Posted on 02/18/2005 10:29:25 AM PST by TenaciousZ
Ambystoma californiense, the California tiger salamander, has found success where die-hard environmentalists have failed: The lowly reptile has single-handedly slowed down Sonoma County's relentless growth.
The reclusive, rarely seen creature has been credited with -- or blamed for -- delaying a dozen major construction projects on the Santa Rosa plain. It has stalled everything from new housing subdivisions and a shopping mall to a Santa Rosa elementary school.
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Conservationists have championed such issues to slow growth in their county, but no issue has matched the salamander's record for halting development. The salamander, builders say, has put on hold the construction of as many as 2,000 homes and apartment units on the Santa Rosa plain.
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Builders say mitigation measures for the amphibian would add about $25, 000 to the cost of a single-family home. Some builders have already opted for the greener pastures of Solano, Sacramento, Shasta and Tehama counties.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
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