Federal Judge Reverses Habitat Plan for Frog That Inspired Mark Twain's Short Story

AP via TBO.com ^ | Nov 8, 2002 | By Don Thompson

[greydog]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A federal judge has formally reversed a U.S. Fish and Wildlife plan to designate more than 4 million acres as critical habitat for the threatened California red-legged frog. The service will have to re-evaluate a plan developers successfully challenged as flawed.

The amphibian is believed to have inspired Mark Twain's short story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County."

In March 2001, the service designated the 4 million acres, but developers challenged increased restrictions that would have covered parts of 28 of the state's 58 counties.

Judge Richard Leon in Washington, D.C., approved a proposed settlement in July reversing the decision, but left the protections in place temporarily after conservation groups complained they were left out of negotiations between developers and the service.

Leon approved the settlement Wednesday after a final hearing last month. The decision leaves in place protections on 200,000 acres where the frog exists.

"We'll comply with his decision," said service spokesman Jim Nickles.

Environmental groups criticized what they called "a sweetheart deal" between developers and the service.

"It's a sad day for California's natural heritage," said Earthjustice attorney Mike Sherwood. Earthjustice intervened in the lawsuit on behalf of conservation groups including the Jumping Frog Research Institute.

The groups promised to pressure the service to redesignate a wide area as critical habitat for the frog.

The population of the largest native frog in the western United States has dropped significantly since the 1865 publication of Twain's short story about a frog named "Dan'l Webster" that could "get over more ground in one straddle than any animal of his breed you ever see."

The frog's population range has shrunk 70 percent because of habitat loss and the introduction of new predators.

[greydog]

"It's a sad day for California's natural heritage," said Earthjustice attorney Mike Sherwood. Earthjustice intervened in the lawsuit on behalf of conservation groups including the Jumping Frog Research Institute.

In California you say?

[steelie]

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[fleur-de-lis]

Hummm, let's see, the frog exists on 200,000 acres so lets restrict four million acres!!! Why not all of California??? Everything west of the Mississippi?

[NewRomeTacitus]

It's disturbing to see the the frog populations diminish but, like in almost all things concerning our environment, humankind's recorded observance of nature is extremely shallow considering how late we came on the "scene of the crime."
While the extinction of some species of life are attributable to human ignorance through history it can be said that the United States is nature's stalwart defender in todays world. We should understand more of everything but science is always at the top of the "Non-Critical" list when budgets are considered when war is not waged.
The majority of college science students have been foreign nationals for several years. Of course, many of those have taken their aquired knowledge back to their home governments, ally or terrorist.
The system needs fixing in favor of useful science in place of advocate lobbying.