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A prominent environmental group is suing the federal government to gain better protection of the threatened California tiger salamander. The salamander, known to exist in areas of western Calaveras County, has been at the center of numerous debates in the past decade on development in the fastest-growing end of the county.
“If the government is serious about saving the California tiger salamander, it needs to stop dragging its feet and get to work on developing a road map for the animal’s recovery,” said Collette Adkins Giese, attorney for the center. If the courts decide the feds must ramp up their action to protect the salamander, a plan could include designation of critical habitat areas for its recovery. That became a hot-button issue in the Valley Springs area about three years ago when the FWS took that step to protect the endangered California red-legged frog in areas mostly near Paloma. The designation places some restrictions on landowners, which upset numerous ranchers who pointed to the agency’s own studies that showed ranching as a beneficial activity for both the frogs and salamanders. The potential presence of red-legged frogs and tiger salamanders shouldered at least part of the blame for delays in clearing Cosgrove Creek to prevent flooding, denial of the Trinitas development near Wallace, the delays and scuttling of residential and commercial projects in Valley Springs and complications in planning the Wagon Trail realignment of Highway 4 between Angels Camp and Copperopolis. Proactive efforts have been made to protect both species. Caltrans arranged for a conservation easement on a 6,198-acre ranch in Copperopolis last summer that was cited as habitat for both the salamander and the frog. The East Bay Municipal Utility District reached a “Safe Harbor Agreement” with federal agencies in 2009 that designates 28,000 acres it holds in Calaveras, Amador and San Joaquin counties for managed protection of several species including the salamander. San Joaquin County has a habitat conservation plan that lays out how multiple endangered species, including the salamander, must be protected and allows for mitigation plans by developers. In exchange for being able to do things that will harm habitat at one site, developers pay to conserve habitat elsewhere. The concept of a habitat conservation plan, or HCP, “has been brought up through the years” in Calaveras County, said Planning Director Rebecca Willis. It has not gotten very far. “It takes a collaborative effort with the Fish and Wildlife Service, the state Department of Fish and Game and the county,” Willis said. “It’s not a small commitment of staff resources and funding.” Even if the funds were there, the will would need to be present as well, she said. “It does affect private property,” she said. “I think the devil’s in the details.” She said an HCP effort could gain traction only if enough landowners saw a benefit in being able to collect funding for mitigation that permitted neighbors to develop. “Landowner support or opposition would be a really big part of the equation,” Willis said. |