Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Whether Designation of Critical Habitat for the Coastal California Gnatcatcher is Prudent

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have reconsidered our prudency finding for designating critical habitat for the coastal California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica). We listed the coastal California gnatcatcher as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act) on March 30, 1993. At that time, we determined that designation of critical habitat was not prudent because designation would not benefit the coastal California gnatcatcher and would increase the degree of threat to the species. On May 21, 1997, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an opinion that required us to issue a new decision regarding the prudency of designating critical habitat for the coastal California gnatcatcher. This notice of determination responds to that court order.