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"greatest conservation need", one of only two amphibian species in the state so-designated <br /> (CDPW 2015). <br /> This species is also a Boulder County Species of Special Concern (Boulder County <br /> Comprehensive Plan, 2014) and is one of our program's selected indicator species (BCPOS, <br /> 2010). <br /> Northern Leopard Frog Discussion: <br /> Northern Leopard Frogs have experienced precipitous declines throughout their range, <br /> including the Front Range of Colorado. Alteration or elimination of the limited number of <br /> remaining suitable breeding and overwintering sites, or events resulting in a failure to <br /> reproduce could result in local extinctions. Reduced and isolated populations have resulted <br /> from land conversion and associated habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, and further <br /> causes such as infectious disease such as chytrid fungus. <br /> Background information on NLF Status in Boulder County: <br /> Only four breeding sites were documented in Boulder County in 2014 following surveys on <br /> BCPOS and City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks. Surveys on BCPOS land in <br /> 2015 and 2016 resulted in no confirmed breeding and the appearance of invasive, predacious <br /> bullfrogs at two of BCPOS's confirmed breeding locations. <br /> Factors contributing to maintaining the presence of NLF in Boulder County include seasonal <br /> persistence of water at breeding locations, breeding pond size, depth, bank slope and <br /> vegetation composition, and persistence of breeding ponds into late summer to allow full <br /> metamorphosis of tadpoles. These sites must either then dry out completely (ephemeral), or <br /> be physically isolated to exclude the establishment of predacious bullfrogs and fish. Equally <br /> critical is the presence of suitable overwintering sites- deeper water bodies that do not freeze <br /> completely and movement corridors facilitating terrestrial and aquatic migration to and from <br /> breeding sites. <br /> Hall I1- Historic NLF Breeding <br /> The isolated nature of the Hall II population and limited suitable breeding and overwintering <br /> habitat suggests recolonization unlikely in the near future if the population has, or does, <br /> become extinct. Encouraging to the protection of this site is the decreased likelihood of <br /> invasion by bullfrogs as many BCPOS ponds along the St. Wain east of Lyons, and <br /> remaining south grasslands breeding pools now have bullfrogs present. <br /> Hall 11-NLF Detection History: <br /> 2010- Jesse Lewis, researcher from CSU, reports distinctly different species calling-at the <br /> Aggregate mine ponds. Purchase of Hall I1 was not complete at this time, and staff <br /> did not perform surveys. <br /> 2011- BCPOS purchases Hall 11. <br /> 2012- CU Graduate student, Max Joseph (Piet Johnson, advisor) starts field work, <br /> transmitter study. Does not visit Hall 11 in 2012. <br /> 2013- (August)NLF breeding confirmed, 13 Young of the year(YOY) and one adult on <br /> shoreline. Max Joseph confirmed identification, but could not deploy telemetry <br /> equipment due to small size of the metamorphs (YOY). <br /> 2013- (September)-Flood Event. <br /> 2014- Survey summary: <br />