400,000 Acres Declared Critical Habitat

The Alameda Whipsnake is a reptile that livesU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated406,598 acres of California's East San FranciscoBay area as critical habitat for the Alameda Whipsnake. Most of the critical habitat is in Alameda and Contra Costa counties."The designation does not bar development, but it does require Fish and Wildlife to examine any proposed land use that requires a federal permit - most commonly an Army Corps of Engineers permit for filling in wetlands or putting a crossing through a wash."