City of Dublin fires off letter to feds protesting frog habitat designation

DUBLIN, Calif. - City officials are upset with a federal agency's proposal to designate the entire city as part of a critical habitat for the California red-legged frog.

The Dublin city council approved a letter which was sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last week detailing its dismay that it was part of 5.4 million acres to be included in the proposed designation.

That acreage would include a third of Alameda and Contra Costa counties as well as the entire city of Dublin.

City officials say such a federal definition could delay development projects in the area.

''This is an extremely broad definition of critical habitat,'' said community development director Eddie Peabody. ''It covers ... developed areas as well as not developed.''

Critical habitats are defined by the Endangered Species Act as geographic areas essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species.

The language of the proposal does encompass shopping mall, roads and other man-made features within the boundaries for critical habitat, but were only included because of difficulties mapping such minute features.

The California red-legged frog was listed as threatened in 1996, under the Federal Endangered Species Act.

The proposal is aimed at reducing threats to the frog population, restoring habitats and surveying and monitoring the frog's population

Such a habitat designation would mean that if government funds are involved in a development project, those agencies would have to consult with federal wildlife officials before ground could be broken.

''The point is if the entire area is designated, there's a different standard that all developers would have to follow,'' said Dublin City Manager Richard Ambrose. ''It would certainly delay those projects.''

Private property owners deemed to have ownership of critical habitat land would not have to relinquish control of the space, but would be prohibited from engaging in unauthorized activities that would harm the California red-legged frog.