Casino Land Left Out of Protected Tiger Salamander Habitat

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today finalized boundaries for the California Tiger Salamander's protected habitat in Sonoma County, eight years after the amphibian was listed as endangered.

The total land protected — about 23,000 acres less than the 74,223 acreage proposed in 2009 — includes vernal pools, grasslands and oak woodlands disappear stretching from Windsor, and including parts of Santa Rosa, Sebastopol and Rohnert Park.

Today's decision to preserve a total 47,383 of critical habitat for the slithery critter, however, doesn't include the land owned by the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria, who have wildly controversial plans to build a Las Vegas-style casino and resort on the west side of Rohnert Park, near Wilfred and Labath avenues. 

In total, 252 acres owned by the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria that were initially proposed to be included in the protected "critical habitat" area were left out, according a final economic analysis released Aug. 31 — a move that could give the green light for the tribe to build the lofty casino on their newly-designated reservation.

Prior to Wednesday's decision by federal officials, the casino was in a holding pattern. Parts of U.S. environmental law, including the Endangered Species Act, would have prevented the tribe from being able to break ground.

"In Sonoma County, the California Tiger Salamander is imperiled by a variety of factors," according to the Center for Biological Diversity. "Including habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation due to urban development, hybridization with non-native salamanders, inadequate regulatory mechanisms, disease and pesticide drift."

Environmental activists said in February that "development threatens 95 percent of remaining salamander habitat in Sonoma County — here, its plight is particularly extreme."

For the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who made the final decision, it's a balance between the environment and the economy.

The tribe has estimated when built, the casino will inject millions of dollars annually into the local economy. And, city engineer Darrin Jenkins confirmed Wednesday that the Graton Rancheria has promised to pay the city an estimated $200 million over 20 years, assuming revenues come in as anticipated.

While fish and wildlife experts acknowledge that the primary cause of salamander's decline is "the loss and fragmentation of habitat from human activities and the encroachment of nonnative predators," Sarah Swenty, a spokeswoman for the agency, said Graton Rancheria has made significant steps toward the recovery of the imperiled species.

Even though parts of the reservation were designated as critical habitat for the salamander, it was excluded from the protection zone in the interest of creating relationships between different governmental agencies, she said.

"It was decided that it was more beneficial to exclude the Graton Rancheria so the tribe could build government-to-government relationships," Swenty said. "And they've made commitments to the recovery of the species ... they have a conservation strategy."

"In this case the benefits of excluding the Graton Rancheria outweighed the benefits of including it," she added.

Swenty said, for example, that the tribe has plans to establish an off-site preserve, build recycled flood storage ponds and preserve open space.

The latest saga in the debate over the environmental impacts of the proposed casino has embroiled outspoken opponents at the "Stop the 101 Casino Coalition," headed by local pastor Chip Worthington, who has repeatedly filed lawsuits against the tribe.

Worthington told Rohnert Park Patch in March that no matter what happens, he will not stop fighting the casino, citing a decline in the safety, social well-being and environmental health of Rohnert Park.

"We're looking forward to having the court weigh in on the casino's very flawed environmental study," Worthington said in a statment.

Editor's note: Rohnert Park Patch reached officials for the Graton Rancheria Wednesday, but thus far, simply said they have "no comment." Are you interested in hearing the tribe's plans? What, if anything, would you ask Greg Sarris, the tribal chairman?

What do you think? Should there be a casino in Rohnert Park? Do you think it will help the economy? Harm the environment?