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Current Status:

The desert tortoise faces threats from the rapid human population growth and development taking place in its habitat in Washington County, Utah.

Achievements:

The Fish and Wildlife Service is continuing to coordinate with other Federal and local agencies in the development of a Habitat Conservation Plan for Washington County. The Habitat Conservation Plan has been under development since January 1991 when a 15-member steering committee was formed to represent a wide array of interests involved in conservation of the desert tortoise. A first draft of the Habitat Conservation Plan was issued in March 1992. The steering committee, on which the Service sits in a nonvoting, advisory capacity, is in the process of preparing another draft plan, which will try to resolve differing opinions. Congress, through the Service, provided $70,000 to Washington County in FY 1992 for completion of the environmental impact statement to be included with the Habitat Conservation Plan. Section 7 consultations have been completed with the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems through the Bureau of Land Management for several transmission line projects. The resulting no-jeopardy biological opinions stipulated numerous reasonable and prudent measures, including the use of desert tortoise handling procedures, conducting education programs, and protection of other tortoise habitat, to avoid adverse impacts on the tortoise. Section 7 consultations have been initiated with the Green Spring Development Corporation through the Department of Housing and Urban Development for a 422-acre development project in Washington, Utah, that has the potential to disturb 312 acres of desert tortoise habitat.

Current Recovery Needs:

Necessary recovery actions include increased law enforcement to monitor activities resulting from the rapid development taking place in the species' habitat; completion of a biologically sound Habitat Conservation Plan for Washington County; research on tortoise relocation success; continued studies on the upper respiratory tract disease that is threatening some populations; completion of the Desert Tortoise Recovery Plan; and research to better understand the species, its nutritional needs, and the condition of its habitat.

Section 6 Funding and Activities:

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources received $22,000 in FY 1991 and $35,000 in FY 1992 to conduct studies on desert tortoise growth, health, abundance, habitat use, and habitat quality.

Partnerships

Bureau of Land Management: This Federal agency is responsible for managing its desert tortoise habitat in ways that ensure the species' protection. The results of its research on nutritional and foraging ecology are already being used by the Fish and Wildlife Service for developing the Desert Tortoise Recovery Plan, by the Bureau for planning appropriate habitat management, and by Washington County for developing its Habitat Conservation Plan. Additionally, the Bureau is pursuing land trades with the State of Utah to facilitate management and protection of desert tortoise habitat. The Bureau is also active in Washington County's Habitat Conservation Plan process.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources: This State agency works with the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management in the conservation of the desert tortoise and its habitat. In addition, the Division is participating in the Washington County Habitat Conservation Plan process.

The Nature Conservancy: The Conservancy is working with the State of Utah to acquire habitat for the desert tortoise on private lands. The Conservancy also plans to play a role in facilitating land exchange between the Bureau of Land Management and the State. The Conservancy is represented on the Washington County Habitat Conservation Plan steering committee.

Recovery Plan Status:

Plan under development.