[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 141 (Monday, July 25, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44086-44087]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15861]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XC178]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Notice of determination for a Tribal Resource Management Plan.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the NMFS made a determination on 
the Tribal Resource Management Plan (Tribal Plan) submitted by the 
Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) on behalf of the 
Northwest Indian Tribes; the submission fulfills the Tribes' 
obligations under the protective regulations promulgated for Puget 
Sound (PS) Chinook salmon, Hood Canal summer-run (HCS) chum salmon, PS 
steelhead, and Southern (S) eulachon under the Endangered Species Act 
(ESA). The Tribal Plan describes research and assessment activities 
that may affect listed PS Chinook salmon, HCS chum salmon, PS 
steelhead, and S eulachon in Washington State. The research included in 
the Tribal plan is intended to increase knowledge of species listed 
under the ESA and to help guide management and conservation efforts. 
NMFS completed a proposed evaluation of how well the Tribal Plan 
fulfills ESA criteria, and the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) made 
the proposed evaluation available for public comment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shivonne Nesbit, Portland, OR (Ph: 
503-231-6741, email: [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following listed species are covered in this notice:
    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Threatened Puget Sound 
(PS).
    Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened Hood Canal Summer-run (HCS).
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened (PS).
    Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus): Threatened southern distinct 
population segment (SDPS).

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 Tribal 4(d) rule (70 FR 
37160; June 28, 2005) states that the ESA section 9 take prohibitions 
do not apply to Tribal Plans that will not appreciably reduce the 
likelihood of survival and recovery for the listed species.

Summary of Comments Received

    NMFS published notice of its proposed evaluation on the Tribal Plan 
April 11, 2022 (84 FR 33062). The proposed evaluation was available for 
public review and comment for 30 days. No comments were received.

The Tribal Plan

    The NWIFC--through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and on behalf of 
the Northwest Indian Tribes--submitted a Tribal Plan for scientific 
research and assessment activities within the range of the PS Chinook 
salmon, HCS chum salmon, PS steelhead, and SDPS eulachon. The Northwest 
Indian Tribes conduct, independently and in cooperation with other 
agencies, a variety of research and assessment projects. These projects 
provide the technical basis for managing fisheries and conserving and 
restoring salmon stocks and their habitat. The need for an improved 
understanding of salmonid survival in the freshwater and early marine 
life stages drives much of the current research. The Tribal Plan 
includes implementation, monitoring, and evaluation procedures designed 
to ensure that the research is consistent with the objectives of the 
ESA. The research activities described in the Tribal Plan would take 
place over a 5 year period starting in 2022.
    As 50 CFR 223.209 requires, the Secretary must determine whether 
the activities proposed in the Tribal Plan would appreciably reduce the 
likelihood of survival and recovery for PS Chinook salmon, HCS chum 
salmon, PS steelhead, and SDPS eulachon. NMFS' final determination is 
that the Tribal Plan will not appreciably reduce the listed species' 
likelihood of survival

[[Page 44087]]

and recovery. This determination is consistent with NMFS' obligation to 
conserve listed species under the ESA and to meet trust obligations to 
Indian Tribes. The Tribal Plan would sufficiently conserve the listed 
species and therefore take prohibitions would not apply to the research 
activities governed by the Tribal Plan.

    Dated: July 20, 2022.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-15861 Filed 7-22-22; 8:45 am]
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