Scientists, agencies study the tortoise

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2003 | 9:02 a.m.

Four dozen scientists, government officials, off-road vehicle enthusiasts and conservationists gathered Wednesday to take a look at one of the region's shyest denizens -- the desert tortoise.

The groups reviewed the federal recovery plan for the tortoises established in 1994. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the Defense Department, Bureau of Land Management, mining interests, Clark County, and conservation agencies from Utah, California, Arizona and Nevada are working together to assess the recovery plan and find ways to improve it.

The groups met at the Suncoast on Wednesday, but other meetings open to the public will be held over the next several years so that all interested parties have an opportunity to contribute to the plan, said Randi Thompson, a spokeswoman for the Nevada Fish and Wildlife Division.

She said a major emphasis in updating the recovery plan will be taking into account the cumulative impacts of environmental degradation, disease and other factors.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved a Clark County plan in November 2000 that attempts to balance tortoise protection with development in the desert.

The federal agency listed the desert tortoise population as "threatened" in 1990, one step below endangered. Thompson said the number of tortoises remaining in the 6 million acres that they are found is not known.

"We do know there are populations in California that have declined, and we know some populations have crashed, like the Ivanpah population near Jean," Thompson said.

A revised plan should be released in February 2005, she said.

"The public will be invited to participate all along the way."

For more information, Thompson asked people to look at her agency's website at nevada.fws.gov