Frog survey

[Rusty]

Very funny story as well as a perfect reply to an over reaching bureaucracy that seldom sees itself on the other end of it's ridiculous regulations.....

STORY:

The State of Oregon Department
of Fish and Wildlife sends a letter to a home/landowner asking for permission to access a creek on their property to document the decline in a certain species of unheard of frogs.


The property owners response in the second letter is EPIC

Letter from Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife:

Dear Landowner:

ODE Staff will be conducting surveys for foothill
yellow-legged frogs& other amphibians over the next few months. As part of this research we would like to survey the creek on your property. I am writing this letter to request your permission to access your property.

Recent research indicates that foothill yellow-legged frogs have declined significantly in recent years and are no longer found at half their
historic sites. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated and will help contribute to the conservation of this important species.

Please fill out the attached postage-paid postcard and let us know if you are willing to let us cross your property or not.

If you have any concerns about this project please give us a call. We would love to talk with you about our research.

Sincerely

Steve Melanie
Conservation Strategy Implementation Biologist

RESPONSE FROM LANDOWNERS:

Dear Mr. Melanie: Thank you for your inquiry regarding accessing our property to survey for the yellow-legged frog. We may be able to help you out with this
matter.

We have divided our 2.26 acres into 75 equal survey units with a draw tag for each unit. Application fees are only $8.00 per unit after you
purchase the "Frog Survey License" ($120.00 resident / $180.00 Non-Resident). You will also need to obtain a "Frog Habitat" parking permit ($10.00 per vehicle).E You will also need an "Invasive Species" stamp ($15.00 for the first vehicle and $5.00 for each addle vehicle) You will also want to register at the Check Station to have your vehicle inspected for non-native plant life prior to entering our property. There is also a Day Use fee, $5.00
per vehicle.



If you are successful in the Draw you will be notified two weeks in advance so you can make necessary plans and purchase your "Creek Habitat"
stamp. ($18.00 Resident / $140.00 Non-Resident).

Survey units open between 8 am. and 3 pm. but you cannot commence survey until 9 am. and must cease all survey activity by 1 pm.

Survey Gear can only include a net with a 2" diameter made of 100% organic cotton netting with no longer than an 18in handle, non-weighted
and no deeper than 6' from net frame to bottom of net. Handles can only be made of BAP-free plastics or wooden handles.

After 1 pm. you can use a net with a 3" diameter if you purchase the "Frog Net Endorsement" ($75.00 Resident / $250 Non-Resident).

Any frogs captured that are released will need to be released with an approved release device back into the environment unharmed.

As of June 1, we are offering draw tags for our "Premium Survey" units and application is again only $8.00 per application.

However, all fees can be waives if you can verify "Native Indian Tribal rights and status".

You will also need to provide evidence of successful completion of "Frog Surveys and You" comprehensive course on frog identification, safe
handling practices, and self-defense strategies for frog attacks.

This course is offered on-line through an accredited program for a nominal fee of $750.00.

Please let us know if we can be of assistance to you. Otherwise, we decline your access to our property but appreciate your inquiry.

Sincerely,

Larry & Amanda Anderson.

[Blaine]

I'll tell ya what, it's almost that bad.
I think I would have added that there is currently a moratorium on wetland surveys due to a decrease in the frog habitat....

[Rusty]

A few years ago I got a letter from the Fla. FWC because I was the holder of a hunting license they wanted information from me about the decline of skunks in my area. ARE YOU KIDDING! If I wanted to I could trap 2 or 3 a week. My place is over run with them. I dare not go outside at night without a light to scan the area for little eyes looking back at me.

[FWiedner]

I'd deny permission for access, but I'd offer to help them with their survey.

I'd gig as many as I could get, vacuum pack them and send them to the fishy game guys with a note saying "This was all I could find. Hope it helps."

[M. M. Wright]

I have a plethora of those yellow legged frogs in my swimming pool. In the spring, before we remove the cover, there will be a couple thousand gallons of rain water that is full of frog eggs and tadpoles. Several hundred thousand of them. I'm sure if some bureaucracy found out they would declare some sort of emergency status until every tadpole was a frog. I think I'll declare it a Sasquatch feeding station.

[AJMD429]

The really sad thing is that, like lots of other 'government programs', there may actually be some legitimate goal they are supposed to reach (I'm ALL for protecting the environment and species diversity and so on), but once the bureaucrats get their strangle-hold on the program, it becomes all about generating the politically-correct 'results' instead of truthful ones, and is full of so much red-tape that it angers the public so much they figure just kill all the stupid frogs and then the government might leave the landowners alone.

I heard tales back in the 1980's of farmers shooting eagles that nested on their land, because they were so afraid of the government coming in and saying "you have eagle habitat, so you can't farm this ground anymore", when if the bureaucrats were more reasonable (and had the interest of the environment in mind, instead of the interests of their government-grants), those farmers would have done anything REASONABLE to help those eagles thrive.

If you really think something is important, and needs to be done right, and done efficiently, the LAST place to look for help is the government.

[Ysabel Kid]

That should be our response to every level of government. Bury them with their own BS...

[superchicken]

That's funny in an ironic sort of way, but I am a big supporter of state fish and wildlife agencies because they are not the federal government. I generally buy hunting licenses and stamps in multiple states every year in an effort to support them. If it weren't for the state game people I would have a lot less opportunity to use my firearms. I would also rather have them dealing with yellow legged frog issues than the Feds, any day.

[Griff]

That's funny in an ironic sort of way, but I am a big supporter of state fish and wildlife agencies because they are not the federal government. I generally buy hunting licenses and stamps in multiple states every year in an effort to support them. If it weren't for the state game people I would have a lot less opportunity to use my firearms. I would also rather have them dealing with yellow legged frog issues than the Feds, any day.

But... they use BS surveys like this to add bulk to grant applications in order to obtain Fed dollars.

I'd have simply responded (if truthful), I've lived here all my life, my father before me, and his before him... and the one common complaint in all the stories that have been passed down about fishing in our creek, is the complete lack of frogs of any type or species. I wouldn't think to waste your time, let alone mine. Permission denied.