Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Northern Mexican Gartersnake

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), designate critical habitat for the northern Mexican gartersnake (Thamnophis eques megalops) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. In total, approximately 20,326 acres (8,226 hectares) in La Paz, Mohave, Yavapai, Gila, Cochise, Santa Cruz, and Pima Counties, Arizona, and Grant County, New Mexico, fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation for the northern Mexican gartersnake. This rule extends the Act's protections to the northern Mexican gartersnake's designated critical habitat.