Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for Five Carbonate Plants From the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California

Pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are designating critical habitat for five plants endemic (restricted) primarily to carbonate-derived soils in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California. Four of the plants, Astragalus albens (Cushenbury milk-vetch), Eriogonum ovalifolium var. vineum (Cushenbury buckwheat), Lesquerella kingii ssp. bernardina (San Bernardino Mountains bladderpod), and Oxytheca parishii var. goodmaniana (Cushenbury oxytheca) are federally listed as endangered and one plant, Erigeron parishii (Parish's daisy), is federally listed as threatened. The following total area is designated as critical habitat for each of the following plants in San Bernardino County, California: A. albens, approximately 1,765 hectares (ha) (4,365 acres (ac)); Erigeron parishii, approximately 1,790 ha (4,420 ac); Eriogonum ovalifolium var. vineum, approximately 2,815 ha (6,955 ac); L. kingii ssp. bernardina, approximately 415 ha (1,025 ac); and O. parishii var. goodmaniana, approximately 1,275 ha (3,150 ac). Because of the considerable overlap of the areas designated as critical habitat for each of the five carbonate plants, the total area being designated as critical habitat is approximately 5,335 ha (13,180 ac). Federal agencies proposing, authorizing, or funding actions that may affect the areas designated as critical habitat must consult with us on the effects of the proposed actions pursuant to section 7(a)(2) of the Act.