Endangered Species Law & Policy

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is now accepting comments on a proposal to add northern and southern variants of the mountain yellow-legged frog to the endangered species list under the California Endangered Species Act ("CESA"). The proposal comes as a result of a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity submitted in 2010.  Comments received on the proposal by March 18, 2011 will be included in a status evaluation report that DFG plans to submit to the Fish and Game Commission ("Commission") addressing existing threats to the species and the effectiveness of current regulations regarding the species.  The report is due to be completed at or before the September 2011 Commission meeting.

The mountain yellow-legged frog occurs in the southern Sierra Nevada and mountains of southern California. The species' habitat includes sunny riverbanks, meadow streams, isolated pools, and lake borders in the Sierra Nevada and rocky stream courses in southern California. Currently, the Fish and Wildlife Service lists the southern California species as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act ("ESA").  The northern variant is listed as a candidate species.

All comments on the state listing proposal must be received by DFG by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 18, 2011. The public will also have a 30-day comment period after issuance of the report in September.