Cascades frogs (rana cascadae) are currently under review for listing under both the california and federal endangered species acts, in part due to dramatic declines at the southern end of its range…

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) was awarded $246,154 under the State Wildlife Grants Formula Grant program by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support conservation efforts for the Cascades frog in California's Lassen region through December 2026. The award will fund three key initiatives. First, CDFW will use anti-fungal treatment of juvenile frogs to enhance growth rates of remnant populations threatened by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Second, ongoing capture-mark-recapture and disease monitoring surveys of remnant populations will continue. Third, CDFW will analyze long-term data sets from these sites to investigate effects of the fungal pathogen and climate change on Cascades frog population dynamics. The project builds on existing collaborations between CDFW, university researchers, private landowners, and U.S. Forest Service biologists to conserve and manage the Cascades frog in the Lassen region.

Cascades frogs (rana cascadae) are currently under review for listing under both the california and federal endangered species acts, in part due to dramatic declines at the southern end of its range (california s lassen region). Key threats in this region include disease caused by the fungal pathogen batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (BD) and climate change. Maintaining long-term viability in this region will require managing remnant populations for disease and fostering climate resilience. This project will: 1) use anti-fungal treatment of juvenile frogs to enhance the growth rate of at-risk remnant populations threatened by BD, 2) continue ongoing capture-mark recapture and disease monitoring surveys in remnant populations, and 3) analyze long-term datasets from these sites to investigate the effects of BD and climate on cascades frog population dynamics at these locations. The project builds on existing collaborations between cdfw and university researchers, private landowners, and US forest service biologists. The project will enhance collaboration between these groups and provide a strong foundation for efforts to conserve and manage the cascades frog in the lassen region.