EPA's Vessel General Permit and Small Vessel General

1996). However, the decline in productivity from 2003 to 2006, despite generally favorable
marine survival conditions and low harvest rates, is of concern (73 FR 7816).
Critical Habitat
NMFS designated critical habitat for Oregon Coast coho on February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7816).
The designation includes 72 of 80 watersheds occupied by Oregon Coast coho salmon, and totals
about 6,600 stream miles including all or portions of the Nehalem, Nestucca/Trask, Yaguina,
Alsea, Umpqua and Coquille basins. These areas are essential for feeding, migration, spawning,
and rearing. The specific primary constituent elements include: spawning sites with water and
substrate quantity to support spawning, incubation, and larval development; freshwater rearing
sites with water quantity and floodplain connectivity to form and maintain physical habitat
conditions and support juvenile growth, foraging, behavioral development (e.g., predator
avoidance, competition), and mobility; freshwater migratory corridors free of obstruction with
adequate water quantity and quality conditions; and estuarine, nearshore and offshore areas free
of obstruction with adequate water quantity, quality and salinity conditions that support
physiological transitions between fresh- and saltwater, predator avoidance, foraging and other
life history behaviors.
Final Protective Regulations
ESA section 4(d) regulations for Oregon Coast coho were originally proposed on December 30,
1999 (64 FR 73479). These regulations for Oregon Coast coho were invalidated when the
underlying listing was vacated in 2001. In 2004 NMFS proposed to again list Oregon Coast
coho and to reinstate the 4(d) regulations. In the final rule, published February 11, 2008 (73 FR
7816), NMFS applied the 4(d) protective regulations adopted for other Pacific salmonids, as
amended in June 2005 (70 FR 37160), to the Oregon Coast coho ESU. The final rule is
substantially the same as that proposed in 1999.
Sockeye Salmon
Description of the Species
Sockeye salmon are the second most abundant of the seven Pacific salmon species, and occur in
the North Pacific and Arctic oceans and associated freshwater systems. This species ranges
south as far as the Sacramento River in California and northern Hokkaido in Japan, to as far
north as far as Bathurst Inlet in the Canadian Arctic and the Anadyr River in Siberia (Burgner
1991). The largest populations, and hence the most important commercial populations, occur
north of the Columbia River.
The majority of sockeye salmon are anadromous fish that make use of lacustrine habitat for
juvenile rearing. Sockeye salmon also have a wholly freshwater life history form, called
kokanee (Burgner 1991). In some cases a single population will give rise to both the
anadromous and freshwater life history form. While in fresh water juveniles of both life history
types prey primarily upon insects. In coastal lakes, where the migration to sea is relatively short
and energetic costs are minimal, kokanee populations are rare.
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