On a sweltering October day, wildlife biologist Wendy Hanophy scanned the muddy shores of the Aurora Reservoir, her search focused not on the common raccoon tracks or the overhead cry of a killdeer, but on a far more elusive inhabitant: the northern leopard frog. Though the wetland’s ecosystem teemed with other wildlife, the absence of this particular amphibian highlighted the precariousness of its situation, as scientists universally recognize the northern leopard frog as a vital indicator species whose sensitive skin makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat disturbances. Its cryptic nature, making it difficult to spot, count, and monitor, further amplifies the challenges in assessing its population health.

Hanophy, alongside hundreds of Aurora residents, is pinning their hopes on this imperiled amphibian to sway state regulators into denying a crucial permit to Crestone Peak Resources Operating LLC. The company seeks to construct one of Colorado’s most expansive oil and gas pads on a former bombing range, a site located less than a mile from both the reservoir and the rapidly growing suburban communities of Denver. "Frogs will disperse up to three miles as soon as they’ve bred and hatched," Hanophy explained, the dry grass crunching beneath her boots. "They have to eat, and they don’t stay in the reservoir for that. They are foraging all up and around these areas."

Her assessment proved prescient; just weeks before Hanophy’s fruitless search, herpetologists commissioned by a local residents’ group, Save the Aurora Reservoir (STAR), discovered three northern leopard frogs in the vicinity of the proposed 35-acre oil and gas site. This discovery carried significant weight, especially after state officials had already designated "Oil & Gas Exploration & Extraction" as a notable threat to the species in their forthcoming 2025 wildlife action plan. The plan categorizes the amphibian as requiring "conservation interventions most urgently," underscoring its declining status.

The dwindling numbers 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 aimed at restoring habitat for the species in an area northwest of Denver. Initial findings from this study confirm that the four-inch-long vertebrate is "identified as a species of greatest conservation need in many Western states" and is "considered sensitive, threatened, or endangered."

The proposed 32-well State Sunlight/Long pad is one component of a larger energy development planned for what is now known as the Lowry Ranch. Situated approximately 25 miles southeast of downtown Denver, this picturesque property is increasingly surrounded by burgeoning suburban neighborhoods. The State Land Board, which oversees the 26,000-acre ranch, has echoed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s conclusions regarding the frogs’ need for undisturbed habitat in its "2050 Stewardship Framework." This planning document specifically highlights the ranch’s Piedmont grasslands as supporting "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, permitting drilling activities on the property, with state regulators holding the authority to approve the precise locations of the wells.

The plight of the northern leopard frog is not an isolated incident; imperiled species have historically served as catalysts for altering, redesigning, or even halting industrial projects. The Braken Bat Cave meshweaver spider, for instance, once halted highway construction in San Antonio, Texas, while the Indiana bat contributed to delays in a multimillion-dollar wind farm project in West Virginia. Similarly, the endangered snuffbox mussel stalled bridge construction over the Grand River in Ohio, and the delta smelt played a role in preventing water infrastructure improvements in Southern California during a previous presidential administration.

Crucially, northern leopard frogs have been documented in the very area where the Sunlight/Long pad is slated for construction. Surveys conducted by consultants hired by Crestone over the past decade have identified the amphibians near the proposed site, as detailed in a summary filed by the energy company with state regulators. These surveys, spanning from 2012 to 2015 and again in 2018, revealed the vertebrates in creek beds adjacent to the project site. Further surveys in 2024 and the current year have led consultants to conclude that these creek beds may serve as crucial overwintering grounds for the frogs.

Researchers engaged by STAR, a 2,400-member residents’ organization, reported observing three frogs in the area this past fall, stating in a September report that these repeated sightings "seems to indicate a stable population at this site." The report, authored by researchers from Adaptation LLC, the firm retained by STAR, 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" in the vicinity.

In an effort to safeguard this population, state wildlife officials proposed an alternative location for the massive oil and gas pad in a September letter to the state’s Energy & Carbon Management Commission. This alternative, they argued, would better protect the frog by preserving more of its habitat. However, Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologist Brandon Marette acknowledged in the letter that such an alternative might not be feasible due to Arapahoe County regulations mandating that oil and gas operations be situated at least 3,000 feet from reservoirs. Marette also highlighted the concerning reality that the "western U.S. population of [northern leopard frogs] is declining" and that populations in the proposed development region are "fragmented and limited and existing threats are likely to significantly increase in scope and/or severity within ten years."

Consequently, Marette recommended mitigation measures designed to guide frogs away from an access road anticipated to handle scores of daily truck trips to and from the proposed pad. This byway’s proximity to the reservoir, situated just 500 feet away, raises significant concerns about potential "fatalities resulting from truck and vehicle traffic" for the amphibians. Colorado Parks and Wildlife requested that regulators mandate the energy firm construct the pad and conduct road improvements between December 1 and February 28, coinciding with the frogs’ hibernation period. Additionally, the agency asked that the company conduct weekly "windshield surveys" from March through November to document any frog mortalities on the road and report deceased amphibians to Parks and Wildlife.

The northern leopard frog’s central role in the impending decision is evident in a recommendation by Julie Murphy, director of the Energy & Carbon Management Commission, to the five-member commission. Her extensive 265-page report, which recommends approving the oil and gas project, references the amphibian approximately 90 times. Murphy noted that Crestone has agreed to align construction with the frog’s hibernation, conduct pre-disturbance surveys, and install silt fences to guide amphibians through culverts beneath the road.

Crestone has acknowledged concerns regarding the frogs in a prehearing statement submitted to state regulators. The company referenced the Adaptation report, stating that wildlife officials incorporated "aspects" of its findings into the mitigation measures the company has agreed to. Jamie Jost, an attorney representing Crestone, asserted in the statement, "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 underway on other sections of the Lowry Ranch. State energy regulators have already approved several multiwell pads as part of a comprehensive area plan that could eventually include up to 166 wells across eight locations by 2030. Residents in neighborhoods bordering the ranch’s southern edge organized STAR in 2022 to voice their opposition to drilling near their communities when Crestone first submitted its plan. The group’s concerns about pollution, seismic activity, noise, and traffic brought national attention to a 2019 policy shift that mandates Colorado’s energy agency prioritize public health, safety, and the environment over fossil fuel profits. This directive led to the promulgation of extensive regulations designed to implement this change.

STAR’s advocacy has demonstrably influenced how the energy commission considers community concerns, with members submitting thousands of comments opposing the Sunlight/Long pad. This significant public outcry prompted the commission to hold a rare public hearing in the community in September, and STAR, represented by legal counsel, became the first residents’ organization to formally testify before the commission in 2024, with further testimony scheduled for the November hearing. The nonprofit continues to test the limits of the state’s new oil and gas regulations by challenging Crestone’s compliance with requirements for wildlife protection plans.

"Wildlife resources are to be protected to the same extent as people and the environment," wrote STAR’s attorney, Mike Foote, in prehearing statements. "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." Despite the mitigation measures agreed upon by Crestone, state wildlife, and oil and gas officials, Hanophy, the retired biologist, remains apprehensive. She fears that pollution, noise, vibrations, land disturbance, and increased traffic could prove detrimental to the amphibians. "If they can’t get from point A to point B, that’s one population that could crash," Hanophy stated, emphasizing the slow, often imperceptible progression towards extinction. "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."