The Yellow-Breasted Toad

The yellow-breasted toad, an inhabitant of the Silver County area, is a small, nocturnal species that feeds on night-time insects. Young toads serve as a source of food for fish and other animals living in the area. Yellow-breasted toads breed in the still water of the Wamasana Bottom wetland, and spend non-breeding time in the Red Park, Crimson Pass, and Crimson Hills areas of the Forest.   

In recent years, yellow-breasted toads have disappeared from 80 percent of their natural habitats throughout the state. As a result, they have been placed on the state’s endangered species list, and are awaiting federal designation, which would grant them legal protection. Biologists are unsure of the cause of the toad’s plight, but hypothesize that either water or sediment pollution, habitat destruction and fragmentation, or disease have led to their slow disappearance from an area in which they had been known to thrive. Part of the worry is that they signal a deterioration in the quality of the natural area that might soon be followed by more severe symptoms. Therefore, environmentalists contend that reversing the trend while it is still possible, or finding the root causes of the toad’s disappearance from the region, is a precautionary move worth its costs, that will more than pay off if it will successfully stem irreversible deterioration of the Silver County Forest.   

The Forest’s ranger intends to be responsive to environmental concerns, especially as in the past local environmental groups such as Silver Trails have given their support to his plans, without which implementation would have been jeopardized. Of late, however, there has been a split in the local environmental community, between those who would protect the Forest for its recreational value and those who would rather see it become again a pristine wildlife habitat, which can only thrive in the complete absence of human activities. Thus, the Silver Trails group has clashed with Pure Nature over any local project that allows human activities in natural areas.  

Proposals:

(a) Until the cause of the toad’s disappearance is identified, the Forest will prohibit any further ecological disruption of the Wamasana Bottom and the Crimson Hills, Crimson Peak, and Red Park areas. All backcountry access will be prohibited, and light recreational uses such as hiking and backpacking will be limited to designated trails. No other recreational uses will be permitted in the area.   

(b) The Forest will continue to monitor the toad population within the area in order to isolate the cause of the toad’s desertion. The toad’s breeding grounds, the Wamasana Bottom area, will be protected from further development, and the proposed road will be re-routed to the east of the watershed. Development of the Crimson Hills area will not be halted. Existing recreational uses of the Crimson Hills area will remain, however recreational uses of the Wamasana Bottom area will be limited to non-motorized activity.  

(c) The Forest will continue to monitor the toad population. However, until a conclusive explanation for the toad’s disappearance is determined, development of the Crimson Hills area and the Wamasana Bottom will be approved. Recreational uses of both areas will also not be limited until decisive reasons for the toad’s disappearance are identified. 

 

 

Also available: General Environmental Dispute Simulation

Copyright © 2003-2005 Environmental Framing Consortium

Please send comments and questions to


More detailed information, training opportunities, and information about our book,
Making Sense of Intractable Environmental Conflicts, is available from the Consortium.