Fish and Wildlife Service Reopens Comment Period on Sierra Nevada Yellow-Legged Frog

On January 10, 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a notice that it was reopening the comment period on the proposed rule to list the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog and proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the species.  The notice is available here.  In its prior proposed rule to designate critical habitat, available here, the Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to designate Upper and Lower Echo Lakes and the surrounding area as critical habitat for the species.

The proposed rule designates 447,341 hectares as critical habitat, including 413,702 hectares of federal land. It  includes three units encompassing 24 subunits. Subunit 2E consists of approximately 33,666 hectares. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, "[t]his subunit is considered to be within the geographical area occupied by the species at the time of listing, and it contains the physical or biological features essential to the conservation of the species, is currently functional habitat sustaining frogs, and is needed to protect core surviving populations and their unique genetic heritage.  78 Fed. Reg. at 24, 516, 24,531 (April 25, 2013).