EXPANDED AREA FOR TINY TOADS? PROPOSED HABITAT INCLUDES LAND NEAR CEMEX.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Federal wildlife officials have expanded the proposed critical habitat in the Santa Clarita Valley for a rare 2-inch toad to include land near the planned Cemex sand and gravel mine.

Also included in the new study to protect the habitat of the Southwestern arroyo toad is the section of the Santa Clara River where Valencia's Auto Row is being expanded and the banks of Castaic Creek where it flows into the Santa Clara - riparian habitat within the proposed 21,000-home Newhall Ranch development.

The U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife released the new plan Thursday and will accept comments on it through May 28. The plan calls for designating an area of 7,398 acres, 83 percent of which is privately owned, as critical habitat for the toad.

The designation does not affect private land, although property owners are urged to protect habitat to save the species from extinction, officials with the agency said. The mine, however, is planned on land on which the federal Bureau of Land Management holds mineral rights, and thus is subject to federal efforts to protect the endangered species, Fish and Wildlife biologist Creed Clayton said.

The mine is planned northeast of Santa Clarita near the headwaters of the Santa Clara, where scientists found a rich habitat for the arroyo toad.

``The upper portion of the Santa Clara River supports a breeding population of arroyo toads and has the potential to greatly increase in size with appropriate protection.''

Still, the designation likely would not affect the mine proposal, but officials will consult with Cemex representatives to make sure protections are in place for the toad, Clayton said.

Nevertheless, the city of Santa Clarita, battling the mine proposal, was encouraged.

``We find it interesting and definitely will be looking into it,'' said Michael Murphy, the city's intergovernmental relations officer.

The mine falls within one of three areas proposed as protected habitat. The two others cover the Santa Clara roughly to Castaic Creek west of Magic Mountain, and Castaic Creek north from the Santa Clara to the Angeles National Forest north of the Castaic Lake Recreation Area.

In all three areas, researchers found breeding pools and other conditions prime for toad habitat. And they found threats to those areas.

``... Arroyo toad habitat is adversely affected by urban development, agriculture, recreation and mining,'' the report said. ``Exotic species are a concern here as well. Special management considerations or protection may be required ... to address these threats.

Saving habitat for the toad in the mine area is crucial because it is the easternmost area in which the amphibian was found ``and as such, provides the final link in the range of ecological settings for this region, the maintenance of which is essential to the conservation of the species,'' according to the report. It is important to preserve habitat for the toad - and thus the toad itself - because of its place in nature, Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Lois Grunwald said.

``Scientists understand that all species are connected in some way, their ecosystems are important, and although they might not know how they are connected, they know those links are important.''

The new statewide plan covers 138,713 acres from Monterey to San Diego counties, down from the 182,360 acres in the 2001 proposal. Some of the acreage removed from the original designation includes mission-critical training areas on Fort Hunter Liggett Army base in Monterey County and lands in western Riverside County that will be covered under a separate conservation plan.

About 54,375 acres proposed as critical habitat are managed by federal, state and local agencies and 81,256 acres are privately owned. An additional 3,082 acres are on trust lands of six American Indian tribes, the Fish and Wildlife Service said.

``The service is proposing critical habitat only for those lands essential to the species' conservation, based on the best scientific information currently available,'' said Diane Noda, field supervisor for the Fish and Wildlife office in Ventura. ``We will continue working cooperatively with landowners to conserve this rare amphibian and its habitat.''

Staff writer Jim Skeen contributed to this story.

Patricia Farrell Aidem, [phone]

pat.aidem(at)dailynews.com

COMMENTS

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will accept comments from the public on its new proposed critical habitat for the Southwestern arroyo toad through May 28. Comments may be mailed to 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, Calif. 93003, or sent by e-mail to fw1artoch(at)r1.fws.gov. No anonymous comments will be accepted.

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Photo:

(color) The rare Southwestern arroyo toad, which lives along the Santa Clara River, is small enough to nestle in a human hand.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer

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COMMENTS (see text)