An Unforeseen Threat to our California Desert Tortoises

[ZippyButter]

Robyn,

The government and many public agencies do not want to tell the truth to the mass. This also applies to many other industries. The only time we could get to the bottom of any things when we tell them we want to use the law that our government has passed, "the freedom of the information act" I still not sure it would help in this situation.

Minh

 

[Jentortmom]

Robyn,
Very nice posts, I agree with you completely!!! This is horrible, when I first read they were thinking of moving them, I was nervous and upset, and my worst fears have come true with the first group that were moved. I just can't believe they moved these torts into an area they knew 1. the current residents are sick - hello do these scientists not know the new ones will catch this, 2. off roaders do not pay attention to the animals - I was out riding last weekend and saw a poor bull snake or gopher snake yearling squashed by a quad, do you think anyone took the time to stop and check on it or remove it?? No, this just makes me sick - and I highly doubt it cost 8.7 mil to move them, that money went to pay off the scientists, oops I meant pay the scientists for there research and pay for the fuel to move these torts.

 

[purpod]

... and I highly doubt it cost 8.7 mil to move them, that money went to pay off the scientists, oops I meant pay the scientists for there research and pay for the fuel to move these torts.

So true, so true ~ my 16 year old son wanted to know why the cost was so high as well when we spoke of the situation.. I had to remind him about the line by Judd Hirsch in "Independance Day" when the prez. wanted to know how they funded the project... "You don't really think they spend $10K on a hammer, or $25K on a toilet, do you?"

You know what blows my mind the most? That they are planning to continue with the relocation even tho their first attempt has been a failure! What-the-h*ll?

Anyways, keep the emails, letters and phone calls going out to your representatives just the same, peeps ~ they can't ignore us forever!
Purpod

 

[chelonologist]

All,

Your hearts are in the right place, but we're way beyond the comment period for this particular project. It was approved years ago after the DoD consulted with the US Fish and Wildlife Service under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. There was no doubt a requirement for the DoD to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act - both of which have public comment periods. No doubt the Center for Biological Diversity and the CTTC as well as many other groups concerned with the environment commented on the project during that part of the process. To say that the DoD did not comply with laws that protect the tortoise would be a gross mis-characterization.

The outcome of the NEPA/CEQA and ESA compliance was a slew of mitigation measures, including scientific research. The USFWS required that this research be conducted following the advice of the best desert tortoise scientists around. Some of the research includes determining the efficacy of translocations so that future ones can be conducted with better results; and research into Upper Respiratory Tract Disease and how it spreads within tortoise populations. These research projects are extremely important for conservation and management of the desert tortoise in the future. I know a good many of the scientists that are working on these projects (I've participated in one myself), and they're all great people with the desert tortoise's best interest in mind. I know of at least one student who will get her Master's degree funded by the DoD on this project, and I'm sure there are others. So some good has come out of all of this. To suggest that scientists have been "paid off" to allow the DoD to do something unethical or illegal would be wrong. Believe me - the scientists working on these projects care about tortoises as much as you do.

There's been a bit of news about relocated tortoises falling prey to coyotes. Though this was unexpected, it reflects what we're seeing all over the place with resident tortoises. Last fall, before the translocation was even initiated, we saw coyotes turning to tortoises for food across the desert. This was following a pretty sever drought year (it barely rained during the winter of 2006/2007). No rain = no annual wildflowers = decline in granivorous rodents and jackrabbits = decline in available food for coyotes and other top predators. So they turned to tortoises. And now that they've learned that tortoises are a good and easy food source, they're continuing to prey on them. This was the situation the translocated tortoises faced as they were moved to their new homes. Though they are at risk, so are all of the resident tortoises. Steps are being taken to eliminate some of the coyotes on the research plots where tortoises were being preyed on, funded by the DoD. Remember, the DoD wants this translocation to be a success, and they'll go to great lengths to make sure that it does.

The translocated tortoises may face other obstacles before they settle in to their new homes. They've been translocated to BLM lands, which are public lands. That means the public uses these lands, and much of the "uses" could be incompatible with maintaining high quality desert tortoise habitat. I'm sure you can imagine what sort of "uses" I'm referring to. If you're looking for a way to help the translocated tortoises from this point forward, perhaps you can write to your representatives and the BLM and ask that the areas that received the translocated tortoises be protected from further disturbances. That is, now that the tortoises have been moved, let's protect them where they are.

Michael