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Action timeline

February 8, 2000 – The Center filed a petition to list the Sierra Nevada frog population as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. One of the largest yellow-legged frog populations contained more than 2,000 adult frogs in 1996 but had almost completely disappeared by 1999, when only two frogs were found. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published an initial finding that listing the species may be warranted and initiated a status review to determine whether listing was appropriate.

May 31, 2001 – The Service failed to make a final listing determination, and the Center filed a lawsuit to compel the agency to respond to the petition. The Northern District Court ordered the Service to make a listing determination by 2003.

Jannuary 16, 2003 – The Service published a finding that the overall magnitude of threats to the frog are high, and that the overall immediacy of these threats is imminent. Despite concluding that listing the frog as an endangered species is warranted, the Service placed the species on the candidate list, claiming that Endangered Species Act listing is “precluded” by other, higher-priority listing actions. The Center filed a second lawsuit challenging the delay of Endangered Species Act protection.

2004 – The District Court ruled in favor of the Service and dismissed the Center’s lawsuit. The Center filed an appeal with the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

2005 – The Center filed a lawsuit challenging the Service’s delay of Endangered Species Act protection for 225 candidate species, including the mountain yellow-legged frog. The outcome of the lawsuit could affect the frog’s listing status.

2006 – The Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Center and ordered the Service to comply with its legal obligation under the Endangered Species Act and again consider whether Sierra Nevada mountain yellow-legged frogs deserve listing as a protected species.

June 25, 2007 – The Service again determined that the listing of the Sierra Nevada mountain yellow-legged frog is warranted but “precluded.”