A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman says the agency has extended the public comment period for its proposal to protect habitat for the red-legged frog until Nov. 19.
Spokeswoman Patricia Foulk said the extension was allowed by a U.S. District Court in San Francisco after the Service sought additional time to finalize its rule for the habitat designation. The original deadline for comment was Oct. 11.
The Fish and Wildlife Service decided against designating critical habitat for the amphibian at the time the animal was listed under the federal Endangered Species Act as a threatened species in 1996. Foulk said Fish and Wildlife Service officials concluded at that time that such a designation was not prudent because it would not benefit the frog and "could make it more vulnerable to increased acts of habitat vandalism, destruction or unauthorized collection."
But after three environmental groups sued the Service, the court issued a December 1999 order to the Service directing it to propose the critical habitat by Aug. 31 and to issue its final rule by Dec. 29. After Fish and Wildlife officials asked for more time, the court extended the final rule deadline to March 1, 2001.
"We are pleased the the Court granted us additional time to make this important conservation determination," said Fish and Wildlife Service California-Nevada Operations Manager Mike Spear. "We encourage anyone interested in this unique California native species to participate in this decision by sending us comments on the draft critical habitat proposal."
The native California red-legged frog has suffered a 70 percent reduction in its historic geographic range in the state as a result of habitat loss and alteration, over-exploitation and the introduction of non-native predators to the region.
About 40 percent of the 5.4 million acres proposed as critical
habitat for the frog is publicly owned. The lands are located in 31 counties around the state, including all the counties in the Bay area.
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