SACRAMENTO, CA (08/26/05) -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has published its final rule designating 199,109 acres of critical habitat in 19 counties for the central population of the California tiger salamander (CTS). Based on a detailed economic analysis, the Service is excluding proposed critical habitat in 12 census tracts in six counties.

The exclusions will result in over 80 per cent of the identified costs of the designation being avoided. In addition to the exclusions based on economic impacts, the Service is excluding lands covered by the draft East Contra Costa Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), which is nearing completion. Also excluded are national wildlife refuges, state lands and military bases that already are being managed for conservation of the California tiger salamander. The Service also adjusted the boundaries of proposed units to remove areas that did not contain essential habitat features or to correct mapping errors.

The California tiger salamander - a stocky terrestrial amphibian with a broad rounded snout - is threatened by a variety of factors including habitat destruction, hybridization with non-native tiger salamanders, and predation by non-native species.

The central population of the California tiger salamander includes populations throughout the Central Valley, the Central Coast and the San Francisco Bay Area. This action designates 32 critical-habitat units in 19 counties: Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, Sacramento, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Solano, Stanislaus, Tulare and Yolo.

The final rule, unit descriptions, county-by-county acreage totals, and related documents, including the final economic analysis, are available online.  It becomes effective in 30 days.