On a misty night last December in Chileno Valley, Sally Gale and her husband, Mike, were on their way to dinner at a friend’s house when she noticed the newts. They were the same critters she had seen crossing the road for the past 15 years.
“I had this sinking feeling because, I thought, these guys are going to be in trouble,” she said.
On their drive home, Ms. Gale got out of the car…