Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for Ceanothus ophiochilus (Vail Lake ceanothus) and Fremontodendron mexicanum (Mexican flannelbush)

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are designating critical habitat for Ceanothus ophiochilus (Vail Lake ceanothus) and Fremontodendron mexicanum (Mexican flannelbush) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 431 acres (ac) (175 hectares (ha)) of federally-owned land fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation for these two species. Approximately 203 ac (82 ha) of land in Riverside County, California, are being designated as critical habitat for C. ophiochilus, and approximately 228 ac (93 ha) of land in San Diego County, California, are being designated as critical habitat for F. mexicanum. Of the approximately 283 ac (115 ha) proposed for designation for C. ophiochilus, approximately 80 ac (33 ha) of privately-owned land covered by the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) have been excluded from critical habitat for C. ophiochilus under section 4(b)(2) of the Act. Of the approximately 361 ac (147 ha) proposed for designation for F. mexicanum, approximately 133 ac (54 ha) of privately-owned land covered by the San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Plan (MSCP) have been excluded from critical habitat for F. mexicanum under section 4(b)(2) of the Act.