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Landmark Conservation Agreement Marks Success of Broad Community Partnership

Date: October 12, 2000

Beatty, Nev. In an effort to keep the Amargosa Toad off the Endangered Species List, a group of partners have reach agreement on a sweeping plan to protect the toad and its habitat. A signing ceremony for the Amargosa Toad Conservation Agreement will be held at The Nature Conservancy's Torrance Ranch in Nye County, near Beatty, on Saturday, October 14, at 10 a.m.

The Fish & Wildlife Service prefers to work with the State and local groups to protect a species and their habitats so they do not need the protection of the Endangered Species Act," said Bob Williams, Supervisor for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Nevada office. "This agreement is an effective and preferable approach to species conservation."

In all, seven partners -- Nye County, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the University of Nevada, the Nevada Natural Heritage Program, and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) -- have worked together to make this agreement possible.

In addition to the signing ceremony, The Nature Conservancy is also holding a dedication ceremony for the recently-purchased Torrance Ranch property. The ranch was acquired as part of a broad effort to protect aquatic, riparian and wetland habitat in the Oasis Valley. The ranch provides habitat for the Amargosa Toad, the Oasis Valley speckled dace, the Oasis Valley springsnail, and 150 species of birds, including yellow warbler, blue grosbeak, yellow-billed cuckoo, and Bullock's oriole. The Nature Conservancy's purchase of this property was made possible with funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and private donations. The partners will undertake the restoration and monitoring of the ranch with financial support provided by USFWS, NDOW, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and The Nature Conservancy.

"The conservation agreement gives Nye County the opportunity to play a leading role in a proactive conservation program and shows that local communities are willing, and able, to be leaders on species conservation," stated Jim Marble, Nye County Natural Resource Director.

The Amargosa Toad Conservation Agreement is the result of a 6-year effort to keep the Amargosa Toad off the federal Endangered Species List. The Amargosa Toad's worldwide range is limited to a 12-mile stretch of the Amargosa River in Nye County's Oasis Valley. The alarm over the toad's status was triggered by a 1994 survey that found only 30 adult toads, resulting in a petition to list the toad as an endangered species. Recent surveys conducted in cooperation with private landowners, however, lead scientists to estimate that as many as 16,000 adult Amargosa toads may live in the Oasis Valley. The Nature Conservancy's purchase of the Torrance Ranch, combined with other actions spelled out in the agreement, will secure the toad's future.

"The success story of the Amargosa toad is a great example of the power that local communities can bring to conservation partnerships," said Graham Chisholm, TNC's State Director.

"Project partners have been concerned with the quality of the riparian corridor and the condition and quantity of wetland habitat along the Amargosa River, said Jim Moore, Manager of TNC s Oasis Valley Project.  Under the terms of this agreement, the diverse array of species supported by these habitats will be permanently protected.