Lawsuit seeks to restore red-legged frog habitat

The Center for Biological Diversity is suing to increase the critical habitat for the red-legged frog, reports the County Times. This follows the resignation of a Bush administration political appointee who was accusing of interfering with biologists’ declaration of habitat [Wikipedia].

An amendment to the Endangered Species Act in April 2006 saw more than 3.7 million acres cut from the statewide list of areas crucial to the species’ continued existence — from a proposed 4.1 million acres in 2001 to roughly 250,000 acres in 2006. The lawsuit says the changes made it nearly impossible for the federally threatened species to rebound. Habitat for the species had already declined by 70 percent in 2000 from the 1950s, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Several Bay Area counties were deeply affected by the changes. In San Mateo County, some areas known to contain abundant red-legged frog populations, including Montara Mountain near Devil’s Slide, were taken off the list, along with the entire Coastside.
...
"Critical habitat is the teeth of Endangered Species Act," [ Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Al Donner] said. "Merely listing a species only protects individual animals. Critical habitat protects the habitat that’s been identified as essential for the recovery of the species. No species can survive without its habitat."

Critical habitat requires an additional permit for the Fish and Wildlife Service in order for development to take place.