Availability of an Environmental Assessment and Receipt of an Application for an Endangered Species Act Incidental Take Permit for the California Department of Fish and Game's Striped Bass Management Program Conservation Plan, for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Estuary, and Delta Rivers

Résumé

This notice advises the public that the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) has applied to NMFS and FWS (the Services) for incidental take permits pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The application requests that FWS authorize incidental take of the delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus), and the giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas), all federally listed as threatened, during the implementation of the Striped Bass Management Program (SBMP). The application also requests that NMFS authorize incidental take of the Sacramento River winter-run chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), federally listed as endangered, Central Valley spring-run chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), federally listed as threatened, and the Central Valley steelhead (O. mykiss), federally listed as threatened, during the implementation of the SBMP. The proposed NMFS permit also would authorize future incidental take of the Central Valley fall/late fall-run chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) should this species become listed under the Act. The permits would be in effect for 10 years. The Services also a