Sonora, Calif., July 01, 2009 - Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor Susan Skalski announced today that scientists discovered serious damage to a high elevation meadow undergoing a five year study which included monitoring the habitat of the Yosemite Toad. Upon arriving at Groundhog Meadow near Herring Creek on June 24, Forest Service researchers saw a blue pickup truck being loaded with motorcycles and making a hasty retreat. The team entered the meadow on foot to find it terribly scarred with deep wheel ruts from spins and zigzags across the meadow.
This illegal and irresponsible type of activity damages habitat and causes serious harm to the amphibian wildlife in meadows. The deep cuts drain the shallow layer of water off the meadow, stranding the eggs and tadpoles living there.
"At this stage there is very little we can do to save them. By the time restoration work is complete the meadow will be dry and the fledgling life is lost," said Kimberly Peterson, biological team crew leader. "It is just horrible, the damage done to the sensitive ecosystem at Groundhog Meadow, not to mention the research completed over the last three years of a five year study is severely compromised."
Image courtesy Stanislaus National Forest
The meadow under study is one of several included in a comprehensive analysis to determine trends and affects to amphibian populations in the Sierra Nevada. Other study sites are located in the Sierra National Forest and in Yosemite National Park. The research project is a joint collaborative effort, combining the efforts of scientists from the Forest Service Pacific Southwest Sierra Nevada Research Center, University of California at Berkeley, and Yosemite National Park.
Melted snow left shallow water, creating what should have been an ideal wet habitat for sensitive species when the research team arrived to start its seasonal work. However, the meadow had been breached from several directions; in some cases the vehicles had crossed stream channels. Fencing work had begun last season, but was not finished before the snow fell. Wire that had been strung had been cut required splicing repairs.
"People enjoy the forest in a variety of ways, and it is their responsibility to know what the impact is to the land from their use and how to prevent resource and environmental damage," said Skalski.
The Forest Service is looking for those who are responsible for this incident so that restitution can be made. If anyone has information about this, or any similar incident, please contact the California Fish and Game Environmental Crime Hotline at 1-888-334-2258 or the Stanislaus National Forest at (209) 532-3671.
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