The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) posted in the Federal Register that they plan to place the Yellow Legged Frog and the Yosemite Toad which live in the Sierra Nevada on the Endangered Species List. They indicate that these amphibians are dying off and will soon disappear unless they are protected and therefore are an threatened species. The USFWS listed many things that are causing them to die off. They say that Recreational Human Activities such as hiking and horseback riding, livestock grazing, timber management, road construction and maintenance, fire management activities, dams and water diversions, trout and climate change all endanger these frogs and toads.
Once something is listed on the Endangered Species Act as a threatened species it is unlawful in part to harass or harm that species. This would mean that anything that endangers this species such as the human activities listed above would be a crime. If the USFWS does list these amphibians it would basically stop much of the human activities within the California Sierra Nevada. This is most definitely a move that places humans at the bottom of the priority list.
Comments on this will be accepted on or before June 24, 2013.
Comment electronically by going to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov, in the search box enter Docket No. FWS-R8-ES-2012-0100.
Or by US Mail to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R8-ES-2012-0100; Division of Policy and Directives Management; US Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N Fairfax Drive, MS 2042-PDM; Arlington, VA 22203
