On a sweltering October day, the subtle signs of wildlife dotted the muddy shores of the Aurora Reservoir, from the distinct footprint of a raccoon to the piercing cry of a killdeer overhead and the silent passage of a coyote through the tall grasses. Yet, the creature wildlife biologist Wendy Hanophy sought remained elusive. The northern leopard frog, a species whose delicate, moist skin requires constant hydration, was likely seeking refuge from the midday heat in the surrounding wetlands. Its absence, though frustrating for the biologist, underscored the critical stakes involved in a burgeoning conflict between suburban development and the oil and gas industry. Scientists widely acknowledge the northern leopard frog, an indicator species known for its difficulty in detection and monitoring, as particularly vulnerable to habitat disturbances.

Now, Hanophy and hundreds of residents in Aurora, a rapidly growing suburb southeast of Denver, are placing their hopes on this imperiled amphibian to persuade state regulators to reject a proposal by Crestone Peak Resources Operating LLC. The company seeks to establish one of Colorado’s largest oil and gas pads on a former bombing range, a site situated less than a mile from both the reservoir and their homes. "Frogs disperse up to three miles after breeding and hatching," explained Hanophy, a retired Colorado Parks and Wildlife employee, the dry grass crunching under her boots. "They need to forage, and they don’t confine themselves to the reservoir; they actively seek food in the surrounding areas."

Her assessment was soon validated by herpetologists hired by a local residents’ group, Save the Aurora Reservoir (STAR). Weeks before Hanophy’s search, these scientists discovered three northern leopard frogs in the uplands near the proposed 35-acre oil and gas site. This discovery gained significant weight as state officials had recently identified "Oil & Gas Exploration & Extraction" as a threat to the species in their 2025 wildlife action plan, categorizing the amphibian as requiring "conservation interventions most urgently." The dwindling populations of northern leopard frogs have also drawn the attention of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is participating in an ongoing case study focused on restoring habitat for the species in an area northwest of Denver. Early findings from this study highlight the four-inch-long frog as a "species of greatest conservation need in many Western states" and one that is "considered sensitive, threatened, or endangered."

The proposed 32-well State Sunlight/Long pad is part of a larger development initiative on what is now known as the Lowry Ranch. This expansive property, owned and managed by the State Land Board, spans 26,000 acres and is surrounded by burgeoning suburban communities. The State Land Board’s own "2050 Stewardship Framework" echoes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s conclusion that the northern leopard frog requires undisturbed habitat. 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 acknowledgments, the Land Board has leased the property to Civitas Resources, Crestone Peak Resources’ parent company, granting permission for drilling operations, with state regulators tasked with approving the specific well locations.

The plight of the northern leopard frog is not without precedent; numerous industrial projects have been significantly altered or halted due to the presence of imperiled species. In San Antonio, Texas, the Braken Bat Cave meshweaver spider brought highway construction to a standstill. In West Virginia, the Indiana bat delayed the development of a multi-million dollar wind farm. Similarly, the endangered snuffbox mussel forced a halt to bridge construction over the Grand River in Ohio. Perhaps most famously, the delta smelt in California played a role in preventing water infrastructure improvements during the first Trump administration.

Evidence suggests that northern leopard frogs are indeed present in the vicinity of the proposed Sunlight/Long pad. Surveys conducted by consultants hired by Crestone themselves over the past decade, as detailed in a filing with state regulators, have identified the amphibians near the site. These findings indicate the presence of frogs in creek beds close to the proposed project area in surveys conducted between 2012 and 2015, and again in 2018. More recent surveys in 2024 and the current year have led consultants to conclude that these creek beds may serve as crucial overwintering sites for the frogs. Researchers for STAR, who documented three frogs in the area this past fall, reported in a September statement that these repeated sightings "seem to indicate a stable population at this site." Their report further suggests 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" nearby.

In response to these concerns, state wildlife officials recommended an alternative location for the massive oil and gas pad in a September letter to the state’s Energy & Carbon Management Commission, arguing that it would better protect the frog by preserving more of its habitat. However, Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologist Brandon Marette acknowledged in the same letter that such an alternative is not feasible due to Arapahoe County regulations, which mandate a minimum setback of 3,000 feet from reservoirs for oil and gas operations. Marette also underscored the broader conservation challenges, noting that the "western U.S. population of [northern leopard frogs] is declining" and that the populations in the proposed drilling region are "fragmented and limited, and existing threats are likely to significantly increase in scope and/or severity within ten years."

To address the immediate threat of vehicular traffic, Marette proposed mitigation measures aimed at diverting frogs away from an access road expected to accommodate scores of truck trips daily. This road will be situated just 500 feet from the reservoir, raising significant concerns about "fatalities resulting from truck and vehicle traffic." Consequently, Marette requested that state regulators mandate Crestone to schedule construction of the pad and road improvements between December 1 and February 28, the period when the frogs are in hibernation. 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." Any deceased frogs discovered would need to be reported to Parks and Wildlife.

The northern leopard frog’s significant role in the regulatory process is further evidenced by its prominence in the recommendation by Julie Murphy, director of the Energy & Carbon Management Commission, to approve the oil and gas project. The amphibian is referenced approximately 90 times in her extensive 265-page report to the five-member commission. Murphy noted that Crestone has agreed to time construction to coincide with the frog’s hibernation period, to conduct pre-disturbance surveys for frogs, and to install silt fences designed to guide amphibians towards culverts that pass beneath the road.

Crestone has acknowledged concerns regarding the frogs in a prehearing statement submitted to state regulators. The company referenced the findings of the Adaptation LLC report, noting that wildlife officials incorporated "aspects" of its conclusions into the mitigation measures the company has agreed to implement. Jamie Jost, an attorney representing Crestone, 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."

However, habitat disturbance is already underway in other sections of the Lowry Ranch. Earlier this year, state energy regulators approved several multi-well pads as part of a comprehensive area plan for drilling across a 50-square-mile zone. This broader development, projected to include up to 166 wells at eight locations, is slated for construction through 2030. Residents in neighborhoods bordering the ranch’s southern edge formed STAR in 2022 to protest drilling near their communities when Crestone initially submitted its plan. Their concerns about pollution, seismic activity, noise, and traffic brought national attention to Colorado’s 2019 regulatory overhaul, which mandates that the state’s energy agency prioritize health, safety, and the environment over fossil fuel profits. This shift resulted in the promulgation of 426 pages of new rules across 17 rulemaking periods.

STAR’s activism has demonstrably influenced how the state’s Energy Commission considers community concerns, with its members submitting thousands of comments opposing the Sunlight/Long pad. This public outcry prompted the commission to hold a rare public hearing in the affected community in September. STAR, represented by legal counsel, also became the first residents’ organization to formally appear before the commission at a hearing in 2024, and is scheduled to testify again. The nonprofit continues to test the limits of the state’s new oil and gas regulations, challenging in its prehearing statements how Crestone has complied with requirements for wildlife protection plans.

"Wildlife resources are to be protected to the same extent as people and the environment," stated STAR’s attorney, Mike Foote. "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, state wildlife, and oil and gas officials, Hanophy, the retired biologist, remains apprehensive. She expresses concern that pollution, noise, vibrations that could disrupt breeding, 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," Hanophy observed, standing on 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."