Wildlife Advocates Mobilize Against 35-Acre Oil Project
Wildlife advocates in Colorado are attempting to stop a proposed 35-acre oil well project, fearing it will put the vulnerable northern leopard frog at risk. The project site, located near Aurora Reservoir, has become a flashpoint as residents and scientists push for stronger protections for a species considered highly sensitive to habitat disturbance.
Indicator Species Raises Alarm for Scientists
Scientists and local biologists told Capital & Main that the northern leopard frog is an indicator species, meaning its decline signals deeper ecosystem stress. The species is difficult to spot, count, and monitor, making population data challenging to establish and increasing concern about disruptions near critical habitat.
Concerns Tie Directly to Habitat Disturbance
The oil pad would be constructed by Crestone Peak Resources Operating LLC, which plans one of Colorado’s largest oil and gas pads on a former bombing range less than a mile from the reservoir. Scientists already report an absence of frogs in much of the area, heightening concern about the impacts of heavy industrial activity.
Recent Frog Discovery Adds Pressure
Herpetologists recently discovered three northern leopard frogs at the proposed site. The finding came shortly after state officials identified “Oil & Gas Exploration & Extraction” as a threat to the species in Colorado’s 2025 wildlife action plan, which lists the amphibian as requiring “conservation interventions most urgently.”
State Wildlife Plan Underscores Vulnerability
The action plan’s designation reinforces the species’ fragile condition and the importance of protecting remaining habitat, especially where development pressures are accelerating.
Local Pushback Builds in Aurora Area
Residents near Aurora Reservoir have joined wildlife groups in voicing concerns, arguing that the massive oil pad could further destabilize an already stressed species. The northern leopard frog’s presence, combined with its documented vulnerability, has amplified calls for regulatory intervention.
Regulatory steps and potential mitigation plans have not been publicly outlined, and discussions remain ongoing.
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