The Center for Biological Diversity reports it recently released documentation showing widespread damage to critical habitat for the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog, mountain yellow-legged frog, Yosemite toad and foothill yellow-legged frog from livestock grazing in the Sierra, Humboldt-Toiyabe, Inyo and Plumas national forests.
Approximately 96% of surveyed meadows and 90% of surveyed streams exhibited signs of livestock damage, said the center. The four amphibians are all protected under the Endangered Species Act and the U.S. Forest Service is charged with making sure they’re not harmed by grazing on lands the agency manages.
“The devastating toll livestock grazing takes on soil and streams makes it very difficult for these vulnerable amphibians to survive,” said Tara Zuardo, senior campaigner at the center. “The Forest Service promised to ensure grazing didn’t threaten frogs protected under the Endangered Species Act and these promises have been broken.”
The surveys were done by professional field biologists with the center, who assessed more than 813 acres within the four national forests and documented damage caused by livestock to standing waters, riparian vegetation, soils and stream banks within more than 37 stream miles of designated critical habitat.
Under Forest Service rules, livestock must be excluded from standing water and saturated soils in wet meadows and associated streams and springs that are either occupied by Yosemite toads or identified as essential habitat, said the center.
Contrary to these rules, cows were documented in toad breeding habitat without fencing or other exclosures present to keep them out. Other documented cattle and sheep grazing damage included large areas of bare soils, loss of woody vegetation, significant bank erosion and prevalent feces piles in streams and meadows. Where fences were present to protect sensitive areas, most were broken, degraded and in need of repair, said the biologists.
“Livestock grazing in the Sierra Nevada has been harming meadows, streams and these struggling amphibians for too long,” said Zuardo. “The threat posed to the Yosemite toad is particularly urgent. Keeping livestock from trampling the beautiful meadows of the high Sierra would benefit everyone.”
More information about the national nonprofit is available at https://biologicaldiversity.org/.