Fish and Wildlife Protects Red-Legged Frog

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on 3/16 designated more than 1.6 million acres critical habitat for the California red-legged frog, including 262,468 acres throughout Santa Barbara County. The statewide area is more than three times larger than Fish & Wildlife’s 2006 designation, which the agency acknowledged was flawed because of political interference by the Bush administration. In November 2007, under legal pressure from the Center for Biological Diversity, Fish & Wildlife had reversed six illegal Endangered Species Act decisions, including the California red-legged frog’s 2006 critical habitat designation.