LAKE COUNTY >> After months of planning, and with a contractor lined up and ready to proceed with the Harbin Creek Bridge replacement project, all work has now has been put on hold.
The reason? Frogs.
Yes, that is correct; a type of frog designated as potentially being a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) has been found in the construction area.
Just a day after the project went to bid, the Foothill Yellow-Legged Frogs were added to the list of potentially threatened species. Lake County Public Works Director Scott De Leon ensured that they are entitled to the same legal protection as animals, plants, fish and insects confirmed as endangered
A biological study was completed in the area — required prior to any construction project — had identified 10 adult and juvenile frogs under the temporary Bailey bridge. This was acknowledged before the yellow tinted frog came under government protection, but it may delay work for some time.
“It would be at least a year before the state decides if the frog will be listed as threatened or not. But in that time we need to treat it as if it was on the list,” De Leon said
Relocating these frogs entails preparing an Incidental Take Permit (ITP), putting together and implementing a Frog Relocation Plan, installing and removing a frog exclusion fence, ITP compliance monitoring and submitting the required reports.
Having to incorporate these steps, a new bid order had to be placed, increasing the project cost by $181,512. The additional expense bumps the total for the bridge to around $1.2 million.
The project will have no effect on the county’s budget. It is fully funded by the Federal Highway Administrations (FHWA) through the Federal Highway Bridge Program (HBP).
“The permit fee alone was over $30,000 and it is not covered in this change order, we will be reimbursed by the state for that,” De Leon said. “When all is said and done, with the permit fee, we’re probably approaching a quarter of a million dollars of additional cost as a result of the state’s listing of this frog.”
The setback may also make it difficult for the county to get to other bridges that need to be fixed or replaced. Currently, De Leon said there are 14 bridges in the queue waiting for work to be done.
Once the ITP is complete and the frogs are safely moved away from the bridge area construction will begin.
