[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 18 (Wednesday, January 28, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 4212]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2074]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 226

[I.D. No. 101097A]


Designated Critical Habitat; Central California Coast and 
Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast Coho Salmon

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is reopening the public comment period on proposed 
regulations to designate critical habitat for Central California Coast 
and Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast coho salmon (Oncorhynchus 
kisutch). These proposals were made on November 25, 1997, under 
provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). NMFS has 
received several requests for additional time to complete the review 
and compilation of information. NMFS finds the requests to be 
reasonable and hereby reopens the comment period until April 26, 1998.

DATES: Comments on the proposed rule must be received on or before 
April 26, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to: Garth Griffin, NMFS, Protected 
Resources Division, 525 NE Oregon St. - Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-
2737; or Craig Wingert, NMFS, Southwest Region, Protected Species 
Management Division, 501 W. Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 
90802-4213.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Garth Griffin at (503) 231-2005, Craig 
Wingert at (562) 980-4021, or Joe Blum at (301) 713-1401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On October 31, 1996, NMFS published its determination to list the 
Central California Coast Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) of coho 
salmon as threatened under the ESA (61 FR 41514). Subsequently, on May 
6, 1997, NMFS published its determination to list the Southern Oregon/
Northern California Coast coho salmon ESU as threatened under the ESA 
(62 FR 24588). On November 25, 1997 (62 FR 62741), NMFS published a 
proposed rule identifying critical habitat for each ESU and identified 
a 90-day comment period (which ends January 26, 1998) to solicit 
information relevant to the proposal. During the comment period, three 
public hearings were held between December 8-11, 1997 in Gold Beach, 
Oregon; Eureka, California; and Santa Rosa, California.
    Requests for an extension of the public comment period have been 
received from a California Congressional representative, as well as 
several county and private organizations and private citizens in 
northern California and southern Oregon. Reasons given for these 
requests included additional time required under state law to assemble 
county governments for a review of the proposal, and time needed to 
assess the scope and impact of the proposed rule. NMFS finds the 
requests to be reasonable and hereby reopens the comment period.
    Critical habitat is defined as the specific areas within the 
geographical area occupied by the species, on which are found those 
physical and biological features essential to the conservation of the 
species and which may require special management considerations or 
protections (ESA section 3(5)(A)(I)). Critical habitat shall not 
include the entire geographical area occupied by the species unless 
failure to designate such areas would result in the extinction of the 
species.
    Proposed critical habitat for the Central California Coast ESU 
encompasses accessible reaches of all rivers (including estuarine areas 
and tributaries) between Punta Gorda and the San Lorenzo River 
(inclusive) in California. Also included are two rivers entering San 
Francisco Bay: Mill Valley Creek and Corte Madera Creek. Proposed 
critical habitat for the Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast ESU 
encompasses accessible reaches of all rivers (including estuarine areas 
and tributaries) between the Mattole River in California and the Elk 
River in Oregon, inclusive.
    The areas described in the proposed rule represent the current 
freshwater and estuarine range of the listed species. Marine habitats 
are also vital to the species and ocean conditions are believed to have 
a major influence on coho salmon survival. However, there does not 
appear to be a need for special management consideration or protection 
of this habitat. Therefore, NMFS is not proposing to designate critical 
habitat in marine areas at this time. For both ESUs, critical habitat 
includes all waterways, substrate, and adjacent riparian zones below 
longstanding, naturally impassable barriers (i.e., natural waterfalls 
in existence for at least several hundred years). NMFS has identified 
twelve dams in the range of these ESUs (see proposed rule) that 
currently block access to habitats historically occupied by coho 
salmon. However, NMFS has not designated these inaccessible areas as 
critical habitat because areas downstream are believed to be sufficient 
for the conservation of the ESUs. The economic and other impacts 
resulting from this critical habitat designation are expected to be 
minimal.
    NMFS is soliciting information, comments and/or recommendations on 
any aspect of this proposal from all concerned parties (see ADDRESSES); 
comments must be received by April 26, 1998. In particular, NMFS is 
requesting any data, maps, or reports describing areas that currently 
or historically supported coho salmon populations and that may require 
special management considerations. NMFS will consider all information 
received before reaching a final decision.

    Date: January 22, 1998.
Patricia A. Montanio,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-2074 Filed 1-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F