[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 29, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 29089]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13432]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 051801E]
Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comment.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife (WDFW) has submitted a Fisheries Management and Evaluation
Plan (FMEP) pursuant to the protective regulations promulgated for
Lower Columbia River (LCR) chinook salmon, LCR steelhead and LCR chum
salmon under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The FMEP specifies the
future management of inland recreational fisheries potentially
affecting the LCR chinook salmon, LCR steelhead, and LCR chum salmon in
the State of Washington. This document serves to notify the public of
the availability of the FMEP for review and comment before a final
approval or disapproval is made by NMFS.
DATES: Written comments on the draft FMEP must be received no later
than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on June 28, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests for copies of the draft FMEP
should be addressed to Richard Turner, Sustainable Fisheries Division,
Hatchery and Inland Fisheries Branch, 525 N.E. Oregon Street, Suite
510, Portland, OR 97232 or faxed to 503-872-2737. The documents are
also available on the Internet at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/. Comments
will not be accepted if submitted via e-mail or the Internet.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Turner, Portland, OR at phone
number 503-736-4737 or e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is relevant to the Lower
Columbia River chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Lower
Columbia River steelhead (O. mykiss), and Lower Columbia River chum
salmon (O. nerka) Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESU).
Background
WDFW has submitted to NMFS an FMEP for inland recreational
fisheries potentially affecting listed adults and juveniles of the LCR
ESUs. These include fisheries occurring in the Washington tributaries
of the Columbia River from the mouth at the Pacific Ocean upstream to
the White Salmon River. The objective of the FMEP is to harvest known,
hatchery-origin chinook and steelhead, natural and hatchery fall
chinook and other fish species in a manner that does not jeopardize the
survival and recovery of the listed LCR ESUs. All spring chinook and
steelhead fisheries included in this FMEP will be managed such that
only hatchery-produced adult spring chinook and steelhead that are
adipose fin clipped may be retained. The tributary fisheries for fall
chinook salmon will be managed to meet natural and hatchery escapements
and limited by total impacts from all fisheries including those that
occur in the Pacific Ocean and mainstem Columbia River. Impact levels
to the listed LCR ESUs are specified in the FMEP. Risk assessments in
the FMEP indicate the extinction risk for the listed ESUs under the
proposed fishery impact levels to be low. A variety of monitoring and
evaluation tasks are specified in the FMEP to assess the abundance of
chinook salmon, steelhead and chum salmon; determine fishery effort and
catch of chinook salmon and steelhead; and angler compliance. WDFW will
annually conduct a review of fisheries compliance with the provisions
of the FMEP. WDFW will conduct, at a minimum of every 5 years, a
comprehensive review to evaluate the effectiveness of the FMEP.
As specified in July 10, 2000 ESA 4(d) rule for salmon and
steelhead (65 FR 42422), NMFS may approve an FMEP if it meets criteria
set forth in Sec. 223.203 (b)(4)(i)(A) through (I). Prior to final
approval of an FMEP, NMFS must publish notification announcing its
availability for public review and comment.
Authority
Under section 4 of the ESA, the Secretary of Commerce is required
to adopt such regulations as he deems necessary and advisable for the
conservation of species listed as threatened. The ESA salmon and
steelhead 4(d) rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000) specifies categories
of activities that contribute to the conservation of listed salmonids
and sets out the criteria for such activities. The rule further
provides that the prohibitions of paragraph (a) of the rule do not
apply to activities associated with fishery harvest provided that an
FMEP has been approved by NMFS to be in accordance with the salmon and
steelhead 4(d) rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000).
Dated: May 23, 2001.
Phil Williams,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-13432 Filed 5-25-01; 8:45 am]
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