Nevada's Dixie Valley Toads Come Under 'Rare' Emergency Protection

Authorities have issued a "rare" emergency listing of the Dixie Valley toad as an endangered species. The species can only be found in Nevada.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on Monday announced that it was "emergency listing" the Dixie Valley toad under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), giving the species "immediate" federal protection for 240 days.

Disease, predation by non-native frog species, groundwater pumping for human and agricultural use and climate change are among the primary threats to the species, according to the agency. Notably, the imminent construction of a geothermal power plant in its home in Dixie Meadows in Nevada also poses a "significant risk" to the species.

"Geothermal energy production has been cited as the greatest threat to the persistence of Dixie Valley toad," the agency wrote in its order. "Because the Dixie Valley toad relies heavily on wetted area and warm water temperature to remain viable, reduction of these two resource needs could cause significant declines in the population and changes to its habitat that are detrimental to the species and result in it being in danger of extinction."

"We find that emergency listing is necessary in order to provide the protective measures afforded by the Act to the Dixie Valley toad," the agency added.

Such emergency listings are actually "rare" for the FWS, according to the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). In fact, it has issued an emergency listing for just one other species in the last two decades — the Miami blue butterfly in 2011.

The agency's move comes in the wake of multiple lawsuits and several petitions seeking the protection of the species. In addition to the emergency listing, the agency is also proposing a rule to list the species as an endangered species beyond the initial 240-day period.

"This decision comes just in the nick of time for the Dixie Valley toads, which are staring down the barrel of extinction," Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the CBD, said in a news release. "We've been saying for five years that the Dixie Meadows geothermal project could wipe out these tiny toads, and I'm thankfully (sic) those concerns have been heard."

Dixie Valley toads are found only in the Dixie Meadows area. However, even by the time when they were described as a distinct species in 2017, the species was already imperiled.