San Francisco's Shame: African Clawed Frogs in Golden Gate Park

[Guest guest]

June 2, 2005

 

Greetings, all. The following Media Release was sent to all Bay Area

print media, TV and radio stations yesterday, in hopes of shaming San

Francisco into doing something about the African Clawed Frog problem in

Golden Gate Park. I'm also leafletting the flyer at a number of the

" World Environment Day " events, which continue through this Sunday.

 

Please make the requested calls, and forward this alert to anyone who

might be interested.

 

Many thanks.

 

Eric Mills, coordinator

ACTION FOR ANIMALS and THE LILY POND COALITION

 

P.S. - I could use some help leafletting the various W.E.D. events.

Yours? Call me at 510/652-5603, or e-mail me, please.

___

June 1, 2005

 

MEDIA RELEASE: FOREIGN INVADERS TAKE OVER GOLDEN GATE PARK LAKE

 

The United Nations " World Environment Day " festivities notwithstanding,

a potential environmental disaster continues to simmer at the Lily Pond

in Golden Gate Park. The City has known of the problem for nearly two

years, but has taken no corrective action.

 

A growing population of prohibited, non-native AFRICAN CLAWED FROGS

(ACFs) has set up housekeeping in the park's Lily Pond, probably

refugees from a UCSF research laboratory or the pet trade, nobody knows

for sure. But as Stanford researcher Dr. Sherril Green recently noted,

 

" The feral Xenopus (ACF) there remains unchecked, unmonitored,

and very

accessible to the public. Given the invasiveness of this

species, it is likely

that the population will thrive in this location and spread to

other bodies of

water in the park and potentially, outside of the park. "

 

One can only imagine the devastation should these frogs get into the

Sacramento Delta. (Remember the Northern Pike debacle at Lake Davis?)

Dr. Green has estimated upwards of 10,000 ACFs in Lily Pond. These

exotics have no known major predators here in the U.S., and they tend to

displace and prey upon our native wildlife. Compounding the problem,

there's a remnant population of Threatened and fully-protected native

Red-legged Frogs in GGP, at risk of eradication by the non-native frogs.

 

And not only the wildlife is at risk. According to a 9/21/04 letter

from the California Department of Fish & Game,

 

" San Francisco Recreation and Park Department must ensure that they

(the ACFs) do not spread any further or they risk liability for

damage

caused to other property owners. "

 

The City, it would appear, is opening itself up to serious and costly

litigation, should the Lily Pond problem not be quickly resolved.

 

The Lily Pond Coalition has an inexpensive proposal and volunteers at

the ready to fix the problem, and await the go-ahead from " The City That

Knows How. " Now let's if it does.

 

Sincerely,

 

Eric Mills, coordinator, THE LILY POND COALITION (members include Action

for Animals, Golden Gate Audubon Society, In Defense of Animals, Earth

Island Institute, S.F. Tree Frog Treks, Sea Turtle Restoration Project,

S.F. Naturalist Society, et al.)

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

 

Please express your concerns to the following, and your support for The

Lily Pond Coalition proposal:

 

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, tel. 415/554-6141; fax 554-6160;

e-mail - gavin.newsom

 

Supervisor Aaron Peskin, President, and Members of the S.F. Board of

Supervisors

tel. 415/554-7450; fax 554-7454, e-mail - aaron.peskin

 

ALL MAY BE WRITTEN C/O S.F. CITY HALL, VAN NESS & McALLISTER, SAN

FRANCISCO, CA 94102-4689.

 

If you head up an organization, please forward this alert to your

membership.