Wildlife biologist Wendy Hanophy, on a sweltering October day near the Aurora Reservoir, observed the signs of a vibrant ecosystem—a raccoon’s distinct footprint in the mud, a killdeer’s sharp cry overhead, and a coyote’s sleek form loping through the grasslands—yet the creature she sought remained elusive. The northern leopard frog, a sensitive indicator species, was likely seeking refuge from the midday sun in the surrounding wetlands, its moist skin vulnerable to the heat. The frog’s very absence, however, highlighted the precariousness of its situation, as scientists widely agree that this elusive amphibian faces significant threats from habitat disturbances.

Hanophy, alongside hundreds of Aurora residents, is now pinning their hopes on this imperiled frog to influence state regulators into denying a proposal by Crestone Peak Resources Operating LLC. The company seeks to establish one of Colorado’s largest oil and gas extraction sites on a former bombing range, situated less than a mile from the Aurora Reservoir and the adjacent Denver suburban communities. "Frogs will disperse up to three miles as soon as they’ve bred and hatched," Hanophy explained, the dry grass crunching beneath her hiking boots. "They have to eat, and they don’t stay in the reservoir for that. They are foraging all up and around these areas."

Indeed, weeks before Hanophy’s unsuccessful search, herpetologists commissioned by a local residents’ group discovered three northern leopard frogs in an area uphill from where she was standing, surprisingly close to the proposed 35-acre oil and gas site. This discovery followed the state’s classification of "Oil & Gas Exploration & Extraction" as a significant threat to the species in its forthcoming 2025 wildlife action plan. The plan designates the amphibian as requiring "conservation interventions most urgently," underscoring its vulnerable status.

The declining populations of northern leopard frogs have also drawn the attention of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, prompting its involvement in an ongoing case study aimed at restoring the amphibian’s habitat in an area northwest of Denver. Early findings from this study identify the four-inch-long frog as a "species of greatest conservation need in many Western states" and deem it "sensitive, threatened, or endangered."

The proposed 32-well State Sunlight/Long pad is one of several oil and gas developments slated for the property now known as the Lowry Ranch. Located approximately 25 miles southeast of downtown Denver, this picturesque property is increasingly surrounded by rapidly expanding suburban neighborhoods. The State Land Board, which oversees the 26,000-acre ranch, has echoed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s assessment of the frogs’ need for undisturbed habitat, as outlined in a "2050 Stewardship Framework." This framework specifically notes that the ranch’s Piedmont grasslands support "several species of conservation concern that require habitat components that are unique and rare." Despite these findings, the land board has entered into a lease agreement with Civitas Resources, Crestone’s parent company, allowing for drilling operations on the property, with state regulators holding the authority to approve well locations.

There is historical precedent for endangered species like the northern leopard frog to significantly impact or even halt industrial projects. The Braken Bat Cave meshweaver spider, for instance, caused construction delays on a San Antonio highway, while the Indiana bat stalled progress on a wind farm in West Virginia. Similarly, the endangered snuffbox mussel brought work on an Ohio bridge to a standstill, and in California, the delta smelt impeded an effort to upgrade the state’s water infrastructure.

The specific area where the proposed Sunlight/Long pad is situated is known to be frequented by northern leopard frogs. Surveys conducted by consultants hired by Crestone over the past decade have identified the amphibians near the site, according to a summary the energy company submitted to state regulators prior to a critical November 19 hearing on the proposed pad. These surveys, conducted between 2012 and 2015 and again in 2018, documented the frogs in creek beds close to the project site. Further surveys in 2024 and this year led consultants to conclude that the amphibians may utilize nearby creek beds for overwintering.

Researchers engaged by Save the Aurora Reservoir (STAR), a 2,400-member residents’ group, observed three frogs in the area this past fall. Their September 22 report highlighted that these repeated sightings "seems to indicate a stable population at this site." The report, authored by researchers from Adaptation LLC, the firm hired by residents, further suggested that "This site is likely part of a larger, and not fully researched, metapopulation for northern leopard frogs which may connect this population to other breeding populations" in the vicinity.

To safeguard this population, state wildlife officials recommended an alternative location for the massive oil and gas pad in a September 30 letter to the state’s Energy & Carbon Management Commission, asserting that such a move would better protect the frogs by preserving more of their habitat. However, Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologist Brandon Marette acknowledged in the letter to commission director Julie Murphy that a truly suitable alternative is not currently feasible due to Arapahoe County regulations requiring oil and gas operations to be situated at least 3,000 feet from reservoirs.

Marette also emphasized in his letter that "the western U.S. population of [northern leopard frogs] is declining" and that the frog populations in the region of the proposed pad are "fragmented and limited, and existing threats are likely to significantly increase in scope and/or severity within ten years." Consequently, he proposed mitigation measures designed to guide frogs away from an access road projected to handle scores of daily truck trips to and from the proposed oil and gas pad. This roadway will be situated a mere 500 feet from the reservoir, raising significant concerns about "fatalities resulting from truck and vehicle traffic" for the amphibians.

The biologist requested that state regulators mandate the energy firm to construct the pad and implement road improvements during the frogs’ hibernation period, specifically between December 1 and February 28. Colorado Parks and Wildlife also called for the company to conduct weekly "windshield surveys" from March to November, when the amphibians are active, to "document any (frog) mortalities on the road." Crestone’s consultants would be required to report any deceased frogs to Parks and Wildlife.

The frog’s significant presence is further underscored in a recommendation by Energy & Carbon Management Commission director Julie Murphy to the five-member commission regarding the approval of the oil and gas project. Murphy’s 265-page report references the amphibian no fewer than 90 times. Murphy noted that Crestone has agreed to align pad construction with the frog’s hibernation period, conduct pre-disturbance frog surveys, and install silt fences to direct amphibians toward culverts that pass under the proposed road.

Crestone has acknowledged concerns regarding the frogs in a prehearing statement filed with state regulators before the November 19 hearing. The company referenced the Adaptation report, stating that wildlife officials incorporated "aspects" of its findings into mitigation measures that Crestone has agreed to implement. Jamie Jost, an attorney representing Crestone before the commission, stated in the prehearing document, "The [Parks and Wildlife] consultation letter speaks for itself on the issue of Crestone’s extensive protection of wildlife resources and should be relied upon by the commission."

Meanwhile, habitat disturbance is already commencing on other sections of the Lowry Ranch. Earlier this year, state energy regulators approved several multiwell pads as part of a comprehensive 50-square-mile drilling plan for the ranch. This extensive development, outlined in a comprehensive area plan, could eventually include up to 166 wells across eight locations, with construction extending through 2030.

Residents in neighborhoods bordering the ranch’s southern edge organized STAR in 2022 to protest drilling near their communities when Crestone initially submitted its plan. The group’s concerns about pollution, potential seismic activity, noise, and increased traffic brought national attention to a 2019 policy shift that mandates Colorado’s energy agency to prioritize public health, safety, and the environment over the profits of fossil fuel companies. State officials subsequently enacted 426 pages of new rules, developed through 17 distinct rulemaking periods, to implement this directive.

STAR’s activism has demonstrably altered how the five-member energy commission considers neighborhood concerns. Commission members received thousands of public comments opposing the Sunlight/Long pad proposal. This widespread outcry prompted the commission to schedule a rare public hearing directly within the affected community in September. STAR, represented by legal counsel, became the first residents’ organization to formally present before the commission at a hearing in 2024 and is slated to testify again on November 19. The nonprofit organization continues to test the limits of the state’s new oil and gas regulations by challenging Crestone’s compliance with requirements for developing wildlife protection plans for new and amended drilling sites.

"Wildlife resources are to be protected to the same extent as people and the environment," wrote STAR’s attorney, Mike Foote, in a prehearing statement. "Neither Crestone’s wildlife mitigation plan, nor (Parks and Wildlife’s) consultation report gave any serious consideration to placing Sunlight Long in a location that could avoid adverse impacts to the (frogs) in the first place."

Even with the mitigation measures agreed upon by Crestone and state wildlife and oil and gas officials in anticipation of the hearing, Hanophy, the retired biologist, remains apprehensive. She expresses concern that pollution, noise, and vibrations—which she argues could disrupt breeding—along with land disturbance and increased traffic, will ultimately prove detrimental to the amphibians. "If they can’t get from point A to point B, that’s one population that could crash," stated the STAR wildlife advisor, standing near a bike path encircling the Aurora Reservoir. "Extinction usually isn’t immediate—it happens slowly, and then quickly, and you get to a point where a population can’t take care of itself."