Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Designation of Critical Habitat for Four Vernal Pool Crustaceans and Eleven Vernal Pool Plants in California and Southern Oregon; Evaluation of Economic Exclusions From August 2003 Final Designation

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have re-evaluated the economic exclusions made to our previous final rule (68 FR 46683; August 6, 2003), which designated critical habitat pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), for 4 vernal pool crustaceans and 11 vernal pool plants. A total of approximately 858,846 acres (ac) (347,563 hectares (ha)) of land are now designated critical habitat. This reflects exclusion of lands from the final designation for economic reasons, pursuant to section 4(b)(2) of the Act. This designation also reflects the lands previously confirmed for exclusion under 4(b)(2) of the Act for non-economic reasons (70 FR 11140; March 8, 2005). The non-economic exclusions include the boundaries of various Habitat Conservation Plans, National Wildlife Refuges and National fish hatchery lands (33,097 ac (13,394 ha)), State lands within ecological reserves and wildlife management areas (20,933 ac (8,471 ha)), Department of Defense lands within Beale and Travis Air Force Bases as well as Fort Hunter Liggett and Camp Roberts Army installations (64,259 ac (26,005 ha)), Tribal lands managed by the Mechoopda Tribe (644 ac (261 ha)), and the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve (10,200 ac (4,128 ha)) from the final designation.