Endangered Species

* Re “Study Says Frog Habitat Won’t Hamper Builders,” Dec. 22:

My biologist colleagues and I sincerely wish that both the Building Industry Assn. and the Center for Biological Diversity would stop the hype and deception about [the] “critical habitat” [designation] for endangered species. The Endangered Species Act clearly states that critical habitat only applies to federal lands; it offers absolutely no additional protection for species on private or state-owned lands. Without critical habitat, it remains illegal under the ESA to harm listed species, and the ESA requires both private and federal landowners to minimize and mitigate such harm, whether or not the project lies within a critical habitat zone.

KATHY KEANE

Long Beach