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Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau Councilmember Janeese Lewis George 2
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Councilmember Christina Henderson Councilmember Anita Bonds 6
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Councilmember Robert White 10
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A BILL 15
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 19
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To designate the Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus, as the official state amphibian of 24
the District of Columbia. 25
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may 27
be cited as the “Red -backed Salamander Official State Amphibian Designation Act of 28
2024”. 29
Sec. 2. Official amphibian of the District of Colombia. 30
(a) The Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus , is a species of salamander, in 31
the order of amphibians, found throughout the Eastern and Appalachian regions of the United 32
States, including in most wooded areas in the District of Columbia. 33
(b) Red-backed Salamanders eat bugs, which helps control pests and maintain the 34
balance of the ecosystem. 35
(c) Red-backed Salamanders contribute to nutrient cycling by consuming organic 36
matter and releasing nutrients back into the soil through their waste, which helps maintain soil 37
fertility and supports the growth of plants in the forest. 38
(d) Red-backed Salamanders are important food for snakes, birds, and mammals. 39
(e) Red-backed Salamander burrows provide shelter for a variety of small animals, 40
including insects, spiders, and other invertebrates. 41
(f) Red-backed Salamanders' presence and abundance are indicators of healthy and 42
mature eastern forest ecosystems. 43
(g) The Red-Backed S alamander is increasingly recognized as a model organism for 44
a variety of biological subdisciplines, including terrestrial ecology, amphibian ecology, 45
evolutionary biology, regeneration, ecotoxicology, and animal behavior, in part due to its 46
ubiquity and abundance throughout northeastern North America. 47
(h) Red-back Salamanders’ red stripes emulate the red horizontal bars on the District 48
of Columbia’s flag. 49
(i) The Red-backed Salamander has good friends at Powell Elementary School, who 50
studied the Red- backed Salamander and proposed that the Council adopt the Red -backed 51
Salamander as the official state amphibian of the District of Columbia. 52
(j) The Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus , is hereby designated the 53
official amphibian of the District of Colombia. 54
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 55
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 56
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 57
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1- 301.47a). 58
Sec. 4. Effective date. 59
This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 60
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30- day period of congressional review as 61
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 62
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1- 206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 63
Columbia Register. 64