Counts of the elusive giant garter snake, which was recently named California's state snake, have dwindled in recent decades. The Natomas Basin Conservancy has helped to protect the snake and other animals in the Natomas Basin through the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan — a 50-year effort to build in the basin while preserving habitat for its native species. Now, three housing and commercial developments proposed by Sacramento County leaders, totaling more than 7,600 acres, have put at r