Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Designation of Critical Habitat for the California Red-legged Frog (Rana aurora draytonii)

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to designate critical habitat for the California red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). A total of approximately 1,674,582 hectares (4,138,064 acres) in Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Marin, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Plumas, Riverside, San Benito, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Tuolumne, and Ventura Counties, California, is proposed for designation as critical habitat. This proposed designation of critical habitat for the California red-legged frog is being published in accordance with the November 6, 2002, consent decree that ordered us to publish a proposal by March 2004. In light of this deadline, we have based this proposal solely on the configuration of our previously published final designation of critical habitat for the California red-legged frog (66 FR 14626, March 13, 2001). We hereby solicit data and comments from the public on all aspects of this proposal, incuding data on economic and other impacts of the designation. We may revise this proposal prior to final designation to incorporate or address new information received during public comment periods or otherwise available to us.