Update on San Francisco's Sharp's Park and the California Red-legged Frog

Camden Swita, a reporter for the Menlo Park Patch is reporting that a group of environmental  organizations are suing San Francisco today over violations to the Environmental Species Act at Sharp Park Golf Course. 
A California Red-legged Frog egg 
mass at Sharp's Park that is drying out. 
Photo Credit Camden Swita.
The Wild Equity Institute had issued a 60-day intent to sue with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department (RPD), which manages the golf course, on Nov. 18, 2010, but nothing had been sent to a court until today. Joining  Wild Equity as plaintiffs are the Center for Biological Diversity, National Parks Conservation Association, Surfrider Foundation, Sequoia Audubon Society, and the Sierra Club.The plaintiffs' intentions in the suit are: to compel the RPD to adopt a complete habitat restoration agenda for Sharp Park west of Highway 1; second, to force the RPD to develop a habitat protection process for the land in accordance with ESA laws; and third, they want a cessation to endangered and threatened species deaths at Sharp Park. The plaintiffs' complain that currently the city and county of San Francisco are unlawfully killing frogs and snakes, and that damage has been done to these populations as recently as last week.


As recently as February 22, 2011, the Plaintiffs have discovered California red-legged frog egg masses exposed to the air due to the water management activities conducted by the City. Because these egg masses must stay moist to survive, egg masses exposed to the air quickly dry out, and all the frog eggs die. A single egg mass can contain thousands of eggs: thus, the loss of even one egg mass can result in significant mortality for the species. Follow this link to the whole story.

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