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Resources

Facts on the Oregon Spotted Frog

  • Overview: Check out this easy-entry overview of Oregon spotted frogs, including information about their life cycles and range in Washington (Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife)
  • Comprehensive Biological Report: The Oregon spotted frog Biological Report is the everything-you-might-want-to-know-about-spotted frogs document. Don’t be intimidated by the 116 pages of detailed information. Well-organized, this report covers everything from the specie’s life history and biology to the influence of potential threats and an assessment of their future. The document summarizes information that helped stakeholders develop the Oregon Spotted Frog Recovery Plan in 2023 (see “What’s the Conservation Plan?”) (U.S. Fish & Wildlife) 
  • Habitat Maps and Governmental Timeline: For maps about their habitat ranges and a timeline of governmental activities related to the frogs, peruse info hub and another that shows the critical habitat they rely on (U.S. Fish & Wildlife)
  • Frog-Focused Studies and Datasets: For in-depth studies on how hydrology and threats may impact the frog, as well as access to datasets of locations of spotted frogs observed during monitoring surveys, visit the U.S. Geological Survey’s hub (USGS’s Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center)  
  • Monitoring Behind the Scenes Video: Hear from Jay about how the Oregon spotted frog likely ended up at the Old Mill Pond and watch his surveying methods in action in “Surveying spotted frogs in Bend’s Old Mill District” from 2015 (The Bend Bulletin) 

Spotted Frog Conservation Efforts

  • This article examines the journey from potential-listing as an Endangered Species in 1991 to the Oregon spotted frog being named a Threatened species in 2014 by the USFWS. It explores reasons for declining populations, including habitat loss from damming rivers and developing wetlands and invasive species, like the bullfrog. Climate change drying out areas may become another threat. It also delves into potential solutions. (The Scientific American)
  • Federal Recovery Plan: In 2023, the USFWS shared a Draft Recovery Plan for the Oregon Spotted Frog. The document lists the threats to the frog in different regions as well as criteria for recovery and steps to achieve it. The supplemental Recovery Implementation Strategy provides more detailed information for each area. Find these documents and more info on the USFWS’s Recovery Planning homepage (U.S. Fish & Wildlife)
  • Conservation in Action Film: Watch “Protecting Oregon Spotted Frogs in the Deschutes River Basin” by Freshwaters Illustrated to see how the USFWS along with its partners are working to protect spotted frog habitat in the Deschutes River Basin. 
  • Compromises: Read about how conservation organizations sued the USFWS in 2017 for not adequately protecting the Oregon spotted frog after it was listed as Threatened, calling for the Service to ensure water flow rates stayed higher during the spring, when eggs need to stay hydrated (opb.org)
  • Bullfrog News: Read Jodi Wilmoth’s May 2022 update to the local community about bullfrog removal in the Sunriver Scene Magazine (page 10-11) (Sunriver Scene)
  • Threatened vs Endangered Listings: Check out this List of Threatened species in Oregon (U.S. Fish & Wildlife) and learn more about the distinction between Endangered and Threatened species based on the Endangered Species Act (U.S. Geological Survey)

Hydrology of the Deschutes River Basin

More About the Places

  • Bend
    • Peruse this amazing hub of information and imagery about the history of Bend, from timber to town politics (Old Bend Neighborhood Association)
    • Learn more about the city’s growth (Source Weekly, Bend’s Independent Paper)
    • Find a brief summary on the origins of the town and its timber years (VisitBend.com, the tourism organization for the city)
    • Check out the city’s website for general information (Bend Oregon)
  • Sunriver
    • Learn more about Sunriver and its fascinating history from being a WWII training camp to a nature-centered resort (Sunriver Owner’s Association)
    • Read Sunriver and Camp Abbot (which include many historical photos) by Tor Hanson, a local Central Oregon historian
    • Visiting Sunriver? Stop by The Spotted Frog, a cafe open during the summer and named after the frequent visitor
  • The Old Mill District
    • Read the Old Mill’s short history section and another blog post about the conversion from timber to recreation (Old Mill District)
    • Read snippets about the buildings still around today that hold a timber past along the waterfront (Old Mill District)
    • Find more history on the timber powerhouses Brooks-Scanlon and Shevlin-Hixon with historic images (High Desert Rails site created by train enthusiast Jeff Moore)
    • Check out these archival images showcased at the Deschutes Historical Museum showing the early history of logging in Central Oregon
    • Learn more about the fly casting course, a world first (Angling Trade, a media group that covers fly fishing in North America)
    • Browse more archival images available online by the Deschutes Historical Museum. Try searching for Brooks-Scanlon or Shevlin-Hixon to see what logging and timber production looked like a century ago
    • Check out educational films produced to promote the regional and national timber industry from the 1930s through the 1980s. Films like “Treetop Daredevils” (1953) and “The Lumberman” (1971) offer a moving look into logging lives and practices
  • The Old Mill/Casting Pond

Attributions

The croaking of the American bullfrog is credited to “A Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of California” at CaliforniaHerps.com 

The two historical images at the present-day Old Mill District are courtesy of the Deschutes Historical Museum.

All other photos, videos, words, and assets are authored by Eden McCall.

For story ideation and feedback during drafts, ChatGPT was used. This use includes, for example, asking the AI to read the drafted narrative to provide ideas of questions a reader might have or resources they might be interested in.