Full Breakdown
Cascades Frogs Return to Lassen Volcanic National Park
8/10/2026, 7:57:43 PM
Reintroduction Effort
In early September 2025, a team of biologists released a cohort of captive-raised Cascades frogs into two selected sites within Lassen Volcanic National Park. After a week-long antifungal “spa” in dilute solution, each frog was placed in a plastic cup and then set free in shallow, insect-rich wetlands that remained partially unfrozen in winter. By the end of the morning, the park’s Cascades frog population rose from zero to 117 individuals.
Background and Threats
The species once thrived throughout the Cascade Range, but the last known frog in Lassen was observed in 2007. Subsequent surveys found none, leading researchers to conclude the park’s population had vanished. Primary drivers of decline include prolonged drought, habitat degradation, predation by invasive trout, and infection by the chytrid fungus *Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis*, which has driven multiple California amphibian extinctions.
Key Participants and Partnerships
The reintroduction was a joint effort among Sierra Pacific Industries and Collins Pine (owners of the nearby timber lands that host the region’s remaining healthy frog population), the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and scientists from Washington State University. Project leaders included Karen Pope, a retired Forest Service ecologist now serving as the park’s chief, Nancy Nordensten, the park’s chief of resources, and Ryan Wagner, a Ph.D. candidate managing the release.
Official Statements & Responses
Park officials emphasized the careful site selection, noting that successful habitats must combine shallow water, winter-time depth, and abundant insect prey. Pope cautioned that future reintroductions could be jeopardized if federal funding cuts to the Forest Service and national parks continue.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We’ve gotten to a place where, if we sit back, we’re going to keep watching the last frog,” — Karen Pope, the park’s chief
- “We were really trying to be selective with the sites,” — Wagner. From
- “If you don’t have all three, you probably aren’t going to be able to support Cascades frogs here for very long,” — Ryan Wagner
- “Putting the first frogs in the water — it caught me off guard how emotional it was,” — Karen Pope, the park’s chief
