According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and much to the dismay of conservation groups, the Sonoran Desert tortoise does not warrant protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The tortoise resides in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and Mexico.
USFWS announced Feb. 8 that after a 12-month review brought on by a petition, the species does not require listing, but the agency will accept public comments at any time regarding any information relevant to the tortoise or its habitat.
“For those of us who have visited Arizona’s public lands, we can clearly see that the species’ habitat is still gravely threatened by livestock grazing, off-road vehicles, abandoned mines, invasive species and fires,” said Cyndi Tuell of Western Watersheds Project (WWP).
The group said it remained concerned the tortoise’s habitat is being degraded by invasive species, livestock grazing, increased fire risk, housing developments, off-road vehicles, habitat fragmentation and increased predation facilitated by human activities.
They claim the desert has experienced continuous overgrazing, which has depleted the vegetation. WWP also asserts that cattle are known to trample and crush tortoises in their burrows.
“We worry that the Service has put the tortoise on a collision course with extinction by minimizing the threats from livestock grazing throughout the tortoise’s habitat,” Tuell said.
However, in its finding, USFWS said, “We expect that human development and climate change will have the greatest impact on the Sonoran Desert tortoise’s viability due to its effects on habitat and survival rates.” The document did not mention livestock.— Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
