[Federal Register: March 5, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 43)]
[Notices]
[Page 13293-13294]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05mr01-37]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D.022601C]
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: The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Puget
Sound Treaty Tribes submitted a jointly developed Resource Management
Plan (RMP) pursuant to the protective regulations promulgated for Puget
Sound chinook salmon under section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act
(ESA). The RMP specifies the future management of commercial,
recreational and tribal salmon fisheries potentially affecting listed
Puget Sound chinook salmon. This document serves to notify the public
of the availability for comment of the proposed evaluation of the
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) as to how the RMP addresses the
criteria in the ESA.
DATES: Written comments on the Secretary's proposed evaluation must be
received at the appropriate address or fax number (see ADDRESSES) no
later than 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on March 26, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests for copies of the evaluation
should be addressed to Susan Bishop, Sustainable Fisheries Division,
National Marine Fisheries Service, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle,
Washington 98115-0070. Comments may also be sent via fax to 206/526-
6736. The document is also available on the Internet at http://
www.nwr.noaa.gov/, Sustainable Fisheries Division site. Comments will
not be accepted if submitted via e-mail or the internet.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Bishop at phone number: 206/526-
4587, or e-mail: susan.bishop@noaa.gov regarding the RMP.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is relevant to the Puget Sound
chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Evolutionarily Significant
Unit (ESU).
Background
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Puget Sound
Treaty Tribes have provided a jointly
[[Page 13294]]
developed RMP for Puget Sound chinook. The RMP encompasses fisheries
within the range of the Puget Sound chinook salmon ESU, as well as the
western Strait of Juan de Fuca, which is not within the ESU. Harvest
objectives specified in the RMP account for fisheries-related mortality
throughout the migratory range of Puget Sound chinook from Oregon and
Washington to Southeast Alaska. The RMP also includes implementation,
monitoring and evaluation procedures designed to ensure fisheries are
consistent with these objectives.
As required by Sec. 223.203 (b)(6) of the ESA 4(d) rule, the
Secretary must determine pursuant to 50 CFR 223.209 and pursuant to the
government to government processes therein whether the RMP for Puget
Sound chinook would appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and
recovery of the Puget Sound chinook and other affected threatened ESUs.
The Secretary must take comments on how the RMP addresses the criteria
in Sec. 223.203(b)(4) in making that determination.
Authority
Under section 4 of the ESA, the Secretary is required to adopt such
regulations as he deems necessary and advisable for the conservation of
the 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 actions
undertaken in compliance with a RMP developed jointly by the State of
Washington and the Tribes (joint plan) and determined by the Secretary
to be in accordance with the salmon and steelhead 4(d) rule (65 FR
42422, July 10, 2000).
Dated: February 27, 2001.
Phil Williams,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-5259 Filed 3-2-01; 8:45 am]
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