REDWOOD NEEDLES

Presented by the Sierra Club Redwood Chapter Newsletter, The REDWOOD NEEDLES

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Hotel and Conference Center threatens Red Legged Frog Habitat

By John Stephens, Napa Group Chair

Mark Twain's fabled "Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," the now rare California Red Legged Frog, was once endemic throughout Coastal California to the Sierra Nevada. Habitat destruction from cattle grazing in streambeds, pesticides, and other toxics, and the introduction of a new competitor, the American Bullfrog, in large part contributed to the demise of the frog. It now occupies only one-fourth of that range. Its distinct "wannt-wannt-wannt-Rowr" call is gone from most of Napa County today. The frog's range is so fragmented only four regions contain a population of more than 350 individuals.

For any hope for an endangered species to make a recovery, their habitat must be identified, restored and protected. In response to a suit brought by environmentalists, the federal government this March declared 4.1 million acres in California to be "Critical Habitat Areas" and issued a detailed description of creek sites requiring greater protection of the frog's riparian home lands. Under the new regulations set backs from the designated watercourses are now 300 feet.

The 400 room Montalcino Hotel and Conference Center and 18 hole golf course, the largest project ever to come before the county, is to be situated in the county airport industrial park. The project planners also propose to annex a portion of the Sanitation District's land for its golf course and to allow only a fifty-foot set back along its tributaries into Fagan Slough. The Planning Commission has already approved the developer's plans.

The County stands to gain substantial tax revenue from the project. As of this writing the Napa Group will appeal the County Planning Commission's approval of the Montalcino Hotel. The Farm Bureau is also appealing. It is opposed to the loss of agricultural land for a golf course. Also the new low wage hotel workers will be competing with their farm workers for the same limited supply of housing. The farmer's appeal says the project fails to identify a source of water or sewer treatment facilities beyond the year 2003.

The Napa Group, on the other hand, will argue the project is located in the federally designated Red Legged Frog Critical Habitat Area. We have hired an expert to represent us, who has pointed out the following; "

1. There is substantial difference of critical habitat size and shape on the untitled, undated map and the US Fish and Wildlife Service written description.
2. The Commission based its decision on an untitled, undated map of the North Bay with no certification. 3. Critical Habitat "Unit Eleven is described as '...in Jamison Canyon watershed which drains into Fagan Creek.' "
4. Soscol Creek may provide habitat for the California Red legged Frog and the Northwestern Pond Turtle". (#4 is from the consultant's, Sugnet & Associates, letter to hotel developers which was in application but not presented to the Commission.)

If our appeal is denied, the next venue will be the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the US Army Corps of Engineers.

We must provide a home for our vanishing species or they are doomed and we lose another citizen of our increasingly crowded world.

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