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Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the California Tiger Salamander, Central Population
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: August 10, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 153)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 48569-48649]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10au04-36]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
RIN 1018-AF68
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of
Critical Habitat for the California Tiger Salamander, Central
Population
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to
designate critical habitat for the California tiger salamander
(Ambystoma californiense) (referred to hereafter as the CTS) pursuant
to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This rule
contains the proposal for the Central California population of the CTS
(hereafter referred to as the Central population). Approximately
382,666 acres (ac) (154,860 hectares (ha)) occur within the boundaries
of the proposal for the Central population.
DATES: We will accept comments from all interested parties until
October 12, 2004. We must receive requests for public hearings, in
writing, at the address shown in the ADDRESSES section by September 24,
2004.
ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments and
materials concerning this proposal by any one of several methods:
1. You may submit written comments and information to the Field
Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Fish and
Wildlife Office (SFWO), 2800 Cottage Way, W-2605, Sacramento, CA 95825.
2. You may hand-deliver written comments to our SFWO, at the
address given above.
3. You may send comments by electronic mail (e-mail) to
fw1Central_cts_pch@fws.gov. In the event that our Internet connection
is not functional, please submit your comments by the alternate methods
mentioned above. Please submit Internet comments in ASCII file format
and avoid the use of special characters or any form of encryption.
Please also include ``Attn: California tiger salamander'' in your e-
mail subject header and your name and return address in the body of
your message. If you do not receive a confirmation from the system that
we have received your Internet message, contact us directly by calling
our SFWO at phone number 916/414-6600. Please note that the Internet
address will be closed out at the termination of the public comment
period.
Comments and materials received, as well as supporting
documentation used in the preparation of this proposed rule, will be
available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business
hours at the SFWO, at the address given above. In the event that our
Internet connection is not functional, please contact the Service (see
ADDRESSES section) for alternative methods in obtaining referenced
materials e.g., economic analysis.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, and for
information about Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Fresno,
Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Santa
Clara, Solano, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Yolo Counties, contact Wayne
White, Field Supervisor, SFWO, at the address given above (telephone
916/414-6600; facsimile 916/414-6712).
For information about Monterey, San Benito, and San Luis Obispo
Counties, contact Diane Noda, Field Supervisor, Ventura Fish and
Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2394 Portola Road,
Suite B, Ventura, CA 93003 (telephone 805/644-1766; facsimile 805/644-
3958).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Executive Summary
The proposed critical habitat is in the following 20 counties in
central California: Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Fresno,
Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, Sacramento, San
Benito, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Solano, Stanislaus,
Tulare, and Yolo. This proposed designation does not include critical
habitat for the Santa Barbara County or Sonoma County areas. A proposed
rule to designate critical habitat for the Santa Barbara County
population was published on January 22, 2004 (69 FR 3064). We are not
proposing to designate critical habitat for the Sonoma County
geographic area of the California tiger salamander at this time. We are
currently in the process of developing a management strategy for the
Sonoma County area for the California tiger salamander and other listed
and sensitive species. The planning efforts include various local,
State and Federal agencies including ourselves, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, the California Department of Fish and Game, the County of
Sonoma, the cities of Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, and Cotati, and local
and regional environmental organizations. The group is developing a
management and restoration plan as well as identifying areas for
conservation of the vernal pool and other California tiger salamander
habitat within the area.
We expect the plan, when complete, to provide a better means of
identifying essential habitat than our critical habitat designation
process can provide at the present time. By bringing together all
local, State, and Federal species experts and local planning officials
we are better able to identify areas which are essential for the
conservation of the California tiger salamander in Sonoma County. The
management planning process is a collaborative effort involving
cooperation and input from numerous stakeholders such as landowners,
public land managers, and the general public. This allows the best
information and local knowledge to be brought to the table, and may
encourage a sense of commitment to the California tiger salamander's
continued well being in the area. Due to time constraints we are unable
to match this level of public participation in the critical habitat
designation process. We believe that currently designating proposed
critical habitat would cause more harm to the species by causing delays
to and confusing the current ongoing process. The enhancement and
management of California tiger salamander habitat will benefit greatly
from coordination between the various land owners and managers in the
area. The ongoing planning process can provide for that coordination,
whereas the critical habitat designation process may not. Once the
planning efforts have identified areas essential for the California
tiger salamander, we will consider proposing critical habitat at that
time. Should these planning efforts fail to identify essential areas
for the California tiger salamander we will issue a notice to propose
additional critical habitat for the species.
Critical habitat identifies specific areas, both occupied and
unoccupied by a listed species, which are essential to the conservation
of the species and that may require special management considerations
or protection. The primary constituent elements for the California
tiger salamander are aquatic and upland areas, including vernal pool
complexes, where suitable breeding and nonbreeding habitats are
interspersed throughout the landscape, and are interconnected by
continuous dispersal habitat. All areas proposed for designation as
critical habitat for the Central population contain one or more of the
primary constituent elements.
[[Page 48571]]
Section 4 of the Act requires us to consider economic and other
relevant impacts of specifying any particular area as critical habitat.
Section 7 of the Act prohibits destruction or adverse modification of
critical habitat by any activity funded, authorized, or carried out by
any Federal agency. We solicit data and comments from the public on all
aspects of this proposal, including data on the economic and other
impacts of designation. We may revise this proposal to incorporate or
address new information received during the comment period.
Public Comments Solicited
We intend that any final action resulting from this proposal will
be as accurate and as effective as possible. Therefore, comments or
suggestions from the public, other concerned governmental agencies, the
scientific community, industry, or any other interested parties
concerning this proposed rule are hereby solicited. Comments
particularly are sought concerning:
(1) The reasons why any habitat should or should not be determined
to be critical habitat as provided by section 4 of the Act, including
whether the benefit of designation will outweigh any threats to the
species due to designation;
(2) Specific information on the amount and distribution of
California tiger salamander habitat, and what habitat is essential to
the conservation of the species and why;
(3) Land use designations and current or planned activities in the
subject areas and their possible impacts on proposed critical habitat;
(4) Any foreseeable economic or other potential impacts resulting
from the proposed designation and, in particular, any impacts on small
entities;
(5) Whether our approach to designating critical habitat could be
improved or modified in any way to provide for greater public
participation and understanding, or to assist us in accommodating
public concerns and comments;
(6) Specific information from present landowners regarding the
current extent and quality of extant occurrences and breeding habitats
found within the proposed designated geographic areas and units;
(7) Whether or not private landowners are willing to enter into
partnerships or conservation agreements with us for the benefit of the
California tiger salamander and its habitats;
(8) Whether or not we should enter into conservation agreements or
partnerships with private landowners for the conservation of the
California tiger salamander and its habitats and, upon successful
implementation of these agreements, if we should remove these areas
from critical habitat; and
(9) Appropriateness of excluding any proposed areas, such as
portions of the former Fort Ord for which an HCP is currently being
developed.
If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments and materials
concerning this proposal by any one of several methods (see ADDRESSES
section). Our practice is to make comments, including names and home
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular
business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold
their home addresses from the rulemaking record, which we will honor to
the extent allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which
we would withhold from the rulemaking record a respondent's identity,
as allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or
address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your
comment. However, we will not consider anonymous comments. We will make
all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations
or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.
Comments and materials received will be available for public
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours (see ADDRESSES
section).
Designation of Critical Habitat Provides Little Additional Protection
to the Species
In 30 years of implementing the Act, the Service has found that the
designation of statutory critical habitat provides little additional
protection to most listed species, while consuming significant amounts
of available conservation resources. The Service's present system for
designating critical habitat has evolved since its original statutory
prescription into a process that provides little real conservation
benefit, is driven by litigation and the courts rather than biology,
limits our ability to fully evaluate the science involved, consumes
enormous agency resources, and imposes huge social and economic costs.
The Service believes that additional agency discretion would allow our
focus to return to those actions that provide the greatest benefit to
the species most in need of protection.
Role of Critical Habitat in Actual Practice of Administering and
Implementing the Act
While attention to and protection of habitat is paramount to
successful conservation actions, we have consistently found that, in
most circumstances, the designation of critical habitat is of little
additional value for most listed species, yet it consumes large amounts
of conservation resources. Sidle (1987) stated, ``Because the Act can
protect species with and without critical habitat designation, critical
habitat designation may be redundant to the other consultation
requirements of section 7.'' Currently, only 445 species or 36 percent
of the 1,244 listed species in the U.S. under the jurisdiction of the
Service have designated critical habitat. We address the habitat needs
of all 1,244 listed species through conservation mechanisms such as
listing, section 7 consultations, the section 4 recovery planning
process, the section 9 protective prohibitions of unauthorized take,
section 6 funding to the States, and the section 10 incidental take
permit process. The Service believes that it is these measures that may
make the difference between extinction and survival for many species.
Procedural and Resource Difficulties in Designating Critical Habitat
We have been inundated with lawsuits for our failure to designate
critical habitat, and we face a growing number of lawsuits challenging
critical habitat determinations once they are made. These lawsuits have
subjected the Service to an ever-increasing series of court orders and
court-approved settlement agreements, compliance with which now
consumes nearly the entire listing program budget. This leaves the
Service with little ability to prioritize its activities to direct
scarce listing resources to the listing program actions with the most
biologically urgent species conservation needs.
The consequence of the critical habitat litigation activity is that
limited listing funds are used to defend active lawsuits, to respond to
Notices of Intent (NOIs) to sue relative to critical habitat, and to
comply with the growing number of adverse court orders. As a result of
this consequence, listing petition responses, the Service's own
proposals to list critically imperiled species, and final listing
determinations on existing proposals are all significantly delayed.
The accelerated schedules of court ordered designations have left
the Service with almost little ability to provide for adequate public
[[Page 48572]]
participation or to ensure a defect-free rulemaking process before
making decisions on listing and critical habitat proposals due to the
risks associated with noncompliance with judicially-imposed deadlines.
This situation in turn fosters a second round of litigation in which
those who fear adverse impacts from critical habitat designations
challenge those designations. The cycle of litigation appears endless,
is very expensive, and in the final analysis provides relatively little
additional protection to listed species.
The costs resulting from the designation include legal costs, the
costs of preparation and publication of the designation, the analysis
of the economic effects and the costs of requesting and responding to
public comments, and, in some cases, the costs of compliance with
National Environmental Policy Act, represent the costs of critical
habitat designation. None of these costs result in any benefit to the
species that is not already afforded by the protections of the Act
enumerated earlier, and theses associated costs directly reduce the
scarce funds available for direct and tangible conservation actions.
Background
A physical description of the CTS, and other information about its
taxonomy, distribution, life history, and biology is included in the
Background section of the final rule to list California tiger
salamander as a threatened species, published in the Federal Register
earlier. Additional relevant information may be found in the final
rules to list the Santa Barbara County DPS (65 FR 57242, September 21,
2000) and the Sonoma County DPS CTS (68 FR 13498, March 13, 2003), and
the January 22, 2004, proposal to designate critical habitat for the
Santa Barbara population (69 FR 3064).
Habitat Requirements and Characteristics
The CTS inhabits, in Central California, low-elevation (typically
below 1,500 feet (ft) (460 m)), vernal pools, vernal pool complexes,
and seasonal ponds in associated annual grasslands, oak savannah, and
coastal scrub plant communities of the Bay Area (Santa Clara Valley),
Central Coast, Central Valley, and Southern San Joaquin Valley (Shaffer
et al. 1993; Service 2000; Service 2003).
CTS are found in seasonal ponds, natural vernal pools, vernal pool
complexes, and small artificial water bodies such as stockponds for
breeding during their aquatic phase (Stebbins 1985; Zeiner et al. 1988;
Shaffer et al. 1993). However, stockponds often are not optimum aquatic
breeding habitat for California tiger salamanders because stockponds
may not hold water long enough for completion of part of their life
cycle. Hydroperiods may be so short that larvae cannot metamorphose
(e.g., early drawdown of irrigation ponds), or so long that predatory
fish and bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) can colonize the pond (Shaffer et
al. 1993; Seymour and Westphal 1994). Permanent wetlands can support
breeding California tiger salamanders if fish are not present, but
extirpation of the salamander occurrence is likely if fish are
introduced (Shaffer et al. 1993; Seymour and Westphal 1994). Artificial
ponds also require ongoing maintenance and are often temporary
structures. Periodic maintenance to remove silt from stockponds or to
reinforce or strengthen berms may also cause a temporary loss of
functioning aquatic habitat. Regardless of vernal pool, pond, or
seasonal wetland type, successful breeding ponds for California tiger
salamanders need to be inundated (hold water) for a minimum of 12 weeks
to allow for successful metamorphosis.
The aquatic component of the Central population habitat consists of
temporary ponded freshwater habitats. Historically, the vernal pools
and vernal pool complexes constituted the majority of California tiger
salamander breeding habitat. Vernal pools typically form in topographic
depressions underlain by an impervious layer (such as claypan, hardpan,
or volcanic layer) that prevents downward percolation of water, and
they occur as groups of pools referred to as vernal pool complexes.
Vernal pool hydrology is characterized by ponding of water during the
late fall, winter, and spring, followed by complete desiccation (drying
out) during the summer dry season (Holland and Jain 1998).
California tiger salamanders spend the majority of their lives in
upland habitats. The upland component of Central population habitat
typically consists of vernal pool grassland or grassland savannah with
scattered oak trees. However, some occupied California tiger salamander
breeding ponds exist within mixed grassland and woodland habitats, in
woodlands, scrub, or chaparral habitats.
Within these upland habitats, adult California tiger salamanders
spend part of their lives in the underground burrows of small mammals,
especially the burrows of California ground squirrels (Spermophilus
beecheyi) and valley pocket gophers (Thomomys bottae) (Barry and
Shaffer 1994), at depths ranging from 20 cm (8.0 in) to 1 m (3.3 ft)
beneath the ground surface (Trenham 2001). These burrows provide food
for California tiger salamanders, as well as protection from the sun
and wind associated with the dry California climate that can cause
desiccation of amphibian skin. Although California tiger salamanders
are members of a family of burrowing salamanders, California tiger
salamanders are not known to create their own burrows in the wild and
require small mammal burrows for survival. Because they live
underground in the burrows of mammals, they are rarely encountered even
where abundant.
Dispersal and Migration
Movements made by California tiger salamanders can be grouped into
two main categories: (1) Breeding migration, and (2) interpond
dispersal. Breeding migration is the movement of salamanders to and
from a pond from the surrounding upland habitat. After metamorphosis,
juveniles move away from breeding ponds into the surrounding uplands,
where they live continuously for several years (on average, 4 years).
Upon reaching sexual maturity, most individuals return to their natal
(birth) pond to breed, while 20 percent disperse to other ponds
(Trenham et al. 2001). Following breeding, adult California tiger
salamanders return to upland habitats, where they may live for one or
more years before breeding again (Trenham et al. 2000).
Data suggest that juvenile California tiger salamanders disperse
further into upland habitats than adult California tiger salamanders. A
trapping study conducted in Solano County during winter 2002-03 found
that juveniles used upland habitats further from breeding ponds than
adults (Trenham and Shaffer, in review). More juvenile salamanders were
captured at distances of 300, 600, and 1,300 ft (100, 200, and 400 m),
respectively, from a breeding pond than at 160 ft (50 m). Large numbers
(approximately 20 percent of total captures) were found 1,300 ft (400
m) from a breeding pond. Fitting a distribution curve to the data
revealed that 95 percent of juvenile salamanders could be found within
2,000 ft (640 m) of the pond, with the remaining 5 percent being found
at even greater distances.
Post-breeding movements away from breeding ponds by adults appear
to be much smaller. During post-breeding emigration, radio-equipped
adult California tiger salamanders were tracked to burrows 62 to 813 ft
(19 to 248 m) from their breeding ponds
[[Page 48573]]
(Trenham 2001). These reduced movements may be due to adult California
tiger salamanders having depleted physical reserves post-breeding, or
also due to the drier weather conditions that are typical of the period
when adults leave the ponds.
The spatial distribution of California tiger salamanders in the
uplands surrounding aquatic habitats or breeding ponds is a key issue
for protection of upland and breeding habitat and essential
conservation planning. Although it might be supposed that California
tiger salamanders will move only short distances if abundant burrows
are found near their ponds, this is not the case. In the aforementioned
study in Solano County, while abundant burrows are available near the
pond, a nearly equal number of California tiger salamanders were
captured at 300, 600, and 1,300 ft (100, 200 and 400 m), respectively,
from the breeding pond (Trenham and Shaffer, in review). Similarly,
Trenham (2001) tracked salamanders to burrows up to 800 ft (248 m) from
a breeding pond, although burrows were abundant at distances nearer to
the pond. In addition, rather than staying in a single burrow, most
individuals used several successive burrows at increasing distances
from the pond.
Documented dispersers had moved up to 2,200 ft (670 m), and, based
on a projected exponential relationship between dispersal probability
and distance, less than 1 percent of dispersers are likely to move
between ponds separated by 0.70 mile (mi) (1,160 m) (Trenham et al.
2001). The frequency of dispersal among known extant occurrences or
subpopulations will ultimately depend on the distance between the ponds
or complexes and also on the intervening habitat (e.g., salamanders may
move more quickly through grassland than through more densely vegetated
scrublands).
Although the studies discussed above provide an approximation of
the distances that California tiger salamanders regularly move from
their breeding ponds, upland habitat features influence movements in a
particular landscape. Unlike other ambystomatid salamanders, California
tiger salamanders and other tiger salamanders are grassland animals and
do not favor forested areas as corridors for movement or long-term
residence. Trenham (2001) found that radio-tracked adults favored
grasslands with scattered large oaks over more densely wooded areas.
Based on radio-tracked adults, there is no indication that California
tiger salamanders favor certain habitat types as corridors for
terrestrial movements (Trenham 2001).
Previous Federal Actions
For a discussion of previous Federal actions regarding the Central
population, please see the final rule to list the Central California
Distinct Population Segment of the California tiger salamander as
threatened across its range. Federal actions on the CTS prior to May
2004 are summarized in that final rule, published in a recent Federal
Register, and are incorporated by reference.
Critical Habitat
Critical habitat is defined in section 3(5)(A) of the Act as: (i)
The specific areas within the geographic area occupied by a species, at
the time it is listed in accordance with the Act, on which are found
those physical or biological features (I) essential to the conservation
of the species and (II) that may require special management
considerations or protection; and (ii) specific areas outside the
geographic area occupied by a species at the time it is listed, upon a
determination that such areas are essential for the conservation of the
species. ``Conservation'' means the use of all methods and procedures
that are necessary to bring an endangered or a threatened species to
the point at which listing under the Act is no longer necessary.
The designation of critical habitat does not affect land ownership
or establish a refuge, wilderness, reserve, preserve, or other
conservation area. It does not allow government or public access to
private lands. Critical habitat receives protection under section 7 of
the Act through the prohibition against destruction or adverse
modification of critical habitat with regard to actions carried out,
funded, or authorized by a Federal agency. Section 7 requires
consultation on Federal actions that may adversely affect critical
habitat, and conferences on Federal actions that are likely to result
in the destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat. In our
regulations at 50 CFR 402.02, we define destruction or adverse
modification as ``a direct or indirect alteration that appreciably
diminishes the value of critical habitat for both the survival and
recovery of a listed species. Such alterations include, but are not
limited to, alterations adversely modifying any of those physical or
biological features that were the basis for determining the habitat to
be critical.'' Aside from the added protection that may be provided
under section 7, the Act does not provide other forms of protection to
lands designated as critical habitat. Because consultation under
section 7 of the Act does not apply to activities on private or other
nonfederal lands that do not involve a Federal nexus, critical habitat
designation would not afford any additional protections under the Act
against such activities.
To be included in a critical habitat designation, the habitat must
first be ``essential to the conservation of the species.'' Critical
habitat designations identify, to the extent known using the best
scientific and commercial data available, habitat areas that provide
essential physical and biological features (i.e., areas on which are
found the primary constituent elements, as defined at 50 CFR 424.12(b))
and which may require special management considerations or protections,
or be specific areas outside of the geographic areas occupied by the
species which are determined to be essential to the conservation of the
species. Section 3(5)(C) of the Act states that not all areas that can
be occupied by a species should be designated as critical habitat
unless the Secretary determines that all such areas are essential to
the conservation of the species. Regulations at 50 CFR 424.02(j) define
special management considerations or protection to mean any methods or
procedures useful in protecting the physical and biological features of
the environment for the conservation of listed species.
When we designate critical habitat, we may not have the information
necessary to identify all areas that are essential for the conservation
of the species. Nevertheless, we are required to designate those areas
we consider to be essential, using the best information available to
us. Accordingly, we do not designate critical habitat in areas outside
the geographic area occupied by the species unless the best scientific
and commercial data demonstrate that unoccupied areas are essential for
the conservation needs of the species.
Within the geographic areas occupied by the species, we will
designate only areas currently known to be essential. Essential areas
should already have the features and habitat characteristics that are
necessary to sustain the species. We will not speculate about what
areas might be found to be essential if better information became
available, or what areas may become essential over time. If the
information available at the time of designation does not show that an
area is essential to the conservation of a species, then the area
should not be included in the critical habitat designation. We will not
designate areas
[[Page 48574]]
that do not now have the primary constituent elements, as defined at 50
CFR 424.12(b). We have excluded from this proposal some areas where CTS
are currently found, areas of suitable habitat where they might
potentially occur, some localities where they historically occurred,
and areas that do not have one or more of the primary constituent
elements. Only areas considered essential to the conservation of the
species are included in this proposal.
Section 4(b)(2) of the Act requires that we take into consideration
the economic impact, and any other relevant impact, including impacts
to National security, of specifying any particular area as critical
habitat. We may exclude areas from critical habitat designation when
the benefits of exclusion outweigh the benefits of including the areas
within critical habitat, provided the exclusion will not result in
extinction of the species.
Our Policy on Information Standards Under the Endangered Species
Act, published in the Federal Register on July 1, 1994 (59 FR 34271),
provides criteria, establishes procedures, and provides guidance to
ensure that decisions made by the Service represent the best scientific
and commercial data available. Our policy requires Service biologists,
to the extent consistent with the Act and with the use of the best
scientific and commercial data available, to use primary and original
sources of information as the basis for recommendations to designate
critical habitat. When determining areas are critical habitat, a
primary source of information should be the listing package for the
species. Additional information may be obtained from a recovery plan,
articles in peer-reviewed journals, conservation plans developed by
States and counties, scientific status surveys and studies, biological
assessments, unpublished materials, and expert opinion or personal
knowledge.
We recognize that the proposed designation of critical habitat does
not include all of the occupied habitat areas that may eventually be
determined to be essential for the conservation of the species. For
these reasons, everyone should understand that critical habitat
designations do not signal that habitats outside the designation are
unimportant to California tiger salamanders. Areas outside the critical
habitat designation will continue to be subject to conservation actions
that may be implemented under section 7(a)(1), and to the regulatory
protections afforded by the section 7(a)(2) jeopardy standard and the
section 9 take prohibition, as determined on the basis of the best
available information at the time of the action. We specifically
anticipate that federally funded or assisted projects affecting listed
species outside their designated critical habitat areas may still
result in jeopardy findings in some cases. Similarly, critical habitat
designations made on the basis of the best available information at the
time of designation will not control the direction and substance of
future recovery plans, habitat conservation plans, or other species
conservation planning efforts if new information available to these
planning efforts calls for a different outcome.
Methods
In determining areas that are essential to conserve the Central
population, we used the best scientific and commercial data available.
We have reviewed the overall approach to the conservation of the
California tiger salamander undertaken by local, State, and Federal
agencies operating within the species' range since its proposed listing
in 2003 (68 FR 28648). We have also reviewed available information that
pertains to the upland and aquatic habitat requirements of this
species. In our designation, we included only areas within which the
best available information indicates the species currently occurs. We
identified proposed critical habitat units that we thought had the
highest likelihood to be self-sustaining on the basis of density of CTS
occurrences, and kind, amount, and quality of habitat associated with
those occurrences. The proposed units represent the range of
environmental, ecological, and genetic variation of the CTS and contain
the primary constituent elements we have determined are essential to
the conservation of the species.
The extant occurrences within proposed units total approximately 68
percent of extant occurrences within the range of the species. These
extant occurrences include observations from CNDDB (2003), data in
reports submitted during section 7 consultations, data from biologists
holding section 10(a)(1)(A) recovery permits; research published in
peer-reviewed articles and presented in academic theses and agency
reports, and regional Geographic Information System (GIS) coverages.
The proposed critical habitat units were delineated by creating
approximate areas for the units by screen digitizing polygons (map
units) using ArcView (Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.),
a computer GIS program. The polygons were created by overlaying extant
California tiger salamander location points with 0.7 mile buffers
(CNDDB 2003) (see Criteria section below), and mapped vernal pool
grassland habitats (Holland 1998a, 2003), or other vernal pool or
grassland location information, onto SPOT imagery (satellite aerial
photography).
We evaluated the resulting shape files (delineating historic
geographic range and potential suitable habitat), refined elevation and
hydrologic ranges, and identified areas of non-essential habitat (i.e.,
not containing the primary constituent elements) (see Primary
Constituent Elements section). We excluded areas that do not contain
one or more of the primary constituent elements or were not found to be
essential for the conservation of the species because: (1) The area is
highly degraded and may not be restorable; (2) the area is small,
highly fragmented, or isolated and may provide little or no long-term
conservation value; and (3) other areas within the geographic region
were determined to be sufficient to meet the conservation needs of the
species.
Primary Constituent Elements
In accordance with section 3(5)(A)(i) of the Act and regulations at
50 CFR 424.12, in determining which areas to propose as critical
habitat, we are required to base critical habitat determinations on the
best scientific and commercial data available and to consider those
physical and biological features (primary constituent elements (PCEs))
that are essential to the conservation of the species, and that may
require special management considerations and protection. These
include, but are not limited to; space for individual and population
growth and for normal behavior; food, water, air, light, minerals, or
other nutritional or physiological requirements; cover or shelter;
sites for breeding, reproduction, and rearing (or development) of
offspring; and habitats that are protected from disturbance or are
representative of the historic geographical and ecological
distributions of a species.
All areas proposed as critical habitat for the Central population
are within the species' historic range and contain one or more of the
physical or biological features (primary constituent elements)
identified as essential for the conservation of the species. Critical
habitat for Central population includes essential aquatic habitat,
essential upland nonbreeding habitat with underground refugia,
dispersal habitat connecting occupied California tiger salamander
locations to each other, and vernal pool complexes where integrated
function of uplands and wetlands provide physical and biological
features
[[Page 48575]]
essential to the conservation of the species. In addition, the critical
habitat we have proposed is designed to conserve the distinct genetic
structure of the Central population and allow for an increase in the
size of salamander populations, both of which are essential to the
conservation of the species. Special management, such as habitat
rehabilitation efforts (e.g., removal of nonnative predators, control
of introduced tiger salamanders, and erosion and sediment control
measures), may be necessary throughout the areas being proposed.
Based on our current knowledge of the life history, biology, and
ecology of the species and the relationship of its essential life
history functions to its habitat, as summarized above (see Background
section), we have determined that the CTS requires the following
primary constituent elements:
(1) Standing bodies of fresh water, including natural and man-made
(e.g., stock) ponds, vernal pools, and other ephemeral or permanent
water bodies that typically become inundated during winter rains and
hold water for a sufficient length of time necessary for the species to
complete the aquatic portion of its life cycle.
(2) Barrier-free upland habitats adjacent to breeding ponds that
contain small mammal burrows, including but not limited to burrows
created by the California ground squirrel and valley pocket gopher.
Small mammals are essential in creating the underground habitat that
adult California tiger salamanders depend upon for food, shelter, and
protection from the elements and predation.
(3) Upland areas between occupied locations (PCE 1) and areas with
small mammal burrows (PCE 2) that allow for dispersal among such sites.
(4) The geographic, topographic, and edaphic features that support
aggregations or systems of hydrologically interconnected pools, swales,
and other ephemeral wetlands and depressions within a matrix of
surrounding uplands, which together form hydrologically and
ecologically functional units called vernal pool complexes. These
features contribute to the filling and drying of the vernal pool,
maintain suitable periods of pool inundation for larval salamanders and
their food sources, and provide breeding, feeding, and sheltering
habitat for juvenile and adult salamanders and small mammals that
create burrow systems essential for CTS estivation.
We describe the relationship between each of these PCEs and the
conservation of the salamander in more detail below.
The essential aquatic habitat described as the first PCE is
essential for Central population breeding and for providing space,
food, and cover necessary to sustain early life history stages of
larval and juvenile CTS. Breeding habitat consists of fresh water
bodies, including natural and man-made ponds (e.g., stockponds), and
vernal pools. To be considered essential, aquatic and breeding habitats
must have the capability to hold water for a minimumF of 12 weeks in the
winter or spring in a year of average rainfall because this is the
amount of time needed for larvae to grow into metamorphosed juveniles
so they can become capable of surviving in upland habitats. During
periods of drought or less-than-average rainfall, these sites may not
hold water long enough for individuals to complete metamorphosis,
however, these sites would still be considered essential because they
constitute breeding habitat in years of average rainfall. Without its
essential aquatic and breeding habitats, the Central population would
not survive, reproduce, develop juveniles, and grow into adult
individual salamanders that can complete their life cycles.
Essential upland habitats containing underground refugia described
as the second PCE are essential for the survival of adult and juvenile
salamanders that have recently undergone metamorphosis. Adult and
juvenile California tiger salamanders are primarily terrestrial. Adult
California tiger salamanders enter aquatic habitats only for relatively
short periods of time to breed. For the majority of their life cycle,
California tiger salamanders depend for survival on upland habitats
containing underground refugia in the form of small mammal burrows.
California tiger salamanders cannot persist without upland underground
refugia. These underground refugia provide protection from the hot, dry
weather typical of California in the nonbreeding season. California
tiger salamanders also find food in small mammal burrows and rely on
the burrows for protection from predators. The presence of small
burrowing mammal populations is essential for constructing and
maintaining burrows. Without the continuing presence of small mammal
burrows in upland habitats, California tiger salamanders would not be
able to survive.
Essential dispersal habitats generally consist of upland areas
adjacent to essential aquatic habitats which are not isolated from
essential aquatic habitats by barriers that California tiger
salamanders cannot cross. Essential dispersal habitats provide
connectivity among CTS suitable aquatic and upland habitats. While CTS
can bypass many obstacles, and do not require a particular type of
habitat for dispersal, the habitats connecting essential aquatic and
upland habitats need to be free of barriers (e.g., a physical or
biological feature that prevents salamanders from dispersing beyond the
feature) to function effectively. Examples of barriers are areas of
steep topography devoid of soil or vegetation. Agricultural lands such
as row crops, orchards, vineyards, and pastures do not constitute
barriers to the dispersal of California tiger salamanders. In general,
we propose critical habitat that allows for dispersal between extant
occurrences within 0.7 mi (1.13 km) of each other. To provide for
conservation of the species, we choose 0.7 mi because that distance
provides for 99 percent of the chances that individual salamanders can
move and breed between extant occurrences, and, thereby, provides for
genetic exchange between individuals within each region.
The dispersal habitats described as the third PCE are essential for
the conservation of the CTS. Protecting the ability of California tiger
salamanders to move freely across the landscape in search of suitable
aquatic and upland habitats is essential in maintaining gene flow and
for recolonization of sites that may become temporarily extirpated.
Lifetime reproductive success for the CTS and other tiger salamanders
is naturally low. Trenham et al. (2000) found the average female bred
1.4 times and produced 8.5 young that survived to metamorphosis per
reproductive effort. This reproduction resulted in roughly 11
metamorphic offspring over the lifetime of a female. In part, this low
reproductive success is due to the extended time it takes for
California tiger salamanders to reach sexual maturity; most do not
breed until 4 or 5 years of age. While individuals may survive for more
than 10 years, many breed only once. Combined with low survivorship of
metamorphosed individuals (in some populations, fewer than 5 percent of
marked juveniles survive to become breeding adults (Trenham et al.
2000)), reproductive output in most years is not sufficient to maintain
populations. This trend suggests that the species requires occasional
large breeding events to prevent extirpation (temporary or permanent
loss of the species from a particular habitat) or extinction (Trenham
et al. 2000). With such low recruitment, isolated populations are
susceptible to unusual, randomly occurring natural events as well as
from
[[Page 48576]]
human-caused factors that reduce breeding success and individual
survival. Factors that repeatedly lower breeding success in isolated
vernal pools or ponds can quickly extirpate an occurrence of the
species. Therefore, an essential element for successful conservation is
the presence and maintenance of sets of interconnected sites that are
within the ``rescue'' distance of other ponds (Trenham et al. 2001).
Dispersal habitats described as the third PCE are also essential in
preserving the population structure of the CTS. The life history and
ecology of the California tiger salamander make it likely that this
species has a metapopulation structure (Hanski and Gilpin 1991). A
metapopulation is a set of breeding sites within an area, where typical
migration from one local occurrence or breeding site to other areas
containing suitable habitat is possible, but not routine. Movement
between areas containing suitable upland and aquatic habitats (i.e.,
dispersal) is restricted due to inhospitable conditions around and
between areas of suitable habitats. Because many of the areas of
suitable habitats may be small and support small numbers of
salamanders, local extinction of these small units may be common. The
persistence of a metapopulation depends on the combined dynamics of
these local extinctions and the subsequent recolonization of these
areas through dispersal (Hanski and Gilpin 1991; Hanski 1994).
Vernal pool complexes addressed in the fourth PCE provide a
significant amount of the habitat for Central population remaining in
the southern San Joaquin and Central Valley regions, but less so in the
Bay Area and Coast Range regions because so much vernal pool habitat
has been converted to other land uses. Vernal pools and other natural
seasonal ponds are the primary historic breeding sites used by
California tiger salamanders (Storer 1925; Feaver 1971; Zeiner et al.
1988; Trenham et al. 2000). Historically, the species occurs in 10 of
the 17 California vernal pool regions defined by Keeler-Wolf et al.
(1998), including northeastern Sacramento Valley, southeastern
Sacramento Valley, Santa Rosa, Solano-Colusa, Livermore, Central Coast,
Carrizo, southern Sierra Foothills, Santa Barbara, and San Joaquin
Valley. Only in historic times have man-made stock ponds joined or, in
some areas, replaced vernal pools as breeding habitat. We have included
vernal pool complexes as a PCE because they represent a landscape
within which the integrated function of the wetland and upland
components together may provide one or more of the first three PCEs
plus other physical and biological features essential for the
conservation of the Central population, including features that provide
for the hydrologic function of essential breeding habitat (PCE 4), and
habitat for small mammals that create essential refugia (PCE 4). Upland
and wetland functions are highly integrated and interdependent in
vernal pool complexes and, rather than trying to partition these
functions among discrete PCEs, we included vernal pool complexes as
their own PCE.
A landscape that supports a vernal pool complex is typically
grassland with areas of obstructed drainage that form the pools. The
pools may be fed or connected by low drainage pathways called
``swales.'' Swales are often themselves seasonal wetlands that remain
saturated for much of the wet season, but may not be inundated long
enough to develop strong vernal pool characteristics. Swales, due to
their connection to adjacent pools, are considered part of the vernal
pool complex. Some pools have a substantial watershed that contributes
to their water inputs; others may fill almost entirely from rain
falling directly into the pool (Hanes and Stromberg 1998). Although
exceptions are not uncommon, the watershed generally contributes more
to the filling of larger or deeper pools, especially playa pools. Even
in pools filled primarily by direct precipitation, Hanes and Stromberg
(1998) report that subsurface inflows from surrounding soils can help
dampen water level fluctuations during late winter and early spring.
This function is important for maintaining inundation in breeding pools
long enough for CTS larvae to complete their aquatic life stage and
metamorphose into adults.
Upland areas associated with vernal pools are also an important
source of nutrients to vernal pool organisms (Wetzel 1975). Vernal pool
habitats derive most of their nutrients from detritus (decaying matter)
washed into pools from adjacent uplands, and these nutrients provide
the foundation for a vernal pool aquatic community's food chain. The
plants, invertebrate and vertebrate animals of vernal pools, and vernal
pool landscapes in general are important providers of food and habitat
for waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, toads, frogs, and salamanders
(Proctor et al. 1967; Krapu 1974; Swanson 1974; Morin 1987; Simovich et
al. 1991; Silveira 1996). The uplands of vernal pool complexes may also
provide breeding, feeding, and sheltering habitat for small mammals
that adult CTS depend upon for food, shelter, and protection from the
elements and predation.
In summary, the primary constituent elements consist of four
components. At a minimum, these elements will include suitable breeding
locations and associated uplands or vernal pool complexes associated
with breeding locations that are connected by barrier-free dispersal
habitats.
Criteria Used To Identify Critical Habitat
In our determination of critical habitat for the Central
population, we selected areas that possess the physical and biological
features that are essential to the conservation of the species and that
may require special management considerations or protection. We avoided
designating single occurrences unless such areas were considered
unique. We also avoided areas surrounded by development or intensive
agriculture. Agricultural lands may have been included if they were
directly adjacent to the locations we selected to include as essential,
thereby substantially reducing upland refugia for California tiger
salamanders occupying that area, or were essential for connectivity
between known occurrences. We do not have access to data on the most
current agricultural uses in many areas of the proposed critical
habitat and therefore are uncertain if California tiger salamander
upland habitat may or may not remain in some locations.
Throughout this designation, when selecting areas of critical
habitat, we made an effort to avoid developed areas, such as housing
developments, that are unlikely to contribute to the conservation of
the Central population. However, we did not map critical habitat in
sufficient detail to exclude all developed areas, or other lands
unlikely to contain the primary constituent elements. Areas within the
boundaries of the mapped units, such as buildings, roads, parking lots,
railroads, airport runways and other paved areas, lawns, and other
urban landscaped areas will not contain any of the primary constituent
elements and thus do not constitute critical habitat. Federal actions
limited to these areas would not trigger a section 7 consultation,
unless they affect the species and/or the primary constituent elements
in adjacent critical habitat.
After identifying the primary constituent elements, we used the
constituent elements in combination with information on CTS locations,
geographic distribution, genetics,
[[Page 48577]]
vegetation, topography, geology, soils, distribution of CTS occurrences
within and between vernal pool types, watersheds, current land uses,
scientific information on the biology and ecology of the CTS, and
conservation principles to identify essential habitat. As a result of
this process, each of the proposed critical habitat units possesses a
unique combination of occupied aquatic and upland habitat types,
landscape features, surrounding land uses, vernal pool types, ponds,
topography, and representation of geographical range, environmental
variability, and genetic composition.
We determined that conserving the CTS over the long-term requires a
five-pronged approach: (1) Maintaining the current genetic structure
across the species range; (2) maintaining the current geographic,
elevational, and ecological distribution; (3) protecting the hydrology
and water quality of breeding pools and ponds; (4) retaining or
providing for connectivity between breeding locations for genetic
exchange and recolonization; and (5) protecting sufficient barrier-free
upland habitat around each breeding location to allow for sufficient
survival and recruitment to maintain a breeding population over the
long term.
To identify areas which are essential to the conservation of the
Central population in accordance with these criteria, we first
identified areas within the range where we had documented records
(e.g., museum voucher specimens, reports filed by biologists)
indicating California tiger salamander presence (CNDDB 2003). We
determined that essential habitat should represent the current genetic
structure of the CTS. Genetic variation is important to fitness and
adaptive change (Meffe and Carroll 1997). These authors state that
losses of diversity can result in reduced evolutionary flexibility and
declines in fitness, and that changes in the distribution of genetic
diversity can destroy local adaptations and break up co-adapted gene
complexes. Accordingly, we divided the current range of the Central
population into four regions: (1) Central Valley, (2) Southern San
Joaquin Valley, (3) East Bay, and (4) Central Coast. We further
determined that essential habitat should represent the current
geographic and elevational range of the species, as well as the range
of habitat and environmental variability or other unique situations
within each of the four regions. Conservation of the range of habitat
types in which a species occurs helps maintain local adaptations that
are important for the long-term viability of a species (Fugate 1992,
King 1996, Fugate 1998). A fundamental concept in conservation biology
is that species that are protected across their ranges have lower
chances of extinction (Soule and Simberloff 1986, Noss et al. 2002). To
represent this environmental variation, we selected areas with the
highest density of Central population locations, the highest proximity
to other Central population occurrences, known association of the
occurrence with aquatic breeding habitat such as vernal pools or
stockponds, and the least amount of habitat disturbance within each of
the four regions.
Finally, we also determined that essential habitat should be of
sufficient size to provide enough suitable habitat to maintain
ecological functions in both aquatic and terrestrial habitat and to
allow for movement within and between breeding locations within each
unit when possible. This would enable Central population from other
locations to ``rescue'' sites which may have low numbers as a result of
natural or human factors. To determine a general guideline for the
amount of upland habitat necessary to support a population of adult
CTS, we reviewed the primary literature regarding California tiger
salamander upland habitat use, including Trenham (2000), Trenham et al.
(2000 and 2001), and Trenham and Shaffer (in review).
Data indicate that California tiger salamanders do not remain
primarily in burrows close to aquatic habitats and breeding ponds, but
instead move some distance out into the surrounding upland landscapes.
As described in the Background section, California tiger salamanders
have been found up to 1.2 mi (2 km) from occupied occurrences. Two
studies conducted in Monterey and Solano counties provide the best
available data on upland movement distances. First, the mark-recapture
study of Trenham et al. (2001) showed that California tiger salamanders
commonly moved between ponds separated by 2,200 ft (670 m), suggesting
that movements of this magnitude are not rare. Second, the ongoing
study at Olcott Lake (Solano County) has directly documented the
presence of high densities of juvenile and adult California tiger
salamanders at upland locations at least 1,300 ft (400 m) from this
high-quality breeding pond.
Recent trapping efforts captured large numbers (representing 16
percent of total captures) of juvenile salamanders at 2,300 ft (700 m).
Trenham and Shaffer (in review) determined that conserving upland
habitats within 2,200 ft (670 m) of breeding ponds would protect 95
percent of California tiger salamanders at their study location in
Solano County. Protecting the needed upland habitat area with a radius
of 2,200 ft (670 m) around a single pond that has a 13 ft (10 m) radius
may yield a minimum area of 350 ac (140 ha). However, the size of any
occurrence or breeding pond may increase the total amount of necessary
aquatic and upland habitat space for survival of any known occurrence.
We used 0.7 mi (1.13 km) as a guide for mapping the amount of
upland habitat around locations where Central population is present.
However, although the studies discussed above provide an approximation
of the distances that California tiger salamanders can move from their
aquatic habitats, breeding ponds, and known occupied aquatic habitats
in search of suitable upland refugia, we recognize that upland habitat
features will influence California tiger salamander movements in a
particular landscape. As a result, we made adjustments to the upland
areas to include additional areas up to the watershed boundaries or to
include habitat containing the PCEs. In some cases we reduced the areas
to exclude non-habitat areas (those not exhibiting the PCEs) from the
designation.
Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Act authorizes us to issue permits for
the take of listed species incidental to otherwise lawful activities.
An incidental take permit application must be supported by a habitat
conservation plan (HCP) that identifies conservation measures that the
permittee agrees to implement for the species to minimize and mitigate
the impacts of the requested incidental take. We often exclude non-
federal public lands and private lands that are covered by an existing
operative HCP and executed implementation agreement (IA) under section
10(a)(1)(B) of the Act from designated critical habitat because the
benefits of exclusion outweigh the benefits of inclusion as discussed
in section 4(b)(2) of the Act. In the case of the CTS, only the San
Joaquin County Multi-Species HCP is a legally operating HCP that has
identified the California tiger salamander as a covered species.
We are aware of five HCPs under various stages of development;
however, we are not proposing these draft HCPs for exclusion because we
have not yet made an initial determination that they meet our issuance
criteria, provide adequate conservation for the species, and are ready
for public notice and comment.
In summary, we propose critical habitat throughout the current
range of the CTS because we believe protection of the areas is
essential to the conservation of the species, and these areas may
require special management.
[[Page 48578]]
We then mapped as critical habitat sufficient habitat to ensure the
conservation of the CTS in accordance with the five elements of the
conservation strategy described above.
Special Management Considerations or Protections
When designating critical habitat, we assess whether the areas
determined to be essential for conservation may require special
management considerations or protections. Areas in need of management
include not only the immediate locations where the species may be
present, but additional areas adjacent to these that can provide for
normal population fluctuations that may occur in response to natural
and unpredictable events. The Central population may depend upon
habitat components beyond the immediate areas where individuals of the
species occur, if these areas support the presence of small mammals or
are essential in maintaining ecological processes such as hydrology,
expansion of distribution, recolonization, and maintenance of natural
predator-prey relationships. We believe that the areas proposed for
critical habitat may require special management considerations or
protections due to the threats outlined below:
(1) Activities that introduce or promote the occurrence of
bullfrogs and fish can be significant threats to Central population
breeding ponds.
(2) Activities that could disturb aquatic breeding habitats during
the breeding season.
(3) Activities that impair the water quality of aquatic breeding
habitat.
(4) Activities that would reduce small mammal populations to the
point that there is insufficient underground Central population refugia
used for foraging, protection from predators, and shelter from the
elements.
(5) Activities that create barriers impassable for salamanders or
road crossings that increase mortality in upland habitat between extant
occurrences in breeding habitat.
(6) Activities on adjacent uplands that disrupt vernal pool
complexes' ability to support CTS breeding function.
(7) Activities that introduce non-native tiger salamanders in areas
where CTS is threatened by hybridization.
Proposed Critical Habitat Designation
We are proposing critical habitat for the Central population
throughout four geographic regions. The proposed critical habitat units
described below constitute our best assessment at this time of the
areas essential for the conservation of the Central population. The
regions are: (1) Central Valley Region, (2) Southern San Joaquin Valley
Region, (3) the East Bay Region, and (4) the Central Coast Region. The
maps in this proposed rule present a pictorial representation of the
four regions and are not accurate with regard to the dividing line
between the Central Coast and Central Valley regions in Alameda County.
The maps in the rule portion of this document begin with Map 7 and run
consecutively because they follow Maps 1-6 in the proposed critical
habitat rule for the Santa Barbara population of the California tiger
salamander already published in the Federal Register (69 FR 3064,
January 22, 2004). We will continue to refine these maps as we acquire
more refined or smaller scale mapping information.BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
[[Page 48579]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.000
BILLING CODE 4310-55-C
[[Page 48580]]
We are proposing 47 units as critical habitat for the Central
population. Federal lands within the San Francisco Bay National
Wildlife Refuge, the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex, and
Fort Hunter Liggett are included in proposed critical habitat units.
Additionally, we have proposed critical habitat on lands within East
Bay Regional County Park. Although some Federal, State, or local
government lands occur within the boundaries of proposed critical
habitat, the majority of the areas proposed for critical habitat
designation occur on privately owned land. The approximate area
encompassed within each proposed critical habitat unit and associated
land ownership are shown in Table 1.
Table 1.--Approximate Sizes and Land Ownership of Proposed Critical Habitat Units by Geographic Region
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal lands State lands Other lands Total
Geographic region/proposed unit -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ac ha ac ha ac ha ac ha
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Central Valley
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unit 1.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 3,789 1,533 3,789 1,533
Unit 2.......................................... 0 ........... 7 3 5,937 2,403 5,944 2,406
Unit 3.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 10,191 4,124 10,191 4.124
Unit 4.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 9,603 3,886 9,603 3,886
Unit 5.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 3,128 1,266 3,128 1,266
Unit 6.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 32,443 13,129 32,443 13,129
Unit 7.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 1,010 409 1,010 409
Unit 8.......................................... 17 7 0 ........... 6,053 2,450 6,070 2,457
Unit 9.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 17,799 7,203 17,799 7,203
Unit 10......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 10,585 4,283 10,585 4,283
Unit 11......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 8,291 3,355 8,291 3,355
Unit 12......................................... 9,330 3,776 1,564 633 130 52 11,024 4,461
Unit 13......................................... 3,406 1,378 0 ........... 2,356 953 5,762 2,332
Unit 14......................................... 1,540 623 0 ........... 4,355 1,762 5,895 2,386
Unit 15......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 7,353 2,976 7,353 2,976
Unit 16......................................... 0 ........... 21 8 13,481 5,455 13,502 5,464
Unit 17......................................... 0 ........... 824 333 27,108 10,970 27,932 11,304
Unit 18......................................... 415 168 0 ........... 8,400 3,400 8,815 3,568
-------------------------------------------------
Area Total.................................. 14,708 5,952 2,416 978 172,013 69,611 189,137 76,541
-------------------------------------------------
Southern San Joaquin Valley Region
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unit 1.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 9,122 3,692 9,122 3,692
Unit 2.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 10,193 4,125 10,193 4,125
Unit 3.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 7,924 3,207 7,924 3,207
Unit 4.......................................... 0 ........... 415 168 0 ........... 415 168
Unit 5A......................................... 0 ........... 4,342 1,757 0 ........... 4,342 1,757
Unit 5B..................................... 0 ........... 629 255 0 ........... 629 255
-------------------------------------------------
Area Total.................................. 0 ........... 5,386 2,180 27,239 11,023 32,625 13,203
-------------------------------------------------
East Bay Region
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unit 1.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 5,267 2,132 5,267 2,132
Unit 2.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 2,600 1,052 2,600 1,052
Unit 3.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 39,778 16,098 39,778 16,098
Unit 4.......................................... 691 280 0 ........... 382 155 1,073 434
Unit 5.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 2,814 1,139 2,814 1,139
Unit 6.......................................... 0 ........... 2,767 1,120 5,209 2,108 7,976 3,228
Unit 7.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 9,080 3,675 9,080 3,675
Unit 8.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 4,016 1,625 4,016 1,625
Unit 9.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 2,934 1,187 2,934 1,187
Unit 10......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 1,851 749 1,851 749
Unit 11......................................... 0 ........... 6,583 2,664 408 165 6,991 2,829
Unit 12......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 6,754 2,733 6,754 2,733
Unit 13......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 2,409 975 2,409 975
Unit 14......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 2,212 895 2,212 895
Unit 15......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 3,165 1,281 3,165 1,281
Unit 16......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 16,952 6,860 16,952 6,860
-------------------------------------------------
Area Total.................................. 691 280 9,350 3,784 105,831 42,828 115,872 42,892
-------------------------------------------------
Central Coast Region
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unit 1.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 4,341 1,757 4,341 1,757
Unit 2.......................................... 8,200 3,318 0 ........... 0 ........... 8,200 3,318
Unit 3.......................................... 18 7 110 45 3,537 1,431 3,665 1,483
Unit 4.......................................... 20 8 0 ........... 3,881 1,571 3,901 1,579
Unit 5A......................................... 9,942 4,024 0 ........... 0 ........... 9,942 4,024
[[Page 48581]]
Unit 5B......................................... 5,453 2,207 0 ........... 297 120 5,750 2,327
Unit 6.......................................... 0 ........... 0 ........... 9,233 3,736 9,233 3,736
-------------------------------------------------
Area total.................................. 23,633 9,564 110 45 21,288 8,615 45,032 18,224
=================================================
Grand totals............................ 39,032 15,796 17,262 6,986 326,371 132,078 382,666 154,860
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The critical habitat we are proposing for the Central population
represents occupied aquatic and upland habitats throughout the species'
range. Brief descriptions of the proposed critical habitat units are
presented below. To the best of our knowledge, each unit contains
essential aquatic, upland, and dispersal habitats.
We believe the critical habitat units proposed below are essential
to the conservation of the CTS because each represents a unique
combination of aspects of geographic and ecological distribution and
genetic diversity that meet the criteria described above for
identifying essential habitat. Each of the proposed critical habitat
units contains one or more of the PCEs and may require one or more of
the special management considerations or protections described above.
Central Valley Region
The Central Valley region generally includes an area from northern
Yolo County south and southeast to the northern half of Madera County,
and includes eastern Solano and Contra Costa counties. Within this
region, we are proposing 18 critical habitat units that total
approximately 189,137 ac (76,541 ha). The 18 proposed critical habitat
units contain approximately 192 extant occurrences of the CTS. The 18
proposed units occur in 4 of 17 vernal pool regions within California:
the Solano-Colusa, Southeastern Sacramento Valley, Southern Sierra
Foothills, and San Joaquin Valley. The units are distributed across the
geographic extent of the region and represent the varying habitats and
environmental conditions available for CTS in the Central Valley
region. By including units across the geographic range of the species
within this region we are conserving the diversity of the species and
its habitat across its range. The approximately 192 extant occurrences
of CTS within the Central Valley region represent some of the highest
density and best remaining habitat for the species. Table 2 illustrates
the acreage proposed as critical habitat within the Central Valley
region by county.
Table 2.--Area of Proposed Critical Habitat Within the Central Valley
Region by County
------------------------------------------------------------------------
County Acres Hectares Unit number
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yolo............................. 3,789 1,533 1
Solano........................... 5,944 2,406 2
Sacramento....................... 10,191 4,124 3
San Joaquin...................... 21,120 8,547 4,6
Amador........................... 1,506 610 4
Calaveras........................ 4,944 2,001 5,6
Stanislaus....................... 24,406 9,877 6-8
Merced........................... 45,127 18,262 8-10,12-13
Madera........................... 8,291 3,355 11
Mariposa......................... 321 130 10
Contra Costa..................... 43,232 17,496 14-18
Alameda.......................... 20,266 8,201 17-18
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unit 1, Dunnigan Creek Unit, Yolo County (3,789 ac (1,533 ha))
This proposed unit is the only unit in Yolo County and represents
the northern part of the geographic distribution of CTS in the Central
Valley region. This proposed unit contains a cluster of four CTS
occurrences located in a vernal pool complex in the northern end of the
Solano-Colusa vernal pool region. It is roughly bordered by Interstate
5 on the east, Bird Creek on the south, Buckeye Creek on the north and
west. Land ownership is private.
Unit 2, Jepson Prairie Unit, Solano County (5,944 ac (2,406 ha))
This proposed unit represents the northwest distribution of the CTS
within the Central Valley region within the southern end of Solano-
Colusa vernal pool region in Solano County. This proposed unit contains
four extant occurrences of the CTS. It is generally located south of
Dixon, west of State Route 113, north of Creed Road, and east of Travis
Air Force Base. This unit is mostly privately owned, but contains a
small amount of California Department of Fish and Game lands.
Unit 3, Southeastern Sacramento Unit, Sacramento County (10,191 ac
(4,124 ha))
This proposed unit is only one of three proposed units representing
the Southeastern Sacramento Valley vernal pool region and is found at
the southern end of that region. It contains eight occurrences of CTS.
This proposed unit is generally bordered on the south by the Sacramento
and San Joaquin County line, Laguna Creek on the north, the
[[Page 48582]]
Sacramento and Amador County line on the east, and Alta Mesa Road on
the west. Land ownership is private.
Unit 4, Northeastern San Joaquin Unit, San Joaquin and Amador Counties
(9,603 ac (3,886 ha))
This proposed unit is the only one in San Joaquin and Amador
counties. It contains five extant occurrences of the CTS within a
vernal pool complex in the Southeastern Sacramento Valley vernal pool
region. This proposed unit is roughly located south of the San Joaquin
and Sacramento County line, east of Day Creek Road, north of Liberty
Road, and west of Comanche and Jackson Valley Roads. Land ownership is
private.
Unit 5, Indian Creek Unit, Calaveras County (3,128 ac (1,266 ha))
This proposed unit represents the northeastern range of the species
in the Central Valley region within the Southeastern Sacramento Valley
vernal pool region. It contains four occurrences of CTS. This unit is
roughly bordered by State Route 26 on the south and east, Warren Road
on the west, and State Route 12 on the north. Land ownership is
private.
Unit 6, Rock Creek Unit, Calaveras, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus
Counties (32,443 ac (13,129 ha))
This proposed unit represents an essential part of the San Joaquin
Valley's eastern distribution of the species. This proposed unit
contains five extant occurrences of the CTS in a vernal pool complex
representing the northern end of the Southern Sierra Foothills vernal
pool region. It is located approximately west of San Joaquin County
Road J6, north of Sonora Road, east of Stanislaus County Road J12, and
south of the Calaveras River. Land ownership is private.
Unit 7, Rodden Lake Unit, Stanislaus County (1,010 ac (409 ha))
This proposed unit contains three occurrences of CTS in vernal pool
complexes in the center portion of the species range within the Central
Valley region. This proposed unit is located at the northern end of the
Southern Sierra Foothill vernal pool region and is the only proposed
unit near the Stanislaus River. It is roughly bounded by Horseshoe Road
on the east, Frankhenheimer Road on the north, Twenty Eight Mile Road
on the west, and the Stanislaus River on the south. Land ownership is
private.
Unit 8, La Grange Ridge Unit, Stanislaus and Merced Counties (6,070 ac
(2,457 ha))
This proposed unit is representative of the vernal pool complexes
that occur within the center of the Central Valley region. It contains
five extant occurrences of the CTS within the northeastern Southern
Sierra Foothills vernal pool region. This proposed unit is roughly
located east of Cardoza Ridge, west of Los Cerritos Road, south of
State Route 132, and north of Fields Road. Land ownership is private.
Unit 9, Fahrens Creek Unit, Merced County (17,799 ac (7,203 ha))
This proposed unit represents the center of the range of the
species within the Central Valley region and contains 20 extant
occurrences of the CTS. This proposed unit is one of two representing
the South Sierra Foothills vernal pool region in Merced County. This
area is located generally northeast from Merced, east of the Merced and
Mariposa county dividing line, north of Bear Creek and south of the
Merced River. Land ownership is private.
Unit 10, Miles Creek Unit, Merced County (10,585 ac (4,283 ha))
This proposed unit represents the southern end of the Central
Valley region and contains nine extant occurrences of the CTS. This
proposed unit is the only other unit that occurs on the Southern Sierra
Foothill vernal pool region in Merced County. It occurs mostly in
Merced County and has a small portion in adjacent Mariposa County. This
proposed unit is located generally east of Owens Lake in Mariposa
County, west of Cunningham Road in Merced County, south of South Bear
Creek Road in Merced County, and north of Childs Avenue. Land ownership
is private.
Unit 11, Rabbit Hill Unit, Madera County (8,291 ac (3,355 ha))
This proposed unit represents the southern extent of the CTS in the
Central Valley region in the Sierra Foothills vernal pool region in
Madera County. It contains six extant occurrences of the CTS. This
proposed unit is generally located west of Hensley Lake, south of
Knowles Junction, west of the Daulton Mine, and north of the Fresno
River. Land ownership is private.
Unit 12, San Luis Island Unit, Merced County (11,024 ac (4,461 ha))
This proposed unit represents the southwestern edge of the valley
floor of the Central Valley region and contains six extant occurrences
of the CTS. This proposed unit is one of two proposed units
representing the San Joaquin Valley vernal pool region. It is located
west of State Route 165, south of State Route 140, east of Santa Fe
Grade Road, and north of Buttonwillow Lakes. This proposed unit occurs
primarily on Federal lands of the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge
Complex, but also includes some State and private lands.
Unit 13, Sandy Mush Unit, Merced County (5,762 ac (2,332 ha))
This proposed unit represents the very southwestern distribution of
the species within the Central Valley region and contains five extant
occurrences of the CTS. This is only one of two proposed units in the
San Joaquin Valley vernal pool region. This proposed unit generally is
located west of State Route 59, north of Chamberlain Road, east of the
San Joaquin River, and south of Ventura Road. Land ownership is Federal
(San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex) and private.
Unit 14, Mulligan Hill Unit, Contra Costa County (5,895 ac (2,386 ha))
This proposed unit represents the western portion of the Central
Valley region and the Livermore vernal pool region in Contra Costa
County. This proposed unit is bordered on the north by State Route 4,
Concord on the west, Kirker Pass Road to the south, the City of
Pittsburg to the east. The Department of Defense, Concord Naval Weapons
Station, owns part of this proposed unit, and the other part is
privately owned.
Unit 15, Deer Valley Unit, Contra Costa County (7,353 ac (2,976 ha))
This proposed unit contains ten extant occurrences of the CTS and
represents the southwestern part of Central Valley region and the
Livermore vernal pool region in Contra Costa County. It is roughly
bounded by Mount Diablo to the west, Antioch to the north, Deer Valley
to the south, and Lone Tree Valley to the east. Land ownership is
Contra Costa County parks and private.
Unit 16, Marsh Creek Unit, Contra Costa County (13,502 ac (5,464 ha))
This proposed unit contains 25 extant occurrences of the CTS and
represents the southwestern portion of the Central Valley region in the
Livermore vernal pool region within Contra Costa County. This proposed
unit is roughly bounded by Curry Canyon on the west, Deer Valley on the
north, Round Valley on the south, and Marsh Creek Reservoir on the
east. Land ownership is mostly private but includes a small amount of
State land.
[[Page 48583]]
Unit 17, Benthany Reservoir Unit, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties
(27,932 ac (11,304 ha))
This proposed unit contains 50 extant occurrences of the CTS and
represents the southwestern portion of the Central Valley region in the
Livermore vernal pool region within Contra Costa County. It contains
the highest density of CTS extant occurrences among all proposed units
and represents a significant portion of the species' habitat and range.
This unit is generally bounded by Interstate Freeway 580 on the south,
Clifton Court Forebay on the east, the City of Bryon on the north, and
Brushy Peak on the west. Land ownership is mostly private, with some
State lands as well.
Unit 18, Doolan Canyon Unit, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties (8,815
ac (3,568 ha))
This proposed unit contains 12 extant occurrences of the CTS and
represents the very southwestern portion of the Central Valley region
within the Livermore vernal pool region. This proposed unit is
generally bounded by Tassajara on the north, Collier Canyon Road on the
east and the south, and the City of Dublin on the west. Land ownership
is mostly private, but it also includes some Federal lands.
Southern San Joaquin Valley Region
The Southern San Joaquin Valley region includes the southern half
of Madera County south to northeastern Kings County and northwestern
Tulare County. Within this region, we propose six critical habitat
units for the California tiger salamander that total approximately
32,625 ac (13,203 ha). The six proposed critical habitat units
encompass approximately 33 extant occurrences of the CTS and represent
the San Joaquin Valley and Southern Sierra Foothills vernal pool
regions. The units are distributed across the geographic extent of the
region and represent the varying habitats and environmental conditions
available for CTS in the Southern San Joaquin Valley region. By
including units across the geographic range of the species within this
region, we are conserving the diversity of the species and its habitat
across its range. Table 3 illustrates the acreage proposed as critical
habitat within the Southern San Joaquin Valley region by County.
Table 3.--Area of Proposed Critical Habitat Units Within the Southern
San Joaquin Valley Region by County
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unit
County Acres Hectares number
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Madera........................... 9,122 3,692 1
Fresno........................... 16,375 6,627 2,3
Kings............................ 885 358 5
Tulare........................... 6,243 2,526 3-5
----------------------------------
Total........................ 32,625 13,203
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unit 1, Millerton Unit, Madera County (9,122 ac (3,692 ha))
This proposed unit represents the only extant occurrences of the
California tiger salamander on the northern end of the Southern San
Joaquin Valley region and contains 11 extant occurrences of the CTS.
This proposed unit occurs within the Southern Sierra Foothills vernal
pool region, one of two vernal pool regions in the Southern San Joaquin
Valley region. This proposed unit is located west of State Highway 41
and generally north of the San Joaquin River. The eastern boundary is
approximately the western side of Millerton Lake and the northern
boundary is approximately that are near Indian Springs and Millers
Corner. Land ownership is private.
Unit 2, Northeast Fresno, Fresno County (10,193 ac (4,125 ha))
This unit represents the distribution of CTS in the northern end of
the Southern San Joaquin Valley region and the Southern Sierra
Foothills vernal pool region. It contains ten extant occurrences of the
CTS. This proposed unit is located northeast of Fresno, southwest of
Millerton Lake, east of Friant Road and generally west of Academy. Land
ownership is private.
Unit 3, Hills Valley Unit, Fresno and Tulare counties (7,924 ac (3,207
ha))
This proposed unit represents the southern portion of the
distribution of CTS within the Southern San Joaquin Valley region and
the Southern Sierra Foothills vernal pool region. It contains five
extant occurrences of the CTS. This proposed unit is located in Fresno
County and extends just into the northwest corner of Tulare County,
south of State Highway 180, generally west of George Smith and San
Creek Roads, north of Curtis Mountain, and east of Cove Road. This
proposed unit is the northernmost one of its kind in Tulare County and
is the only one located in the foothills of Tulare County. Land
ownership is private.
Unit 4, Seville Unit, Tulare County (415 ac (168 ha))
This proposed unit represents an extant occurrence of CTS in a
vernal pool complex, a rarity in the lower elevations in the San
Joaquin Valley where the majority of historic vernal pool habitat has
been converted to intensive agricultural uses. Although small in size,
it represents an essential part of the southern extent of the genetic
and geographical range of the species. This proposed unit occurs within
the Southern Sierra Foothills vernal pool region. It is located just
west of Seville on either side of State Route 201, east of State Route
63, south of Stokes Mountain, and north of Ivanhoe. Land ownership is
private.
Unit 5A and 5B, Cottonwood Creek Unit, Tulare and Kings counties (4,971
ac (2,011 ha))
Unit 5A represents a significant area at the very southern
extension of the range of the CTS. This proposed unit contains four
extant occurrences and is located in a low-elevation vernal pool
complex within the San Joaquin Valley vernal pool region. It is roughly
bordered by County Road J36 on the north, Dinuba Road on the east,
Avenue 352 on the south, and County Road 112 on the west. Land
ownership is State. Unit 5A is 4,342 ac (1,757 ha) in size.
Unit 5B represents an important low-elevation component of the
southernmost range extension of the species in the Southern San Joaquin
Valley region. This proposed unit contains two extant occurrences of
the CTS in the area of Cottonwood Creek in vernal pool complexes of the
San Joaquin Valley vernal pool region. It is located north of Goshen,
south of Traver, west of Calgro, and east of
[[Page 48584]]
Hamlin. Land ownership is State. Unit 5B is 629 ac (254 ha) in size.
East Bay Region
The East Bay region generally includes the area from Alameda County
south to Santa Benito and Santa Clara counties, and western Merced
County. The East Bay region has approximately 115,872 ac (46,892 ha) of
proposed critical habitat. Within this geographical area, we have
identified 16 proposed critical habitat units for the CTS that contain
approximately 132 extant occurrences. The East Bay region contains the
Livermore, Central Coast, and San Joaquin Valley vernal pool regions.
The units are distributed across the geographic extent of the region
and represent the varying habitats and environmental conditions
available for CTS in the East Bay region. By including units across the
geographic range of the species within this region, we are conserving
the diversity of the species and its habitat across its range. Table 4
illustrates the acreage proposed as critical habitat within the East
Bay region by county.
Table 4.--Area of Proposed Critical Habitat Within the East Bay Region
by County
------------------------------------------------------------------------
County Acres Hectares Unit number
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alameda.......................... 47,333 19,155 1-4
Santa Clara...................... 42,751 17,301 3
San Benito....................... 21,167 8,566 12,15-16
Merced........................... 4,621 1,870 13-14
Total........................ 115,872 46,892
--------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unit 1, Patterson Unit, Alameda County (5,267 ac (2,132 ha)
This proposed unit represents the northernmost CTS occurrences in
the Bay Area region and the northern end of the Livermore vernal pool
region. It contains seven extant occurrences of the CTS and is one of
four proposed units within Alameda County. This proposed unit lies
south of Interstate 580, east of the City of Midway, north of Patterson
Pass Road, and west of Flynn Road. Land ownership is private.
Unit 2, Mendenhall Unit, Alameda County (2,600 ac (1,052 ha))
This proposed unit represents a portion of the northeastern range
of the CTS within the Bay Area region and the northern end of the
Livermore vernal pool region. It contains seven extant occurrences in
northern Alameda County. This proposed unit is generally located south
of Tesla Road, east of Crane Ridge, and north and west of Lake Del
Valle. Land ownership is private.
Unit 3, Alameda Creek Unit, Alameda and Santa Clara Counties (39,778 ac
(16,098 ha))
This proposed unit represents the north central part of the Bay
Area region and the northwestern Livermore vernal pool region. It
contains 47 extant occurrences of the CTS. This proposed unit is
generally located north of Calaveras Reservoir, east of Sugar Butte,
west of Fremont, and south of Livermore. Land ownership is a mixture of
county parks and private lands.
Unit 4, San Francisco Bay Unit, Alameda County (1,073 ac (434 ha))
This proposed unit represents the only CTS occurrences in the
northwest portion of the Bay Area region and contains four extant
occurrences in the Livermore vernal pool region. This proposed unit is
generally located north of Coyote Creek, west of Interstate 880, south
of Newark, and east of San Francisco Bay. Most of this proposed unit is
on Federal lands of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, but
also includes some private land.
Unit 5, Poverty Ridge Unit, Santa Clara County (2,814 ac (1,139 ha))
This proposed unit represents the north central portion of the Bay
Area region in the southern end Livermore vernal pool region and
contains six extant occurrences of the CTS. It is generally located
west of Alum Rock, south of Alameda and Contra Costa county line, west
of Kincaid Road, and north of Master Hill. Land ownership is private.
Unit 6, Smith Creek Unit, Santa Clara County (7,976 ac (3,228 ha))
This proposed unit represents the north central part of the range
of CTS within the Bay Area region and the northern Central Coast vernal
pool region. It contains four extant occurrences of the CTS. This
proposed unit is generally located west of Sugarloaf Mountain, south of
Packard Ridge, east of Masters Hill, and north of Panochita Hill. This
proposed unit contains University of California, county, and private
lands.
Unit 7, San Felipe Creek Unit, Santa Clara County (9,080 ac (3,675 ha))
This proposed unit represents the central portion of the
distribution of CTS within the Bay Area region and the north central
portion of the Central Coast vernal pool region. It contains four
extant occurrences of the species. This proposed unit is generally
located west of Silver Creek, south of Panochita Hill, east of
Bollinger Mountain, and north of Morgan Hill. Land ownership is
private.
Unit 8, Laurel Hill Unit, Santa Clara County (4,016 ac (1,625 ha))
This proposed unit represents the northwestern portion of the
distribution of CTS in the Bay Area region and the northwestern portion
of the Central Coast vernal pool region. It contains 10 extant
occurrences of the species and is one of two proposed units on the
western side of the Santa Clara Valley. This proposed unit is generally
located east of Morgan Hill, south of San Jose, west of the Santa Cruz
Mountains, and north of Croy Ridge. Land ownership is private.
Unit 9, Cebata Flat Unit, Santa Clara County (2,934 ac (1,187 ha))
This proposed unit represents CTS in the central portions of the
Bay Area region and the Central Coast vernal pool region. It contains
three extant occurrences of the CTS. This proposed unit is generally
located west of Gilroy, south of Henry Coe State Park, east of Lake
Mountain, and north of Canada Road. Land ownership is private.
Unit 10, Lions Peak Unit, Santa Clara County (1,851 ac (749 ha))
This proposed unit represents only the second proposed unit on the
west side of the Santa Clara Valley within the central portions of the
Bay Area region and the Central Coast vernal pool region. It contains
six extant occurrences of the CTS. This proposed unit is generally
found east of State Highway 101, south of Morgan Hill, north of Hecker
Pass Highway, and west of Uvas Reservoir. Land ownership is private.
[[Page 48585]]
Unit 11, Braen Canyon Unit, Santa Clara County (6,991 ac (2,829 ha))
This proposed unit represents the distribution of CTS within the
eastern central portion of the Bay Area region and the central portion
of the Central Coast vernal pool region. It contains five extant
occurrences of the CTS in southern Santa Clara County. This proposed
unit is generally found west of Gilroy, south of Kelly Lake, east of
Pacheco Lake, and north of Jamison Road. Land ownership is State and
private.
Unit 12, San Felipe Unit, Santa Clara and San Benito Counties (6,754 ac
(2,733 ha))
This proposed unit represents the distribution of CTS within the
central portions of the Bay Area region and Central Coast vernal pool
region. It contains 10 extant occurrences of the CTS in southern Santa
Clara County and northern San Benito County. This proposed unit is
generally found east of Carnadero Creek, south of Kickham Peak, west of
San Joaquin Peak, and north of Dunneville. Land ownership is private.
Unit 13, Los Banos Unit, Merced County (2,409 (975 ha))
This proposed unit represents a portion of the southeastern
distribution of CTS within the Bay Area region and the San Joaquin
Valley vernal pool region. It contains three extant occurrences of the
CTS in Merced County. This proposed unit is generally located east of
Los Banos Reservoir, north of Bullard Mountain, west of Cathedral Peak,
and south of San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area. Land ownership
is private.
Unit 14, Landgon Unit, Merced County (2,212 ac (895 ha))
This proposed unit represents the eastern distribution of the CTS
within the Bay Area region within the San Joaquin Valley vernal pool
region. It contains three extant occurrences of the CTS in Merced
County. This proposed unit is generally found west of Sweeney Hill,
south of Gasten Bide Road, west of Interstate 5, and north of
Ortigalita Peak. Land ownership is private.
Unit 15, Ana Creek Unit, San Benito County (3,165 ac (1,281 ha))
This proposed unit represents the distribution of CTS in the
southwestern portion of the Bay Area region within the Central Coast
vernal pool region. It contains nine extant occurrences of the CTS.
This proposed unit is generally located east of Hollister, north of
Tres Pinos, west of Cibo Peak, and south of Coyote Peak. Land ownership
is private.
Unit 16, Bitterwater Unit, San Benito County (16,952 ac (6,860 ha))
This proposed unit represents the southern distribution of CTS
within the Bay Area region within the southern portion of the Central
Coast vernal pool region. It contains nine extant occurrences of the
species. This proposed unit is generally found south of Pinnacles, west
of Hernandez Reservoir, north of Lonoak, and east of Murphy Flat. Land
ownership is private.
Central Coast Region
The Central Coast includes the area from Monterey County to
northeastern San Luis Obispo County and northwestern Tulare County. The
Central Coast region contains seven proposed critical habitat units
that total approximately 45,034 ac (18,225 ha). These proposed critical
habitat units contain approximately 50 extant occurrences of California
tiger salamander within the Central Coast, Livermore, and Carrizo
vernal pool regions. The units are distributed across the geographic
extent of the region and represent the varying habitats and
environmental conditions available for CTS in the Central Coast region.
By including units across the geographic range of the species within
this region, we are conserving the diversity of the species and its
habitat across its range. Table 5 illustrates the acreage proposed as
critical habitat within the Central Coast region by County.
Table 5.--Acreage of Proposed Critical Habitat Within the Central Coast
Region By County
------------------------------------------------------------------------
County Acres Hectares Unit Number
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monterey......................... 32,392 13,109 1-5
San Benito....................... 3,408 1,379 4
San Luis Obispo.................. 7,736 3,131 6
Kern............................. 1,496 605 6
--------------------------
Total........................ 45,032 18,224
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unit 1, Crazy Horse Canyon Unit, Monterey County (4,341 ac (1,757 ha))
This proposed unit represents the distribution of CTS within the
northern portion of the Central Coast region and the northwestern
portion of the Central Coast vernal pool region. It contains five
extant occurrences of the CTS. This proposed unit is generally located
north of Salinas, west of Castroville, south of Echo Valley Road, and
east of Hollister. Land ownership is private.
Unit 2, Elliott Hill Unit, Monterey County (8,200 ac (3,318 ha))
This proposed unit represents the distribution of the CTS in the
northwestern portions of the Central Coast region and the Central Coast
vernal pool region. It contains 16 extant occurrences of the CTS. This
proposed unit is generally located south of Salinas, east of Seaside,
and northwest of State Route 68. All of this unit is on the former
Department of Defense Fort Ord Military Reservation, now partially
managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Land ownership is Federal.
Unit 3, Haystack Hill Unit, Monterey County (3,665 ac) (1,483 ha))
This proposed unit represents the center portion of the Central
Coast region within the northwestern portion of the Central Coast
vernal pool region. It contains ten extant occurrences of the Central
population. This proposed unit is generally located along Carmel Valley
Road, west of Paloma Ridge, east of Jamesberg, and south of Carmel
Valley. Land ownership within this proposed unit is a mixture of
Federal (BLM), State (Hastings Natural History State Reserve), and
private.
Unit 4, Gloria Valley Unit, Monterey and San Benito Counties (3,901 ac)
(1,579 ha))
This proposed unit represents the distribution of CTS within the
northeastern portion of the Central Coast region within the western
portion of the Central Coast vernal pool region.
[[Page 48586]]
It contains 10 extant occurrences of the Central population. This
proposed unit is generally located north of Soledad, west of the
Pinnacles National Monument, south of Tres Pinos, and east of Gonzales.
Land ownership of this proposed unit is mostly private but includes a
small amount of federal (BLM) land.
Units 5A and 5B, Fort Hunter Liggett Unit, Monterey County (15,692 ac)
(6,351 ha))
Units 5A and 5B represent the distribution of CTS in the
southwestern portion of the Central Coast region within the southern
portion of the Central Coast vernal pool region. They contain 15 extant
occurrences of the CTS. Units 5A and 5B are generally located on the
west and east sides of the San Antonio River Valley, north of Bryson,
and south of King City. Land ownership is Federal (Department of
Defense, Fort Hunter Liggett Military Reservation) and private. Unit 5A
is 9,942 ac (4,024 ha) in size, and Unit 5B is 5,750 ac (2,327 ha) in
size.
Unit 6, Choice Valley, Kern and San Luis Obispo Counties (9,233 ac)
(3,736 ha)
This proposed unit represents the southernmost extension of CTS
within the Central Coast region and is the only unit within the Carrizo
vernal pool region. The unit contains four extant occurrences of the
CTS. This proposed unit is generally located north of the Carrisa
Highway, east of Antelope Valley, south of Cottonwood, and west of
Shandon. Land ownership is private.
Effects of Critical Habitat Designation
Section 7 Consultation
Section 7(a)(2) of the Act requires Federal agencies, including the
Service, to ensure that actions they fund, authorize, or carry out are
not likely to destroy or adversely modify critical habitat. In our
regulations at 50 CFR 402.02, we define destruction or adverse
modification as ``a direct or indirect alteration that appreciably
diminishes the value of critical habitat for both the survival and
recovery of a listed species. Such alterations include, but are not
limited to: alterations adversely modifying any of those physical or
biological features that were the basis for determining the habitat to
be critical.'' However, in a March 15, 2001, decision of the United
States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (Sierra Club v. U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service et al., F.3d 434), the Court found our definition
of destruction or adverse modification to be invalid. In response to
this decision, we are reviewing the regulatory definition of adverse
modification in relation to the conservation of the species.
Individuals, organizations, States, local governments, and other
nonfederal entities are affected by the designation of critical habitat
only if their actions occur on Federal lands, require a Federal permit,
license, or other authorization, or involve Federal funding.
Section 7(a) of the Act requires Federal agencies, including the
Service, to evaluate their actions with respect to any species that is
proposed or listed as endangered or threatened and with respect to its
critical habitat, if any is proposed or designated. Regulations
implementing this interagency cooperation provision of the Act are
codified at 50 CFR part 402. Section 7(a)(4) of the Act requires
Federal agencies to confer with us on any action that is likely to
jeopardize the continued existence of a proposed species or result in
destruction or adverse modification of proposed critical habitat.
Conference reports provide conservation recommendations to assist the
agency in eliminating conflicts that may be caused by the proposed
action. The conservation recommendations in a conference report are
advisory. If a species is listed or critical habitat is designated,
section 7(a)(2) requires Federal agencies to ensure that activities
they authorize, fund, or carry out are not likely to jeopardize the
continued existence of such a species or to destroy or adversely modify
its critical habitat. If a Federal action may affect a listed species
or its critical habitat, the responsible Federal agency (action agency)
must enter into consultation with us. Through this consultation, we
would ensure that the permitted actions do not destroy or adversely
modify critical habitat.
When we issue a biological opinion concluding that a project is
likely to result in the destruction or adverse modification of critical
habitat, we also provide reasonable and prudent alternatives to the
project, if any are identifiable. ``Reasonable and prudent
alternatives'' are defined at 50 CFR 402.02 as alternative actions
identified during consultation that can be implemented in a manner
consistent with the intended purpose of the action, that are consistent
with the scope of the Federal agency's legal authority and
jurisdiction, that are economically and technologically feasible, and
that the Director believes would avoid destruction or adverse
modification of critical habitat. Reasonable and prudent alternatives
can vary from slight project modifications to extensive redesign or
relocation of the project. Costs associated with implementing a
reasonable and prudent alternative are similarly variable.
Regulations at 50 CFR 402.16 require Federal agencies to reinitiate
consultation on previously reviewed actions in instances where critical
habitat is subsequently designated and the Federal agency has retained
discretionary involvement or control over the action or such
discretionary involvement or control is authorized by law.
Consequently, some Federal agencies may request reinitiation of
consultation or conference with us on actions for which formal
consultation has been completed, if those actions may affect designated
critical habitat or adversely modify or destroy proposed critical
habitat. Conference reports assist the agency in eliminating conflicts
that may be caused by the proposed action, and may include
recommendations on actions to eliminate conflicts with, or adverse
modifications to, proposed critical habitat. The conservation
recommendations in a conference report are advisory.
We may issue a formal conference report if requested by a Federal
agency. Formal conference reports on proposed critical habitat contain
an opinion that is prepared according to 50 CFR 402.14, as if critical
habitat were designated. We may adopt the formal conference report as
the biological opinion when the critical habitat is designated, if no
substantial new information or changes in the action alter the content
of the opinion (see 50 CFR 402.10(d)).
Activities on Federal lands that may affect the California tiger
salamander or its critical habitat will require section 7 consultation.
Activities on private or State lands requiring a permit from a Federal
agency, such as a permit from the Army Corps under section 404 of the
Clean Water Act, a section 10(a)(1)(B) permit from the Service, or some
other Federal action, including funding (e.g., Federal Highway
Administration or Federal Emergency Management Agency funding), will
also continue to be subject to the section 7 consultation process.
Federal actions not affecting listed species or critical habitat and
actions on nonfederal and private lands that are not federally funded,
authorized, or permitted do not require section 7 consultation.
Section 4(b)(8) of the Act requires us to briefly evaluate and
describe in any proposed or final regulation that designates critical
habitat those activities involving a Federal action that may destroy or
adversely modify such habitat, or that may be affected by such
designation. Activities that may destroy
[[Page 48587]]
or adversely modify critical habitat include those that appreciably
reduce the value of critical habitat for both the survival and recovery
of the California tiger salamander. Within critical habitat, this
pertains only to those areas containing primary constituent elements.
We note that such activities may also jeopardize the continued
existence of the species.
Common to both definitions is an appreciable detrimental effect on
both survival and recovery of a listed species. Given the similarity of
these definitions, actions likely to destroy or adversely modify
critical habitat would almost always result in jeopardy to the species
concerned, particularly when the area of the proposed action is
occupied by the species concerned. Designation of critical habitat in
areas occupied by the California tiger salamander is not likely to
result in a regulatory burden above that already in place due to the
presence of the listed species.
Federal agencies already consult with us on activities in areas
currently occupied by the CTS to ensure that their actions do not
jeopardize the continued existence of the species. These actions
include, but are not limited to:
(1) Regulation of activities affecting waters of the United States
by the Army Corps of Engineers under section 404 of the Clean Water
Act;
(2) Regulation of water flows, damming, diversion, and
channelization by any Federal agency;
(3) Road construction and maintenance, right-of-way designation,
and regulation funded or permitted by the Federal Highway
Administration;
(4) Voluntary conservation measures by private landowners funded by
the Natural Resources Conservation Service;
(5) Regulation of airport improvement activities by the Federal
Aviation Administration;
(6) Licensing of construction of communication sites by the Federal
Communications Commission;
(7) Funding of activities by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Department of Energy, Federal Emergency Management Agency,
Federal Highway Administration, or any other Federal agency; and
(8) Land management and land use actions funded, carried out, or
permitted by the Bureau of Land Management.
All lands proposed for designation as critical habitat are within
the geographic area occupied by the species, and are likely to be used
by the CTS, whether for foraging, breeding, growth of larvae and
juveniles, dispersal, migration, genetic exchange, or sheltering. Thus,
we consider all critical habitat units to be occupied by the species.
Federal agencies already consult with us on activities in areas
currently occupied by the species or if the species may be affected by
the action to ensure that their actions do not jeopardize the continued
existence of the species. Therefore, we believe that the designation of
critical habitat is not likely to result in a significant regulatory
burden above that already in place due to the presence of the listed
species. Few additional consultations are likely to be conducted due to
the designation of critical habitat. Nevertheless, at any given time,
some portions of a unit may not be occupied by California tiger
salamanders, due to climatic fluctuations, changes in population
numbers, flood events, or other causes. Additional consultations could
arise if a project is proposed within an unoccupied portion of a
critical habitat unit and the primary constituent elements may be
adversely affected by the project.
Application of Section 3(5)(A) and Exclusions Under Section 4(b)(2) of
the Act
We use both the definitions in section 3(5)(A) and the provisions
of section 4(b)(2) of the Act to evaluate those specific areas that are
proposed for designation as critical habitat as well as for those areas
that are subsequently finalized (i.e., designated as critical habitat).
On that basis, it has been our policy not to include in proposed
critical habitat, or exclude from designated critical habitat, those
areas: (1) Not biologically essential to the conservation of a species;
(2) covered by an individual (project-specific) or regional Habitat
Conservation Plan (HCP) that covers the subject species; (3) covered by
a complete and approved Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan
(INRMP) for specific DOD installations; and (4) covered by an adequate
management plan or agreement that protects the primary constituent
elements of the habitat.
We have not excluded any lands from this proposal pursuant to
sections 3(5)(A) and 4(b)(2) of the Act. Potential areas which we are
considering to exclude based on section 4(b)(2) of the Act include:
areas on Fort Hunter Liggett and the Concord Naval Weapons Station and
lands within any other DOD facilities; lands within Fish and Wildlife
National Wildlife Refuges that have completed CCPs or have concluded
intra-Service section 7 consultation for the species; lands within
State Wildlife Areas or Ecological Reserves that have developed and
implemented management plans for the species; and lands covered under
any legally operating NCCP/HCP where the California tiger salamander is
a covered species. The San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex
(SLNWR) (units 12 and 13 in the Central Valley Region) and the Don
Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (SFBNWR) (Unit 4 in
the East Bay Region) have areas that are included in the proposed
designation. The SLNWR is scheduled to start development of a CCP in
2005, and the SFBNWR is scheduled to start the CCP process in 2008.
In addition, we are also considering exclusion of private lands
being managed for the long-term conservation of the California tiger
salamander through agreements or other mechanisms; municipal water
district lands or other local government lands that develop management
plans for the long-term conservation of the species; other State or
private easement lands that develop management plans which ensure the
conservation of the California tiger salamander.
This proposed rule includes two proposed critical habitat units at
Fort Hunter Liggett. Fort Hunter Liggett does not have a signed INRMP
that affords effective conservation for the CTS and has no approved
management plan for the species. During the proposal period, we hope to
work with private landowners on developing conservation agreements that
would protect the extant occurrences of the species. We are aware of
the landowner concerns that this proposal has on the ranching community
and look forward to receiving more current information from ranchers
and other landowners to improve and refine our proposed critical
habitat units. If we can complete conservation agreements with ranch
landowners and other interested landowners, we may exclude lands
covered by conservation agreements from the final critical habitat
designation for the CTS.
Economic Analysis
Section 4(b)(2) of the Act requires us to designate critical
habitat on the basis of the best scientific and commercial information
available and to consider the economic and other relevant impacts of
designating a particular area as critical habitat. We may exclude areas
from critical habitat upon a determination that the benefits of such
exclusions outweigh the benefits of specifying such areas as part of
critical habitat. We cannot exclude such areas from critical habitat if
such exclusion would result in the extinction of the species.
An analysis of the economic impacts of proposing critical habitat
for the CTS
[[Page 48588]]
is being prepared. We will announce the availability of the draft
economic analysis as soon as it is completed, at which time we will
seek public review and comment. We will reopen the comment period
and accept comments from the public about the economic impacts from
the proposed critical habitat and any other comments from landowners
and the public. At that time, copies of the draft economic
analysis will be available for downloading from the Internet at
http://sacramento.fws.gov, 
or by contacting the Sacramento
Fish and Wildlife Office directly (see ADDRESSES section)
Peer Review
In accordance with our joint policy published in the Federal
Register on July 1, 1994 (59 FR 34270), we will seek the expert
opinions of at least three appropriate and independent specialists
regarding this proposed rule. The purpose of such review is to ensure
that our critical habitat designation is based on scientifically sound
data, assumptions, and analyses. We will send these peer reviewers
copies of this proposed rule immediately following publication in the
Federal Register. We will invite these peer reviewers to comment,
during the public comment period, on the specific assumptions and
conclusions regarding the proposed designation of critical habitat.
We will consider all comments and information received during the
comment period on this proposed rule during preparation of a final
rulemaking. Accordingly, the final decision may differ from this
proposal.
Public Hearings
The Act provides for one or more public hearings on this proposal,
if requested. Requests for public hearings must be made in writing at
least 15 days prior to the close of the public comment period. We will
schedule public hearings on this proposal, if any are requested, and
announce the dates, times, and places of those hearings in the Federal
Register and local newspapers at least 15 days prior to the first
hearing.
Clarity of the Rule
Executive Order 12866 requires each agency to write regulations and
notices that are easy to understand. We invite your comments on how to
make this proposed rule easier to understand, including answers to
questions such as the following: (1) Are the requirements in the
proposed rule clearly stated? (2) Does the proposed rule contain
technical jargon that interferes with the clarity? (3) Does the format
of the proposed rule (grouping and order of the sections, use of
headings, paragraphing, and so forth) aid or reduce its clarity? (4) Is
the description of the notice in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
of the preamble helpful in understanding the proposed rule? (5) What
else could we do to make this proposed rule easier to understand?
Send a copy of any comments on how we could make this proposed rule
easier to understand to; Office of Regulatory Affairs, Department of
the Interior, Room 7229, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240. You
may e-mail your comments to this address: Exsec@ios.doi.gov.
Required Determinations
Regulatory Planning and Review
Due to the tight timeline for publication in the Federal Register,
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has not formally reviewed
this rule. Office of Management and Budget makes the final
determination of significance under Executive Order 12866. We are
preparing a draft economic analysis of this proposed action, which will
be available for public comment, to determine the economic consequences
of designating the specific area as critical habitat.
Within these areas, the types of Federal actions or authorized
activities that we have identified as potential concerns are:
(1) Regulation of activities affecting waters of the United States
by the Army Corps under section 404 of the Clean Water Act;
(2) Regulation of water flows, damming, diversion, and
channelization by any Federal agency;
(3) Road construction and maintenance, right-of-way designation,
and regulation funded or permitted by the Federal Highway
Administration;
(4) Voluntary conservation measures by private landowners funded by
the Natural Resources Conservation Service;
(5) Regulation of airport improvement activities by the Federal
Aviation Administration;
(6) Licensing of construction of communication sites by the Federal
Communications Commission;
(7) Funding of activities by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Department of Energy, Federal Emergency Management Agency,
Federal Highway Administration, or any other Federal agency; and
(8) Land management and land use actions funded, carried out, or
permitted by the Bureau of Land Management.
The availability of the draft economic analysis will be announced
in the Federal Register and in local newspapers so that it is available
for public review and comments.
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)
Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., as
amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act
(SBREFA) of 1996), whenever an agency is required to publish a notice
of rulemaking for any proposed or final rule, it must prepare and make
available for public comment a regulatory flexibility analysis that
describes the effects of the rule on small entities (i.e., small
businesses, small organizations, and small government jurisdictions).
However, no regulatory flexibility analysis is required if the head of
the agency certifies the rule will not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small entities. The SBREFA amended
the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) to require Federal agencies to
provide a statement of the factual basis for certifying that the rule
will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of
small entities.
At this time, the Service lacks the available economic information
necessary to provide an adequate factual basis for the required RFA
finding. Therefore, the RFA finding is deferred until completion of the
draft economic analysis prepared pursuant to section 4(b)(2) of the ESA
and E.O. 12866. This draft economic analysis will provide the required
factual basis for the RFA finding. Upon completion of the draft
economic analysis, the Service will publish a notice of availability of
the draft economic analysis of the proposed designation and reopen the
public comment period for the proposed designation for an additional 60
days. The Service will include with the notice of availability, as
appropriate, an initial regulatory flexibility analysis or a
certification that the rule will not have a significant economic impact
on a substantial number of small entities accompanied by the factual
basis for that determination. The Service has concluded that deferring
the RFA finding until completion of the draft economic analysis is
necessary to meet the purposes and requirements of the RFA. Deferring
the RFA finding in this manner will ensure that the Service makes a
sufficiently informed determination based on adequate economic
information and provides the necessary opportunity for public comment.
To determine if the rule would affect a substantial number of small
entities, we consider the number of small
[[Page 48589]]
entities affected within particular types of economic activities (e.g.,
housing development, grazing, oil and gas production, timber
harvesting, etc.). We considered each industry individually to
determine if certification is appropriate. In estimating the numbers of
small entities potentially affected, we also consider whether their
activities have any Federal involvement; some kinds of activities are
unlikely to have any Federal involvement and so will not be affected by
critical habitat designation. Designation of critical habitat only
affects activities conducted, funded, or permitted by Federal agencies;
non-Federal activities are not affected by the designation.
If this critical habitat designation is finalized, Federal agencies
must consult with us if their activities may affect designated critical
habitat. Consultations to avoid the destruction or adverse modification
of critical habitat would be incorporated into the existing
consultation process.
Since the Central population was proposed as a threatened species
on May 23, 2003 (68 FR 28648), we have conferenced with Federal
agencies and applicants, or are in the process of conferencing, on 25
projects within the range of the Central population. Seventeen of these
conferences are being conducted in accordance with the procedures for
formal consultation in accordance with 50 CFR 402.10. The remaining
eight have been informal. These conferences have concerned activities
such as by developers, municipalities, businesses, and others. Formal
and informal conferences regarding the Central population usually
result in recommendations to avoid or minimize incidental take and
offset permanent loss of habitat. In reviewing these conferences and
the activities involved in light of proposed critical habitat, we do
not believe the outcomes would have been different in areas designated
as critical habitat. However, as a result of not having the economic
analysis completed on the proposed designation of critical habitat for
the CTS, we will not make a determination or certify that the action
will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of
small entities, and an initial regulatory flexibility analysis is not
required until the completion of a draft economic analysis.
This discussion is based upon the information regarding potential
economic impact that is available to us at this time. This assessment
of economic effect may be modified prior to final rulemaking based upon
review of the draft economic analysis prepared pursuant to section
4(b)(2) of the ESA and E.O. 12866. This analysis is for the purposes of
compliance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act and does not reflect our
position on the type of economic analysis required by New Mexico Cattle
Growers Assn. v. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 248 F.3d 1277 (10th Cir.
2001).
Executive Order 13211
On May 18, 2001, the President issued an Executive Order (E.O.
13211) on regulations that significantly affect energy supply,
distribution, and use. Executive Order 13211 requires agencies to
prepare Statements of Energy Effects when undertaking certain actions.
This proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the CTS is not a
significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866, and it is
not expected to significantly affect energy supplies, distribution, or
use. Therefore, this action is not a significant energy action and no
Statement of Energy Effects is required.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.)
In accordance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (2 U.S.C.
1501), the Service makes the following findings:
(a) This rule will not produce a Federal mandate. In general, a
Federal mandate is a provision in legislation, statute, or regulation
that would impose an enforceable duty upon State, local, or tribal
governments or the private sector and includes both ``Federal
intergovernmental mandates'' and ``Federal private sector mandates.''
These terms are defined in 2 U.S.C. 658(5)-(7). ``Federal
intergovernmental mandate'' includes a regulation that ``would impose
an enforceable duty upon State, local, or tribal governments'' with two
exceptions. It excludes ``a condition of Federal assistance.'' It also
excludes ``a duty arising from participation in a voluntary Federal
program,'' unless the regulation ``relates to a then-existing Federal
program under which $500,000,000 or more is provided annually to State,
local, and tribal governments under entitlement authority,'' if the
provision would ``increase the stringency of conditions of assistance''
or ``place caps upon, or otherwise decrease, the Federal Government's
responsibility to provide funding'' and the State, local, or tribal
governments ``lack authority'' to adjust accordingly. (At the time of
enactment, these entitlement programs were: Medicaid; AFDC work
programs; Child Nutrition; Food Stamps; Social Services Block Grants;
Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants; Foster Care, Adoption
Assistance, and Independent Living; Family Support Welfare Services;
and Child Support Enforcement.) ``Federal private sector mandate''
includes a regulation that ``would impose an enforceable duty upon the
private sector, except (i) a condition of Federal assistance; or (ii) a
duty arising from participation in a voluntary Federal program.''
The designation of critical habitat does not impose a legally
binding duty on non-Federal government entities or private parties.
Under the Act, the only regulatory effect is that Federal agencies must
ensure that their actions do not destroy or adversely modify critical
habitat under section 7. While non-Federal entities who receive Federal
funding, assistance, or permits or otherwise require approval or
authorization from a Federal agency for an action may be indirectly
impacted by the designation of critical habitat, the legally binding
duty to avoid destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat
rests squarely on the Federal agency. Furthermore, to the extent that
non-Federal entities are indirectly impacted because they receive
Federal assistance or participate in a voluntary Federal aid program,
the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act would not apply; nor would critical
habitat shift the costs of the large entitlement programs listed above
on to State governments.
(b) We do not believe that this rule will significantly or uniquely
affect small governments. Given the distribution of this species, small
governments will not be uniquely affected by this proposed rule. Small
governments will not be affected at all unless they propose an action
requiring Federal funds, permits, or other authorization. Any such
activity will require that the involved Federal agency ensure that the
action is not likely to adversely modify or destroy designated critical
habitat. However, as discussed above, Federal agencies are currently
required to ensure that any such activity is not likely to jeopardize
the species, and no further regulatory impacts from the designation of
critical habitat are anticipated. Because we believe this rule will not
significantly or uniquely affect small governments, a Small Government
Agency Plan is not required. We will, however, further evaluate this
issue as we conduct our economic analysis and revise this assessment if
appropriate.
Takings
In accordance with Executive Order 12630, the rule does not have
significant takings implications. A takings
[[Page 48590]]
implication assessment is not required. The designation of critical
habitat affects only Federal agency actions. The rule will not increase
or decrease the current restrictions on private property concerning
take of the CTS. Due to current public knowledge of the species'
protection, the prohibition against take of the species both within and
outside of the designated areas, and the fact that critical habitat
provides no incremental restrictions, we do not anticipate that
property values will be affected by the proposed critical habitat
designation. While real estate market values may temporarily decline
following designation, due to the perception that critical habitat
designation may impose additional regulatory burdens on land use, we
expect any such impacts to be short term. Additionally, critical
habitat designation does not preclude development of HCPs and issuance
of incidental take permits. Owners of areas that are included in the
designated critical habitat will continue to have opportunity to use
their property in ways consistent with the survival of the CTS.
Federalism
In accordance with Executive Order 13132, the rule does not have
significant Federalism effects. A Federalism assessment is not
required. In keeping with DOI and Department of Commerce policy, we
requested information from, and coordinated development of, this
proposed critical habitat designation with appropriate State resource
agencies in California. The designation of critical habitat in areas
currently occupied by the CTS imposes no additional restrictions to
those currently in place and, therefore, has little incremental impact
on State and local governments and their activities. The designation
may have some benefit to these governments in that the areas essential
to the conservation of the species are more clearly defined, and the
primary constituent elements of the habitat necessary to the survival
of the species are specifically identified.
While making this definition and identification does not alter
where and what federally sponsored activities may occur, it may assist
these local governments in long-range planning (rather than waiting for
case-by-case section 7 consultations to occur).
Civil Justice Reform
In accordance with Executive Order 12988, the Office of the
Solicitor has determined that the rule does not unduly burden the
judicial system and meets the requirements of sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2)
of the Order. We have proposed designating critical habitat in
accordance with the provisions of the Endangered Species Act. This
proposed rule uses standard property descriptions and identifies the
primary constituent elements within the designated areas to assist the
public in understanding the habitat needs of the California tiger
salamander.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.)
This rule does not contain any new collections of information that
require approval by OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act. This rule
will not impose recordkeeping or reporting requirements on State or
local governments, individuals, businesses, or organizations. An agency
may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to,
a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number.
National Environmental Policy Act
We have determined that we do not need to prepare an Environmental
Assessment and/or an Environmental Impact Statement as defined by the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 in connection with
regulations adopted pursuant to section 4(a) of the Act. We published a
notice outlining our reasons for this determination in the Federal
Register on October 25, 1983 (48 FR 49244). This proposed determination
does not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the
quality of the human environment.
Government-to-Government Relationship With Tribes
In accordance with the President's memorandum of April 29, 1994,
``Government-to-Government Relations with Native American Tribal
Governments'' (59 FR 22951), Executive Order 13175, and the Department
of the Interior's manual at 512 DM 2, we readily acknowledge our
responsibility to communicate meaningfully with recognized Federal
Tribes on a government-to-government basis. We have determined that
there are no tribal lands essential for the conservation of the Central
California population of the California tiger salamander. Therefore,
proposed designation of critical habitat for the Central California
population of the California tiger salamander has not been designated
on Tribal lands.
References Cited
A complete list of all references cited in this rulemaking is
available upon request from the Field Supervisor, SFWO (see ADDRESSES
section).
Author(s)
The primary author of this package is the Sacramento Fish and
Wildlife Office staff.
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.
Proposed Regulation Promulgation
Accordingly, we propose to amend part 17, subchapter B of chapter
I, title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as set forth below:
PART 17--[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for part 17 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544; 16 U.S.C.
4201-4245; Pub. L. 99-625, 100 Stat. 3500; unless otherwise noted.
2. The entry for ``Salamander, California tiger'' in the table in
Sec. 17.11(h), which was proposed to be revised on May 23, 2003, at 68
FR 28647, and again on January 22, 2004, at 69 FR 3064, is proposed to
be further revised as follows:
Sec. 17.11 Endangered and threatened wildlife.
* * * * *
(h) * * *
[[Page 48591]]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Vertebrate
-------------------------------------------------------- population where Critical Special
Historic range endangered or Status When listed habitat rules
Common name Scientific name threatened
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * * * *
Amphibians
* * * * * * *
Salamander, California tiger..... Ambystoma U.S.A. (CA)........ U.S.A. (CA)........ T 677E, 702, 17.95(d) 17.43(c)
californiense. 744
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Critical habitat for the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma
californiense) in Sec. 17.95(d), which was proposed to be revised on
January 22, 2004, at 69 FR 3064, is proposed to be further amended by
revising the heading and adding paragraphs (11) through (62) as
follows:
Sec. 17.95 Critical habitat--fish and wildlife.
* * * * *
(d) Amphibians.
* * * * *
California Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma californiense)
Santa Barbara County Population of the California Tiger Salamander
(Ambystoma californiense)
* * * * *
Central Population of the California Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma
californiense)
(11) Critical habitat units are depicted for the Central California
population, California, on the maps below.
(12) The primary constituent elements (PCEs) of critical habitat
for the Central population of the California tiger salamander (CTS) are
the habitat components that provide:
(i) Standing bodies of fresh water, including natural and man-made
(e.g., stock) ponds, vernal pools, vernal pool complexes, and other
ephemeral or permanent water bodies that typically become inundated
during winter rains and hold water for a sufficient length of time
(i.e., 12 weeks) necessary for the species to complete the aquatic
portion of its life cycle.
(ii) Barrier-free uplands adjacent to extant occurrence locations
that contain small mammal burrows, including but not limited to burrows
created by the California ground squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi) and
Botta's pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae). Small mammals are essential in
creating the underground habitat that adult California tiger
salamanders depend upon for food, shelter, and protection from the
elements and predation.
(iii) Upland areas between extant occurrence locations (paragraphs
1 and 12(i) for this proposed designation) and areas with small mammal
burrows (paragraphs 2 and 12(ii) for this proposed designation) that
allow for dispersal among such sites.
(iv) The geographic, topographic, and edaphic features that support
aggregations or systems of hydrologically interconnected pools, swales,
and other ephemeral wetlands and depressions within a matrix of
surrounding uplands that together form hydrologically and ecologically
functional units called vernal pool complexes. These features
contribute to the filling and drying of the vernal pool, maintain
suitable periods of pool inundation for larval salamanders and their
food sources, and providing breeding, feeding, and sheltering habitat
for juvenile and adult salamanders and small mammals that create burrow
systems essential for CTS estivation.
(13) Critical habitat does not include existing features and
structures, such as buildings, aqueducts, airports, roads, and other
developed areas not containing one or more of the primary constituent
elements.
(14) Critical Habitat Map Units. Data layers defining map units
were created on a base of USGS 7.5' quadrangles, and critical habitat
units were then mapped using Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)
coordinates.
(15) Note: Map 7 (Index map) follows:BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
[[Page 48592]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.001
[[Page 48593]]
(16) Central Valley Region: Unit 1 Dunnigan Creek, Yolo County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Wildwood School, Dunnigan,
Bird Valley, and Zamora, California, land bounded by the following UTM
10 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 586003, 4302921; 585645, 4303113; 585350,
4303228; 585005, 4303407; 584595, 4303599; 584326, 4303766; 584070,
4303983; 583878, 4304355; 584083, 4305033; 584211, 4305341; 584416,
4305533; 584698, 4305801; 584710, 4306249; 584749, 4306493; 585018,
4306634; 585184, 4306710; 585466, 4306851; 585581, 4307158; 585645,
4307479; 585875, 4307837; 586016, 4308016; 586631, 4307991; 586656,
4307709; 586708, 4307709; 587104, 4307709; 587092, 4307158; 587322,
4307146; 587322, 4306595; 587514, 4306506; 587527, 4306147; 587655,
4305763; 587706, 4305494; 587706, 4305367; 587719, 4305161; 587732,
4304816; 587745, 4304675; 588385, 4304700; 588743, 4304624; 588897,
4304188; 588858, 4303920; 588615, 4303715; 588590, 4303459; 588590,
4303177; 588474, 4302972; 587975, 4302934; 587553, 4303049; 587181,
4303074; 586503, 4302998; returning to 586003, 4302921.
(ii) Note: Unit 1 (Map 8) follows:
[[Page 48594]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.002
[[Page 48595]]
(17) Central Valley Region: Unit 2 Jepson Prairie, Solano County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Dozier, and Birds Landing,
California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E,
N): 601770, 4233158; 600257, 4233158; 599795, 4233190; 599763, 4238001;
602200, 4238001; 602471, 4238352; 602917, 4238352; 603762, 4238352;
604208, 4238304; 604558, 4238320; 604606, 4236854; 604590, 4233174;
returning to 601770, 4233158.
(ii) Note: Unit 2 (Map 9) follows:
[[Page 48596]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.003
[[Page 48597]]
(18) Central Valley Region: Unit 3 Southeastern Sacramento,
Sacramento County, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Clay, and Goose Creek,
California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E,
N): 663886, 4240775; 663342, 4241904; 663245, 4242127; 662980, 4242741;
663412, 4243117; 663398, 4243563; 663147, 4243702; 662729, 4243758;
662659, 4243925; 662659, 4244469; 662464, 4244483; 661809, 4244511;
660721, 4244427; 660721, 4244609; 660819, 4244818; 660610, 4244985;
660596, 4245417; 660610, 4245724; 660749, 4246142; 661056, 4246477;
661167, 4246853; 660875, 4246951; 660791, 4247174; 660889, 4247536;
661000, 4248024; 661307, 4248331; 661725, 4248526; 664917, 4248540;
665001, 4248359; 664931, 4247843; 665768, 4247815; 668124, 4247885;
668068, 4246281; 668110, 4245347; 668166, 4244330; 668193, 4243898;
667831, 4243758; 667538, 4243563; 667273, 4243228; 667022, 4242671;
667078, 4242392; 666981, 4242127; 666813, 4241820; 666702, 4241472;
666312, 4241165; 665740, 4240998; 665433, 4241012; 665043, 4241054;
664862, 4240928; 664457, 4240942; 664220, 4240914; returning to 663886,
4240775.
(ii) Note: Unit 3 is depicted on Map 10--Units 3 and 4--see
paragraph (19)(ii).
(19) Central Valley Region: Unit 4 Northeastern San Joaquin, San
Joaquin and Amador Counties, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Goose Creek, Ione, Clements,
and Wallace, California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27
coordinates (E, N): 671353, 4233578; 671001, 4233601; 670683, 4233635;
670342, 4233703; 670194, 4233964; 670001, 4234259; 669751, 4234441;
669388, 4234487; 669150, 4234487; 668979, 4234736; 668911, 4235100;
668843, 4235406; 668911, 4235781; 668718, 4236031; 668377, 4236304;
668116, 4236417; 667832, 4236610; 667662, 4236826; 667548, 4237212;
667662, 4237780; 667753, 4237939; 667912, 4238132; 667957, 4238246;
667900, 4238428; 667684, 4238632; 667650, 4238916; 667718, 4239143;
668105, 4239404; 668298, 4239631; 668593, 4239938; 669036, 4240199;
669297, 4240177; 669536, 4240131; 669899, 4240142; 670160, 4239711;
670365, 4239325; 670660, 4239268; 671023, 4239461; 671307, 4239904;
671659, 4240233; 672011, 4240211; 672409, 4240233; 672750, 4240074;
673113, 4239938; 673386, 4239745; 673533, 4239756; 673795, 4239643;
674158, 4239541; 674476, 4239302; 674794, 4239109; 675021, 4238893;
675135, 4238450; 675180, 4238053; 675135, 4237576; 675146, 4237462;
675271, 4237201; 675226, 4236758; 675441, 4236417; 675419, 4235849;
675294, 4235543; 675248, 4235213; 674749, 4235202; 674442, 4235100;
674215, 4234827; 673908, 4234793; 673545, 4234668; 673284, 4234646;
673136, 4234259; 673056, 4233919; 672602, 4233748; 672409, 4233873;
672250, 4233964; 671818, 4233714; returning to 671353, 4233578.
(ii) Note: Unit 4 is depicted on Map 10--Units 3 and 4--which
follows:
[[Page 48598]]
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[[Page 48599]]
(20) Central Valley Region: Unit 5 Indian Creek, Calaveras County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Wallace, and Valley Springs
SW, California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates
(E, N): 683054, 4220003; 682668, 4220324; 682556, 4220468; 682412,
4220918; 682412, 4221303; 682444, 4221576; 682604, 4221929; 682684,
4222299; 683070, 4222780; 683439, 4223149; 683375, 4223567; 683471,
4223872; 683439, 4224305; 683278, 4224594; 683182, 4225156; 683311,
4225461; 683551, 4225798; 683728, 4225975; 684049, 4226087; 684210,
4226216; 684563, 4226216; 684900, 4226071; 685253, 4225830; 685430,
4225301; 685446, 4224787; 685430, 4224353; 685606, 4223920; 685590,
4223487; 685478, 4223101; 685269, 4222780; 685125, 4222523; 684948,
4222010; 684868, 4221705; 684739, 4221287; 684627, 4220789; 684402,
4220468; 684017, 4220195; 683664, 4220067; returning to 683054,
4220003.
(ii) Note: Unit 5 is depicted on Map 11--Units 5, 6, and 7--see
paragraph (22)(ii).
(21) Central Valley Region: Unit 6 Rock Creek, San Joaquin and
Stanislaus Counties, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Valley Springs SW, Jenny
Lind, Farmington, and Bachelor Valley, California, land bounded by the
following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 681566, 4198308; 680965,
4198663; 680692, 4199127; 680228, 4199591; 679873, 4200083; 679873,
4200820; 680173, 4201476; 679928, 4202186; 679764, 4202514; 679600,
4203142; 679627, 4203634; 679245, 4203852; 678726, 4204016; 678316,
4204453; 677907, 4204781; 677442, 4205300; 677360, 4205873; 677360,
4206638; 677579, 4207621; 678425, 4207949; 678699, 4208113; 678780,
4208905; 678917, 4209287; 678890, 4209670; 678944, 4211062; 678808,
4211663; 678726, 4212810; 678890, 4213275; 679463, 4213958; 679846,
4214340; 680392, 4214859; 680747, 4215323; 681320, 4215596; 682031,
4215596; 682795, 4215378; 683205, 4215378; 684516, 4215460; 684953,
4215105; 685335, 4214777; 685800, 4214340; 686482, 4214012; 686510,
4213193; 686455, 4212838; 687083, 4212100; 687575, 4211363; 687411,
4210762; 687875, 4209560; 687739, 4208932; 687821, 4208386; 688230,
4208113; 688640, 4207594; 688940, 4207102; 688667, 4206228; 688640,
4205518; 688804, 4205081; 688394, 4204125; 687466, 4203634; 687193,
4203142; 687111, 4202842; 686837, 4202459; 686127, 4202268; 685308,
4201940; 685062, 4202077; 684789, 4200902; 684707, 4200356; 684461,
4199837; 683806, 4199482; 683260, 4198909; 682659, 4198636; 682222,
4198472; returning to 681566, 4198308.
(ii) Note: Unit 6 is depicted on Map 11--Units 5, 6, and 7--see
paragraph (22)(ii).
(22) Central Valley Region: Unit 7 Rodden Lake, Stanislaus County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle map Oakdale, California, land
bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 693312,
4184635; 692994, 4184635; 692787, 4184709; 692631, 4184909; 692602,
4185101; 692498, 4185235; 692180, 4185212; 691751, 4185227; 691662,
4185649; 691736, 4185812; 691773, 4185960; 691788, 4186137; 691736,
4186330; 691847, 4186566; 692084, 4186648; 692246, 4186596; 692498,
4186685; 692646, 4186574; 692809, 4186707; 692942, 4186825; 693075,
4186914; 693245, 4186781; 693238, 4186892; 693489, 4186833; 693756,
4186744; 693889, 4186544; 694118, 4186211; 694185, 4185900; 694200,
4185560; 694089, 4185383; 693904, 4185309; 693778, 4185094; 693734,
4184872; 693652, 4184731; returning to 693312, 4184635.
(ii) Note: Unit 7 is depicted on Map 11--Units 5, 6, and 7--which
follows:
[[Page 48600]]
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[[Page 48601]]
(23) Central Valley Region: Unit 8 La Grange Ridge, Stanislaus and
Merced Counties, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Cooperstown, La Grange, and
Snelling, California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27
coordinates (E, N): 724228, 4164088; 723854, 4164088; 723334, 4164436;
722666, 4165570; 722346, 4166171; 721865, 4167305; 721612, 4167719;
721612, 4168080; 721171, 4168120; 720584, 4168346; 720277, 4168694;
720130, 4169121; 720183, 4169534; 720317, 4170002; 720664, 4170282;
721131, 4170389; 721598, 4170269; 722359, 4169788; 722599, 4169855;
722800, 4170082; 723120, 4170122; 723614, 4170335; 723988, 4170402;
724295, 4170869; 724388, 4171043; 724361, 4171417; 724642, 4171363;
724922, 4171243; 725336, 4171363; 725589, 4171417; 725696, 4170629;
725469, 4170122; 725656, 4169508; 725469, 4168654; 725683, 4168293;
725883, 4167199; 725296, 4165276; 725189, 4164743; 724562, 4164142;
returning to 724228, 4164088.
(ii) Note: Unit 8 is depicted on Map 12--Units 8, 9, and 10--see
paragraph (25)(ii).
(24) Central Valley Region: Unit 9 Fahrens Creek, Merced County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Yosemite lake, Haystack Mtn,
Merced, and Planada, California, land bounded by the following UTM 10
NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 731225, 4136887; 731000, 4137153; 730733,
4137502; 730406, 4137461; 729996, 4137522; 729689, 4137563; 729504,
4137932; 729463, 4138137; 729177, 4138321; 729320, 4138587; 729627,
4138813; 729607, 4139120; 729299, 4139222; 728992, 4139325; 729525,
4140083; 729320, 4140472; 728992, 4140738; 728787, 4140697; 728378,
4140513; 728214, 4140472; 728009, 4140533; 727825, 4140881; 727702,
4140881; 727538, 4140984; 727333, 4141086; 726944, 4141107; 726821,
4141250; 726739, 4141557; 726821, 4141742; 726657, 4142459; 726657,
4142643; 726534, 4142786; 726268, 4142889; 725756, 4142909; 725571,
4142991; 725694, 4143217; 725571, 4143626; 725428, 4143770; 725182,
4143831; 725039, 4143954; 724998, 4144282; 725162, 4144753; 725551,
4145040; 726063, 4145203; 726288, 4145326; 726575, 4145695; 727026,
4145900; 727476, 4145941; 727825, 4146289; 728275, 4146678; 728726,
4147068; 728992, 4147395; 729484, 4147600; 729996, 4147621; 730488,
4147662; 731041, 4147907; 731573, 4147825; 732106, 4147518; 732393,
4147088; 732434, 4146719; 732720, 4146330; 733130, 4145961; 733355,
4145695; 733355, 4145081; 733212, 4144589; 733458, 4144015; 733703,
4143606; 733949, 4143319; 734216, 4143094; 734646, 4142786; 735465,
4142602; 736284, 4142397; 736715, 4142274; 737206, 4141783; 737206,
4141025; 736981, 4140410; 736674, 4140124; 735875, 4139673; 735506,
4139222; 735096, 4138690; 734851, 4138321; 734441, 4138157; 734072,
4138096; 733294, 4137194; 732946, 4137112; 732720, 4137543; 732802,
4138034; 732454, 4138219; 732229, 4138178; 732085, 4138034; 732065,
4137932; 731839, 4137727; 731553, 4137112; returning to 731225,
4136887.
(ii) Note: Unit 9 is depicted on Map 12--Units 8, 9, and 10--see
paragraph (25)(ii).
(25) Central Valley Region: Unit 10 Miles Creek, Merced County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Planada, Owens Reservoir,
California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E,
N): 744463, 4128437; 743951, 4128470; 743704, 4129014; 743704, 4129377;
743704, 4130037; 743737, 4130384; 743588, 4130598; 743275, 4130747;
743110, 4130912; 742780, 4130928; 742499, 4131060; 742384, 4131489;
742120, 4131555; 741823, 4131588; 741724, 4131489; 741245, 4131258;
741212, 4131737; 740915, 4131984; 740502, 4131968; 740156, 4132248;
740453, 4132562; 740684, 4132727; 741014, 4132958; 741344, 4133156;
741509, 4133222; 741922, 4133486; 742252, 4133733; 742681, 4134113;
742714, 4134360; 742466, 4134525; 742532, 4134657; 742565, 4134872;
742549, 4135136; 742582, 4135400; 742714, 4135532; 742763, 4135664;
742780, 4136060; 742763, 4136241; 742681, 4136605; 742879, 4136786;
742978, 4136902; 743242, 4137149; 743555, 4137215; 743836, 4137265;
744199, 4137364; 744545, 4137347; 744727, 4137397; 744958, 4137562;
745172, 4137595; 745519, 4137562; 745981, 4137430; 746245, 4137001;
746360, 4136786; 746542, 4136175; 746542, 4136109; 746624, 4135845;
746641, 4135400; 746740, 4135169; 746855, 4135119; 747235, 4135103;
747433, 4134872; 747614, 4134459; 747845, 4134030; 748126, 4133750;
748324, 4133337; 748406, 4132974; 748456, 4132545; 748489, 4132430;
748489, 4132199; 748439, 4131852; 748423, 4131555; 748307, 4131176;
748159, 4130928; 747961, 4130384; 747779, 4130219; 747383, 4130037;
746921, 4129922; 746657, 4129757; 746195, 4129394; 745915, 4129080;
745700, 4128783; 745387, 4128519; 744958, 4128453; returning to 744463,
4128437.
(ii) Note: Unit 10 is depicted on Map 12--Units 8, 9, and 10--which
follows:
[[Page 48602]]
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[[Page 48603]]
(26) Central Valley Region: Unit 11 Rabbit Hill, Madera County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle map Raymond, California, land
bounded by the following UTM 11 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 242061,
4114418; 241613, 4114432; 241216, 4114532; 240924, 4114655; 240630,
4114972; 240363, 4115019; 240014, 4114937; 239574, 4114830; 239274,
4114819; 238975, 4115077; 238858, 4115339; 238646, 4115772; 238705,
4115993; 238749, 4116230; 238455, 4116786; 238308, 4117050; 237928,
4117449; 237399, 4117587; 236984, 4117898; 236878, 4118114; 236728,
4118333; 236817, 4119255; 237001, 4119333; 237445, 4119739; 237377,
4120088; 237753, 4120333; 237830, 4120612; 237976, 4121022; 238386,
4121356; 238607, 4121536; 238808, 4121629; 239410, 4121695; 239808,
4121609; 240086, 4121742; 240421, 4122064; 240898, 4122273; 241346,
4122260; 241584, 4122230; 241795, 4122262; 242170, 4122253; 242317,
4122228; 242485, 4122038; 242598, 4121702; 242730, 4121184; 242810,
4120806; 242738, 4120361; 242579, 4120222; 242346, 4120087; 242106,
4119847; 242013, 4119570; 241919, 4119246; 242054, 4119028; 242305,
4118728; 242245, 4118268; 242145, 4117870; 242536, 4117412; 242602,
4117048; 242487, 4116651; 242543, 4116363; 242771, 4115945; 242949,
4115679; 243085, 4115222; 242969, 4114810; 242799, 4114491; returning
to 242061, 4114418.
(ii) Note: Unit 11 (Map 13) follows:
[[Page 48604]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.007
[[Page 48605]]
(27) Central Valley Region: Unit 12 San Luis Island, Merced County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Gustine, Stevinson, Ingomar,
and San Luis Reservoir, California, land bounded by the following UTM
10 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 689748, 4121346; 689002, 4121470; 688629,
4122009; 688215, 4122920; 687676, 4123417; 687013, 4123542; 686184,
4123956; 686019, 4124370; 686226, 4125240; 685770, 4125572; 684983,
4125862; 685190, 4126691; 684983, 4127188; 685107, 4127809; 685397,
4127934; 685604, 4128141; 686184, 4128597; 686640, 4128638; 687676,
4128680; 688215, 4128721; 688629, 4128555; 689126, 4128597; 689665,
4128928; 690576, 4129011; 691074, 4128390; 691571, 4128390; 692151,
4128017; 692524, 4127602; 692690, 4127105; 692690, 4126981; 692441,
4126732; 692482, 4126235; 692607, 4125986; 693145, 4125448; 693518,
4125158; 693684, 4124992; 693725, 4124287; 693850, 4123707; 694057,
4123252; 694471, 4122920; 694637, 4122547; 694181, 4122506; 693518,
4122009; 692855, 4121387; 692524, 4121428; 692234, 4122216; 691861,
4122547; 691322, 4122796; 691198, 4123583; 691115, 4123997; 690162,
4124287; 689831, 4123915; 689872, 4123500; 690369, 4122837; 690204,
4122340; 690162, 4121843; returning to 689748, 4121346.
(ii) Note: Unit 12 is depicted on Map 14--Units 12 and 13--see
paragraph (28)(ii).
(28) Central Valley Region: Unit 13 Sandy Mush, Merced County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Turner Ranch, and Sandy
Mush, California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27
coordinates (E, N): 710169, 4117012; 709914, 4117191; 709453, 4117293;
709261, 4117524; 709056, 4117856; 708327, 4117882; 707931, 4117907;
707585, 4118266; 706830, 4118291; 706805, 4121924; 711590, 4122001;
711602, 4121170; 712037, 4121067; 711999, 4120709; 712626, 4120581;
712779, 4119967; 712754, 4118944; 712882, 4118624; 711743, 4118547;
711666, 4118355; 711730, 4117984; 711385, 4117652; 711154, 4117332;
710924, 4117127; 710720, 4117025; returning to 710169, 4117012.
(ii) Note: Unit 13 is depicted on Map 14--Units 12 and 13--which
follows:
[[Page 48606]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.008
[[Page 48607]]
(29) Central Valley Region: Unit 14 Mulligan Hill, Contra Costa
County, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Honker Bay, and Clayton,
California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E,
N): 594583, 4201700; 594107, 4201859; 593888, 4201998; 593611, 4202335;
593293, 4202613; 592956, 4202772; 592698, 4202534; 592460, 4202335;
592102, 4202355; 591765, 4202534; 591567, 4202752; 591408, 4203010;
591150, 4203288; 590912, 4203526; 590852, 4203704; 590892, 4204101;
590436, 4204399; 590019, 4204816; 589999, 4205173; 590019, 4205748;
590356, 4206165; 590614, 4206383; 590793, 4207157; 590932, 4207316;
591110, 4207435; 591448, 4207495; 591666, 4207395; 591666, 4207098;
591666, 4206899; 591785, 4206641; 591924, 4206463; 592301, 4206483;
592559, 4206721; 592817, 4206840; 592856, 4206860; 593432, 4206423;
593690, 4206483; 594027, 4206502; 594365, 4206264; 594702; 4375000;
4206284; 595079, 4206403; 595436, 4206423; 595833, 4206423; 595992,
4206264; 596071, 4205987; 596230, 4205788; 596409, 4205629; 596587,
4205371; 596607, 4205074; 596468, 4204776; 596289, 4204518; 595932,
4204280; 595734, 4204121; 595694, 4203645; 595833, 4203248; 595853,
4202891; 595714, 4202375; 595674, 4202335; 595377, 4201938; 595059,
4201740; returning to 594583, 4201700.
(ii) Note: Unit 14 is depicted on Map 15--Units 14, 15, and 16--see
paragraph (31)(ii).
(30) Central Valley Region: Unit 15 Deer Valley, Contra Costa
County, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle map Antioch South, California,
land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 604235,
4195940; 603680, 4196311; 603332, 4196843; 602753, 4198696; 602684,
4199414; 602591, 4199923; 602429, 4200826; 602151, 4200849; 601758,
4200849; 601179, 4200849; 600484, 4200849; 599882, 4200780; 599465,
4200595; 599025, 4200757; 598909, 4201127; 598909, 4201590; 599048,
4202007; 599141, 4202586; 599210, 4203096; 599673, 4203628; 600229,
4203790; 600993, 4203536; 601480, 4203582; 602082, 4203744; 602568,
4203651; 602985, 4203420; 603332, 4203026; 603564, 4201961; 603981,
4201637; 604583, 4201544; 604884, 4201336; 604976, 4200896; 605069,
4200595; 605301, 4200479; 605717, 4200270; 605903, 4200155; 606343,
4200155; 606667, 4199969; 606898, 4199645; 607084, 4199460; 607246,
4199391; 607338, 4199020; 607547, 4198719; 607639, 4198464; 607616,
4198094; 607524, 4197955; 607524, 4197607; 607223, 4197306; 606922,
4197306; 606435, 4197677; 606111, 4197816; 605694, 4197885; 605532,
4197445; 605463, 4197028; 605393, 4196612; 604930, 4196149; 604698,
4196033; returning to 604235, 4195940.
(ii) Note: Unit 15 is depicted on Map 15--Units 14, 15, and 16--see
paragraph (31)(ii).
(31) Central Valley Region: Unit 16 Marsh Creek, Contra Costa
County, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Antioch South, Brentwood,
Tassajara, and Byron Hot Springs, California, land bounded by the
following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 604791, 4189225; 604513,
4189340; 604050, 4189549; 603842, 4189850; 603842, 4190105; 603471,
4190174; 603054, 4190429; 602915, 4190753; 602684, 4191216; 602545,
4191563; 602337, 4191841; 601850, 4191957; 601642, 4192003; 601457,
4192374; 601457, 4192721; 601294, 4193208; 601665, 4193694; 601758,
4193786; 601920, 4194111; 602128, 4194412; 602337, 4194527; 602638,
4194643; 602892, 4194713; 603332, 4194736; 603402, 4194759; 603749,
4194921; 604351, 4194921; 604699, 4194782; 604953, 4194921; 605138,
4195106; 605578, 4195222; 605995, 4195245; 606435, 4195083; 606806,
4194991; 607246, 4194968; 607454, 4194782; 607547, 4194852; 607732,
4195176; 607917, 4195454; 608218, 4195755; 608380, 4195871; 608635,
4195917; 608820, 4196010; 608844, 4196288; 609075, 4196658; 609376,
4196820; 609793, 4196959; 610210, 4196936; 610349, 4196843; 610627,
4197121; 611020, 4197121; 611321, 4196959; 611414, 4196728; 611553,
4196774; 611923, 4197191; 612201, 4197260; 612271, 4196982; 612294,
4196519; 612410, 4196195; 612456, 4196010; 612572, 4195662; 612734,
4195454; 612873, 4195130; 612757, 4194921; 612734, 4194574; 612850,
4194412; 613128, 4194365; 613521, 4194458; 613845, 4194481; 614054,
4194342; 614355, 4193833; 614540, 4193277; 614355, 4192768; 613984,
4192420; 613614, 4192258; 613359, 4192235; 613035, 4192281; 612711,
4192513; 612294, 4192582; 611993, 4192397; 611622, 4192119; 611275,
4192096; 610858, 4192212; 610117, 4192374; 609700, 4192536; 609561,
4192374; 609260, 4191934; 608867, 4191633; 608705, 4191563; 608288,
4191378; 607732, 4191123; 607709, 4190707; 606991, 4189734; 606621,
4189757; 606088, 4189827; 605671, 4189595; 605277, 4189340; return to
604791, 4189225.
(ii) Note: Unit 16 is depicted on Map 15--Units 14, 15, and 16--
which follows:
[[Page 48608]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.009
[[Page 48609]]
(32) Central Valley Region: Unit 17 Benthany Reservoir, Alameda and
Contra Costa Counties, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Byron Hot Springs, Clifton
Court Forebay, and Altamont, California, land bounded by the following
UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 616069, 4175678; 615606, 4175724;
615328, 4175933; 614934, 4176002; 614401, 4176257; 613985, 4176789;
613683, 4177044; 613406, 4177322; 613128, 4177808; 613012, 4178271;
613128, 4178619; 612942, 4179128; 612804, 4179823; 612942, 4180170;
612804, 4180587; 612688, 4181235; 612757, 4181629; 612526, 4182069;
612016, 4182532; 611854, 4182926; 611808, 4183273; 612109, 4183551;
612665, 4183667; 613081, 4183736; 613452, 4184084; 613382, 4184385;
613128, 4184640; 612966, 4185265; 612942, 4185635; 612850, 4185890;
612711, 4186168; 612572, 4186423; 612618, 4186932; 612757, 4187418;
612757, 4187719; 612919, 4188507; 613243, 4188808; 613660, 4188900;
614031, 4188877; 614563, 4188785; 614749, 4189271; 614934, 4189734;
615235, 4190174; 615698, 4190359; 615976, 4190383; 616069, 4190660;
616810, 4190799; 617574, 4190591; 618292, 4190151; 618755, 4189919;
619264, 4189595; 619727, 4189387; 620445, 4188090; 620746, 4187719;
621626, 4187303; 621788, 4186330; 622437, 4186191; 622900, 4185936;
623178, 4185103; 623340, 4183922; 623757, 4183296; 623641, 4182509;
623085, 4181791; 622784, 4182069; 622460, 4182324; 622182, 4182324;
621974, 4182254; 621835, 4182301; 621673, 4182463; 621511, 4182393;
621487, 4182208; 621279, 4181791; 621047, 4181537; 620746, 4181282;
620468, 4180865; 620492, 4180402; 620376, 4179638; 619751, 4179221;
619496, 4178966; 619565, 4178457; 619565, 4177970; 618390, 4176820;
617484, 4175935; returning to 616069, 4175678.
(ii) Note: Unit 17 (Map 16) follows:
[[Page 48610]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.010
[[Page 48611]]
(33) Central Valley Region: Unit 18 Doolan Canyon, Alameda and
Contra Costa Counties, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Diablo, Tassajara, Dublin,
and Livermore, California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27
coordinates (E, N): 602667, 4173458; 602354, 4173510; 602005, 4173597;
601657, 4173649; 601204, 4173754; 600787, 4173858; 600473, 4173893;
600090, 4173893; 599864, 4174154; 599672, 4174415; 599759, 4174711;
600229, 4174711; 600647, 4174764; 600787, 4174885; 600700, 4175460;
600177, 4175808; 599655, 4176452; 599533, 4176313; 599550, 4175965;
599516, 4175547; 599481, 4175338; 599220, 4175164; 598924, 4175234;
598297, 4175408; 598088, 4176243; 597269, 4177166; 597182, 4177602;
596852, 4178368; 596939, 4179325; 597061, 4180022; 597653, 4180440;
598366, 4180527; 599045, 4180109; 599237, 4179186; 599045, 4178263;
599098, 4177671; 599237, 4177393; 599428, 4176801; 599777, 4176679;
599829, 4176992; 600108, 4177271; 600612, 4177602; 601274, 4177619;
602249, 4177549; 604251, 4178594; 604791, 4178768; 605279, 4178733;
605923, 4178316; 606167, 4177689; 606219, 4176818; 606358, 4176087;
606358, 4175443; 606114, 4175094; 605958, 4174955; 605766, 4174624;
605488, 4174381; 605192, 4173997; 604704, 4173754; 604199, 4173562;
603868, 4173527; 603642, 4173597; 603189, 4173475; returning to 602667,
4173458.
(ii) Note: Unit 18 (Map 17) follows:
[[Page 48612]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.011
[[Page 48613]]
(34) Southern San Joaquin Region: Unit 1 Millerton, Madera County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Little Tableton, Millerton
Lake West, Lanes Bridge, and Friant, California, land bounded by the
following UTM 11 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 251488, 4086839; 251202,
4087087; 251266, 4087526; 251291, 4087931; 251296, 4088286; 251248,
4088660; 251180, 4088983; 251181, 4089550; 251192, 4089727; 252080,
4089759; 252381, 4089776; 252408, 4090199; 252445, 4090781; 252388,
4090997; 252021, 4091091; 251558, 4091032; 251272, 4091280; 251265,
4091457; 251265, 4092007; 251286, 4092341; 251343, 4092958; 253025,
4092958; 253232, 4092875; 253479, 4093141; 253900, 4093345; 253998,
4093782; 253782, 4094008; 253510, 4094185; 253221, 4094380; 253290,
4094642; 253361, 4094920; 253467, 4095197; 253725, 4095358; 253941,
4095415; 253933, 4095840; 253828, 4096149; 253734, 4096614; 253713,
4096846; 253765, 4097392; 254020, 4097783; 254422, 4097970; 254523,
4098176; 254426, 4098607; 254611, 4099021; 254807, 4099309; 254775,
4099648; 254671, 4099973; 255046, 4100003; 255422, 4100351; 255981,
4100510; 256301, 4100526; 256511, 4101062; 256586, 4101676; 256787,
4102053; 256920, 4102205; 257360, 4102424; 257892, 4102444; 258243,
4102387; 258578, 4102100; 258716, 4101755; 258815, 4101359; 258634,
4100732; 258219, 4100334; 257973, 4100084; 257970, 4099482; 257922,
4098989; 257813, 4098677; 257723, 4098098; 257565, 4097559; 257418,
4097179; 257023, 4096832; 256598, 4096540; 256129, 4096127; 256271,
4095569; 256038, 4094964; 255504, 4094360; 255213, 4094237; 254952,
4093758; 254876, 4093390; 254955, 4092960; 255051, 4092511; 255065,
4092174; 255060, 4091821; 254793, 4091235; 254372, 4091014; 253886,
4090885; 253622, 4090636; 253695, 4090383; 253916, 4090245; 253850,
4090037; 253583, 4089735; 253429, 4089533; 252970, 4088994; 252716,
4088621; 252722, 4088426; 252645, 4088041; 252250, 4087411; 251921,
4087237; 251696, 4087038; returning to 251488, 4086839.
(ii) Note: Unit 1 is depicted on Map 18--Units 1 and 2--see
paragraph (35)(ii).
(35) Southern San Joaquin Region: Unit 2 Northeast Fresno, Fresno
County, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle map Friant, California, land
bounded by the following UTM 11 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 259348,
4088203; 259307, 4088666; 259010, 4088738; 258792, 4088646; 258633,
4088656; 258587, 4089048; 258780, 4089301; 258793, 4089513; 258586,
4089597; 258333, 4089524; 257879, 4089606; 257512, 4089700; 257198,
4089773; 256965, 4090283; 256997, 4090795; 257312, 4091873; 257382,
4092399; 257403, 4092735; 257730, 4092873; 257769, 4093207; 257594,
4093520; 257498, 4093685; 257575, 4094070; 257751, 4094608; 257643,
4094863; 257561, 4095240; 257813, 4095578; 258005, 4095832; 258322,
4096077; 258625, 4096111; 259128, 4096221; 259500, 4095950; 259703,
4096078; 259568, 4096458; 259552, 4096779; 259570, 4097061; 259492,
4097225; 259412, 4097354; 259387, 4097533; 259522, 4097701; 259563,
4097787; 259824, 4097700; 260233, 4097462; 260571, 4097192; 260853,
4096909; 260996, 4096652; 261586, 4096455; 261891, 4096507; 262187,
4097002; 262340, 4097187; 262798, 4097423; 263274, 4097376; 263735,
4097117; 264068, 4096777; 264184, 4096097; 263783, 4095626; 263902,
4095264; 264191, 4095069; 264494, 4095404; 264945, 4095535; 265298,
4095513; 265684, 4095453; 265954, 4095241; 266321, 4094881; 266490,
4094481; 266110, 4094062; 265945, 4093701; 265601, 4093298; 265520,
4093144; 265279, 4092964; 264865, 4092849; 264501, 4092978; 264129,
4092984; 263880, 4093248; 263589, 4093124; 263303, 4092788; 262947,
4092775; 262785, 4092997; 262531, 4092907; 262223, 4092785; 261965,
4092642; 261719, 4092392; 261590, 4092311; 261410, 4092252; 261219,
4092318; 260922, 4092372; 260796, 4092061; 260554, 4091881; 260212,
4091796; 259955, 4091919; 259768, 4092055; 259875, 4090950; 259972,
4090518; 260073, 4090158; 260186, 4089691; 260039, 4089328; 259557,
4089004; 259481, 4088637; 259426, 4088322; returning to 259348,
4088203.
(ii) Note: Unit 2 is depicted on Map 18--Units 1 and 2--which
follows:
[[Page 48614]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.012
[[Page 48615]]
(36) Southern San Joaquin Region: Unit 3 Hills Valley, Fresno
County, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Orange Cove North, and
Tucker Mtn., California, land bounded by the following UTM 11 NAD 27
coordinates (E, N299934, 4057038; 299297, 4057253; 298926, 4057727;
298532, 4058227; 298013, 4058310; 297491, 4058367; 297195, 4058436;
296676, 4058544; 296464, 4058757; 296478, 4058981; 296603, 4059374;
296967, 4060002; 297172, 4060465; 296968, 4061203; 296617, 4061601;
296234, 4061074; 296238, 4060348; 296075, 4059732; 295710, 4059505;
295478, 4059795; 295210, 4060312; 294976, 4060577; 294584, 4061102;
294314, 4061595; 294420, 4062089; 294389, 4062391; 294279, 4062623;
294294, 4062872; 294515, 4063209; 294963, 4063556; 294904, 4063810;
294584, 4063905; 294339, 4063595; 294207, 4063478; 293923, 4063346;
293579, 4063042; 293049, 4062575; 292183, 4062329; 291549, 4062594;
291238, 4063214; 291166, 4063669; 290170, 4063757; 290190, 4064481;
291390, 4064456; 292356, 4064295; 292976, 4064206; 293383, 4064705;
293956, 4065070; 294734, 4065096; 294821, 4064891; 295438, 4064352;
296060, 4063888; 296468, 4063212; 296595, 4062453; 297055, 4062199;
297332, 4062231; 297658, 4062636; 298143, 4063182; 298815, 4063540;
299401, 4063303; 299832, 4062600; 299734, 4061831; 299698, 4061257;
299939, 4060717; 299779, 4060151; 299819, 4059598; 300562, 4059076;
301118, 4058766; 301195, 4057985; 300729, 4057339; returning to 299934,
4057038.
(ii) Note: Unit 3 (Map 19) follows:
[[Page 48616]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.013
[[Page 48617]]
(37) Southern San Joaquin Region: Unit 4 Seville, Tulare County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle map Ivanhoe, California, land
bounded by the following UTM 11 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 299267,
4038424; 298441, 4038462; 298480, 4039245; 299290, 4039221; 299326,
4040020; 299295, 4040041; 299305, 4040405; 299108, 4040431; 299133,
4040832; 299802, 4040797; 300145, 4040423; 300104, 4039984; 299746,
4039980; 299719, 4039203; 299300, 4039209; returning to 299267,
4038424.
(ii) Note: Unit 4 is depicted on Map 20--Units 4, 5A, and 5B--see
paragraph (39)(ii).
(38) Southern San Joaquin Region: Unit 5A Cottonwood Creek, Tulare
County, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Burris Park, Traver, Monson,
and Remnoy, California, land bounded by the following UTM 11 NAD 27
coordinates (E, N): 274838, 4027770; 274782, 4027997; 274809, 4029585;
275643, 4029545; 276227, 4030027; 276522, 4030432; 276541, 4031101;
277294, 4031102; 278100, 4031382; 278112, 4031569; 279712, 4031552;
279237, 4032618; 280614, 4032602; 281449, 4032975; 282167, 4032965;
282892, 4033638; 283058, 4034040; 284003, 4034098; 284733, 4034866;
288647, 4034751; 288636, 4035528; 287886, 4035563; 287910, 4036340;
289313, 4036369; 289500, 4036346; 289467, 4034311; 288702, 4034312;
288675, 4033890; 287817, 4033909; 287749, 4034324; 287036, 4034404;
286997, 4034159; 285045, 4034198; 284975, 4033638; 283692, 4033635;
283680, 4033447; 283173, 4033432; 283131, 4032940; 282611, 4032902;
282602, 4032584; 282153, 4032565; 282142, 4030859; 280098, 4030927;
280150, 4030641; 278815, 4030372; 278617, 4030219; 278487, 4030027;
278110, 4029827; 276405, 4029862; 276365, 4029417; 275713, 4029352;
275740, 4028644; 275420, 4028617; 275201, 4028124; returning to 274838,
4027770.
(ii) Note: Unit 5A is depicted on Map 20--Units 4, 5A, and 5B--see
paragraph (39)(ii).
(39) Southern San Joaquin Region: Unit 5B Cottonwood Creek, Tulare
County, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle map Monson, California, land
bounded by the following UTM 11 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 293477,
4033789; 292652, 4033822; 292702, 4035425; 292525, 4035436; 292524,
4035481; 292611, 4035571; 292385, 4035894; 292524, 4036070; 292516,
4036125; 292687, 4036292; 292463, 4036546; 292754, 4036540; 292746,
4036236; 293550, 4036198; 293546, 4035808; 294322, 4035767; 294329,
4035350; 293527, 4035389; returning to 293477, 4033789.
(ii) Note: Unit 5B is depicted on Map 20--Units 4, 5A, and 5B--
which follows:
[[Page 48618]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.014
[[Page 48619]]
(40) East Bay Region: Unit 1 Patterson, Alameda County, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Altamont, and Midway,
California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E,
N): 619653, 4172697; 619087, 4172760; 618521, 4173137; 618050, 4173986;
617798, 4174520; 617735, 4175117; 617924, 4175715; 618521, 4176029;
619339, 4176218; 620093, 4176186; 620502, 4175903; 620911, 4176060;
621382, 4175840; 621822, 4175746; 621634, 4176281; 621476, 4177004;
621634, 4177632; 621696, 4177884; 622357, 4178230; 623268, 4178230;
623834, 4177695; 623897, 4176972; 623708, 4176029; 623866, 4175306;
623928, 4174646; 623551, 4173860; 622608, 4173168; 621979, 4173137;
621131, 4173451; 620565, 4173105; 620187, 4172791; returning to 619653,
4172697.
(ii) Note: Unit 1 (Map 21) follows:
[[Page 48620]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.015
[[Page 48621]]
(41) East Bay Region: Unit 2 Mendenhall, Alameda County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle map Mendenhall Springs,
California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E,
N): 616447, 4159080; 616149, 4159080; 615901, 4159209; 615712, 4159239;
615563, 4159358; 615524, 4159487; 615543, 4159596; 615563, 4159696;
615494, 4159864; 615534, 4159963; 615534, 4160093; 615514, 4160231;
615414, 4160301; 615246, 4160331; 615127, 4160380; 615008, 4160440;
614888, 4160509; 614779, 4160559; 614690, 4160618; 614561, 4160609;
614382, 4160579; 614194, 4160638; 614095, 4160708; 613975, 4160827;
613856, 4160877; 613707, 4160966; 613618, 4161105; 613469, 4161184;
613370, 4161224; 613221, 4161234; 613102, 4161323; 613162, 4161641;
613281, 4161730; 613261, 4161849; 613350, 4161978; 613459, 4162077;
613469, 4162226; 613628, 4162494; 613797, 4162703; 613995, 4162812;
614104, 4163010; 614243, 4163050; 614372, 4163139; 614511, 4163129;
614571, 4163070; 614740, 4163080; 614869, 4163050; 615017, 4163020;
615156, 4163040; 615246, 4162881; 615335, 4162792; 615464, 4162713;
615573, 4162663; 615692, 4162643; 615841, 4162653; 615990, 4162584;
616099, 4162524; 616238, 4162464; 616367, 4162455; 616556, 4162395;
616655, 4162335; 616804, 4162296; 616982, 4162276; 617112, 4162177;
617141, 4162127; 617429, 4160321; 617231, 4159576; 616983, 4159318;
616715, 4159140; returning to 616447, 4159080.
(ii) Note: Unit 2 is depicted on Map 22--Units 2 and 3--see
paragraph (41)(ii).
(42) East Bay Region: Unit Alameda Creek, Alameda and Santa Clara
Counties, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Niles, La Costa Valley,
Mendenhall Springs, and Calaveras Reservoir, California, land bounded
by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 606135, 4146183;
605860, 4146310; 605670, 4146501; 605543, 4146755; 605585, 4147072;
605500, 4147199; 605437, 4147411; 605289, 4147601; 605140, 4147813;
605204, 4148152; 605373, 4148427; 605204, 4148575; 604886, 4148596;
604548, 4148596; 604188, 4148850; 604146, 4149168; 604230, 4149464;
604400, 4149654; 604527, 4149930; 604230, 4149993; 603849, 4150057;
603659, 4150014; 603659, 4149739; 603743, 4149379; 603574, 4148892;
603024, 4148448; 602114, 4148469; 601500, 4149146; 598854, 4154650;
598388, 4156385; 597372, 4158375; 595446, 4158269; 594240, 4158417;
593837, 4159666; 594684, 4160619; 595933, 4161021; 596399, 4161190;
597288, 4161317; 597584, 4160830; 598155, 4160449; 598960, 4160153;
598833, 4159328; 598452, 4158798; 598600, 4158206; 599298, 4158248;
599743, 4157507; 600336, 4156534; 600865, 4156682; 600695, 4157634;
600336, 4159306; 599933, 4160598; 599891, 4161063; 599701, 4161275;
599574, 4161677; 599701, 4162164; 599425, 4163095; 599193, 4163709;
599277, 4163963; 601415, 4164535; 603638, 4163879; 605606, 4163836;
606326, 4163646; 608167, 4161508; 608358, 4160471; 607765, 4159201;
605627, 4157042; 603574, 4156131; 604569, 4154142; 605140, 4152829;
607511, 4153338; 609395, 4157126; 609818, 4157634; 610538, 4157825;
613014, 4157042; 615067, 4156597; 615554, 4156322; 615956, 4155814;
615999, 4155200; 616316, 4154989; 616718, 4154819; 617121, 4154460;
617290, 4153952; 617269, 4153401; 616888, 4152978; 616274, 4152639;
615618, 4152766; 615173, 4152766; 614306, 4151920; 613819, 4151327;
613014, 4151136; 612506, 4151348; 612210, 4151306; 611744, 4151602;
609522, 4152131; 608866, 4151687; 606961, 4151284; 606516, 4151390;
605945, 4151771; 605627, 4151115; 605627, 4150861; 605712, 4150797;
605924, 4150628; 606178, 4150289; 606410, 4150205; 606601, 4149993;
606664, 4149570; 606664, 4149252; 606791, 4148787; 606749, 4148427;
606791, 4148109; 607024, 4147792; 607088, 4147241; 606961, 4146755;
606813, 4146437; 606453, 4146247; returning to 606135, 4146183.
(ii) Note: Unit 3 is depicted on Map 22--Units 2 and 3--which
follows:
[[Page 48622]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.016
[[Page 48623]]
(43) East Bay Region: Unit 4 San Francisco Bay, Alameda County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Niles, and Milpitas,
California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E,
N): 590833, 4148432; 589465, 4150107; 589845, 4150385; 590548, 4149983;
590650, 4150115; 590475, 4150232; 590570, 4150378; 590701, 4150297;
590906, 4150502; 590445, 4150956; 591330, 4151387; 591550, 4151241;
591367, 4150941; 591426, 4150802; 591850, 4150349; 592128, 4150597;
592516, 4150327; 592501, 4150224; 592355, 4150202; 592274, 4149507;
592077, 4149317; 591704, 4149251; 591660, 4148900; 591623, 4148673;
591250, 4148622; 591206, 4148454; returning to 590833, 4148432.
(ii) Note: Unit 4 (Map 23) follows:
[[Page 48624]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.017
[[Page 48625]]
(44) East Bay Region: Unit 5 Poverty Ridge, Santa Clara County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Calaveras Reservoir, and Mt.
Day, California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27
coordinates (E, N): 613623, 4139261; 613395, 4139338; 613177, 4139403;
613079, 4139490; 612905, 4139577; 612709, 4139555; 612601, 4139664;
612535, 4139751; 612350, 4139697; 612187, 4139795; 612067, 4139871;
611001, 4139544; 610305, 4139653; 609684, 4140350; 609717, 4140992;
610032, 4141459; 610511, 4141753; 610794, 4141829; 610860, 4142199;
610947, 4142374; 611121, 4142580; 611273, 4142722; 611436, 4142754;
611708, 4142602; 611980, 4142374; 612089, 4142210; 612176, 4142156;
612350, 4142232; 612514, 4142363; 612666, 4142482; 612764, 4142548;
612992, 4142515; 613254, 4142417; 613471, 4142287; 613656, 4142069;
613721, 4141917; 613765, 4141753; 613874, 4141623; 614059, 4141460;
614276, 4141209; 614342, 4140926; 614429, 4140654; 614363, 4140317;
614396, 4140099; 614287, 4139795; 614157, 4139599; 613928, 4139403;
613787, 4139283; returning to 613623, 4139261.
(ii) Note: Unit 5 is depicted on Map 24--Units 5, 6, 7, and 8--see
paragraph (47)(ii).
(45) East Bay Region: Unit 6 Smith Creek, Santa Clara County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Lick Observatory, and
Isabell Valley, California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27
coordinates (E, N): 618437, 4130695; 617379, 4130761; 616784, 4131356;
616585, 4132216; 615990, 4132679; 614865, 4133010; 614072, 4132811;
613344, 4132811; 612617, 4132943; 611889, 4133340; 611294, 4134002;
611227, 4134862; 612153, 4135457; 613146, 4135589; 613807, 4135656;
614733, 4135589; 615725, 4135457; 616122, 4135060; 616254, 4134663;
616651, 4134200; 617379, 4134002; 617842, 4133605; 618636, 4133804;
619165, 4134399; 620157, 4135457; 621017, 4135656; 621943, 4135590;
622538, 4135259; 623001, 4134465; 622538, 4133936; 622274, 4133341;
621480, 4132481; 620885, 4132150; 620422, 4131621; 619760, 4130959;
619099, 4130893; returning to 618437, 4130695.
(ii) Note: Unit 6 is depicted on Map 24-- Units 5, 6, 7, and 8--see
paragraph (47)(ii).
(46) East Bay Region: Unit 7 San Felipe Creek, Santa Clara County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Lick Observatory, Isabell
Valley, and Morgan Hill, California, land bounded by the following UTM
10 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 617313, 4118722; 616651, 4118722; 616255,
4119053; 615659, 4119847; 615196, 4120839; 614733, 4121831; 614799,
4122559; 615328, 4123022; 615725, 4123485; 615990, 4124146; 616122,
4124741; 616321, 4124874; 616585, 4126461; 616850, 4126990; 617313,
4127453; 617974, 4127453; 618900, 4126924; 619496, 4126263; 619892,
4126131; 621149, 4126263; 621678, 4126197; 622737, 4126395; 623530,
4126395; 624060, 4125932; 624192, 4125271; 624192, 4124675; 623729,
4124080; 623795, 4123485; 622671, 4123220; 621480, 4123551; 620752,
4124014; 619892, 4124345; 619297, 4123882; 618636, 4122889; 618173,
4121897; 618239, 4120640; 618107, 4119582; returning to 617313,
4118722.
(ii) Note: Unit 7 is depicted on Map 24--Units 5, 6, 7, and 8--see
paragraph (47)(ii).
(47) East Bay Region: Unit 8 Laurel Hill, Santa Clara County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Santa Teresa Hills, and
Morgan Hill, California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27
coordinates (E, N): 611014, 4113296; 610439, 4113395; 610141, 4113573;
609903, 4113653; 609189, 4114288; 608335, 4113871; 607680, 4113812;
606787, 4113712; 606133, 4113831; 605795, 4114070; 605498, 4114566;
605517, 4114883; 605557, 4115359; 605498, 4115518; 605220, 4115796;
605121, 4115955; 605180, 4116252; 605121, 4116451; 605041, 4116570;
605220, 4116947; 605577, 4117026; 605855, 4116907; 606172, 4116788;
606490, 4116629; 606768, 4116471; 606926, 4116252; 607204, 4115875;
607403, 4115756; 607343, 4115578; 607343, 4115498; 607442, 4115379;
607561, 4115280; 607680, 4115260; 607879, 4115260; 607998, 4115260;
608315, 4115220; 608613, 4115717; 608831, 4115717; 609069, 4115637;
609208, 4115498; 609387, 4115300; 609506, 4115141; 609625, 4115340;
609685, 4115478; 609823, 4115518; 609804, 4115637; 609863, 4115856;
609962, 4116014; 610121, 4116391; 610518, 4116391; 610697, 4116193;
610816, 4116094; 611173, 4116074; 611332, 4116034; 611788, 4115895;
612006, 4115856; 612324, 4115578; 612483.1250000 4115359; 612701,
4115082; 612800, 4114903; 612860, 4114586; 612681, 4114268; 612423,
4113931; 612403, 4113732; 612324, 4113375; returning to 611014,
4113296.
(ii) Note: Units 8 is depicted on Map 24--Units 5, 6, 7, and 8--
which follows:
[[Page 48626]]
[GRAPHIC]
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TP10AU04.018
[[Page 48627]]
(48) East Bay Region: Unit 9 Cebata Flat, Santa Clara County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle map Gilroy, California, land
bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 631693,
4101865; 631375, 4101885; 631078, 4102024; 630740, 4102282; 630562,
4102718; 630562, 4103115; 630641, 4103472; 630919, 4103770; 631157,
4104008; 631316, 4104127; 631514, 4104425; 631514, 4104564; 631197,
4104782; 631018, 4104981; 630621, 4105477; 630443, 4105913; 630403,
4106310; 630284, 4106588; 630125, 4107084; 630363, 4107362; 630562,
4107461; 630800, 4107640; 631117, 4107818; 631395, 4107878; 631704,
4107878; 632099, 4107740; 632464, 4107483; 632602, 4107167; 632701,
4106821; 633017, 4105626; 633086, 4105093; 632800, 4104520; 632602,
4104214; 632583, 4103789; 632800, 4103335; 632839, 4102960; 632760,
4102683; 632662, 4102485; 632464, 4102209; 632189, 4101925; 631812,
4101925; returning to 631693, 4101865.
(ii) Note: Unit 9 is depicted on Map 25--Units 9, 10, 11, and 12--
see paragraph (51)(ii).
(49) East Bay Region: Unit 10 Lions Creek, Santa Clara County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Mt. Madonna, and Gilroy,
California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E,
N): 622609, 4100206; 622423, 4100225; 622158, 4100421; 621972, 4100735;
621776, 4100941; 621540, 4101059; 621285, 4101068; 621119, 4101157;
620883, 4101323; 620874, 4101510; 620981, 4101725; 621070, 4101931;
620991, 4102079; 620795, 4102226; 620629, 4102314; 620491, 4102647;
620570, 4102951; 620540, 4103118; 620511, 4103245; 620658, 4103736;
620589, 4103834; 620550, 4104000; 620736, 4104128; 620972, 4104206;
621080, 4104265; 621197, 4104295; 621334, 4104383; 621511, 4104530;
621707, 4104658; 621903, 4104707; 622168, 4104510; 622521, 4104354;
622629, 4104059; 622580, 4103873; 622570, 4103687; 622599, 4103530;
622580, 4103314; 622560, 4103118; 622433, 4103049; 622295, 4102971;
622217, 4102853; 622207, 4102667; 622325, 4102451; 622472, 4102324;
622698, 4102245; 622884, 4102137; 623031, 4101961; 623109, 4101735;
623178, 4101441; 623217, 4101167; 623227, 4100784; 623129, 4100608;
622992, 4100559; 622854, 4100461; 622688, 4100304; returning to 622609,
4100206.
(ii) Note: Unit 10 is depicted on Map 25--Units 9, 10, 11, and 12--
see paragraph (51)(ii).
(50) East Bay Region: Unit 11 Braen Canyon, Santa Clara County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle map Gilroy Hot Spring,
California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E,
N): 640950, 4099879; 640184, 4099983; 639836, 4100401; 639523, 4101062;
639627, 4101724; 639418, 4102072; 639000, 4102490; 638513, 4102803;
637956, 4103325; 637225, 4103708; 637086, 4103952; 636947, 4104787;
637016, 4105170; 637225, 4105483; 637678, 4106075; 638235, 4106388;
638722, 4106249; 639105, 4106179; 639488, 4106110; 639871, 4105831;
640254, 4105727; 640602, 4105727; 641124, 4106075; 641367, 4105866;
641646, 4105274; 641820, 4104996; 642481, 4104822; 642690, 4104474;
642725, 4103986; 642899, 4103534; 642864, 4102942; 643317, 4102420;
643943, 4102281; 644500, 4101480; 644152, 4101341; 643943, 4101167;
643839, 4100436; 643351, 4099983; 642725, 4099983; 642064, 4100192;
641472, 4100018; returning to 640950, 4099879.
(ii) Note: Unit 11 is depicted on Map 25--Units 9, 10, 11, and 12--
see paragraph (51)(ii).
(51) East Bay Region: Unit 12 San Felipe, Santa Clara and San
Benito Counties, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Gilroy Hot Spring, and San
Filipe, California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27
coordinates (E, N): 643926, 4090258; 643737, 4090279; 643461, 4090364;
643165, 4090533; 642805, 4090533; 642594, 4090682; 642467, 4090830;
642318, 4091020; 642086, 4091232; 641832, 4091423; 641514, 4091613;
641324, 4091867; 641408, 4092121; 641429, 4092354; 641239, 4092460;
641260, 4092756; 641091, 4092883; 641089, 4092882; 640879, 4092798;
640625, 4092798; 640624, 4092798; 640623, 4092798; 640476, 4092650;
640138, 4092671; 639863, 4092693; 639567, 4092735; 639511, 4092788;
639417, 4092882; 639269, 4093242; 639219, 4093294; 639142, 4093449;
639049, 4093736; 638948, 4093984; 638676, 4094152; 638507, 4094025;
638452, 4093876; 638422, 4093793; 638205, 4093627; 638150, 4093372;
638119, 4093186; 638011, 4092566; 637841, 4092349; 637406, 4092206;
636981, 4092946; 636640, 4093837; 634982, 4094177; 634649, 4094642;
635153, 4095006; 635432, 4094844; 635772, 4095355; 635966, 4095463;
636012, 4095796; 636315, 4095866; 636911, 4095858; 637342, 4095676;
637808, 4095867; 638189, 4095888; 638930, 4095698; 639332, 4095528;
639650, 4095465; 640009, 4095317; 640242, 4095232; 640687, 4094914;
641025, 4094682; 641027, 4094682; 641345, 4095021; 641578, 4095169;
641768, 4095317; 642064, 4095571; 642403, 4095825; 642867, 4095994;
643438, 4095846; 643756, 4095486; 643968, 4095084; 644010, 4094809;
643989, 4094576; 643925, 4094174; 644052, 4093750; 644158, 4093412;
644179, 4093052; 644116, 4092671; 644116, 4092353; 644222, 4092015;
644179, 4091739; 644116, 4091464; 644103, 4091403; 644073, 4091253;
644010, 4090977; 644095, 4090723; 644116, 4090427; returning to 643926,
4090258.
(ii) Note: Unit 12 is depicted on Map 25--Units 9, 10, 11, and 12--
which follows:
[[Page 48628]]
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[[Page 48629]]
(52) East Bay Region: Unit 13 Los Banos, Merced County, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Mariposa Peak, and Los Banos
Valley, California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27
coordinates (E, N): 666982, 4090221; 666778, 4090372; 666306, 4090726;
666155, 4090908; 666091, 4091241; 666059, 4091778; 666327, 4092089;
666552, 4092229; 666896, 4092390; 667153, 4092465; 667368, 4092529;
667497, 4092636; 667712, 4092744; 667969, 4092733; 668248, 4092679;
668452, 4092883; 668517, 4092926; 668624, 4093130; 668495, 4093366;
668323, 4093474; 668323, 4093613; 668452, 4093796; 668678, 4093924;
668882, 4093935; 668967, 4093935; 669085, 4093957; 669268, 4093957;
669429, 4093957; 669654, 4093946; 669858, 4093967; 670051, 4094118;
670277, 4094203; 670534, 4094150; 670685, 4094096; 670835, 4093989;
670974, 4093763; 671060, 4093495; 671114, 4093259; 670985, 4093162;
670728, 4093066; 670545, 4092905; 670395, 4092808; 670266, 4092669;
670105, 4092508; 669966, 4092046; 669740, 4091842; 669483, 4091606;
669343, 4091413; 669236, 4091187; 669042, 4091059; 668731, 4091037;
668409, 4091037; 668195, 4090973; 668044, 4090672; 667851, 4090533;
667475, 4090415; 667186, 4090232; returning to 666982, 4090221.
(ii) Note: Unit 13 (Map 26) follows:
[[Page 48630]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.020
[[Page 48631]]
(53) East Bay Region: Unit 14 Landgon, Merced County, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Ruby Canyon, and Ortigalita
Peak, California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27
coordinates (E, N): 677084, 4074804; 676837, 4074821; 676504, 4074992;
676256, 4075282; 676103, 4075487; 676308, 4075666; 676444, 4075768;
676504, 4075948; 676461, 4076135; 676367, 4076246; 676214, 4076408;
676180, 4076451; 676137, 4076511; 676137, 4076690; 676094, 4076835;
676026, 4077014; 676120, 4077245; 676265, 4077279; 676564, 4077279;
676760, 4077373; 676931, 4077509; 677110, 4077697; 677374, 4077774;
677571, 4077731; 677827, 4077834; 678083, 4078039; 678049, 4078346;
677759, 4078423; 677485, 4078397; 677460, 4078380; 677460, 4078500;
677605, 4078773; 677690, 4078960; 677776, 4079037; 677921, 4079037;
678117, 4079071; 678467, 4079140; 678680, 4079157; 678911, 4079191;
679124, 4079131; 679448, 4078884; 679440, 4078730; 679431, 4078628;
679465, 4078448; 679653, 4078107; 679662, 4077868; 679585, 4077578;
679491, 4077475; 679244, 4077288; 678996, 4077057; 679098, 4076750;
678894, 4076605; 678578, 4076340; 678390, 4075990; 678279, 4075751;
678177, 4075342; 677989, 4075205; 677741, 4074966; 677477, 4074847;
returning to 677084, 4074804.
(ii) Note: Unit 14 (Map 27) follows:
[[Page 48632]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.021
[[Page 48633]]
(54) East Bay Region: Unit 15 Ana Creek, San Benito County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle map Tres Pinos California, land
bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 648335,
4073256; 647913, 4073303; 647662, 4073554; 647725, 4074086; 647725,
4074274; 647709, 4074493; 647646, 4074791; 647490, 4074963; 647255,
4075167; 646942, 4075323; 646597, 4075402; 646127, 4075496; 646096,
4075605; 646080, 4075918; 646049, 4076169; 645908, 4076388; 645736,
4076545; 645579, 4076764; 645548, 4076874; 645516, 4077124; 645673,
4077500; 645877, 4077516; 646033, 4077672; 646049, 4077782; 646049,
4077986; 646049, 4078299; 646049, 4078612; 646049, 4078878; 645892,
4079144; 645924, 4079489; 646205, 4079677; 646409, 4079818; 646519,
4080068; 646613, 4080272; 646926, 4080476; 647176, 4080460; 647584,
4080444; 647834, 4080147; 648022, 4079724; 648132, 4079285; 648006,
4078706; 648100, 4078408; 648116, 4078048; 648006, 4077735; 647834,
4077531; 647631, 4077296; 647537, 4077062; 647599, 4076842; 647865,
4076733; 648241, 4076592; 648367, 4076482; 648492, 4076185; 648555,
4075856; 648555, 4075543; 648586, 4075402; 648758, 4075245; 648993,
4074979; 649071, 4074462; 648962, 4074243; 648852, 4074321; 648680,
4074290; 648539, 4074227; 648414, 4074023; 648742, 4073554; returning
to 648335, 4073256.
(ii) Note: Unit 15 (Map 28) follows:
[[Page 48634]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
TP10AU04.022
[[Page 48635]]
(55) East Bay Region: Unit 16 Bitterwater, San Benito County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps San Benito, Topo Valley,
Rock Spring Peak, Pinalito Canyon, and Lonoak, California, land bounded
by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 677680, 4023667;
677177, 4023720; 676860, 4023905; 676754, 4024328; 676516, 4024461;
676146, 4024805; 676040, 4025202; 676093, 4025466; 676119, 4025678;
676595, 4026075; 676833, 4026207; 677019, 4026472; 677151, 4026577;
677389, 4026868; 677733, 4027001; 677971, 4026948; 678209, 4027160;
678315, 4027636; 678156, 4028429; 678077, 4028800; 677627, 4029144;
677363, 4029567; 676807, 4030123; 676622, 4030731; 677019, 4031102;
677707, 4031446; 677945, 4032213; 677680, 4032716; 677310, 4032901;
676807, 4033086; 676251, 4033430; 675802, 4033959; 675484, 4034488;
675167, 4034859; 674637, 4035017; 674346, 4035256; 674029, 4035626;
673950, 4035811; 673764, 4036499; 673420, 4036711; 673156, 4036922;
672785, 4037213; 672547, 4037452; 672389, 4037716; 671754, 4038113;
671357, 4038563; 671172, 4039198; 671198, 4039700; 671119, 4040018;
670695, 4040415; 670272, 4040547; 669981, 4040970; 669769, 4041605;
670034, 4042187; 670404, 4042558; 670695, 4042664; 671224, 4042664;
671674, 4042479; 671886, 4042188; 671806, 4041711; 671595, 4041288;
671859, 4040997; 672124, 4040970; 672441, 4040732; 672759, 4040521;
673024, 4040203; 673156, 4040124; 673447, 4039912; 673950, 4039462;
674241, 4039092; 674373, 4038695; 674452, 4038272; 674664, 4037954;
674955, 4038007; 675193, 4038536; 675563, 4038748; 676145, 4038722;
676357, 4038351; 676437, 4038034; 676886, 4037901; 677310, 4037769;
677759, 4037769; 678103, 4037769; 679003, 4037478; 679347, 4037161;
679717, 4037161; 680405, 4037346; 680908, 4037187; 681384, 4036684;
681543, 4036129; 681411, 4035626; 681252, 4034912; 680987, 4034647;
680088, 4034700; 679717, 4034991; 679056, 4035097; 678844, 4034832;
679585, 4034356; 680088, 4033933; 680326, 4033536; 680326, 4033166;
679955, 4032848; 679850, 4032610; 679850, 4032134; 679955, 4031657;
679850, 4031234; 680088, 4030864; 680405, 4030440; 680961, 4030070;
681172, 4029673; 680987, 4029382; 680696, 4028879; 680617, 4028509;
680961, 4028006; 681146, 4027636; 680987, 4026948; 680776, 4026498;
680485, 4026154; 679982, 4025863; 679823, 4025678; 679717, 4025281;
679294, 4024831; 678977, 4024567; 678659, 4024143; 678077, 4023879;
returning to 677680, 4023667.
(ii) Note: Unit 16 (Map 29) follows:
[[Page 48636]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED]
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(56) Central Coast Region: Unit 1 Crazy Horse Canyon, Monterey
County, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Prunedale, and San Juan
Bautista, California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27
coordinates (E, N): 621828, 4068063; 621246, 4068090; 620955, 4068354;
620452, 4068857; 620505, 4069333; 620928, 4069836; 621219, 4070048;
621404, 4070444; 621457, 4070921; 621828, 4071318; 622304, 4071450;
622754, 4071450; 623283, 4071529; 623547, 4071900; 623495, 4072482;
623204, 4072958; 622727, 4073434; 622542, 4073752; 622357, 4074360;
622568, 4075022; 622807, 4075260; 623362, 4075366; 623706, 4075101;
624235, 4074916; 624500, 4074678; 624659, 4074360; 624685, 4073884;
624791, 4073514; 625056, 4073276; 625611, 4073302; 626140, 4073249;
626643, 4073064; 626908, 4072561; 626881, 4072191; 626564, 4071556;
626484, 4071159; 626352, 4071027; 625585, 4071265; 625400, 4070841;
625188, 4070577; 624553, 4070683; 624183, 4071027; 623495, 4071238;
623521, 4070947; 623495, 4070603; 622939, 4070074; 622886, 4069757;
622648, 4069386; 622410, 4069016; 622304, 4068804; 622225, 4068645;
622013, 4068275; returning to 621828, 4068063.
(ii) Note: Unit 1 (Map 30) follows:
[[Page 48638]]
[GRAPHIC]
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(57) Central Coast Region: Unit 2 Elliott Hill, Monterey County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Marina, Salinas, Seaside,
and Spreckles, California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27
coordinates (E, N): 607949, 4048604; 607594, 4048642; 607337, 4048711;
607302, 4049033; 607408, 4049437; 607697, 4049810; 608005, 4050007;
608437, 4050088; 608859, 4050010; 609128, 4050227; 609520, 4050367;
610028, 4050468; 610292, 4050839; 610533, 4051409; 610451, 4051606;
610369, 4051870; 610040, 4052107; 609824, 4052404; 609733, 4052702;
609509, 4052915; 609387, 4053037; 609331, 4053229; 609352, 4053428;
609275, 4053523; 609258, 4053669; 609219, 4053701; 609279, 4053799;
609418, 4054061; 609376, 4054141; 609237, 4054333; 609408, 4054491;
609411, 4054596; 609590, 4054679; 609775, 4054634; 610022, 4054686;
610001, 4054781; 610029, 4055110; 610187, 4055209; 610006, 4055424;
610107, 4055471; 610104, 4055544; 609957, 4055544; 609871, 4055857;
609951, 4055864; 610034, 4055892; 609957, 4055982; 609948, 4056151;
609948, 4056301; 609925, 4056400; 610521, 4056401; 610513, 4056595;
610762, 4056627; 610933, 4056633; 611095, 4056654; 611110, 4056805;
611074, 4056998; 611121, 4057160; 612043, 4057175; 612512, 4057161;
612557, 4057132; 612557, 4057092; 612533, 4057035; 612540, 4056993;
612574, 4056972; 612588, 4056709; 612559, 4056702; 612559, 4056685;
612588, 4056678; 612611, 4056681; 612635, 4056565; 612751, 4056541;
612805, 4056439; 613018, 4056506; 613065, 4056357; 613117, 4055909;
613284, 4055794; 613132, 4055617; 613164, 4055283; 613164, 4055096;
613309, 4055100; 613254, 4054819; 613161, 4054491; 612958, 4054164;
613036, 4053828; 613012, 4053485; 612841, 4053228; 612708, 4052838;
612786, 4052432; 613028, 4052125; 613195, 4052144; 613565, 4052096;
613920, 4051920; 614163, 4051662; 614325, 4051780; 614536, 4051863;
614680, 4051818; 614900, 4051681; 615079, 4051841; 615399, 4052042;
615792, 4052115; 616038, 4052096; 616328, 4051984; 616261, 4051837;
616223, 4051668; 615798, 4051352; 615926, 4051321; 615973, 4051294;
616024, 4051280; 616057, 4051276; 616091, 4051200; 616064, 4051113;
616010, 4051072; 615991, 4051005; 615945, 4050914; 615865, 4050841;
615788, 4050776; 615588, 4050567; 615305, 4050298; 615085, 4050024;
615096, 4049909; 615058, 4049701; 614916, 4049389; 614680, 4049119;
614126, 4049576; 613838, 4049306; 613811, 4048893; 613606, 4048952;
613346, 4049091; 613184, 4049217; 612850, 4049014; 612561, 4049332;
612073, 4049397; 611988, 4049626; 612013, 4049825; 611978, 4050024;
611834, 4050049; 611739, 4049865; 611505, 4049756; 611306, 4049775;
611137, 4049566; 611027, 4049512; 610923, 4049407; 610579, 4049556;
610201, 4049596; 610056, 4049541; 609981, 4049447; 610001, 4049118;
609459, 4049004; 608826, 4048829; 608621, 4048831; 608453, 4048814;
608394, 4048786; 608231, 4048669; returning to 607949, 4048604.
(ii) Note: Unit 2 (Map 31) follows:
[[Page 48640]]
[GRAPHIC]
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[[Page 48641]]
(58) Central Coast Region: Unit 3 Haystack Hill, Monterey County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle map Rana Creek, California, land
bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 629720,
4026322; 629330, 4026363; 629023, 4026488; 628808, 4026629; 628584,
4026877; 628252, 4027035; 628020, 4027267; 627747, 4027416; 627349,
4027400; 626942, 4027491; 626553, 4027773; 626470, 4028021; 626354,
4028394; 626171, 4028535; 626005, 4028710; 625881, 4028917; 625798,
4029207; 625798, 4029497; 625848, 4029837; 626030, 4030102; 626403,
4030409; 626785, 4030534; 627108, 4030567; 627398, 4030525; 627606,
4030351; 627937, 4030185; 628169, 4030243; 628509, 4030376; 628741,
4030301; 628998, 4030310; 629305, 4030368; 629687, 4030277; 630126,
4030086; 630391, 4029787; 630458, 4029406; 630449, 4029099; 630375,
4028743; 630333, 4028453; 630524, 4028254; 630706, 4028005; 630798,
4027706; 630822, 4027391; 630781, 4027076; 630574, 4026794; 630416,
4026546; returning to 629720, 4026322.
(ii) Note: Unit 3 (Map 32) follows:
[[Page 48642]]
[GRAPHIC]
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[[Page 48643]]
(59) Central Coast Region: Unit 4 Gloria Valley, Monterey County,
California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle map Mount Jackson, California,
land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E, N): 651514,
4040626; 651381, 4040917; 651434, 4041367; 651540, 4041632; 651646,
4042055; 652069, 4042558; 652545, 4043034; 652651, 4043484; 651752,
4043669; 651461, 4044119; 651355, 4044648; 651037, 4045151; 651064,
4045627; 651302, 4045812; 651328, 4045944; 651699, 4046156; 652175,
4046341; 652704, 4046341; 653313, 4045971; 653577, 4045547; 653604,
4044807; 653551, 4044145; 653683, 4043589; 654318, 4043272; 654821,
4043166; 655509, 4043245; 655747, 4042875; 656144, 4042346; 656355,
4042134; 656488, 4041420; 656170, 4041208; 655667, 4041314; 655244,
4041129; 654821, 4040838; 654398, 4040891; 653815, 4041023; 653445,
4041155; 652969, 4041155; 652651, 4040970; 652122, 4041049; 651805,
4040679; returning to 651514, 4040626.
(ii) Note: Unit 4 (Map 33) follows:
[[Page 48644]]
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(60) Central Coast Region: Unit 5a Fort Hunter Liggett, Monterey
County, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps San Luis Obispo, and Jolon,
California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E,
N): 658576, 3974270; 658180, 3974545; 658129, 3974734; 658249, 3975250;
658197, 3975611; 658025, 3975835; 657630, 3976471; 657527, 3976970;
657337, 3977279; 656976, 3977365; 656564, 3977486; 656220, 3977675;
655824, 3977520; 655515, 3977159; 655308, 3977211; 655067, 3977555;
654775, 3977916; 654328, 3978157; 653915, 3978260; 653588, 3978604;
653262, 3979188; 653090, 3979257; 652832, 3979584; 652505, 3979687;
652178, 3980048; 652127, 3980238; 651920, 3980599; 651162, 3982084;
651273, 3983155; 650626, 3983780; 651072, 3984426; 651630, 3984850;
652143, 3984471; 652634, 3984069; 653147, 3983869; 653816, 3983356;
654508, 3983021; 655512, 3982441; 656092, 3982129; 656181, 3981348;
655780, 3980589; 655936, 3980344; 656237, 3980237; 656615, 3980134;
656925, 3979997; 657475, 3979584; 657810, 3979474; 658386, 3979979;
658868, 3979928; 659487, 3979670; 659625, 3979309; 659436, 3978948;
659057, 3978741; 659040, 3978535; 659350, 3978019; 659625, 3977641;
660209, 3977159; 660863, 3976746; 661190, 3976385; 661465, 3975869;
661448, 3975405; 660915, 3974700; 660123, 3974408; 659126, 3974304;
returning to 658576, 3974270.
(ii) Note: Unit 5A is depicted on Map 34--Units 5A and 5B--see
paragraph (61)(ii).
(61) Central Coast Region: Unit 5b Fort Hunter Liggett, Monterey
County, Counties, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Jolon, and Williams Hill,
California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27 coordinates (E,
N): 671048, 3975666; 670552, 3975765; 670115, 3976003; 669857, 3976221;
669520, 3976559; 669044, 3976678; 668607, 3977690; 668170, 3977710;
667754, 3977888; 667476, 3978106; 667020, 3978622; 666484, 3978384;
666146, 3978265; 665690, 3978265; 665115, 3978364; 664936, 3978662;
664718, 3978860; 664341, 3979039; 664083, 3979118; 663845, 3979317;
663726, 3979595; 663587, 3979793; 663408, 3980091; 663368, 3980349;
663388, 3980607; 663329, 3980765; 663130, 3980964; 662813, 3981182;
662614, 3981559; 662614, 3981857; 662714, 3982234; 662952, 3982551;
663547, 3982908; 663745, 3982928; 664182, 3982809; 664579, 3982512;
664956, 3982135; 665194, 3981896; 665432, 3981738; 665809, 3981777;
666841, 3981639; 667020, 3981500; 667218, 3981202; 667317, 3980666;
667416, 3980408; 667218, 3979992; 667912, 3979376; 668508, 3979039;
668865, 3978880; 669381, 3978801; 669758, 3978702; 669936, 3978543;
670532, 3978146; 670849, 3978027; 671167, 3977968; 671583, 3977749;
671841, 3977134; 671921, 3976579; 671683, 3975983; returning to 671048,
3975666.
(ii) Note: Unit 5B is depicted on Map 34--Units 5A and 5B--which
follows:
[[Page 48646]]
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(62) Central Coast Region: Unit 6 Choice Valley, Kern and San Luis
Obispo Counties, California.
(i) From USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle maps Orchard Peak, and Holland
Canyon, California, land bounded by the following UTM 10 NAD 27
coordinates (E, N): 758978, 3940883; 758581, 3940962; 758184, 3941359;
757787, 3941518; 757655, 3941386; 757576, 3941439; 757338, 3941809;
756967, 3941862; 756597, 3942047; 756359, 3942312; 756015, 3942682;
755909, 3942920; 755803, 3943238; 755591, 3943343; 755485, 3943423;
755274, 3943687; 755036, 3943899; 754824, 3944137; 754533, 3944322;
754163, 3944375; 754110, 3944666; 753819, 3944746; 753686, 3944666;
753369, 3944904; 752945, 3944957; 752522, 3945010; 752178, 3945328;
752019, 3945566; 751914, 3945910; 751887, 3946254; 751861, 3946836;
751702, 3947365; 751596, 3947709; 751120, 3947868; 750935, 3948212;
750908, 3948582; 750908, 3948926; 750617, 3949191; 750194, 3949429;
750141, 3949693; 750114, 3949958; 749929, 3950540; 749744, 3950831;
749770, 3951148; 749850, 3951545; 749982, 3951836; 750538, 3952101;
750934, 3952339; 751226, 3952524; 751728, 3952392; 751993, 3952366;
752337, 3952286; 752707, 3951836; 752972, 3951360; 752760, 3950858;
753157, 3950514; 753342, 3950196; 753422, 3949852; 753660, 3949588;
753898, 3949217; 753871, 3948820; 753898, 3948529; 754401, 3948106;
754692, 3947841; 754956, 3947524; 755512, 3947127; 755724, 3946730;
755962, 3946227; 756332, 3945831; 756623, 3945487; 756914, 3945222;
757126, 3944957; 757708, 3944481; 758211, 3944270; 758608, 3943979;
758925, 3943396; 759110, 3943000; 759454, 3942735; 759613, 3942576;
759639, 3942206; 759481, 3941756; 759348, 3941253; returning to 758978,
3940883.
(ii) Note: Unit 6 (Map 35) follows:
[[Page 48648]]
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[[Page 48649]]
* * * * *
Dated: July 26, 2004.
Julie MacDonald,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 04-17464 Filed 8-9-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-C