Target: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Daniel M. Ashe
Goal: Praise the protection and subsequent recovery of yellow-legged frog populations in Yosemite.
The Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog was added to the endangered species list two years ago, and since steps have been taken to improve conditions for this species, its numbers have already rebounded. There is very encouraging evidence that human protection of this frog and its habitat can continue to have significant positive effects on its population and its ecosystem. This is partly thanks to the efforts of petitions like this one at ForceChange.
This frog is not a rare species that has become rarer; rather, it used to be an incredibly abundant and common species in the Sierra Nevada, but due to human interference, its numbers decreased by 90 percent in the last century. Studies show that in Yosemite National Park, where measures have been in place to assist the yellow-legged frog’s recovery for two decades, the population has increased sevenfold. The rivers are no longer stocked with non-native fish, and trout that did not just disappear on their own have been removed from lakes where they do not naturally live, allowing for the rebound of the frogs.
Yosemite National Park makes up about 13 percent of the frogs’ natural habitat, so their resurgence in this area is significant. Now that they are protected by the Endangered Species Act, and it has been proven that these efforts do make a real difference, it is likely that other areas will see this type of improvement soon as well.
This is great news not just for the yellow-legged frog, but for the entirety of the ecosystem that they are a vital part of, which would also have suffered greatly from their extinction. Sign below to thank the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for its success in protecting this species.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Director Ashe,
The protection of the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog under the Endangered Species Act has been hugely impactful. The population of the frog in Yosemite National Park has shown significant signs of recovery, indicating that human action to preserve this frog and its natural environment has a very real effect.
Studies show that Yosemite’s yellow-legged frog population has increased sevenfold since measures were put in place 20 years ago to assist in its recovery. This is cause for hope and celebration, and I sincerely thank you for your role in extending that hope to whole of the yellow-legged frog’s habitat, where it will now be protected.
The yellow-legged frog was once an extremely common species in the Sierra Nevada, and human interference caused such a drastic decrease in its numbers that it became endangered. However, its recovery in Yosemite is evidence that our actions can have the opposite effect as well, and bring things back to their natural balance. The removal of non-native trout from the frog’s rivers and the return of their habitat to its natural state has been immensely effective.
It is likely that as these same steps are taken throughout the Sierra Nevada following the federal protection of the yellow-legged frog, the same rebound in its population can be expected. I applaud your preservation of this species and the entire ecosystem that would be endangered without it.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Devin Edmonds
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