Good News in Fight to Recover Relict Leopard Frog

From NDOW:

In a landmark agreement the US Fish and Wildlife Service has issued the first permit in Nevada to the Nevada Department of Wildlife for implementing a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) in an effort to recover the relict leopard frog.

The CCAA process allows private landowners to voluntarily participate in the conservation of the relict leopard frog in an effort to recover the species, and hopefully, preclude the need to list the frog under the Endangered Species Act. However, any landowners participating in the CCAA can do so without having to worry about further restrictions on their lands or activities if, at some time in the future, the species is listed under the Act. This agreement would allow NDOW to hold the FWS permit and then enroll landowners under the program by working directly with the State agency.

"This is a proactive approach to conservation that recognizes our State authority for management of resident wildlife and insures more conservation efforts will be in place before the Service has to make a listing decision on this species," said Tony Wasley, Director of the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

The relict leopard frog is a rare native amphibian species that occurs only in the Virgin, Muddy and Colorado River drainages in Clark County and in adjacent areas of Arizona and Utah. Habitat for the frog has been lost or altered by the construction of Lakes Mead and Mohave and from other changes in its historic range in areas such as the Muddy and Virgin River basins. The frog was petitioned for listing and an initial decision by FWS on ESA protection is expected by fall 2017.

Learn more here: http://www.ndow.org/Good-News-Fight-Recover-Relict-Leopard-Frog/_