; threatened 

UWR; threatened Northern California 

(NC); threatened California Central 

Valley (CCV). 

Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened 

Hood Canal Summer-run (HCS); 

threatened Columbia River (CR). 

Coho salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened 

LCR; threatened Oregon Coast (OC); 

threatened Southern Oregon/Northern 

California Coast (SONCC). 

Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): 

Endangered SnkR. 

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); 

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 1127–7R 

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are 

seeking to renew a permit that for nearly 

three decades has allowed them to 

annually take listed SR steelhead and 

spr/sum Chinook salmon while 

conducting research designed to (1) 

monitor adult and juvenile fish in key 

upper SnkR subbasin watersheds; (2) 

assess the utility of hatchery Chinook 

salmon in increasing natural 

populations in the Salmon River; and 

(3) evaluate the genetic and ecological 

impacts hatchery Chinook salmon may 

have on natural populations. The fish 

would primarily benefit from the 

research in two ways. First, the research 

would broadly be used to help guide 

restoration and recovery efforts 

throughout the SnkR basin. Second, the 

research would be used to determine 

how hatchery supplementation can be 

used as a tool for salmon recovery. The 

research would also help the Tribes reestablish traditional fishing 

opportunities and connect with and 

protect cultural, ecological, and social 

values and rights. 

The researchers would use screw 

traps, weirs, electrofishing, and hookand-line angling gear to capture the 

listed fish. Once captured, the fish 

would undergo various sampling, 

tagging, and handling regimes; they 

would then be allowed to recover and 

released. Some tissue samples would be 

taken from adult fish carcasses, and the 

researchers would conduct some 

snorkeling surveys and redd counts. In 

all cases, trained crews would conduct 

the operations, no adult salmonids 

would be electrofished, and all activities 

would take place in the Salmon River 

subbasin. The researchers are not 

proposing to kill any of the fish they 

capture, but some may die as an 

unintended result of the research. 

Permit 1410–14R 

The Northwest Fisheries Science 

Center (NWFSC) is seeking to renew a 

research permit that currently allows 

them to take juvenile and adult CC, 

CVS, LCR, PS, SacR, SnkR fall-run, 

SnkR spr/sum, UCR, and UWR Chinook 

salmon; CR chum salmon; LCR, OC, and 

SONCC coho salmon; SnkR sockeye 

salmon; and LCR, MCR, SnkR, UCR, and 

UWR steelhead while conducting a 

study of the Columbia River plume and 

the surrounding ocean environment off 

the coasts of Oregon and Washington. 

The NWFSC research may also cause 

them to take SDPS eulachon, a species 

for which there are currently no ESA 

take prohibitions. This renewal would 

also allow the researchers to lethally 

sample a subset of adult salmon to allow 

for tissue and otolith collection. The 

purposes of the research are to (1) 

determine the abundance, distribution, 

growth, and condition of juvenile 

Columbia River salmonids in the river’s 

plume and characterize its physical and 

biological features as they relate to 

salmonid survival; (2) determine the 

impact that predators and food supply 

have on survival among juvenile 

Columbia River Chinook and coho 

salmon as they migrate through the 

Columbia River estuary and plume; and 

(3) synthesize the early ocean ecology of 

juvenile Columbia River salmonids, test 

mechanisms that control salmonid 

growth and survival, and produce 

ecological indices that forecast salmonid 

survival. 

The research would benefit the 

affected species by (1) providing data to 

improve understanding of how the 

ocean and Columbia River plume 

conditions affect juvenile salmonids; (2) 

helping predict how changing ocean 

conditions would affect salmonid 

growth and survival; and (3) helping 

improve salmon management actions in 

relation to river, plume, and ocean 

conditions. Information on adults would 

also help researchers better understand 

the relationship between older salmon 

individuals and predators such as 

Southern Resident Killer Whales 

(SRKWs). The NWFSC proposes to 

capture fish using a surface trawl, which 

can cause lethally crush and descale 

juvenile salmonids and eulachon. 

Juvenile salmonids would be identified 

to species, measured for length, and 

frozen for further analysis (i.e., weight, 

growth, genetics, diet (stomach 

contents), parasites, pathogens, and 

physiological condition). All juvenile 

salmon are lethally sampled, and a 


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subset of adult salmon will be lethally 

sampled for tissue analyses including 

otoliths and stomach contents. The 

remaining adult salmonids that are not 

lethally sampled would be held in an 

aerated livewell, identified to species, 

measured for length, checked for tags 

and marks, and released. Eulachon 

would either be returned to the capture 

location or retained for further scientific 

research activities at the NWFSC. 

Permit 1484–8R 

The Washington Department of 

Natural Resources (WDNR) is seeking to 

renew for 5 years a permit that currently 

authorizes them to take juvenile CR 

chum salmon, LCR Chinook salmon, 

LCR coho salmon, and LCR and MCR 

steelhead in WDNR-managed forests in 

Washington State. The purpose of the 

study is to survey stream reaches above 

natural barriers to determine if fish are 

present. This information is needed to 

determine appropriate widths of 

riparian buffers to leave intact during 

timber harvest. This study would 

benefit listed species by documenting 

the need for increased riparian buffers, 

which better protect aquatic and 

riparian habitat where fish are present. 

In addition, data on the distribution of 

fish gained from this study would be 

used to inform land management 

decisions and thereby better protect 

listed species. 

The WDNR proposes to capture 

juvenile fish using single-pass backpack 

electrofishing. The researchers would 

turn off the electricity as soon as a fish 

is seen. Fish would be identified 

regardless of whether they are netted; if 

fish are netted they would be held in the 

water only long enough to identify them 

and then released at the site of capture. 

The WDNR does not intend to kill any 

of the fish being captured, but a small 

number may die as an unintended 

consequence of the proposed activities. 

Permit 14046–5R 

The King County Department of 

Natural Resources and Parks (KCDNRP) 

is seeking to renew for 5 years a 

research permit that currently allows 

them to take juvenile PS Chinook 

salmon and PS steelhead. Sampling 

sites would be in four Puget Sound 

(Washington) sub-basins—Snoqualmie, 

Lake Washington, Duwamish, and 

Puyallup—and intertidal nearshore 

areas in the Puget Sound (King County, 

Washington). The purposes of the study 

are to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of 

restoration actions through biological 

monitoring; (2) understand how juvenile 

salmonids use specific riverine habitats 

in order to prioritize restoration projects 

and guide project design; (3) assess 

salmonid habitat status and trends in 

small streams with varying degrees of 

land use while monitoring current 

stream conditions; and (4) assess 

contaminant levels in various 

freshwater fish. The research would 

benefit the affected species by 

determining how restoration and 

recovery actions are contributing to 

listed species recovery, providing 

information on the extent of juvenile 

salmonid rearing in off-channel areas, 

guiding future restoration projects based 

upon monitoring results, providing 

information on habitat use by yearling 

fall-run Chinook salmon, and 

contributing to our knowledge of 

Chinook salmon life histories. 

The KCDNRP proposes to capture fish 

using beach seines, fyke nets, gill nets, 

hook and line angling, minnow traps, 

and backpack and boat-operated 

electrofishing. Most of the captured fish 

would be anaesthetized, identified to 

species, allowed to recover, and 

released. A subset of the Chinook 

salmon would also be tagged (acoustic, 

passive integrated transponder (PIT), 

and elastomer), dyed (Bismark Brown), 

gastric lavaged, and have scales 

collected. The researchers do not intend 

to kill any listed fish, but some may die 

as an inadvertent result of the research. 

Permit 15207–5R 

The Amnis Opes Institute (AOI) is 

seeking to renew for 5 years a research 

permit that currently allows them to 

take juvenile and adult LCR, PS, SnkR 

fall-run, SnkR spr/sum, UCR, and UWR 

Chinook salmon; CR and HCS chum 

salmon; LCR, OC, and SONCC coho 

salmon; SnkR sockeye salmon; and LCR, 

MCR, PS, SnkR, UCR, and UWR 

steelhead throughout Idaho, Oregon, 

and Washington States. The purpose of 

the study is to develop baseline data of 

the physical and chemical habitat for 

rivers and streams throughout the 

United States. Research transects would 

be randomly determined and would 

take place on alternating sides of the 

sampled rivers and streams for a 

distance of 40 times the mean wetted 

channel width. The researchers would 

stop every five channel widths to 

process the fish. This research would 

benefit the affected species by 

characterizing the biological condition 

of rivers and thereby provide data that 

supports Clean Water Act 

implementation. 

The AOI researchers propose to 

capture fish using raft-mounted and 

backpack electrofishing equipment; 

stunned fish would be placed in a 

livewell with a soft mesh dip-net. Fish 

would be identified to species, 

measured to length, searched for 

abnormalities, and returned to the water 

when recovered. ESA-listed species 

would be processed and released first. If 

adult salmonids are observed, 

electrofishing activities would 

immediately cease and the researchers 

would move to another location before 

resuming electrofishing activities. The 

researchers do not intend to kill any 

listed fish, but some may die as an 

inadvertent result of the research. 

16344–3R 

The Oregon State University is 

seeking to renew for 5 years a research 

permit that currently allows them to 

take juvenile listed hatchery SONCC 

coho in the Upper Klamath River. The 

purposes of this research are to (1) 

determine the effects of infection by the 

myxozoan parasite Ceratonova shasta 

on coho salmon; and (2) estimate 

disease effects for each study year on 

the wild coho population. The work 

would benefit fish by providing 

information on endemic C. shasta levels 

in the Klamath River and thereby help 

managers monitor and mitigate the 

parasite’s effects on listed species. 

Juvenile coho salmon from Iron Gate, 

Fall Creek and/or Trinity River 

hatcheries would be transported to 

selected locations on the Klamath River 

and monitored for disease after the 

exposure to C. shasta. Following 

exposure, all fish would be transported 

to the Oregon State University J. L. Fryer 

Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory 

where time to morbidity, overall 

morbidity and infection prevalence 

would be ascertained through 

microscopic and molecular analysis of 

intestinal tissues. Because all of the fish 

will be exposed to the parasite C. 

shasta, they cannot be released after the 

experiments. In addition, infection 

prevalence data are needed which 

requires euthanizing all fish surviving 

the exposures, since surviving fish may 

still be infected with the parasite. 

Permit 18260–3R 

The Confederated Tribes of the Warm 

Springs Reservation (CTWS) is seeking 

to renew for 5 years a permit that 

currently authorizes them to take 

juvenile and adult LCR Chinook salmon, 

LCR coho salmon, and LCR and MCR 

steelhead. The purpose of the study is 

to describe abundance, habitat 

associations, spawning, distribution, 

migration patterns, harvest rates, and 

limiting factors for Pacific lamprey in 

Fifteen Mile Creek and Hood River and 

their tributaries (Oregon). The research 

would provide important basic 

ecological information about Pacific 

lamprey, which is not ESA-listed, but 

which is an important indicator species 


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for characterizing watershed health. 

Although researchers are targeting 

juvenile and adult Pacific lamprey 

(Entosphenus tridentatus) for capture, 

other species may be taken during 

sampling activities. The research would 

benefit listed species by improving 

understanding of watershed condition 

and helping managers prioritize habitat 

restoration projects in the Fifteen Mile 

Creek and Hood River basins. The work 

would also help the CTWS people reconnect with, increase, and manage a 

traditional food source. 

The CTWS proposes to collect fish 

from March through October using 

backpack electrofishing and hand, dip, 

fyke, and hoop nets. During 

electrofishing surveys, the researchers 

would use ‘‘lamprey settings’’ (i.e., very 

low voltage). The researchers would set 

hoop (0.8 meter (m) diameter with 1.9 

centimeter (cm) mesh) and fyke (2.5 m 

high by 2.75 m wide with 1.9 cm mesh 

size) nets facing downstream in low 

velocity areas. They will modify the 

fyke net to deter adult steelhead from 

entering the hoop net by tying twine 

across the first throat of the net to create 

an effective mesh size across the 

opening of 7.5 cm. This modification 

has effectively deterred steelhead from 

entering fyke nets set in previous 

fieldwork. The researchers propose to 

measure and PIT- or radio-tag adult 

lamprey before releasing them. The 

researchers would immediately release 

any salmonids that are captured or 

briefly hold them in buckets of water 

before releasing them if they require 

time to recover from being captured. If 

salmonids are observed during 

electrofishing, the researchers would 

immediately turn off the electricity and 

allow fish to swim away. The CTWS 

does not propose to kill any listed 

salmonids, but a small number may die 

as an unintended result of the research 

activities. 

Permit 18331–3R 

The Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) is 

seeking to renew for 5 years a research 

permit that currently allows them to 

take juvenile PS Chinook salmon and PS 

steelhead in selected stream channels 

and floodplain areas throughout the 

Kitsap and Snoqualmie sub-basins of 

Washington State. The purpose of the 

study is to classify existing channels by 

water type and thereby validate and 

update county, city, and WDNR stream 

classifications and hydrological maps. 

This research would benefit the affected 

species by filling data gaps regarding 

fish passage impediments (tidegates, 

culverts, etc.) and providing fish species 

composition and distribution— 

information needed to identify, 

prioritize, and implement restoration 

projects. 

The WFC proposes to capture fish 

using backpack electrofishing. Fish 

would be identified to species, tissue 

sampled (caudal fin clip—steelhead 

only), and released. Once fish presence 

is established, either through visual 

observation or electrofishing, 

electrofishing would be discontinued. 

Surveyors would then proceed upstream 

until a change in habitat parameters is 

encountered and electrofishing would 

recommence. The researchers do not 

intend to kill any listed fish, but some 

may die as an inadvertent result of the 

research. 

Permit 22003–2R 

The KCDNRP is seeking to renew a 5- 

year research permit that currently 

allows them to annually take juvenile 

and adult PS Chinook salmon, PS 

steelhead, and PS/GB bocaccio and 

adult SDPS green sturgeon in the marine 

waters and shorelines of King County 

(Washington State). The KCDNRP 

research may also cause them to take 

juvenile and adult SDPS eulachon and 

PS/GB yelloweye rockfish—species for 

which there are currently no ESA take 

prohibitions. The purpose of the study 

is to capture English sole, brown 

rockfish (Sebastes auriculatus), copper 

rockfish (Sebastes caurinus), quillback 

rockfish (Sebastes maliger), and various 

forage fish to monitor tissue levels of 

toxic chemical contaminants. This 

research would benefit the affected 

species by (1) providing information on 

the types and concentrations of 

chemicals in fish; (2) helping managers 

understand the impact chemical 

exposures have on marine fish health; 

(3) filling data gaps to help managers 

make informed management decisions; 

and (4) informing a long-term program 

to evaluate changes in chemical body 

burdens in fish over time as 

environmental improvements are made 

(stormwater discharges reduced, 

contaminated sediments remediated, 

etc.). 

The KCDNRP proposes to capture fish 

using bottom trawls, beach seines, cast 

nets, and hook and line (sabiki rigs). 

Captured ESA-listed fish would be 

identified to species and released. 

Listed rockfish would be released via 

rapid submergence to their capture 

depth to reduce adverse effects from 

barotrauma. Targeted species (and 

incidental mortalities) would be 

sacrificed, stored on ice, and analyzed 

for contaminants. The researchers do 

not intend to kill any listed fish, but 

some may die as an inadvertent result 

of the research. 

Permit 22319–3R 

Herrera Environmental Consultants 

(HEC) is seeking to renew a 5-year 

research permit that currently allows 

them to annually take juvenile PS 

Chinook salmon and PS steelhead while 

conducting a study in streams near 

Redmond, Washington. The purpose of 

the research is to conduct a paired 

watershed study monitoring stream 

health by collecting benthic 

macroinvertebrates in urban and nearby 

relatively pristine streams. Due to the 

collection methods, there is a possibility 

of capturing juvenile salmonids. The 

research would benefit listed fish by 

determining the effectiveness of 

stormwater management in urban 

streams which can lead directly to water 

quality and habitat improvement. 

The HEC proposes to use a D-frame 

kick net to capture the fish. Any fish 

captured would be identified to species 

and released. The researchers do not 

intend to kill any of the fish being 

captured, but a small number may die 

as an unintended consequence of the 

proposed activities. 

Permit 22865–2R 

The United States Forest Service 

(USFS) is seeking to renew a permit that 

currently allows them to annually take 

juvenile UCR Chinook salmon, UCR 

steelhead, and MCR steelhead during 

research activities taking place at 

various points in the Yakima, Methow, 

Entiat, and Wenatchee River drainages 

in Washington State. The purpose of the 

research is to determine fish 

distribution in those subbasins. The 

research would benefit the fish by 

giving land managers information they 

need to design forest management 

activities (e.g., timber sales, grazing 

plans, road building) in a manner that 

would help them have the smallest 

possible effect on listed species. 

Under the renewed permit, the USFS 

would use using minnow traps, hookand-line angling, and electrofishing 

equipment to capture the fish. The fish 

would then be identified and 

immediately released whenever 

possible. The USFS does not intend to 

kill any of the listed fish being captured, 

but a small number may die as an 

unintended result of the research 

activities. 

Permit 26300 

The Fishery Foundation of California 

is seeking a new permit that would 

authorize them to take juvenile CVS 

Chinook salmon, CCV steelhead, and 

juvenile SDPS green sturgeon. The 

purpose of this study is to document the 

presence of native fish species in 


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14442 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 27, 2024 / Notices 

Snodgrass Slough, the Cosumnes River 

and Laguna Creek in Sacramento 

County, CA prior to a large floodplain 

restoration project. The study would 

benefit affected species by providing 

data on species presence, seasonal water 

conditions and migratory windows that 

will inform the restoration project. 

Juveniles would be collected via 

beach seine and fyke net. Juvenile fish 

would be captured, handled, and 

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 27337 

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe 

(LEKT) is seeking a 5-year permit that 

would allow them to take juvenile HCS 

chum and PS Chinook and PS steelhead 

during the course of research designed 

to determine fish and shellfish presence 

and use in a 28-acre estuarine lagoon at 

the base of Ediz Hook in Port Angeles, 

WA. The study would benefit affected 

species by providing data on species 

presence, and that information, along 

with detailed habitat and water quality 

data, would be used to inform future 

restoration actions in the area. Those 

restoration actions, in turn, would help 

the LEKT people once again conduct 

traditional fishing and shellfishing 

activities in the lagoon. 

The fish would be captured primarily 

by beach seining, but some may be 

captured in fukui and minnow traps. 

Once captured, the fish would simply 

be handled and 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 the proposed 

activities. 

Permit 27619 

The Scott River Water Trust is seeking 

a new permit that would authorize them 

to take juvenile and adult SONCC coho 

salmon in the Scott River, CA. The 

purpose of this study is to assess fish 

passage at Youngs Dam to determine 

how and when juvenile and adult 

salmon utilize the fish ladder at Youngs 

Dam. The project seeks to determine an 

ideal flow target through the fish ladder 

in an effort to improve fish passage at 

the dam as well as the fish ladder. The 

study would benefit SONCC coho by 

providing data to identify and inform 

recommendations to improve volitional 

fish passage through Youngs Dam. 

Juveniles would be collected via 

beach seines and observed during 

snorkel surveys. Juvenile coho would be 

captured, handled, and released. A 

subsample of captured juveniles would 

be anesthetized, tissue sampled and 

PIT-tagged prior to release. Adult coho 

would be observed at weirs, fish 

ladders, dam and during snorkel 

surveys. 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 27869 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(USFWS) is seeking a 5-year permit that 

would allow them to take juvenile HCS 

chum and PS Chinook and PS steelhead 

during the course of research designed 

to determine what effect the hatchery 

barriers have on the distribution of 

migratory sculpin (with considerations 

for how these barriers may also be 

affecting the distributions of strictly 

fluvial sculpin species). The research 

would benefit listed species by 

producing data on how hatchery weirs 

affect salmonid migrations in the areas 

being studied. That data could then be 

used to modify weir operations for the 

benefit of the migrating fish. 

The fish would be largely be collected 

by electrofishing, but seining or 

dipnetting may also be employed. All 

listed fish would be immediately 

released without further handling. 

Sampling would cease and the activity 

would be moved if adult Chinook, 

chum, or steelhead (or their redds) are 

encountered at any time during a 

survey. 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 27874 

The California Department of Fish 

and Wildlife (CDFW) is seeking a new 

permit that would authorize them to 

take juvenile and adult SDPS green 

sturgeon in the Sacramento and San 

Joaquin Rivers, CA. The purpose of this 

study is to develop an indices of white 

sturgeon abundance for use in species 

management. Though non-listed white 

sturgeon are the target species, green 

sturgeon might be encountered. 

Juvenile and adult SDPS green 

sturgeon would be collected via long 

line and hook and line sampling and 

observed via camera and sonar. Juvenile 

and adult fish would be captured, 

handled, tagged, and 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 28047 

The USFWS is seeking a 5-year permit 

that would allow them to take juvenile 

LCR, UWR, PS, and CC Chinook; CR and 

HCS chum; LCR, PS, UWR, and NC 

steelhead; and LCR, OC, and SONCC 

coho. The fish would be taken during 

efforts to determine the uppermost 

ranges of several species of fish in more 

than 20 subbasins in Western Oregon 

and Washington and Northern 

California. The research would produce 

a large amount of presence/absence data 

on listed fish and thus help managers 

plan and carry out land management 

actions across a broad portion of three 

states. 

The researchers would use backpack 

electrofishing units to capture the fish. 

Once captured, all listed salmonids 

would simply be identified and 

immediately released. In all cases, the 

researchers would be operating near 

what is already considered to be the 

upper limit of trout distribution, so they 

are unlikely to encounter many listed 

fish in any case. Regardless, 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. 

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: February 21, 2024. 

Angela Somma, 

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office 

of Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–03986 Filed 2–26–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD740] 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; Taking Marine 

Mammals Incidental to the Empire 

Wind Project, Offshore of New York 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of Letter of 

Authorization. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act 


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