On October 10, 2023, the Department of the Interior announced the establishment of the Wyoming Toad Conservation Area located in the Laramie Plains of the Wyoming Basin following a multi-year collaborative effort among the City of Laramie, the Conservation Fund, and the Laramie River Conservation District.

In 2017, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began a process that authorized the purchase of conservation easements and fee title lands from willing sellers in the area. In 2022, the City jointly acquired the Bath Ranch (formerly known as the Hart Ranch) with the Conservation Fund. 1,078 acres of the Bath Ranch lands are now the Wyoming Toad Conservation Area.

“Working on this project was an honor,” said City Manager Janine Jordan. “Many years of effort were invested by city staff to acquire the Bath Ranch for the primary purpose of securing the City’s water future. The layered-on additional benefits of conservation and habitat protection really made this a once-in-a-generation opportunity that our City Council eagerly embraced.”

The Wyoming Toad was listed as endangered in 1984, and by 1985 was thought to be extinct. However, in 1987, a few Toads were found in the wild at Mortenson Lake southwest of Laramie. In 1988, the remaining 16 Toads were captured and held in captivity. These Toads bred and remained part of the ‘captive population’ that has been used to help the Toad population recover.

The City of Laramie did its first large release of adult Wyoming Toads back into the wild on May 31, 2017. This release was conducted on land donated to the City by the Wyoming Central Land and Improvement Company which had been overseeing the Toad releases prior to the City’s acquisition. By 2020, the Wyoming Toad had been reintroduced into the wild and had successfully bred in the wild the previous 6 years.

Today, the Wyoming Toad is known to exist at five locations in the wild, including Mortenson Lake National Wildlife Refuge. A majority of the Toads exist in captivity at eight zoos and aquariums to protect their population and successfully contribute young for reintroduction into the wild. The entire natural habitat of the Wyoming Toad exists within 30 miles of Laramie and the Toad remains one of the most endangered amphibians in North America. The conservation area aims to foster the growth of the wild population of the Toad.

Mayor Brian Harrington notes “The resolute support of the City Council for this effort was rooted in consolidating the Dowlin water right for the residents of Laramie, but the ability to bring wider conservation benefits and recreation to the Laramie area were also important aspects of this decision.” The area will be important for protecting more than just the Wyoming Toad; white-tailed prairie dogs, pronghorn, and migratory birds will also benefit. The acquisition of the land used to create the conservation area will provide access to outdoor recreation along the Laramie River. Hiking, fishing, hunting, and wildlife observation will be made available in the future as development of the conservation area commences.

The Wyoming Toad Conservation Area comes as the 569^th unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System and will be managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

For more information on the Wyoming Toad, please visit https://www.doi.gov/blog/meet-wyoming-toad. For more information on local protection efforts in and around Laramie, please visit https://www.cityoflaramie.org/1235/.

For more information about the Wyoming Toad Conservation Area or the City of Laramie’s efforts to reintroduce the Toad, please contact Keely Lopez at (970) 723-8202.