Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Emergency Rule To List the Santa Barbara County Distinct Population of the California Tiger Salamander as Endangered

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), exercise our authority to emergency list the Santa Barbara County Distinct Vertebrate Population Segment (DPS) of California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense), as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Of 14 documented breeding sites and associated uplands, half have been destroyed or have suffered severe degradation in the last 18 months. Plans to convert additional sites from grazing to intensive agriculture are being developed and implemented. Because these losses and planned conversions constitute an emergency posing a significant and imminent risk to the well-being of the Santa Barbara County DPS of the California tiger salamander, we find that emergency listing is necessary. This emergency rule provides Federal protection pursuant to the Act for a period of 240 days. A proposed rule to list the Santa Barbara County DPS of the California tiger salamander is published concurrently with this emergency rule, in this same issue of the Federal Register in the proposed rule section.