Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Quino Checkerspot Butterfly (Euphydryas editha quino)

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), designate critical habitat for the Quino checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha quino) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). A total of approximately 69,440 hectares (ha) (171,605 acres (ac)) in Riverside and San Diego Counties, California, are designated as critical habitat for the Quino checkerspot butterfly. Critical habitat identifies specific areas, both occupied and unoccupied, that are essential to the conservation of a listed species and that may require special management considerations or protection. The primary constituent elements for the Quino checkerspot butterfly are those habitat components that are essential for the Quino checkerspot butterfly. All areas designated as critical habitat for the Quino checkerspot butterfly contain one or more of the primary constituent elements essential to the conservation of the species. This final rule takes into consideration the potential economic and other effects of designating critical habitat for the Quino checkerspot butterfly. We solicited data and comments from the public on all aspects of the proposed rule and draft economic analysis. We revised the proposal and the draft economic analysis to incorporate or address new information received from habitat and butterfly surveys conducted during the 2001 butterfly flight season; public comments on the proposed critical habitat designation and the draft economic analysis on the proposed designation; the Quino Checkerspot Butterfly Recovery Plan (Service, in prep.); and any new scientific and commercial information made available since the proposal was published.