The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated more than 1.6 million acres of critical habitat for the California red-legged frog in 28 California counties. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the “population has declined by at least 90 percent, and the frog is gone from 70 percent of its former range — only four areas now harbor more than 350 adult red-legged frogs.”
The Bay Area supports numerous populations of red-legged frogs including several in Eastern Contra Costa County and Alameda County. Although development can still occur in areas that have been listed as critical habitat, federal agencies must make extra efforts to protect the features of an area that are pertinent to the species, including space for population growth, breeding, and feeding.
