8788 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 32 / Wednesday, February 16, 2022 / Notices 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Species Covered in This Notice 

The following ESA-listed species are 

covered in this notice: 

• Steelhead (O. mykiss); Threatened 

CCC Distinct Population Segment (DPS) 

Authority 

Scientific Research and Enhancement 

Permits are issued in accordance with 

Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA (16 

U.S.C. 1539(a)(1)(A)) and regulations 

governing listed fish and wildlife 

permits (50 CFR part 222, subpart C). 

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; (3) are consistent with the 

purposes and policies of Section 2 of the 

ESA; and (4) would further a bona fide 

and necessary or desirable scientific 

purpose or enhance the propagation or 

survival of the endangered species, 

taking into account the benefits 

anticipated to be derived on behalf of 

the endangered species; and additional 

issuance criteria (as listed at 50 CFR 

§ 222.308(c)(5–12)). 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. 

Permit Application Received 

A draft RRMP has been developed 

and a Section 10(a)(1)(A) Scientific 

Research and Enhancement Permit 

application has been submitted to 

NMFS by the UACG. Fish rearing will 

occur at the UACG Hatchery and will be 

run by Casa Grande High School located 

in Petaluma, California in cooperation 

with UACG, the California Department 

of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and 

NMFS. A Technical Advisory 

Committee, consisting of representatives 

of the operating organizations, will 

provide scientific oversight for the 

program. The RRMP anticipates a 

permit term of 5 years. 

The permit will authorize incidental 

take of CCC steelhead that may occur as 

a result of implementing the rescue, 

rearing, and research activities as 

detailed in the RRMP. Incidental take 

and associated effects to other ESAlisted steelhead and/or coho salmon that 

may occur as part of the emergency 

incubation and rearing component of 

the RRMP will be covered under 

existing 10(a)(1)(A) permits specific to 

individual hatchery management plans 

and will not be included in this permit. 

NMFS anticipates a low level of 

incidental take of CCC steelhead will 

occur over the term (as detailed in 

Appendix A of the RRMP). The risk of 

such incidental take will be further 

avoided or minimized through 

implementation of rescue and rearing 

performance standards outlined in 

Table 1 of the RRMP. Steelhead eggs 

and carcasses will provide food for 

multiple species inhabiting the 

Petaluma River system. If rescued fish 

survive at higher rates than non-rescued 

fish, the resulting adult production will 

increase steelhead abundance in the 

watershed and increase the food supply 

for other species dependent on this 

resource. There will be no ecological 

interactions as part of emergency 

incubation and rearing as fish will only 

be reared in the hatchery and then be 

transported back to source hatcheries 

where they will be released to 

previously identified waters. The 

benefits to ESA-listed steelhead and 

coho salmon as a result of implementing 

the RRMP are expected to contribute to 

species recovery and outweigh any 

adverse effects. 

Upon approval of the RRMP, NMFS 

will issue a Section 10(a)(1)(A) 

Scientific Research and Enhancement 

Permit to the Applicant. This permit 

will authorize the Applicant to take CCC 

steelhead incidental to the 

implementation of the RRMP. In 

addition to meeting other criteria, 

actions to be performed under the 

permit must not jeopardize the 

existence of federally listed species. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

Issuing an ESA section 10(a)(1)(A) 

permit constitutes a Federal action 

requiring NMFS to comply with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and 

NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 

216–6A,). NMFS will evaluate the 

application with respect to 

environmental consequences on the 

human environment and determine the 

level of NEPA analysis needed for this 

action. 

Public Comments Solicited 

NMFS invites the public to comment, 

including any written data, views, or 

arguments, on the permit application 

during a 30-day public comment period 

beginning on the date of this notice. 

This notice is provided pursuant to 

Section 10(c) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 

1539(c)), 50 CFR 222.303. All comments 

and materials received, including names 

and addresses, will become part of the 

administrative record and may be 

released to the public. We provide this 

notice in order to allow the public, 

agencies, or other organizations to 

review and comment on these 

documents. 

Next Steps 

NMFS will evaluate the application, 

associated documents, and comments 

submitted to determine whether the 

application meets the requirements of 

Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA and 

Federal regulations. The final permit 

decisions will not be made until after 

the end of the 30-day public comment 

period and after NMFS has fully 

considered all relevant comments 

received. NMFS will also meet other 

legal requirements prior to taking final 

action, including preparation of a 

biological opinion. NMFS will publish 

notice of its final action in the Federal 

Register. 

Dated: February 10, 2022. 

Angela Somma, 

Chief, Endangered Species Conservation 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–03293 Filed 2–15–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XB812] 

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 applications; 

for 37 permit renewals, three permit 

modifications, and 12 new permits. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

NMFS has received 52 scientific 

research permit application requests 

relating to Pacific salmon, steelhead, 

green sturgeon, rockfish, and eulachon. 

The proposed research is 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. 

DATES: Comments or requests for a 

public hearing on the applications must 

be received at the appropriate address 

(see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. 

Pacific standard time on March 18, 

2022. 


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ADDRESSES: Because all West Coast 

NMFS offices are currently closed, all 

written comments on the applications 

should be sent by email to nmfs.wcrapps@noaa.gov (please include the 

permit number in the subject line of the 

email). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rob 

Clapp, Portland, OR (ph.: 503–231– 

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 

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); threatened South-Central 

California Coast (SCCC); endangered 

Southern California (SC). 

Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened 

Hood Canal Summer-run (HCS), 

threatened Columbia River (CR). 

Coho salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened 

LCR; threatened Oregon Coast (OC) 

coho; threatened Southern Oregon/ 

Northern California Coast (SONCC), 

endangered Central California Coast 

(CCC). 

Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): 

Endangered SnkR; 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); 

threatened PS/GB yelloweye rockfish (S. 

ruberrimus). 

Authority 

Scientific research permits 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 

1127–6M 

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are 

seeking to modify a permit that for more 

than two decades has allowed them to 

annually take listed SnkR Chinook 

salmon and steelhead while conducting 

research designed to (1) monitor adult 

and juvenile fish in key upper Snake 

River 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 modification would 

involve increasing the number of adult 

spr/sum Chinook the Tribes may 

observe and handle by permitting them 

to work at a currently unused weir in 

the East Fork Salmon River (Idaho). The 

modification would also involve greatly 

decreasing the number of juvenile 

salmon the Tribes capture and sample 

in the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River. 

The fish would continue to benefit from 

the research in two primary ways. First, 

the research would broadly be used to 

help guide restoration and recovery 

efforts throughout the Snake River 

basin. Second, the research would be 

used to analyze how hatchery 

supplementation can be used as a tool 

for salmon recovery. 

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, after 

which they would 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 and no 

adult salmonids would be electrofished. 

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. 

1135–11R 

The United States Geological Survey 

(USGS) is seeking to renew a permit that 

for more than 20 years has authorized 

them to take juvenile LCR steelhead in 

the Wind River subbasin (Washington). 

The purpose of the study is to provide 

information on LCR steelhead growth, 

survival, habitat use, and life histories. 

This information would improve 

understanding of habitat associations 

and life history strategies for LCR 

steelhead in the Wind River and that, in 

turn, would help state, tribal, and 

Federal efforts to restore LCR steelhead. 

The USGS proposes to capture juvenile 

LCR steelhead using backpack 

electrofishing equipment, hold the fish 

in buckets of aerated water, anesthetize 

them with MS–222, measure their 

length and weight, tag age-0 and age-1 

fish with passive integrated 

transponders (PIT-tags), and release all 

fish at the site of collection after they 

recover from anesthesia. The researchers 

do not propose to kill any fish but a 

small number may die as an unintended 

result of research activities. 

1175–10R 

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest 

(GPNF) is seeking to renew for 5 years 

a permit that currently allows them to 

take juvenile LCR Chinook salmon, LCR 

coho salmon, and LCR and MCR 

steelhead in the Cowlitz River subbasin 

(Lewis, Cowlitz, and Washougal Rivers) 

and middle Columbia-Hood subbasin 

(Wind, Little White Salmon, and Big 

White Salmon Rivers) in Washington 

State. The purpose of this research is to 

describe fish species presence, 

distribution, spawning areas, and 

habitat conditions on lands that the 

GPNF administers. The GPNF and other 

agencies would use that information in 

forest management, habitat restoration, 

and species recovery efforts. The GPNF 

proposes to use backpack electrofishing 

and seines to capture juvenile 

salmonids, hold them for short periods 

in buckets of aerated water, identify 

them, and then release them at the site 

where they were captured. The 

researchers do not propose to kill any 

fish, but a small number may die as an 

unintended result of research activities. 

1339–6R 

The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) under the 

authority of the Columbia River 

Intertribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is 

seeking to renew for 5 years its permit 


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to annually take adult and juvenile 

SnkR spr/sum Chinook salmon and 

SnkR steelhead while conducting 

research in a number of the tributaries 

to the Imnaha River (Cow, Lightning, 

Horse, Big Sheep, Camp, Little Sheep, 

Freezeout, Grouse, Crazyman, 

Mahogany, and Gumboot Creeks), the 

Grande Ronde River (Joseph Creek, 

Wenaha and Minam rivers), the 

Clearwater River (South Fork Clearwater 

River and Lolo Creek), and the Snake 

River (Lower Granite Dam adult trap). 

The Imnaha and Grande Ronde Rivers 

are in northeastern Oregon, the 

Clearwater River is in Idaho, and the 

work in the Snake River would take 

place in Washington. The renewed 

permit would allow the NPT to continue 

work they have been conducting for 

over 2 decades. 

The purpose of the research is to 

acquire information on the status 

(escapement abundance, genetic 

structure, life history traits) of juvenile 

and adult steelhead in the Imnaha, 

Grande Ronde, and Clearwater River 

basins. The research would benefit the 

listed species by providing status 

information that fishery managers may 

use to determine whether recovery 

actions are helping increase wild Snake 

River salmonid populations. Baseline 

information on steelhead populations in 

the Imnaha, Grande Ronde, and 

Clearwater River basins would also be 

used to help guide future management 

actions. Adult and juvenile salmon and 

steelhead would be observed, handled, 

and marked. The researchers would use 

temporary/portable picket and 

resistance board weirs and rotary screw 

traps to capture the fish and would then 

sample them for biological information 

(fin tissue and scale samples). They may 

also mark some of the fish with opercule 

punches, fin clips, dyes, and PIT, floy, 

and/or Tyvek disk tags. Adult steelhead 

carcasses would also be collected and 

sampled. The researchers do not intend 

to kill any of the fish being captured, 

but a small number may die as an 

unintended result of the activities. 

1341–6R 

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are 

seeking to renew for 5 years their permit 

to take SnkR sockeye salmon and SnkR 

spr/sum Chinook salmon while 

conducting research designed to 

estimate their overwinter survival and 

downstream migration survival and 

timing. The researchers would also 

conduct limnological studies on Petit 

and Alturas Lakes (Idaho) and monitor 

sockeye rearing. This research—which 

has been conducted every year since 

1996—would continue to provide 

information on the relative success of 

the Pettit and Alturas Lakes sockeye 

salmon reintroduction programs and 

thereby benefit the listed fish by 

improving those programs. 

Juvenile SR sockeye salmon, spr/sum 

Chinook salmon, and steelhead would 

be collected using rotary screw traps 

and weirs. The fish would be sampled 

for biological information and released 

or tagged with passive integrated 

transponders and released. In addition, 

to determine trap efficiencies, a portion 

of the tagged juvenile SnkR sockeye 

salmon would then be released 

upstream of the traps, captured at the 

traps a second time, and re-released. 

Adult fish may be trapped as well if any 

are released above Sawtooth Fish 

Hatchery (run by the Idaho Department 

of Fish and Game); these fish would be 

tissue-sampled and then immediately 

released above a temporary weir to 

spawn in Petit Lake. The Tribes do not 

intend to kill any of the fish being 

captured, but a small percentage may 

die as an unintended result of the 

activities. 

1345–10R 

The Washington Department of Fish 

and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking to 

renew for 5 years a research permit that 

currently allows them to take juvenile 

and adult PS Chinook salmon, LCR 

Chinook salmon, LCR coho salmon, LCR 

steelhead, and PS steelhead. The WDFW 

administers a multitude of water bodies 

through the state of Washington, and 

this permit would cover their work 

throughout Puget Sound and the Lower 

Columbia River basin. The purpose of 

the warmwater fish surveys is to assess 

stocks of inland game fish communities 

and thereby improve fishery 

management. The research would 

benefit salmonids by helping managers 

write warmwater fish species harvest 

regulations in a manner that would 

reduce potential impacts on listed 

salmonids. The WDFW proposes 

capturing fish using boat electrofishing, 

fyke nets, and gillnets. After being 

captured, the listed salmon and 

steelhead would be placed in aerated 

live wells, identified, and immediately 

released before other species are 

processed. The researchers would avoid 

salmonids and do not propose to kill 

any, but a small number may die as an 

unintended result of the activities. 

1379–8R 

The CRITFC is seeking to renew for 5 

years a permit that currently allows 

them to take adult and juvenile UCR 

steelhead and Chinook while 

conducting research designed to (1) 

increase what we know about the status 

and productivity of various fish 

populations, (2) collect data on 

migratory and exploitation (harvest) 

patterns, and (3) develop baseline 

information on various population and 

habitat parameters in order to guide 

salmonid restoration strategies. Much of 

the work in the permit has been 

conducted for nearly 20 years—first 

under permit 1134, and then under 

seven previous versions of 1379. The 

permit would comprise three studies: 

Project 1—Juvenile Upriver Bright Fall 

Chinook Sampling at the Hanford 

Reach; Project 2—Adult Sockeye 

Sampling at Tumwater and Wells Dams; 

and Project 3—Acoustic trawl survey for 

Lake Wenatchee juvenile sockeye 

salmon. 

The research, as a whole, would 

benefit listed fish by helping managers 

set in-river and ocean harvest regimes so 

that they have minimal impacts on 

listed salmonid populations. It would 

also help managers prioritize projects in 

a way that gives maximum benefit to 

listed species—including projects 

designed to help the listed fish recover. 

The researchers would use beach- and 

stick seines to capture and tag juvenile 

fish in the Hanford reach of the 

Columbia River and capture fish during 

mid-water trawls in Lake Wenatchee 

(Washington). Those fish that are not 

immediately released upon capture 

would be transported to a holding 

facility where they would be 

anesthetized, examined for marks, 

adipose-clipped, coded wire tagged, 

allowed to recover, and released. The 

researchers would also collect, 

anesthetize, tissue-sample, and tag adult 

salmonids at Priest Rapids and Wells 

Dams in Washington State. The CRITFC 

researchers do not intend to kill any of 

the fish being captured but a small 

number may die as an unintended result 

of the activities. 

1386–10R 

The Washington Department of 

Ecology (WDOE) is seeking to renew for 

5 years a research permit that currently 

allows them to take juvenile and adult 

PS Chinook salmon, UCR spring-run 

Chinook salmon, SnkR spr/sum 

Chinook salmon, SnkR fall-run Chinook 

salmon, LCR Chinook salmon, HCS 

chum salmon, CR chum salmon, LCR 

coho salmon, OL sockeye salmon, SnkR 

sockeye salmon, LCR steelhead, PS 

steelhead, MCR steelhead, SnkR 

steelhead, and UCR steelhead. The 

purpose of the research is to investigate 

the occurrence and concentrations of 

toxic contaminants in non-anadromous 

freshwater fish tissue, sediment, and 

water at sites all across Washington. The 

WDOE conducts this research in order 

to meet Federal and state regulatory 


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requirements. This research would 

benefit listed species by identifying 

toxic contaminants in resident and prey 

fish and thereby inform pollution 

control actions. The WDOE proposes to 

capture fish using various methods 

including backpack and boat 

electrofishing, beach seining, block, 

fyke, and gill netting, and angling. All 

captured salmon and steelhead would 

either be released immediately or held 

temporarily in an aerated live well to 

help them recover before release. The 

researchers do not propose to kill any 

fish but a small number may die as an 

unintended result of research activities. 

1410–13M 

The Northwest Fisheries Science 

Center (NWFSC) is seeking to modify a 

research permit that currently allows 

them to take juvenile and adult CVS, 

LCR, PS, SacR winter-run, SnkR fallrun, SnkR spr/sum, UCR, and UWR 

Chinook salmon; CR chum salmon; LCR, 

OC, and SONCC coho salmon; SnkR 

sockeye salmon; and LCR, MCR, SnkR 

basin, 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. The 

modification would largely entail 

increasing take for some species (e.g., 

juvenile SnkR spr/sum Chinook salmon) 

and decreasing take for other species 

(e.g., SnkR Fall Chinook salmon). 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. This study would work in 

conjunction with another NWFSC study 

(permit 22369–2M) by capturing 

salmonids using a different capture 

method at deeper locations. The 

NWFSC proposes to capture fish using 

a surface trawl, which can cause lethal 

crushing and descaling injuries to 

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). Adult 

salmonids 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. The 

researchers do not intend to kill any 

listed adult salmonids, but some may 

die as an inadvertent result of the 

research. 

1465–5R 

The Idaho Department of 

Environmental Quality (IDEQ) is 

seeking to renew for five years a 

research permit that currently allows 

them to take juvenile threatened SnkR 

steelhead, threatened SnkR fall Chinook 

salmon, threatened SnkR spr/sum 

Chinook salmon, and endangered SnkR 

sockeye salmon during the course of 

two research projects designed to 

ascertain the condition of many Idaho 

streams. The purposes of the research 

are to (a) determine whether aquatic life 

is being properly supported in Idaho’s 

rivers, streams, and lakes, and (b) assess 

the overall condition of Idaho’s surface 

waters. The fish would benefit from the 

research because the data it produces 

would be used to inform decisions 

about how and where to protect and 

improve water quality in the state. The 

researchers would use backpack- and 

boat electrofishing equipment to capture 

the fish. They would then be weighed 

and measured (some may be 

anesthetized to limit stress) and 

released. The IDEQ does not intend to 

kill any of the fish being captured, but 

a small percentage may die as an 

unintended result of the research 

activities. 

1564–6R 

The University of Washington (UW) is 

seeking to renew for 5 years a permit 

that currently allows them to annually 

take juvenile natural- and hatcheryorigin PS Chinook and steelhead while 

conducting research designed to 

monitor the success of habitat 

restoration projects in the Duwamish 

River estuary. The goal of these projects 

is to understand changes in population 

characteristics among Chinook salmon 

in response to restoration actions. The 

habitat restoration work is conducted in 

association with several entities 

including King County, the City of 

Seattle, Long Live the Kings, and Vigor 

Shipyards. The researchers propose to 

capture fish using enclosure nets and 

beach seines. Juvenile salmon and 

steelhead would be handled 

(anesthetized, weighed, measured, and 

checked for marks or tags), and released. 

Juvenile steelhead and a subsample of 

Chinook salmon captured may have 

their stomach contents non-lethally 

sampled via gastric lavage. The UW 

researchers do not propose to kill any 

listed animals as part of this project, but 

a small number may die as an 

unintended result of the research 

activities. 

1586–5R 

The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5 

years a permit that currently allows 

them to annually take juvenile, 

subadult, and adult PS Chinook salmon, 

and juvenile PS steelhead, HCS chum 

salmon, and Bocaccio and yelloweye 

rockfish. The purpose of the work is to 

characterize how wild juvenile PS 

Chinook salmon and various forage fish 

species use nearshore habitats in the 

oceanographic basins of the Puget 

Sound, the Straits of Juan de Fuca, and 

the San Juan Islands in Washington 

State. The permit would also allow the 

researchers to take adult SDPS 

eulachon, a species for which there are 

currently no take prohibitions. The 

goals of this project are to help 

managers develop protection and 

restoration strategies and monitor the 

effects of recovery actions. To 

accomplish this, the proposed work 

would help researchers (a) determine if 

nearshore populations are increasing or 

decreasing; and (b) establish baseline 

abundance, composition, and genetic 

structure metrics for nearshore 

populations throughout the Puget 

Sound. The researchers propose to 

capture fish using beach seines, Nordic 

surface trawls, and hook-and-line 

sampling. Juvenile salmon and 

steelhead would be handled (weighed, 

measured, and checked for marks or 

tags), and released. A subset of juvenile 

Chinook salmon would have fin clip 

samples collected. Adult Chinook 

salmon may have fin clip or scale 

samples collected. Captured rockfish, 

eulachon, and steelhead would be 

handled and released. A small subset of 

juvenile Chinook salmon would be 

lethally sacrificed for contaminant, 

otolith, and stomach content analyses. 

Any fish found dead at the time of 


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capture or unintentionally killed during 

sampling would be used in place of fish 

that would otherwise be intentionally 

sacrificed. Aside from the subset to be 

lethally sampled, the NWFSC does not 

propose to kill any fish being captured 

as part of this project—though a small 

number may die as an unintended result 

of the research activities. 

1587–7R 

The USGS’s Western Fisheries 

Research Center is seeking to renew for 

5 years a permit that currently allows 

them to annually take juvenile PS 

Chinook salmon, juvenile PS steelhead, 

and juvenile HCS chum salmon while 

conducting two research projects 

designed to explore the influence of 

large river deltas on nearshore 

ecosystem processes and the impacts 

urbanization has on such processes in 

the Puget Sound, Washington. The 

permit would also allow the researchers 

to take adult SDPS eulachon, a species 

for which there are currently no take 

prohibitions. The goals of this work are 

to understand physio-chemical 

processes related to nearshore habitat 

changes that alter trophic webs, 

community dynamics, and forage fish 

populations. This information, in turn, 

would benefit listed fish by helping 

managers better grasp the processes and 

considerations critical to understanding 

(and thereby mitigating) human impacts 

on nearshore salmonid habitats. 

The researchers propose to capture 

fish using lampara seines, dip nets, 

beach seines, gill nets, and hook-andline sampling, and would only target 

forage fish species (i.e., sand lance, surf 

smelt, and Pacific herring). Though this 

study does not target ESA-listed species, 

some may be unintentionally captured 

as part of this work. Any such fish 

would be handled (weighed, measured, 

and checked for marks or tags) and 

released near their capture location. The 

USGS does not propose to kill any listed 

fish, but a small number may die as an 

unintended result of the research 

activities. 

1598–5R 

The Washington State Department of 

Transportation (WSDOT) is seeking to 

renew for 5 years a research permit that 

currently allows them to take juvenile 

PS Chinook salmon, UCR spring-run 

Chinook salmon, SnkR spr/sum 

Chinook salmon, SnkR fall-run Chinook 

salmon, LCR Chinook salmon, HCS 

chum salmon, CR chum salmon, LCR 

coho salmon, OL sockeye salmon, SnkR 

sockeye salmon, LCR steelhead, PS 

steelhead, MCR steelhead, SnkR 

steelhead, and UCR steelhead. The 

WSDOT research may also cause them 

to take SDPS eulachon, a species for 

which there are currently no ESA take 

prohibitions. Sample sites would be 

located throughout the state of 

Washington. The purpose of the study is 

to determine the distribution and 

diversity of anadromous fish species in 

waterbodies crossed by or adjacent to 

the state transportation systems 

(highways, railroads, airports, etc.). 

This information would be used to 

assess what impacts projects proposed 

at those facilities may have on listed 

species. The research would benefit the 

listed species by helping WSDOT 

minimize project impacts on listed fish 

to the greatest extent possible. 

Depending on the size of the stream 

system, the WSDOT proposes to capture 

fish using dip nets, stick seines, baited 

minnow traps, or backpack 

electrofishing. The captured fish would 

be identified to species and immediately 

released. The researchers do not 

propose to kill any listed fish being 

captured, but a small number may die 

as an unintended result of the activities. 

10093–3R 

The California Department of Fish 

and Wildlife (CDFW) is seeking to 

renew a 5 year permit to annually take 

adult and juvenile CC Chinook; CCC 

and SONCC coho; and NC, SCCC, SC 

and CCC steelhead in watersheds 

throughout coastal California. The 

project goal is to restore salmon and 

steelhead productivity in coastal 

California streams through a 

comprehensive restoration program. The 

specific goals of this research project are 

to assess fish abundance and 

distribution in various streams slated for 

restoration work. This research would 

benefit listed species by providing data 

to help managers assess and direct 

habitat restoration projects across much 

of the salmonid-bearing waters of 

California. Fish would be captured by 

backpack electrofishing, beach seines, 

minnow traps, and weirs; they would 

also be observed during snorkel and 

spawning ground surveys. Some 

captured fish would be anesthetized, 

measured, weighed, tagged, and tissuesampled for genetic information. The 

researchers do not expect to kill any 

listed salmonids but a small number 

may die as an unintended result of the 

proposed activities. 

13381–4R 

The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5 

years a permit that currently allows 

them to annually take natural juvenile 

SnkR spr/sum Chinook and SnkR 

steelhead in various places in the 

Salmon River drainage in Idaho and at 

Little Goose and Lower Granite Dams on 

the lower Snake River. The purpose of 

the research is to continue monitoring 

parr-to-smolt survival and outmigration 

behavior among wild SnkR spr/sum 

Chinook salmon populations from 

Idaho. Steelhead juveniles that are 

inadvertently collected would also be 

tagged to help supplement an ongoing 

Idaho Department of Fish and Game 

study. 

The research would benefit the fish by 

continuing to supply managers with the 

information they need to budget water 

releases at hydropower facilities in ways 

designed to help protect migrating 

juvenile salmonids. The information 

gained would also be used to build longterm data sets on parr-to-smolt 

migration behavior and survival rates. 

This information, coupled with water 

quality, weather, and climate data, is 

intended to provide a foundation for 

understanding these populations’ life 

histories—the knowledge of which is 

critical to planning effective recovery 

actions. The listed fish would be 

captured (using seines, dip nets, and 

electrofishing), anesthetized, tagged, 

and released. A portion of these fish 

would also be re-captured at a smolt 

bypass facility, anesthetized, weighed, 

measured, and released. The researchers 

do not intend to kill any of the fish 

being captured, but a small percentage 

may die as an unintended result of the 

research activities. 

13382–4R 

The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5 

years a permit that currently allows 

them to annually take juvenile 

threatened SnkR spr/sum Chinook 

salmon and juvenile threatened SnkR 

steelhead at various places in the Snake 

River in Idaho and in various streams of 

Southeast Washington and Northeast 

Oregon. Most of the activities under this 

permit have been under way for nearly 

20 years—first under Permit 1406 and 

then under previous versions of Permit 

13382. Under the permit, the listed fish 

would be variously captured (using 

seines, dip nets, traps, and 

electrofishing), anesthetized, tissue 

sampled, weighed, measured, and 

released. In addition, a small number of 

juvenile fish would be caught using 

electrofishing methods, anesthetized, 

and then held in aerated containers of 

water with varying temperature regimes 

to measure their cardiac performance. 

The fish would then in all cases be 

allowed to recover and returned live to 

the place of their capture. 

The purposes of the research are 

therefore (1) to continue monitoring the 

effects of supplementation among 

steelhead and spr/sum Chinook salmon 

populations in Idaho, and (2) measure 


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cardiac performance in juvenile 

salmonids. The research would benefit 

the fish by generating baseline 

information on elevated temperature 

effects and continuing to supply 

managers with the information they 

need when seeking to use hatchery 

programs to conserve listed species. The 

researchers do not intend to kill any of 

the fish being captured, but some may 

die as an unintended result of the 

process. 

14419–4R 

The Sonoma County Water Agency is 

seeking to renew a 5 year permit to 

annually take adult and juvenile CC 

Chinook, CCC coho and CCC steelhead 

in the Russian River watershed, 

California. The project’s goal is to detect 

and depict trends in ESA-listed 

salmonid populations in the Russian 

River watershed and to monitor the 

results of salmonid habitat enhancement 

efforts. This research would benefit 

listed species by providing life cycle 

and habitat-specific estimates of 

residence time, growth, and survival so 

that resource management agencies can 

better identify and prioritize key 

restoration actions in the Russian River 

watershed. 

Fish would be captured by 

downstream-migrant trapping (rotary 

screw traps, fyke nets, and pipe/funnel 

nets), electrofishing (backpack and 

boat), otter trawl, hook-and-line 

sampling, and beach seining. Fish 

would also be observed during snorkel 

and spawning surveys. Some fish would 

be anesthetized, measured, weighed, 

tagged, scale-sampled, and/or tissuesampled for genetic information. The 

stomach contents of a small subset of 

fish would be sampled using non-lethal 

gastric lavage. A maximum of 130 

juvenile steelhead and 150 juvenile 

Chinook would be sacrificed for otolith 

microchemistry analysis. Beyond these 

subsets, the researchers do not intend to 

kill any listed fish, and any that are 

inadvertently killed would be used in 

place of the animals that would 

otherwise be sacrificed. 

15542–6R 

TRPA Fish Biologists is seeking to 

renew a 5 year research permit to 

annually take juvenile and adult CCV 

steelhead in Lower Putah Creek in the 

lower Sacramento River basin, 

California. The project’s goal is to 

monitor the distribution and relative 

abundance of fish populations in lower 

Putah Creek downstream from the Putah 

Diversion Dam. This research would 

benefit listed steelhead by providing 

information on fish response to river 

flows, and generating baseline 

information on the distribution and 

diversity of rainbow trout/steelhead in 

Putah Creek. Fish would be captured by 

backpack and boat electrofishing. 

Captured fish would be identified by 

species, measured, weighed, allowed to 

recover, and released. The researchers 

do not expect to kill any listed 

salmonids but a small number may die 

as an unintended result of the research 

activities. 

15548–2R 

TRPA Fish Biologists is seeking to 

renew a 5 year research permit to 

annually take adult and juvenile CCC 

steelhead in Suisun Creek, Green Valley 

Creek, and Ledgewood Creek in Solano 

and Napa Counties, California. The 

project’s goal is to monitor fish 

distribution, population structure, 

relative abundance, condition, and 

general health. The research would 

benefit CCC steelhead by producing data 

that would be used to help develop the 

Solano Habitat Conservation Plan in as 

fish-friendly a manner as possible. 

Listed fish would be captured by 

backpack and boat electrofishing; they 

would then be identified by species, 

measured, weighed, allowed to recover, 

and released. The researchers do not 

expect to kill any listed salmonids but 

a small number may die as an 

unintended result of the research 

activities. 

15848–3R 

The WDFW is seeking to renew for 5 

years a permit that currently allows 

them to annually take juvenile and adult 

PS Chinook salmon, PS steelhead, HCS 

chum salmon, Bocaccio, and yelloweye 

rockfish, and adult SDPS green sturgeon 

while conducting research to estimate 

the relative numerical and biomass 

abundance of bottom fish in the basins 

of Puget Sound, Washington. They 

would also collect other distributional 

and biological information for key 

marine resources. The researchers may 

also capture adult and juvenile SDPS 

eulachon, a species for which there are 

currently no take prohibition. The goals 

of this work are to develop a fisheryindependent method for tracking 

population trends over time and provide 

managers and stakeholders with 

information about ecosystem 

productivity, community structure, and 

trends. This information would benefit 

listed species by informing an array of 

future management decisions. 

The researchers would use bottom 

trawls to capture fish and would not 

target listed species, but they may 

unintentionally encounter some during 

the course of the work. All listed 

animals that may be captured would be 

handled (weighed, measured, and 

checked for marks or tags) and released 

near their capture location. The WDFW 

does not propose to kill any listed fish 

as part of this project, but a small 

number may die as an unintended result 

of the proposed activities. 

15890–3R 

The WDFW is seeking to renew for 5 

years a permit that currently allows 

them to annually take juvenile and adult 

PS Chinook salmon, PS steelhead, HCS 

chum salmon, Bocaccio, and yelloweye 

rockfish while conducting research to 

estimate the abundance of pelagic forage 

fish species in key areas of the Puget 

Sound, Washington. The researchers 

would also encounter SDPS eulachon, a 

species for which there are currently no 

take prohibitions. The goals of this work 

are to compare pelagic species stock 

abundances over time and gather 

growth, mortality, and recruitment 

information about the populations. This 

information would benefit listed species 

by informing an array of future fishery 

management decisions. 

The researchers propose to capture 

fish using midwater trawls and, while 

they would not target listed species, 

some may be captured during the course 

of the work. Any ESA-listed salmon, 

steelhead, or rockfish captured would 

be handled (weighed, measured, and 

checked for marks or tags), tissuesampled (scale or fin clip), and released 

near their capture location. Any SDPS 

eulachon captured would be handled 

and released. The WDFW does not 

propose to kill any listed fish as part of 

this project, but a small number may die 

as an unintended result of the research 

activities. 

16021–3R 

The WDFW is seeking to renew for 5 

years a permit that currently allows 

them to annually take juvenile and adult 

PS Chinook salmon, Bocaccio, and 

yelloweye rockfish, and SDPS green 

sturgeon while conducting research to 

study the stock structure, biology, food 

web relationships, and abundance of 

groundfish species in inland marine 

waters of Puget Sound, Washington. The 

researchers may also capture adult 

SDPS eulachon, a species for which 

there are currently no take prohibitions. 

The goal of this work is to improve 

understanding of groundfish stock 

structure, life history, biology, 

geographic distribution, habitat use, and 

food web relationships. The researchers 

propose to capture fish using hook-andline angling and live-capture traps and, 

though they are not targeting ESA-listed 

species, they may inadvertently capture 

some. In addition, the researchers 


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propose to use modified dinglebar 

trolling gear, although it will only be 

deployed in habitats where they do not 

anticipate encountering ESA-listed 

species. All captured rockfish would be 

handled (weighed, measured, and 

checked for marks or tags), sampled for 

stomach contents, tissue-sampled, floytagged, and released near the site of 

their capture. Any ESA-listed salmon, 

eulachon, or green sturgeon captured 

would be handled and swiftly released. 

The WDFW does not propose to kill any 

ESA-listed species as part of this 

project, but a small number may die as 

an unintended result of the proposed 

activities. 

16069–4R 

The City of Portland is seeking to 

renew for 5 years a research permit that 

currently allows them to take juvenile 

UCR spring-run Chinook salmon, UWR 

Chinook salmon, SnkR spr/sum 

Chinook salmon, SnkR fall-run Chinook 

salmon, LCR Chinook salmon, CR chum 

salmon, LCR coho salmon, SnkR 

sockeye salmon, LCR steelhead, UWR 

steelhead, MCR steelhead, SnkR 

steelhead, and SDPS green sturgeon in 

the Columbia and Willamette rivers and 

some of their tributaries in Oregon. The 

researchers may also take some adult 

SDPS eulachon (a species for which 

there are currently no ESA take 

prohibitions). This research is part of 

the Portland Watershed Management 

Plan—a series of projects designed to 

improve watershed health in the 

Portland area. Project staff would 

annually sample 37 sites across all 

Portland watersheds and record data on 

local hydrology, habitat, water 

chemistry, and biological communities. 

The research would benefit listed 

salmonids by providing information to 

help managers assess watershed health, 

critical habitat status, effectiveness of 

watershed restoration actions, and 

compliance with regulatory 

requirements. The City of Portland 

proposes to capture juvenile fish using 

backpack and boat electrofishing 

equipment, hold them in a bucket of 

aerated water, take caudal fin clips for 

genetic analysis, and release them. The 

researchers would avoid contact with 

adult fish. The researchers do not 

propose to kill any fish but a small 

number may die as an unintended result 

of the proposed activities. 

16091–3R 

The WDFW is seeking to renew for 5 

years a permit that currently allows 

them to annually take juvenile and adult 

PS Chinook salmon, PS steelhead, 

Bocaccio, yelloweye rockfish, and adult 

SDPS green sturgeon while monitoring 

English sole (Parophrys vetulus) for (1) 

chemical contaminant levels in fish 

tissues, (2) pathological disorder 

frequency, and (3) other biomarkers 

signifying biological effects in in the 

Puget Sound, Washington. The 

researchers may also capture SDPS 

eulachon, a species for which there are 

currently no take prohibitions. The goal 

of this work is to monitor contaminants 

in this indicator benthic fish to better 

understand toxic contaminant impacts 

on the benthic food web, measure 

changes in toxic contaminant levels at a 

local level, and prioritize cleanup efforts 

in the Puget Sound. This information 

would benefit listed fish by helping 

managers make informed decisions 

regarding habitat restoration efforts 

throughout the Puget Sound. The 

researchers propose to capture fish 

using bottom trawls and, though they 

are not targeting listed species, they may 

capture some as part of this work. Any 

viable ESA-listed species captured 

would be handled, allowed to recover, 

and quickly released. The WDFW does 

not propose to kill any listed fish, but 

a small number may die as an 

unintended result of the research 

activities. 

16318–4R 

Hagar Environmental Services is 

seeking to renew for 5 years a permit 

that currently allows them to annually 

take juvenile CCC coho and juvenile 

CCC and SCCC steelhead in Santa Cruz, 

Monterey, and San Luis Obispo 

counties, California. The purpose of this 

study is to gather data on salmonid 

abundance and distribution and 

quantify various habitat parameters with 

the goal of improving watershed 

management across three counties. This 

research would benefit listed species by 

helping managers draft a fish-friendly 

habitat conservation plan for the City of 

Santa Cruz and, in general, better inform 

land management decisions throughout 

the area. Fish would be captured by 

backpack electrofishing and beach 

seines and observed during snorkel 

surveys. Some fish would be 

anesthetized, measured, weighed, 

tagged, and scale- and tissue-sampled 

for genetic information. The researchers 

do not expect to kill any listed 

salmonids but a small number may die 

as an unintended result of the research 

activities. 

16521–3R 

The WDFW is seeking a to renew for 

5 years their permit to annually capture, 

handle, and release juvenile UCR 

steelhead and Chinook salmon in the 

Hanford reach of the Columbia River 

and near the Tri-Cities, Washington. 

The purpose of the research is to gather 

data on fall Chinook abundance, length 

frequency distribution, and fish losses 

in the area. The information collected 

from these surveys is used to evaluate 

protections for juvenile fall Chinook 

under the Hanford Reach Fall Chinook 

Protection Program Agreement; it has 

also been used to gauge the efficacy of 

the coded-wire-tagging program for 

marking wild up-river bright fall 

Chinook in the Hanford Reach. These 

surveys provide biologists and managers 

with definitive data on fish presence 

and the impacts both listed and nonlisted Chinook and steelhead experience 

when residing in near-shore habitats in 

this area of the Columbia River. These 

data have been (and would continue to 

be) used to help guide management 

actions for the benefit of the listed 

species. The researchers would use 

beach seines and backpack 

electrofishing equipment to capture the 

fish. The captured fish would be 

anesthetized, measured, allowed to 

recover, and released back to the river. 

The researchers do not expect to kill any 

listed fish, but a small number may die 

as an unintended result of the research 

activities. 

16702–4R 

The NWFSC is seeking to renew for 5 

years a permit that currently allows 

them to annually take juvenile PS 

Chinook salmon and steelhead and 

adult SDPS eulachon (a species for 

which there are currently no take 

prohibitions) while conducting research 

designed to characterize how wild 

juvenile PS Chinook salmon use 

habitats in the Snohomish River estuary 

and delta in the Puget Sound, 

Washington. The goal of this project is 

to identify the life history types of 

juvenile PS Chinook salmon present, 

characterize their spatial and temporal 

distribution, and assess their feeding 

ecology and interactions with other 

biota. The gathered data would benefit 

listed fish by better informing 

Snohomish-area land management 

decisions as conditions and 

opportunities change. 

The researchers propose to capture 

fish using beach seines and fyke nets. 

Juvenile salmon and steelhead would be 

handled (weighed, measured, and 

checked for marks or tags), and released. 

A small subset of hatchery- and 

naturally-produced juvenile Chinook 

salmon would be lethally sacrificed for 

stable isotope, otolith, and stomach 

contents analysis. Any fish found dead 

at the time of capture or unintentionally 

killed during sampling would be used 

in place of fish that would otherwise be 

intentionally sacrificed. Aside from this 


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subset, the NWFSC does not propose to 

kill any other fish being captured as part 

of this project, but a small number may 

die as an unintended result of the 

research activities. 

17292–3R 

NMFS’s Southwest Fisheries Science 

Center (SWFSC) is seeking to renew a 5 

year research permit to annually take 

adult and juvenile CC Chinook, CCC 

and SONCC coho, and NC, SCCC, SC 

and CCC steelhead. Sampling would be 

conducted in California on a variety of 

coastal salmonid populations. The 

purposes of this research are to: (1) 

Estimate population abundance and 

dynamics; (2) evaluate factors affecting 

growth, survival, reproduction, and 

other life history patterns; (3) assess lifestage specific habitat use and 

movement; (4) evaluate physiological 

performance and tolerance; (5) 

determine the genetic structure of 

populations; (6) evaluate the effects of 

water management and habitat 

restoration; and (7) develop improved 

sampling and monitoring methods. The 

research would benefit the coastal 

California salmon stocks by providing 

critical information to support their 

conservation, management, and 

recovery. 

The listed fish would be captured 

using backpack electrofishing, hookand-line sampling, hand- and dipnets, 

beach seines, fyke nets, panel, pipe or 

rotary screw traps, and weirs. They 

would also be observed during 

spawning ground and snorkel surveys. 

Some fish would be anesthetized, 

measured, weighed, tagged (coded wire, 

elastomer, radio, acoustic, PIT, or 

sonic), and tissue-sampled for genetic 

information. A small number of juvenile 

fish would be sacrificed to support 

laboratory experiments and assess 

mercury levels and RNA expression, but 

otherwise the researchers do not intend 

to kill any of the captured fish—though 

some may die as an inadvertent result 

of the activities. 

17299–4R 

The SWFSC is seeking to renew a 5 

year research permit to annually take 

adult and juvenile CCV steelhead, SacR 

winter-run and CVS Chinook salmon, 

and SDPS green sturgeon while 

conducting research activities in the 

California Central Valley. The overall 

goal of this project is to provide critical 

information to support California 

salmonid stock conservation and 

management. The SWFSC would 

conduct comparative studies on salmon 

ecology across all Central Valley 

habitats (streams, rivers, and delta) to 

increase our knowledge of California’s 

Chinook salmon and steelhead life 

histories. The proposed action would 

include six study efforts: (1) Producing 

telemetry data to assess river habitat 

use, behavior, and survival; (2) 

estimating predator impacts on salmon; 

(3) making physiological measurements 

of aerobic scope across stocks; (4) 

examining otoliths to identify stocks of 

salmonids and thereby inform Central 

Valley project operations and Bay-Delta 

monitoring; (5) annually updating 

strontium and sulfur isoscape validation 

tools for reconstructing juvenile habitat 

use; and (6) applying isotope methods to 

reconstruct salmon habitat use and 

growth studies. The research would 

benefit the affected species by providing 

critical information to inform life-cycle 

modeling efforts at the SWFSC and help 

guide NMFS’s West Coast Region and 

various Central Valley agencies in their 

resource management efforts. In 

addition, results would also be 

integrated into the Central Valley 

Project Improvement Act and thereby 

help prioritize habitat restoration 

actions. 

In situations where the SWFSC are 

unable to rely on collaborators to 

capture fish, collection methods would 

include rotary screw traps, fyke nets, 

backpack- and boat electrofishing, beach 

seining, tangle netting, DIDSON (sonar) 

observations, hook-and-line sampling, 

and spawning ground and snorkel 

surveys. Some fish would be 

anesthetized, measured, weighed, 

tagged (coded wire, elastomer, radio, 

acoustic, PIT, or sonic), and tissue 

sampled (fin clip, scales, stomach 

lavage). Another subset would be tested 

in the laboratory to measure aerobic 

scope under a range of temperature and 

flow combinations. Most of the fish to 

be captured would experience no longterm adverse effects, however, a number 

of hatchery fish that have had their 

adipose fins removed would be 

sacrificed to collect otoliths for age/ 

growth analysis, organ tissues for 

isotope, biochemical and genomic 

expression assays and parasite 

infections, and to assess tag effects/ 

retention. It should be noted that there 

are no take prohibitions for such fish 

and they are by definition considered 

excess to the species’ recovery needs. 

17306–3R 

The Oregon Department of Fish and 

Wildlife (ODFW) is seeking to renew for 

5 years a permit that currently 

authorizes them 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. Most 

captured fish would be identified, 

measured and released, though some 

would also be tissue sampled and/or 

floy- or PIT-tagged. Data collected from 

this work would be used to inform 

management decisions in the Deschutes 

River watershed for the benefit of MCR 

steelhead. Biologists from the ODFW 

have been conducting this work in the 

area for decades. 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. 

17916–2R 

The Bureau of Land Management 

(BLM), Arcata Field Office, is seeking to 

renew a 5 year research permit to 

annually take adult and juvenile CC 

Chinook salmon, SONCC coho salmon, 

and NC steelhead in watersheds 

throughout Northwest California— 

including the Mattole River, Eel River, 

the Lost Coast region tributaries to the 

Pacific Ocean, and some Humboldt Bay 

tributaries. The purpose of this research 

is to monitor how current management 

actions under the Northwest Forest 

Plan’s Aquatic Conservation Strategy are 

affecting anadromous salmonids and 

their habitats. In order to monitor land 

management actions and implement the 

Northwest Forest Plan in northern 

California, the BLM needs to obtain 

updated information on fish distribution 

and habitat. Thus, the information to be 

gathered would benefit listed species by 

informing adaptive management 

strategies intended to aid salmon 

recovery. 

Fish would be captured using 

backpack electrofishing, hand/or dip 

nets, beach seines and observed during 

spawning and snorkel surveys. Some 

fish would be anesthetized, measured, 

and weighed. The researchers do not 

expect to kill any listed salmonids but 

a small number may die as an 

unintended result of the research 

activities. 

18012–3R 

The CDFW Bay Delta Region’s Central 

Coast Watershed Restoration and 

Fisheries Management Program is 

seeking to renew a 5 year research 

permit to annually take adult and 

juvenile CC Chinook salmon, CCC coho 

salmon, and NC, CCC and SCCC 

steelhead in Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa, 


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Marin, San Mateo, Santa Cruz and 

Monterey Counties, California. The 

purpose of this research is to assess 

salmonid stock status throughout the 

seven counties and identify factors that 

may be limiting population growth and 

recovery. The proposed studies are: (1) 

Juvenile salmonid occurrence, 

distribution and habitat monitoring; (2) 

adult salmonid occurrence, passage, and 

distribution; (3) spawning ground 

surveys; (4) life cycle station 

monitoring; and (5) juvenile steelhead 

lagoon seining and habitat monitoring. 

This research would benefit listed 

species by informing proposed habitat 

restoration project designs, helping 

prioritize watershed restoration efforts, 

and helping managers mitigate the 

negative impacts of various management 

actions. 

Fish would be captured via backpack 

electrofishing, beach seining, rotary 

screw trapping, fyke/pipe trapping, and 

weirs. They would also be observed 

during spawning and snorkel surveys 

and at electronic counting stations (by 

DIDSON (sonar) array, Vaki 

Riverwatcher, and video weirs). Most 

juvenile fish would be handled, 

measured for fork length, weighed, and 

released. Various subsets of the 

captured juvenile fish would be 

anesthetized, tissue-sampled (fin clip) 

for genetic analysis, scale sampled, 

marked with an upper caudal fin clip, 

and/or PIT-tagged. Captured adult 

salmon would be handled (identified, 

measured, weighed, and scale- and 

tissue-sampled), tagged (bi-colored Floy 

tags and/or opercule-punched), and 

released. The researchers do not expect 

to kill any listed salmonids but a small 

number may die as an unintended result 

of the research activities. 

19820–3R 

The University of California, Davis 

(UC Davis) Biogeochemistry & Fish 

Ecology Lab is seeking to renew a 5 year 

research permit to annually take 

juvenile SacR winter-run and CVS 

Chinook, juvenile and adult CCC and 

CCV steelhead, and juvenile SDPS green 

sturgeon in the San Francisco Bay Area 

and tributaries. The purpose of this 

research is to determine the degree to 

which Longfin Smelt use tributaries of 

San Pablo and San Francisco bays as 

spawning and rearing habitat. This 

information would improve the 

understanding of how bay tributaries 

contribute to the overall population of 

Longfin Smelt and that information, in 

turn, would benefit listed salmonids by 

improving our understanding of 

tributary habitat health in areas not 

previously monitored. 

Although this study principally 

targets longfin smelt, SacR winter-run 

and CVS Chinook, CCC and CCV 

steelhead and SDPS green sturgeon may 

be encountered during sampling. Fish 

would be captured with beach seines, 

fyke nets, and trawls (otter and Kodiak). 

Captured fish would be identified by 

species, enumerated, and released. A 

sub-sample of 30 individuals per 

species would be measured. The 

researchers do not propose to kill any 

fish but a small number may die as an 

unintended result of research activities. 

20104–3R 

The Pacific Shellfish Institute is 

seeking to renew for 5 years a permit 

that currently allows them to annually 

take juvenile PS Chinook salmon, PS 

steelhead, and SDPS green sturgeon in 

eelgrass and mudflat habitats in Samish 

Bay in the Puget Sound and in Willapa 

Bay on the coast of Washington. The 

researchers may also capture SDPS 

eulachon, a species for which there are 

currently no take prohibitions. The 

researchers are also requesting to 

expand their work to include sites in 

Hood Canal, South Puget Sound, and 

Grays Harbor, Washington; Coos Bay, 

Oregon; and Humboldt Bay, California. 

They would also seek to also take 

juvenile HCS chum salmon, OC coho 

salmon, SONCC coho salmon, CC 

Chinook salmon, and NC steelhead. The 

research is designed to quantify the 

effects shellfish culture and burrowing 

shrimp have on seagrass and its 

function as habitat for fish and 

invertebrates. The researchers would 

examine the spatial relationships 

between existing shellfish culture, 

burrowing shrimp, and seagrass in 

several Pacific Northwest estuaries. 

They would also synthesize data and 

parameterize production functions for 

higher trophic level species of interest 

across habitat types. The goal of this 

project is to help develop a landscapescale understanding of the influence 

aquaculture has on estuarine habitats 

and thereby help managers develop 

environmentally and economically 

sustainable shellfish farming practices 

that would also help conserve listed 

salmonids and other fish. 

The researchers propose to capture 

fish using beach seines, open-ended 

fyke nets with cameras, and Breder 

traps. Captured fish would be handled 

(weighed, measured, and checked for 

marks or tags), and released. A small 

subset of fish from all species captured 

may also be lethally sacrificed for stable 

isotope and stomach contents analyses. 

Any fish found dead at the time of 

capture or unintentionally killed during 

sampling would be used in place of fish 

that would otherwise be intentionally 

sacrificed. In addition to those 

intentionally sacrificed, a small number 

of listed juvenile fish may die as an 

unintended result of the research 

activities. 

20492–3R 

The ODFW is seeking to renew a 

permit a permit that currently 

authorizes research in lake, river, 

backwater, slough, and estuary habitats 

in the Willamette and Columbia basins 

(Oregon) and on the Oregon coast. The 

permit would continue to allow the 

ODFW to take juvenile CR Chum, LCR 

Columbia Chinook, UCR Chinook, SnkR 

spr/sum Chinook, SnkR fall Chinook, 

UWR Chinook, LCR Coho, LCR 

Steelhead, MCR Steelhead, UCR 

Steelhead, SnkR Steelhead, UWR 

Willamette Steelhead, SnkR Sockeye 

Salmon, OC Coho, and adult SDPS 

green sturgeon. The permit would also 

allow ODFW to take adult SDPS 

eulachon—a species for which there are 

currently no take prohibitions. The 

information to be collected would be 

used to monitor population structure 

and abundance for many species across 

the landscape. This, in turn, would be 

used to improve a suite of listed-fishaffecting management actions 

throughout much of Oregon. 

The permit would cover the following 

projects: (1) Warmwater and 

Recreational Game Fish Management, 

(2) District Fish Population Sampling in 

the Upper Willamette Basin, and (3) 

Salmonid Assessment and Monitoring 

in the Deschutes River. The researchers 

propose to use boat electrofishing to 

sample fish. Most juveniles and all 

adults would be allowed to swim away 

without being handled after they are 

electroshocked, but some juveniles 

would be netted, identified, and 

released immediately. A subset of 

captured juveniles would be 

anesthetized, weighed and measured, 

allowed to recover, and then released. 

All ESA-listed fish would be processed 

and released before any non-listed fish 

are processed. The ODFW does not 

intend to kill any of the fish being 

captured, but a small number may die 

as an unintended result of the activities. 

21185–2R 

The Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) is 

seeking to renew for 5 years a permit 

that currently allows them to annually 

take juvenile PS Chinook salmon and 

steelhead while conducting research to 

validate and correct existing 

Washington Department of Natural 

Resources channel water-type 

classifications regarding tributaries to 

the Puget Sound and the Deschutes 


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River (Washington). The goal of this 

work is to generate data that can be used 

to identify wild fish habitat restoration 

opportunities and thereby (a) improve 

regulatory protection of sensitive 

aquatic habitats for ESA-listed Chinook 

salmon and steelhead, and (b) help land 

use planners implement better recovery 

strategies. The researchers propose to 

capture fish using backpack 

electrofishing. Any juvenile PS 

steelhead captured would be handled 

(weighed, measured, and checked for 

marks or tags), tissue-sampled (fin clip 

or opercule punch), and released. 

Juvenile PS Chinook salmon captured 

would be handled and released. The 

WFC does not propose to kill any listed 

fish as part of this project, but a small 

number may die as an unintended result 

of the research activities. 

21220–2R 

The Battelle Memorial National 

Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) 

Program is seeking to renew for 5 years 

a permit that currently authorizes them 

to capture adult and juvenile threatened 

LCR steelhead in Martha Creek, 

Washington while conducting research 

designed to monitor climate change, 

land use alterations, and invasive 

species distribution. The NEON 

researchers would continue to use 

instream and riparian sensors in 

combination with field sampling to 

characterize chemical, physical, and 

biological properties of the stream and 

riparian ecosystem. The aquatic 

sampling suite would consist of 

chemical measurements of surface and 

shallow ground water, physical 

measurements of stream and riparian 

habitat, and biological measurements of 

the aquatic community (biofilms, 

macrophytes, algae, invertebrates, and 

fish). 

During times when no LCR steelhead 

adults or redds are present, NEON 

would survey fish using three-pass 

backpack electrofishing with block nets 

placed at the upper and lower 

boundaries of each survey reach. The 

captured fish would be held in buckets 

of cool stream water, anesthetized with 

a eugenol solution, identified, 

photographed, measured, allowed to 

recover, and then released back to the 

stream. If any adult steelhead are 

encountered during electrofishing, 

NEON would immediately turn off the 

electrofishing unit, let the fish swim 

away, and halt surveys until the 

researchers determine through 

consultation with NMFS and the Gifford 

Pinchot National Forest that listed 

adults or redds are no longer present in 

the research area. Although NEON’s 

standardized fish survey protocols 

describe tissue sampling and 

vouchering fish specimens, NEON does 

not propose to tissue-sample or 

intentionally kill any O. mykiss at the 

Martha Creek research site. However, a 

small number of juvenile LCR steelhead 

may die as an unintended consequence 

of the activities. 

21330–4R 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(USFWS) is seeking to renew for 5 years 

a permit that currently allows them to 

annually take juvenile and adult PS 

Chinook salmon and steelhead while 

conducting research to document fish 

presence and abundance in Jim Creek in 

Snohomish County, Washington. The 

goal of this work is to provide data 

regarding fish distribution and 

abundance in Jim Creek to help the U.S. 

Navy refine their Integrated Natural 

Resources Management plan for Naval 

Radio Station Jim Creek. The Navy 

would then use this information to 

design and carry out habitat restoration 

for the benefit of the listed fish. 

The researchers propose to capture 

fish using backpack electrofishing; they 

would also conduct snorkel and 

spawning surveys. Any juvenile PS 

Chinook salmon or steelhead captured 

would be handled (weighed, measured, 

and checked for marks or tags) and 

released. Some juvenile steelhead may 

also be tissue-sampled (fin clip or 

opercule punch). The USFWS does not 

propose to kill any listed fish, but a 

small number may die as an unintended 

result of the research activities. 

22369–2M 

The NWFSC is seeking to modify a 

permit that currently allows them to 

annually take juvenile and adult PS 

Chinook salmon, PS steelhead, HCS 

chum salmon, OL sockeye salmon, SnkR 

fall-run Chinook salmon, SnkR spr/sum 

Chinook salmon, SnkR sockeye salmon, 

SnkR steelhead, UCR spring-run 

Chinook salmon, UCR steelhead, UWR 

Chinook salmon, MCR steelhead, LCR 

Chinook salmon, LCR coho salmon, LCR 

steelhead, CR chum salmon, OC coho 

salmon, SONCC coho salmon, CC 

Chinook salmon, SacR winter-run 

Chinook salmon, CV spring-run 

Chinook salmon, and SDPS green 

sturgeon. The researchers may also 

capture SDPS eulachon, a species for 

which there are currently no take 

prohibitions. The research involves 

using pop-up satellite tags and acoustic 

tags to identify the ocean distribution of 

salmonids off the coast of Washington 

and mouth of the Columbia River. The 

researchers wish to modify their permit 

by increasing the amount of take 

allowed for some of the species they 

may encounter. 

The primary goal of this project is to 

investigate nearshore behavior, 

distribution, and migration patterns, 

diet, growth rates, and habitat use 

among Chinook salmon, coho salmon, 

and steelhead. The researchers would 

also use tissue samples to determine the 

captured fishes’ genetic origins. The 

researchers propose to capture fish 

using hook-and-line angling. Coho, 

chum, and sockeye salmon, as well as 

eulachon and green sturgeon, would be 

handled (weighed, measured, and 

checked for marks or tags), and released. 

Chinook and steelhead would be 

anesthetized, tagged with PIT and 

internal acoustic tags, and have scale 

and tissue samples collected. A small 

subset of juvenile Chinook salmon and 

steelhead would be lethally sacrificed to 

collect diet, age, and growth 

information. Aside from this subset, the 

NWFSC does not propose to kill any 

other fish being captured as part of this 

project, though a small number may die 

as an unintended result of the research 

activities. 

23798 

Michael Rogner, Senior Restoration 

Ecologist at River Partners is seeking a 

new, 5 year research permit that would 

allow him to take juvenile SacR winterrun and CVS Chinook salmon, and CCC 

and CCV steelhead in the Sacramento 

River, CA. The project’s goal is to 

measure the effectiveness of an 

experimental approach to prolonging 

floodplain inundation for the purpose of 

maximizing growth and survival among 

outmigrating juvenile salmon. This 

research would benefit listed species by 

helping managers find new ways to 

convert floodplain areas throughout the 

Central Valley into habitat suitable for 

rearing juvenile salmon. Fish would be 

captured with fyke nets and 

anesthetized, measured, weighed, 

tagged, and tissue-sampled for genetic 

information. The researchers do not 

expect to kill any listed salmonids but 

a small number may die as an 

unintended result of the research 

activities. 

25839 

ICF Consulting is seeking a new, 5 

year research permit to annually take 

juvenile CCV spring-run Chinook and 

juvenile CCV steelhead in the Lower 

Yuba River. The purpose of this 

research is to quantify habitat 

productivity and juvenile salmonid 

growth in seasonally available habitats 

in the Lower Yuba River. The 

information would benefit listed fish by 

improve our understanding of how 


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juvenile salmonids use these habitats for 

rearing. The researchers would survey 

main channel, side-channel, and 

intermittently inundated gravel bar 

habitats and identify environmental 

factors underlying differences among 

the various sites. This information, in 

turn, would be used to evaluate some of 

the assumptions about juvenile 

salmonid growth and habitat suitability 

that currently guide scientific and 

restoration efforts—thus improving such 

efforts’ efficacy. 

The researchers would employ singlepass transect backpack electrofishing to 

capture salmonids. Fish would be 

anesthetized, measured, clipped, 

weighed, and photographed. While 

electrofishing collection efforts would 

target salmonids, the researchers also 

expect to encounter known salmonid 

predators (e.g., Sacramento 

Pikeminnow). Each captured predatory 

fish would be measured and released. 

The researchers do not expect to kill any 

listed salmonids but a small number 

may die as an unintended result of the 

research activities. 

25856 

Steve Zeug, Senior Scientist at Cramer 

Fish Sciences is seeking a new, 5 year 

research permit to take adult and 

juvenile CCV steelhead in the Stanislaus 

River. The project’s goal is to provide 

information on the river’s O. mykiss 

population: Annual growth rates, age 

and spatial structure, contribution of 

resident and anadromous parents to 

juvenile production, probability of 

juvenile outmigration, abundance and 

survival of downstream migrants, and 

timing, age, and size structure of 

outmigrating fish. This research would 

benefit listed steelhead by improving 

our fundamental understanding of 

Central Valley O. mykiss biology and 

ecology—information that would be 

used to better manage and conserve the 

species. 

The fish would be captured by 

backpack and raft electrofishing, hookand-line sampling, beach seines, fyke 

nets and rotary screw traps. Some fish 

would be anesthetized, measured, 

weighed, tagged, and tissue-sampled for 

genetic information. The researchers do 

not expect to kill any listed salmonids 

but a small number may die as an 

unintended result of the research 

activities. 

25965 

The ODFW is seeking a new, 5 year 

research permit to conduct research on 

hatchery salmon that may become 

infected with a harmful parasite 

(Ceratonova shasta) between their 

release into the Deschutes River 

(Oregon) and their arrival at the 

Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. 

The purpose of this research is to 

determine whether this parasitic 

infection is a causal mechanism related 

to poor smolt-to-adult return rates 

among non-listed hatchery Chinook 

salmon originating at the Round Butte 

hatchery on the Deschutes River. It 

would also indirectly inform the 

currently ongoing listed MCR steelhead 

reintroduction program on the 

Deschutes River. Both of these efforts 

would benefit listed salmonids by 

helping managers quantify the degree of 

adverse effect the parasite is having in 

the Deschutes and Columbia Rivers. 

Under this permit, PIT-tagged juvenile 

hatchery spring Chinook would be 

sampled at the Bonneville Dam juvenile 

bypass system. The sort-by-code system 

at the structure would be set to separate 

PIT-tagged Round Butte Hatchery spring 

Chinook from the rest of the 

outmigrating salmon as they move 

through the dam. The segregated fish 

would be diverted by watered pipe into 

a holding tank, transferred as quickly as 

possible to buckets of aerated fresh 

water, and passed through a PIT-tag 

reader to confirm their identity as target 

fish. The target fish (which are not listed 

under the ESA) would then be 

euthanized, but all captured ESA-listed 

fish would swiftly be transferred to the 

bypass release tank at the juvenile fish 

facility and returned to the river without 

anesthesia or further handling. No listed 

fish would be killed during the course 

of this research. 

26049 

Dr. Robert Lusardi, Research Ecologist 

at the Center for Watershed Sciences, 

University of California, Davis, is 

seeking a new, 5 year research permit to 

annually take juvenile SacR winter-run 

chinook and CCV steelhead in the 

Sacramento River, CA, below Keswick 

Dam. The project’s goal is to gather data 

on how different environmental 

variables affect juvenile steelhead 

growth in spring-fed, runoff, and 

regulated reaches of the Sacramento 

River. This research would benefit listed 

species by providing data to improve 

our understanding of the mechanisms 

affecting salmonid growth in different 

ecosystems across the landscape, but 

specifically those effects in regulated 

rivers below dams. 

The fish would be captured by 

minnow traps, beach seines, and hookand-line sampling. The majority of fish 

would be captured, handled and 

released without harm, but 25 juvenile 

CCV steelhead would be sacrificed each 

year in order to conduct otolith analysis. 

It is also possible that a very small 

number of juvenile SacR winter-run 

Chinook would die as an unintended 

consequence of the proposed action. 

26287 

The WDFW is seeking a new, 5 year 

research permit to sample for invasive 

European Green Crab (EGC) at several 

locations in the Puget Sound, along the 

Washington Coast, and in the Lower 

Columbia River estuary. Though the 

researchers would not target listed 

species, they may encounter juvenile PS 

Chinook salmon, PS steelhead, HCS 

chum salmon, OL sockeye salmon, SR 

fall-run Chinook salmon, SR spr/sum 

Chinook salmon, SRB steelhead, SR 

sockeye salmon, UCR spring-run 

Chinook salmon, UCR steelhead, UWR 

Chinook salmon, UWR steelhead, CR 

chum salmon, LCR Chinook salmon, 

LCR steelhead, and LCR coho salmon 

while conducting this work in the lower 

Columbia River. They may also 

encounter adult SDPS eulachon, a 

species for which there are currently no 

take prohibitions. The researchers 

would conduct this work in conjunction 

with the Northwest Straits Commission 

(under Permit 26352) and Washington 

Sea Grant (under Permit 26359). 

The goal of the research is to 

determine the extent of the threat posed 

by the EGC invasion in the in 

Washington State and, where possible, 

help mitigate it. The research would 

benefit listed species by monitoring, 

trapping, and removing individuals of 

an invasive species that is known to 

greatly damage eelgrass beds—an 

important habitat type upon which 

juvenile salmonids depend for rearing 

and food production. The researchers 

propose to use minnow traps, shrimp 

traps, and Fukui traps (and equivalent 

modifications of such traps) to capture 

the crabs. Trap configurations and 

locations would be adjusted to 

minimize the risk of encountering adult 

salmonids or hindering adult passage 

through main migration channels. The 

researchers do not propose to 

anesthetize, tag, sample, or kill any of 

the captured fish, but a small number 

may die as an unintended result of the 

trapping activities. 

26295 

Mount Hood Environmental is 

seeking a new, five-year research permit 

to conduct an inventory of all fish and 

their relative abundances in the Grande 

Ronde River in Eastern Oregon. The 

work would concentrate specifically on 

predators that may target listed 

salmonids. It is thought that such 

predators are a major source of listed 

salmonid mortality in the Grande Ronde 

subbasin. This research would help 


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determine if that is the case and, 

ultimately, help managers design 

actions (e.g., predator mitigation) to 

benefit the listed animals. 

The researchers would use backpack 

or boat-mounted electrofishing, fyke 

netting, seining, angling, and minnow 

trapping to perform the inventories in 

each study reach. Fyke and minnow 

traps would be deployed for several 

days and checked every 4–6 hours 

during the day. Electrofishing, beach 

seining, and angling would be take 

place in conjunction with the trapping 

efforts. All ESA-listed fish would be 

released immediately following capture 

and identification. If any of these fish 

exhibit sign of stress (gill flaring, loss of 

equilibrium, slow reaction to touch, 

etc.) they would be allowed to recover 

in a holding tank (or bucket) of aerated 

water before being released. The 

researchers do not intend to kill any of 

the fish being captured, but a small 

number may die as an unintended result 

of the activities. 

26331 

The ODFW is seeking a new, five-year 

research permit to implant acoustic tags 

in adult MCR steelhead at Bonneville 

Dam on the Columbia River and monitor 

the fishes’ subsequent migration 

patterns and routes. The fish would be 

taken and tagged as they pass through 

the Bonneville Dam adult fish facility. 

Captured adult steelhead would be 

anesthetized, held in an oxygenated, 

river-temperature tank, and implanted 

with an acoustic transmitter once they 

are fully anesthetized. Following their 

recovery from anesthesia, tagged adult 

steelhead would be released 

immediately upstream of the adult fish 

trap and allowed to proceed up the fish 

ladder to cross Bonneville Dam. The 

fish would then be tracked by acoustic 

receiver arrays in upstream reservoirs 

and dams and at a location near the 

confluence of the Columbia and John 

Day Rivers. 

The research is intended to generate 

information about adult MCR steelhead 

migration and, in particular, it is 

intended to help managers address the 

question of why so many steelhead that 

originate in the John Day River tend to 

swim past that river and continue up 

the Columbia River when they return as 

adults. Currently, approximately 60% of 

the returning steelhead overshoot the 

John Day River when they return as 

adults. If managers can figure out why 

that is the case and develop measures to 

reduce that percentage (i.e., help the fish 

find their way back to their spawning 

grounds), it could potentially greatly 

increase their survival and, therefore, 

improve spawning success and overall 

steelhead numbers in the John Day 

River. The researchers do not intend to 

kill any of the fish being tagged, but a 

small number may die as an inadvertent 

result of the capturing and tagging 

activities. 

26334 

Dr. Robert Lusardi, Research Ecologist 

at the Center for Watershed Sciences, 

University of California, Davis, is 

seeking a new, five-year research permit 

that would allow him to annually take 

juvenile CCC coho in the Walker Creek 

drainage, CA. The project’s goal is to 

study juvenile coho movement and 

characterize how they use oversummering habitat in the drainage. This 

research would benefit CCC coho by 

providing data on habitat use and 

outmigration timing—information that 

would be used to inform habitat 

restoration and species recovery efforts. 

The fish would be dip-netted and 

observed during snorkel surveys. Some 

of the captured fish would be 

anesthetized, measured, weighed, PIT 

tagged, and tissue-sampled for genetic 

information. The researchers do not 

expect to kill any listed salmonids but 

a small number may die as an 

unintended result of the research 

activities. 

26352 

The Northwest Straits Commission is 

seeking a new, five-year research permit 

that would allow them to interact with 

listed fish while capturing, monitoring, 

and removing EGCs at multiple 

locations in the North Puget Sound, 

Washington. Though the researchers 

would not target listed species, they 

may encounter adult and juvenile PS 

Chinook and PS steelhead. The 

researchers would conduct this work in 

conjunction with the WDFW (under 

Permit 26287) and Washington Sea 

Grant (under Permit 26359). 

The goal of the research is to 

determine the extent of the threat posed 

by the EGC invasion in the North Puget 

Sound in Washington State and, where 

possible, help mitigate it. The research 

would benefit listed species by 

monitoring, trapping, and removing 

individuals of an invasive species that 

is known to greatly damage eelgrass 

beds—an important habitat type upon 

which juvenile salmonids depend for 

rearing and food production. The 

researchers propose to use minnow 

traps, shrimp traps, and Fukui traps 

(and equivalent modifications of such 

traps) to capture the crabs. Trap 

configurations and locations would be 

adjusted to minimize the risk of 

encountering adult salmonids or 

hindering adult passage through main 

migration channels. The researchers do 

not propose to anesthetize, tag, sample, 

or kill any of the captured fish, but a 

small number may die as an unintended 

result of the trapping activities. 

26359 

Washington Sea Grant (WSG) is 

seeking a new, five-year research permit 

that would allow them to interact with 

listed fish while capturing, monitoring, 

and removing EGCs at several locations 

in Puget Sound and along the coast of 

Washington. Though the researchers 

would not target listed species, they 

may encounter adult and juvenile PS 

Chinook and PS steelhead, HCS chum, 

OL sockeye, and SDPS green sturgeon 

while sampling and removing the 

invasive crabs. The researchers may also 

encounter adult and juvenile SDPS 

eulachon, a species for which there are 

currently no take prohibitions. The 

WSG researchers would carry out this 

work in conjunction with the WDFW 

(under permit 26287) and the Northwest 

Straits Commission (under permit 

26352). 

The goal of the research is to 

determine the extent of the threat posed 

by the EGC invasion in Washington 

State and, where possible, help mitigate 

it. The research would benefit listed 

species by monitoring, trapping, and 

removing individuals of an invasive 

species that is known to greatly damage 

eelgrass beds—an important habitat type 

upon which juvenile salmonids depend 

for rearing and food production. 

The researchers propose to use 

minnow traps, shrimp traps, and Fukui 

traps (and equivalent modifications of 

such traps) to capture the crabs. Trap 

configurations and locations would be 

adjusted to minimize the risk of 

encountering adult salmonids or 

hindering adult passage through main 

migration channels. All listed animals 

that may be captured would be handled 

only long enough to identify them to 

species. They would then swiftly be 

removed from the trap and released. The 

researchers do not propose to 

anesthetize, tag, sample, or kill any of 

the captured fish, but a small number 

may die as an unintended result of the 

trapping activities. 

26398 

The South Puget Sound Salmon 

Enhancement Group (SPSSEG) is 

seeking a new, 5 year research permit 

that would allow them to annually take 

adult and juvenile PS Chinook salmon, 

PS steelhead, and HCS chum salmon 

while conducting research designed to 

help plan and monitor habitat 

restoration projects in several 

watersheds that drain into central and 


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southern Puget Sound. The goals of this 

work are to (1) identify potential 

restoration sites based on fish presence, 

(2) investigate options to improve 

restoration design at planned sites, and 

(3) record and evaluate changes in 

salmon and steelhead population 

characteristics in response to estuarine 

habitat restoration actions. 

The researchers propose to capture 

juvenile fish using electrofishing, 

minnow traps, beach seines, and hook 

and line sampling. Juvenile salmon and 

steelhead would be handled 

(anesthetized, weighed, measured, and 

checked for marks or tags), and released. 

A subset of juvenile salmon and 

steelhead may be PIT-tagged and have 

their stomach contents non-lethally 

sampled via gastric lavage. No adult fish 

would be targeted for sampling, though 

some may be unintentionally captured 

in juvenile sampling gear. The 

researchers do not propose to kill any 

fish at all but some may die as an 

unintended 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. 

Dated: February 10, 2022. 

Angela Somma, 

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office 

of Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–03296 Filed 2–15–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Hydrographic Services Review Panel 

Meeting for March 9–10, 2022 

AGENCY: Office of Coast Survey (OCS), 

National Ocean Service (NOS), National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), Department of 

Commerce (DOC). 

ACTION: Announcement for open public 

meeting and notice of request for public 

comments. 

SUMMARY: Notice of a virtual public 

meeting for the NOAA Hydrographic 

Services Review Panel (HSRP) on March 

9, 2022, 12:45–5:30 p.m. EST, and 

March 10, 2022, 1 p.m.–5:30 p.m. EST 

via webinar. The HSRP agenda will be 

posted in advance on the HSRP website. 

Individuals or groups who want to 

comment on NOAA navigation services 

topics are encouraged to submit advance 

public comments and letters via email 

or via the question function in the 

webinar. 

DATES: NOAA HSRP public virtual 

meeting will meet via webinar as 

follows: 

1. March 9, 2022, 12:45–5:30 p.m., EST 

2. March 10, 2022, 1 p.m.–5:30 p.m., 

EST 

ADDRESSES: You may submit public 

comments identified by ‘‘March 2022 

HSRP meeting public comments’’ in the 

subject line of the message in advance 

of the meeting or request to be added to 

the meeting announcements list by 

sending an email request to: Virginia.

Dentler@noaa.gov, Melanie.Colantuno@

noaa.gov, and hydroservices.panel@

noaa.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lynne Mersfelder-Lewis, HSRP program 

manager, Office of Coast Survey, NOS, 

NOAA, email: hydroservices.panel@

noaa.gov, Lynne.Mersfelder@noaa.gov, 

phone: 240–533–0064. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

webinar advance registration is at: 

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/ 

register/4379173811123072784. The 

HSRP meeting agenda, draft meeting 

documents, presentations, and 

background materials are posted and 

updated online which can be 

downloaded prior to the meeting at: 

https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/ 

hsrp/hsrp.html and https://

www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/hsrp/ 

meetings.html. 

The agenda, speakers, and time are 

subject to change; please refer to these 

websites for the most updated 

information. Past HSRP 

recommendation letters, issue and 

position papers are located online at: 

https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/ 

hsrp/recommendations.html. 

Public comments are encouraged and 

requested in advance and during the 

meeting on the navigation, observations, 

and positioning data, products, and 

services for NOS’ Center for Operational 

Oceanographic Products and Services, 

National Geodetic Survey, Office of 

Coast Survey, and the University of New 

Hampshire’s and NOAA’s Joint 

Hydrographic Center (JHC) and the 

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping. 

Written statements received in advance 

of the meeting will be shared with the 

HSRP members, on the meeting website, 

and in the meeting public record. Due 

to the condensed nature of the meeting, 

each individual or group providing 

public comments will be limited to one 

comment of three minutes per public 

comment period with no repetition of 

previous comments. Comments can also 

be submitted in writing during the 

public comment portion of the webinar. 

Comments will be read into the record 

as time allows as well as transcribed 

and become part of the meeting record. 

Due to time constraints, all comments 

may not be addressed during the 

meeting. 

The HSRP is a Federal Advisory 

Committee established to advise the 

Under Secretary of Commerce for 

Oceans and Atmosphere, the NOAA 

Administrator, on matters related to the 

responsibilities and authorities set forth 

in section 303 of the Hydrographic 

Services Improvement Act of 1998, as 

amended, and such other appropriate 

matters that the Under Secretary refers 

to the Panel for review and advice. 

Matters To Be Considered 

The panel is convening on issues 

relevant to NOAA’s navigation, 

observations and positioning services 

and suggestions for improvements, 

including: Data sharing and data 

licensing especially for bathymetry to 

use for ocean mapping, charts, 

modeling, and other NOAA products; 

bridge heights, datums, and air gap 

sensors to address safe navigation and 

the possible technology solutions from 

the transition to the new National 

Spatial Reference System (NSRS); and a 

discussion about the changes to raster 

paper charts and the improvements to 

Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC). 

HSRP regularly discusses stakeholder 

use of NOAA’s navigation, observations 

and positioning data, products and 

services, and topics related to 

hydrographic surveys, nautical charting, 

coastal shoreline and ocean mapping, 

the NSRS modernization efforts, 

navigation services contributions to 

resilience and coastal data and 

information systems to support 

planning for resilience to climate 

change and sea level rise, contributions 

to the blue economy, coastal and ocean 

modeling and remote sensing, PORTS®

(Physical Oceanographic Real-Time 

System) sensor enhancements and 

expansion, Precision Marine Navigation, 

the transition from raster paper charts to 

ENC, the scientific mapping and 

technology research projects of the 

cooperative agreements between NOAA 

and partners at the University of New 

Hampshire and the University of 

Southern Florida, and other topics. The 

meeting may include an update on the 

plans to address and implement two 

ocean and coastal mapping strategies— 


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