1) If your activities will involve equipment (e.g., scientific instruments) or techniques
that are new, untested,or otherwise have unknown or uncertain impacts on the biological or physical environment , please discuss
the degree to which they are likely to be adopted by others for similar activities or applied more broadly.
All techniques are common fisheries techniques and if used properly have great success at safely catching fish.
2) If your activities involve collecting, handling, or transporting potentially infectious
agents or pathogens (e.g., biological specimens such as live animals or blood), or using or transporting hazardous substances
(e.g., toxic chemicals), provide a description of the protocols you will use to ensure public health and human safety are not
adversely affected, such as by spread of zoonotic diseases or contamination of food or water supplies.
Past activities have occurred within a 20 mile stretch of river that is well boated and is currently not positive for zebra/Quagga mussels. Fish collection and transport gear along with personal equipment (i.e., waders, dry suits, etc) for this monitoring effort is only used on the Restoration Area of the San Joaquin River and is decontaminated after use. Acetic acid is used to clean live holds and bilges in boats and transport tanks.
3) Describe the physical characteristics of your project location,
including whether you will be working in or near unique geographic areas such as state or National Marine
Sanctuaries, Marine Protected Areas, Parks or Wilderness Areas, Wildlife Refuges, Wild and Scenic Rivers,
designated Critical Habitat for endangered or threatened species, Essential Fish Habitat, etc. Discuss
how your activities could impact the physical environment, such as by direct alteration of substrate during
use of bottom trawls, setting nets, anchoring vessels or buoys, erecting blinds or other structures, or ingress
and egress of researchers, and measures you will take to minimize these impacts.
Please refer to the 2014 SJRRP Steelhead Monitoring Plan Report for details on the study area. While the San Joaquin River is designated as Essential Fish Habitat (EFH), the proposed action would not have any effects on EFH. The proposed action would not adversely affect the study area, and access to study sites would be through existing access routes, and will implement the SJRRP Conservation Strategies as described in the SJRRP Final PEIS/R to avoid adverse impacts to habitats.
4) Briefly describe important scientific, cultural, or historic resources
(e.g., archeological resources, animals used for subsistence, sites listed in or eligible for listing in the National
Register of Historic Places) in your project area and discuss measures you will take to ensure your work does not
cause loss or destruction of such resources. If your activity will target marine mammals in Alaska or Washington,
discuss measures you will take to ensure your project does not adversely affect the availability (e.g., distribution,
abundance) or suitability (e.g., food safety) of these animals for subsistence uses.
The proposed action does not have the potential to impact any scientific, cultural or historic resources.
5) Discuss whether your project involves activities known or suspected of introducing
or spreading invasive species, intentionally or not, (e.g., transporting animals or tissues, discharging ballast water, use
of equipment at multiple sites). Describe measures you would take to prevent the possible introduction or spread of non-indigenous
or invasive species, including plants, animals, microbes, or other biological agents.
The proposed action would not involve the potential to spread or introduce invasive species. All monitoring is performed in a relatively small distance on a flowing river. Natural dispersal of organisms may occur with in these small reaches as they are not isolated. Fish collection and transport gear along with personal equipment (i.e., waders, dry suits, etc) for this monitoring effort is only used on the Restoration Area of the San Joaquin River and is decontaminated after use. Acetic acid is used to clean live holds and bilges in boats and transport tanks.
