Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Carolina Heelsplitter

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), designate critical habitat for the Carolina heelsplitter (Lasmigona decorata), a freshwater mussel, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The areas designated as critical habitat for the Carolina heelsplitter total approximately 148.4 kilometers (92.2 miles) of streams, including portions of three creeks in North Carolina and one river and six creeks in South Carolina. Critical habitat identifies specific areas that are essential to the conservation of a listed species and that may require special management considerations or protection. Section 7(a)(2) of the Act requires that each Federal agency shall, in consultation with the Service, insure that any action authorized, funded or carried out by such agency is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of an endangered or threatened species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat. Section 4 of the Act requires us to consider economic and other relevant impacts of specifying any particular area as critical habitat. We solicited data and comments from the public on all aspects of this proposal, including data on economic and other impacts of the designation.