numbers | salamander

To fully understand the plight of the California Tiger Salamander, we are going to analyze the economic effects the salamander’s critical habitat designation has on local communities. In 2005, the United States Fish & Wildlife Service did a comprehensive analysis about land designation in Sonoma County, CA. Referring to the image at right, Sonoma County is a host to major breeding zones and habitat areas for the California Tiger Salamander.

Note to reader: We are using the data from this report to illustrate an example of the costs of designation, these habitats are specific geographic areas that contain features essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and that may require special management and protection. The statistics below pertain only to the Sonoma County region.

*Chart by Julia @ SEA-DISC, data from USFWS 2005 Report on Economic Effects of Critical Habitat Designation in Sonoma County

Crunching the Numbers

*Solid red shaded areas are locations which the California Tiger Salamander live.

Much of the allotted critical habitat for the salamander is in areas of interest for future home or business construction. The report estimates that approximately $336 million will be lost because of decreased development opportunities. Additionally, the article reports, “The California Department of Transportation is planning several projects to build, upgrade, and maintain the state’s transportation network in areas of California Tiger Salamander critical habitat.” If the critical habitat is set, the total monetary value the transportation industry will lose is about $7.97 million (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2005). From critical habitat allocation, new residential construction decreases by $557,000 annually, causing other industry output to decrease by approximately $379,000 annually (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2005). While these numbers may seem huge, these combined reductions only account for .01% of Sonoma’s total output (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2005). The chart above illustrates the costs of critical habitat designation in Sonoma County compared to the gross output of Sonoma County annually. The graph and data clearly show that the costs of critical habitat are miniscule compared to the total output in Sonoma annually.

Setting aside land to save the salamander will decrease the space available for new construction area. Because of this, the costs of commercial development and home construction will increase. Furthermore, the market value of homes in close proximity with the salamander mitigation areas will increase greatly. In fact, critical habitat areas could add “an estimated $25,000 to the price of a home in areas where the salamander is found.” (Mason and Ridder, 2005) To accurately assess the economic impact of critical habitat designation, forecasts of both the quantity and location of future land development are necessary. In a nutshell, several costs in construction, transportation, and home market value are associated with saving the California Tiger Salamander. Sonoma County Supervisor, Paul Kelley, says these monetary losses are "an exorbitant cost for a little slimy salamander." But one must consider the extremity of the plight of these salamanders! Amphibians have been thriving on Earth for over 350 million years (Salamanders--sensitive indicators of environmental quality, 2003) but now face a world-wide, rapid decline. In the last ten years, salamander populations have dropped by 50% (Phimmachak, S. & Stuart, B., 2013). The California Tiger Salamander is indicative of the environmental degradation our planet faces today. We are not just saving “a little slimy salamander”, but protecting an entire ecosystem and California’s natural heritage which so many enjoy today.

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