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Nevada toad inches closer to endangered species protection near proposed geothermal site

Daniel Rothberg
Daniel Rothberg
EnvironmentIndyBlog
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday that a newly-discovered gold-speckled toad in Nevada might be listed under the Endangered Species Act, a move that could affect geothermal development in Churchill County. The federal agency, which administers the act, said it would conduct a yearlong study of the toad’s habitat before making a final determination.

After a preliminary 90-day study, the agency concluded Tuesday that a petition to list the species presented “substantial scientific or commercial information” of threats to the Dixie Valley toad, an amphibian living in an isolated habitat of four spring-fed wetlands in central Nevada.

The Center for Biological Diversity, which filed the petition to list the toad after UNR researchers discovered it last year, said it faced threats from disease, predation by the American bullfrog, an invasive species, and energy development. Under the Endangered Species Act, organizations can seek federal protections for wildlife and plant life through a formal petition process.

“The Dixie Valley toad is one of the most vulnerable species in Nevada,” Jenny Loda, a biologist and lawyer for the organization, said in the statement. “I’m pleased that the Fish and Wildlife Service made the right call and this special toad is now one step closer to getting the lifesaving protections it needs.”

The petition argued that a proposed geothermal development could alter habitat by changing water temperature and the springs the toad relies on. It is the latest instance of conservation interests in the West conflict with siting large-scale clean energy on federal public lands.

In the same announcement Tuesday, the Fish and Wildlife Service said it would also consider removing protections for the yellow-billed cuckoo, an action that industry groups in Arizona have been pushing. The bird is scattered in Western and Southern parts of the state.

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