Western Spadefoot Advances to State Endangered Species Act Candidacy
Published Friday, August 14, 2026
At its Aug. 13 meeting, the California Fish and Game Commission unanimously determined that listing the northern population of the western spadefoot as threatened and the southern population as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act, or CESA, may be warranted.
The western spadefoot is an amphibian found in wetland and upland habitats throughout the Central Valley, Sierra Nevada foothills and coastal California south of the San Francisco Bay Area. The listing petition identifies habitat loss and fragmentation, disease, invasive species and climate change as primary threats.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing both populations as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act in 2023 but has not issued a final decision. In 2024, California Farm Bureau supported proposed federal exceptions for routine livestock ranching, certain grazing used for habitat management and wildfire fuel-reduction activities.
The western spadefoot will receive full CESA protections during its candidacy. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will conduct a 12-month status review before the commission votes on whether to formally list the two populations. State law provides an exception for incidental take resulting from otherwise lawful, routine and ongoing agricultural activities, provided the take is reported to CDFW within 10 days.
Staff contact: Richard Filgas, rfilgas@cfbf.com.
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