Judge halts grazing in Oregon forest to protect spotted frog

SALEM – A federal judge has halted cattle grazing in an Oregon national forest until officials can review its impact on Oregon spotted frogs.

The Capital Press reported that U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken says annual grazing authorizations issued by the U.S. Forest Service did not account for evidence showing harm to the frogs’ habitat in the 68,000 acres of Fremont-Winema National Forest.

Plaintiffs argued that frogs of the threatened species gather in shallow pools during dry periods and are trampled by cattle that regularly venture beyond the areas where they’re supposed to graze. The court ruled that the U.S. Forest Service’s conclusion that cattle only minimally impact the frogs didn’t fully analyze the impact of unauthorized grazing.

Multiple environmental groups have long opposed grazing in the Chemult Pasture.