$ talks and science walks....
It is now far more efficient to build first and pay fines later with the inflated development dollars. Wow, and they say poachers are the reason our native herps are endangered.
READ ON>>>>>>
Feds drop Sonoma habitat acreage for Calif. tiger salamanderDON THOMPSONAssociated PressSACRAMENTO - The economic impact of protecting habitat for the endangered California tiger salamader in Sonoma County cannot be justified, federal wildlife managers said Wednesday.
The decision is a reversal just since August, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed 74,223 acres as critical habitat for the yellow-and-black amphibian. Last month the service cut the proposed protected area to 21,298 acres.
Now, the service says it will rely instead on a locally managed approach to protecting the Santa Rosa Plain population of the salamander.
The service said it ultimately decided that 17,418 acres of the plain meet the criteria for critical habitat for the salamander, but that the most crucial area already is included in the Santa Rosa Plain Conservation Strategy completed last week by local agencies.
That local plan is designed to protect the salamander and four plant species without burdening developers. It sets aside 4,000 acres in 10 different areas outside the cities of Santa Rosa, Cotati, Rohnert Park and Windsor, while allowing development on 70,000 acres included in the federal agency's original protection plan.
The service said it could again consider protecting the property if the local plan fails.
Designating the 17,418 acres as critical to the salamander's future would cost the local economy an estimated $128 million over 20 years, a price wildlife managers decided is too high.
The service said critical habitat designations do little good. Environmental groups say it sharply improves species' chances of recovery, while home builders say it slows construction of much-needed housing.
The salamander in particular has been at the forefront of that debate because of its habitat in woodlands, grasslands and vernal pools from Fresno to Santa Rosa, in areas much sought for development. Environmental groups say the amphibian has lost 75 percent of its original habitat.
