wwwdeserttortoiseorg 1

THE DESERT TORTOISE COUNCIL NEWSLETTER

SUMMER 2007OUR 32nd YEAR

Our Goal To assure the continued survival of viable populations of the

desert tortoise throughout its range

16th ANNUAL SURVEYING MONITORING AND HANDLINGTECHNIQUES WORKSHOP

November 3-4 2007 Ridgecrest California

The 16th Annual Surveying Monitoring andHandling Techniques Workshop is scheduled forNovember 3 and 4 2007 at the Carriage Inn inRidgecrest California The workshop is fullWe will be sending out registration materialAugust 5th via e-mail with the cost of theworkshop being $27500 If you are on the listto attend and do not receive the registration linkby August 6 please contact us You will havethree weeks to send in your registration and fullpayment After that we will be contactingpeople on the waiting list If you would like tobe placed on the waiting list please contactT r a c y o r M i k e B a i l e y a ttracybaileymchsicom

The DTC Tortoise Handling Workshops arerecognized by the USFWS and CDFG but acertificate of attendance and participation does

not guarantee a USFWS or CDFG permitHowever completion of the Workshop shouldassist with obtaining the permits

The Desert Tortoise Councilrsquos two-dayworkshops are structured to provide informationon the handling monitoring surveying andbiology of desert tortoises Instructors includeDesert Tortoise Council officers public andprivate sector biologists and personnel from theUS Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Bureauof Land Management (BLM) CaliforniaDepartment of Fish and Game (CDFG) andArizona Game and Fish Department Lastminute registrations at Ridgecrest will not beaccepted as we are a nonprofit organizationtrying to make the registration process fair andeasy for everyone involved

wwwdeserttortoiseorg2

2008 ANNUAL SYMPOSIUMLAS VEGAS

The Desert Tortoise Council Symposium willbe held in Las Vegas in 2008 Samrsquos Town willbe hosting the event from February 22 to 252008 We will make available many of thedetails on this upcoming symposium in the falland winter newsletters We look forward tosharing this information with you then

Registration fee structure has changed The feestructure makes it even more attractive tomembers and to register early A choice forspouse registration includes breakfasts socialsand one session A registration form is below

Samrsquos Town has reserved a block of roomsfrom February 21 to 25 2008 The room rate is$45 for Thursday and Sunday and $9999 anight for Friday and Saturday Reservationinformation will be posted on our web pagewhen we receive it and in future newslettersRefer to the Samrsquos Town web page foradditional information

httpwwwsamstownlvcommaincfm

and information on Las Vegas can be found at

httpwwwvisitlasvegascomvegas

Both individual or group donations for thesymposium are greatly appreciated and can bemade by contacting Bob Turner local hostchair at KKBKcoxnet

Hold the Date

The Desert Tortoise Council is evaluating thepossibility of holding a mini-workshop inconjunction with the upcoming Symposium atSams Town in Las Vegas This workshopwould be a one day event tentatively

scheduled for February 21 2008 at SamsTown in Las Vegas While still in the designstage the workshop will be structured toaugment the material covered at the annualtraining workshop that the Council holds inRidgecrest Details concerning this workshopwill be forthcoming and will be distributed inthe next issue of the Newsletter and on the DTCweb site Stay tuned for more information

Prices

The Desert Tortoise Council is raising its pricesfor the Symposium and for membership tobring fees and costs in line The Council hasstrived to keep costs to members andSymposium participants as low as possiblehowever income must be balanced againstexpenses Symposium costs have risen forfood travel and expenses of speakers as wellas conservation and education efforts (egbringing speakers from Mexico) Symposiumcosts may continue to rise

Our main membership cost is producing thenewsletter You can help by receiving thenewsletter electronically either as a Pdf file viaelectronic mail or by receiving an electronicmail notice that the newsletter is posted on ourweb page If all newsletters were deliveredelectronically newsletter size would be less ofan issue

Future Annual Symposia

The symposiumrsquos location for 2009 will be theDixie Center in St George Utah

httpwwwdixiecentercomindexhtml

Suggestions or bids for future symposialocations and venues will be gratefullyaccepted

wwwdeserttortoiseorg 3

Registration and Call for PapersInside this Issue

You must register to attend Preregistration asa member is the best value The deadline forearly registration is January 15 2008

CONSERVATION NEWS

Timber Industry Uses Draft EndangeredSpecies Act Regulations

On March 27 2007 the media published draftregulat ions that radically change theEndangered Species Act In response theDepartment of Interior asserted that it did notintend to implement the draft as written

In legal papers filed recently howeverenvironmental groups show that Mark Rutzicka former administration official nowrepresenting the timber industry has filed alawsuit based on the draft regulations

The timber lawsuit was filed on March 7 2007three weeks before the draft regulationssurfaced Industry lawyers are trying to forcethe US Fish and Wildlife Service to removethe marbled murrelet from the federalthreatened list under a provision of the draftregulations Current regulations contain nosuch requirement

ldquoThe Bush administrationrsquos draft regulationsgutting the Endangered Species Act havenrsquoteven been publicly proposed yet but the timberindustry is already trying to strip the nationrsquoswildlife of protectionrdquo said Kristen Boyles anattorney with Earthjustice ldquoOnce again theBush administration is undermining protectionof our nationrsquos endangered species to benefit

their friends and campaign contributors in thetimber industryrdquo

Support ing materials may found atwwwearthjusticeorg

Federal Judge Blocks BLMrsquos Grazing Rules

A federal judge enjoined the implementation ofBLMrsquos new grazing regulations US DistrictJudge B Lynn Winmill ruled that the BLMviolated the Endangered Species Act theNational Environmental Policy Act and theFederal Land Policy and Management Act increating the rules A final judgement has notyet been ordered

Past BLM regulations imposed restrictions ongrazing and increased the opportunities forpublic input to reverse decades of grazingdamage to public lands Without any showingof improvement the new BLM regulationsloosen restrictions on grazing

According to the federal agency charged withprotecting endangered species ndash the Fish andWildlife Service ndash the new regulationsfundamentally change the way BLM lands aremanaged and could have profound impacts onwildlife resources

httpwwwgreatfallstribunecomappspbcsdllarticleAID=20070609NEWS017060903041002NEWS17

Ruling

httpwwwwesternwatershedsorglegalSJ_BLMgrazeregs_07SJDecisionpdf

Opposing viewpointhttpwwwagweeklycomarticles20070619newsopinionopin65txt

wwwdeserttortoiseorg4

REGISTRATION FORM

Desert Tortoise Council 33nd Annual Meeting and SymposiumFebruary 22-25 2008

Return toDesert Tortoise Council

PO Box 331Tucson AZ 85702-331

Please complete a SEPARATE form for each attendeePlease print or type

Name Organization (First Last) (Name to be used on ID badge)

Address City State Zip

E-mail Phone Fax

SYMPOSIUM FEESENTER AMOUNT

Member Registration $15000 ($20000 if postmarked after 1212008)Student Member Registration $6000 (verification required)

($8500 if postmarked after 1212008)Non-member Registration $20000 ($25000 if postmarked after 1212008)One-day Registration $100 ($140 if postmarked after 1212008)Spouse (inc breakfastssocials) $50Regular Membership Dues $3000 (see dues schedule in newsletter)Vendors $10000 goods minimumRaffle Ticket(s) $100 each

TOTAL ENCLOSED

Make check payable to Desert Tortoise CouncilOnly checks or fully executed purchase orders are accepted

Monday Field TripI would like to attend one of several Monday February 25 2008 field trips

Yes No

wwwdeserttortoiseorg 5

CALL FOR PAPERS AND POSTERS

33rd ANNUAL MEETING AND SYMPOSIUM

Friday Saturday Sunday and Monday February 22-25 2008

The Desert Tortoise Council will host its Thirty-third Annual Symposium on Friday Saturday Sundayand Monday February 22 to 25 2008 at Samrsquos Town Las Vegas Nevada Titles and abstracts forsessions or contributed papers and posters are hereby invited The Council welcomes pertinentpapers on turtle and tortoise biology and conservation

Please return the form below with abstract by December 1 2007 (The form below must be submittedby December 1 2007)AbstractsContent They should be substantive focused on findings and implications of findings (not methods)Abstracts for 15 minute papers should be limited to 250 words (body not title and addresses) and double-spaced Capitalize and center the title underneath the title list and center all authors (include firstnames) with affiliations and addresses Italicize all scientific names and statistical notations Authorsneed to follow the Guidelines for AuthorsSubmission Send a virus-free file by e-mail or on a 35 inch disk (WordPerfect 90 or Word 2000 forWindows or more recent versions) by surface mail ALL e-mail transmissions must include all theinformation requested below including authors address phone e-mail address and fax numbers E-mailtransmissions must include the abstract as an attachment in WordPerfect 90 or Word 2000 (or morerecent versions) not in the body of the text The Program Chair must be informed immediately if acancellation or substitution is necessaryPapersSpeakers should be prepared to give professional papers Most papers will be scheduled at 15-minuteintervals (12 minutes for presentation three minutes for questions) unless other arrangements are madeFeatured Speakers The Keynote and Invited or Featured Speakers will be allotted additional time tobe arranged with the Program ChairPostersPosters will be displayed throughout the meeting Poster presentations may be offered at specific timesIf you have questions about your paper or need assistance please contact the Program Chair Dr KristinBerry at the address belowInformation should be exact because the program copy will be prepared from this sheet If your title andthe speaker list are tentative say soPaper Student Paper Poster Author(s) and Affiliations(s) Indicate speaker with an asterisk

Title of PaperAddress of SpeakerWork phone Home phone E-mail Special needs (eg AV equipment) Time SubmissionMail to Dr Kristin H Berry Program Chair USGS 22835 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos MorenoValley CA 92553 E-mail to kristin_berryusgsgov and to fldhckycoxnet (send copies to both)

wwwdeserttortoiseorg 5

CALL FOR PAPERS AND POSTERS

33rd ANNUAL MEETING AND SYMPOSIUM

Friday Saturday Sunday and Monday February 22-25 2008

The Desert Tortoise Council will host its Thirty-third Annual Symposium on Friday Saturday Sundayand Monday February 22 to 25 2008 at Samrsquos Town Las Vegas Nevada Titles and abstracts forsessions or contributed papers and posters are hereby invited The Council welcomes pertinentpapers on turtle and tortoise biology and conservation

Please return the form below with abstract by December 1 2007 (The form below must be submittedby December 1 2007)AbstractsContent They should be substantive focused on findings and implications of findings (not methods)Abstracts for 15 minute papers should be limited to 250 words (body not title and addresses) and double-spaced Capitalize and center the title underneath the title list and center all authors (include firstnames) with affiliations and addresses Italicize all scientific names and statistical notations Authorsneed to follow the Guidelines for AuthorsSubmission Send a virus-free file by e-mail or on a 35 inch disk (WordPerfect 90 or Word 2000 forWindows or more recent versions) by surface mail ALL e-mail transmissions must include all theinformation requested below including authors address phone e-mail address and fax numbers E-mailtransmissions must include the abstract as an attachment in WordPerfect 90 or Word 2000 (or morerecent versions) not in the body of the text The Program Chair must be informed immediately if acancellation or substitution is necessaryPapersSpeakers should be prepared to give professional papers Most papers will be scheduled at 15-minuteintervals (12 minutes for presentation three minutes for questions) unless other arrangements are madeFeatured Speakers The Keynote and Invited or Featured Speakers will be allotted additional time tobe arranged with the Program ChairPostersPosters will be displayed throughout the meeting Poster presentations may be offered at specific timesIf you have questions about your paper or need assistance please contact the Program Chair Dr KristinBerry at the address belowInformation should be exact because the program copy will be prepared from this sheet If your title andthe speaker list are tentative say soPaper Student Paper Poster Author(s) and Affiliations(s) Indicate speaker with an asterisk

Title of PaperAddress of SpeakerWork phone Home phone E-mail Special needs (eg AV equipment) Time SubmissionMail to Dr Kristin H Berry Program Chair USGS 22835 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos MorenoValley CA 92553 E-mail to kristin_berryusgsgov and to fldhckycoxnet (send copies to both)

wwwdeserttortoiseorg6

Embattled Interior Official Resigns in Wakeof Inspector General Report

WASHINGTON DC - According to theEndangered Species and Wetlands Report ahigh-level Bush appointee has resigned in theaftermath of an Inspector General investigationjust days before a House congressional oversightcommittee was to hold a public hearing on herviolations of the Endangered Species Actcensorship of science and harassment of USFish and Wildlife Service staff

Julie MacDonald tendered her resignation onApril 30 2007 She was the Department ofInteriorrsquos Assistant Secretary of Fish Wildlifeand Parks a position that oversees the entire USFish and Wildlife Service endangered speciesprogram As revealed in numerous media exposeacutesand a recent Department of Interior InspectorGeneral investigation MacDonald used herposition to aggressively squelch protection ofendangered species She rewrote scientificreports and browbeat US Fish and WildlifeService employees

MacDonaldrsquos specialty was blocking agencyefforts to place imperiled species on theendangered species list stripping tens of millionsof acres from agency proposals to designateldquocritical habitatrdquo and working with industrygroups to remove species from the endangered listand thus from federal protection

ldquoJulie MacDonaldrsquos reign of terror over the USFish and Wildlife Service is finally overrdquo saidKieran Suckling policy director with the Centerfor Biological Diversity ldquoEndangered speciesand scientists everywhere are breathing a sigh ofrelief But MacDonald was the administrationrsquosattack dog not its general The contempt forscience and law that she came to symbolize goesmuch deeper than a single Department of Interioremployeerdquo

MacDonaldrsquos recently hired counterpart ToddWillens appears equally dedicated to

undermining endangered species conservationWillens spearheaded Richard Pomborsquos (formerlyR-CA) anti-endangered species agenda as leadstaffer of the House Resources Committee thenwas appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary forFish and Wildlife and Parks in 2006 He hassince been directly involved in developingsweeping anti-endangered species regulations andefforts to remove various species from theendangered species list

This administration has listed fewer species underthe Endangered Species Act than any otheradministration since the law was enacted in 1973to date only listing 57 species compared to 512under the Clinton administration and 234 underthe first Bush administration The Bushgovernment has listed so few species in partbecause it has been denying species protection atrecord rates mdash in many cases with the directinvolvement of MacDonald A review ofinformation on the US Fish and WildlifeServicersquos web page shows that no species havebeen listed in the last year

Of all the endangered species listing decisionsmade under the Bush administration 52 percentdenied protection as compared to only 13 percentduring the last six years of the ClintonAdministration Meanwhile 279 species languishon the candidate list without protection

Department of the Interior UnveilsCooperative Conservation Legislation

WASHINGTON DC ndash Deputy Secretary of theInterior Lynn Scarlett unveiled the Departmentrsquosnew Cooperative Conservation legislation Titledthe ldquoCooperative Conservation EnhancementActrdquo removes barriers to fostering cooperationamong federal agencies local and stategovernments and the private sector and gives theDepartment greater opportunities to enter intopartnerships with private individuals companiesorganizations and government entities to achieveconservation goals on a landscape scale

wwwdeserttortoiseorg 7

ldquoThis hallmark legislation advances theDepar tmentrsquos vis ion o f co nse rvat ionpartnershipsrdquo Scarlett said ldquoNature itself isunbounded Cooperative conservation enables usto enhance protect and restore coasts forestswetlands and prairies across a mosaic of landsthrough shared stewardship With thisCooperative Conservation Enhancement Act wewill be able to remove the barriers and roadblocksthat hinder conservation and deter citizen andcommunity conservationrdquo said Scarlett

ldquoAs a result of this legislation conservationefforts will move beyond isolated projectswithout connection or coordinationrdquo Scarlettcontinued ldquoThe Cooperative ConservationEnhancement Act makes everybody a partner andenhances the incentives for landowners and othersto conserve lands water and wildlife and tocoordinate conservation activities acrossjurisdictionsrdquoAs a package the CooperativeConservation Enhancement Act will advance theability of land management agencies to providecompatible services to the American peopleacross Federal landsrdquo said Mark Rey UnderSecretary of Agriculture ldquoThe USDA isdelighted to join the Department of the Interior inthis effort to improve collaborative workingrelationships toward the conservation of ournationrsquos natural resources

The legislation submitted to Congress addressescomments and concerns brought from the 2005White House Conference on CooperativeConservation and numerous listening sessionsacross the country To address much of thebureaucratic red tape that has hampered federalagencies from working closely with each anotherand even private citizens from trying to undertakeconservation efforts on their own land thelegislation addresses four primary areas

Clarifying jurisdiction where previouslegislation was vague or unclear such as allowingfor the Department to promote the existence offriends groups

Strengthening the Departmentrsquosauthority in areas where that authority hadpreviously been ad hoc such as funding grantprograms like Water 2025 which allows theDepartment to fund up to 50 percent of waterconservation and efficiency projects

Codifying successful cooperativeconservation methods such as the jointDepartment of the Interior and Department ofAgriculture Service First program and formallyauthorizing conservation grant programs and

Removing barriers to cooperativeconservation such as modifications to the taxcode so Department grants for conservation arenot treated as income and allowing for closerpartnership among conservation agencies

BLM Releases Final EIS on VegetationTreatmentFuels Reduction on Western

Public Lands for Comment

As part of ongoing efforts to combat the spread ofinvasive and noxious weeds and reduce fire-pronefuels on public lands the Bureau of LandManagement today released its FinalProgrammatic Environmental Impact Statement(PEIS) comprehensively analyzing theenvironmental effects of various methods fortreating and managing vegetation The FinalPEIS is available for public review and commentthrough July 30 2007

The PEIS presents detailed national-levelanalysis of the risks of herbicide use to humansand sensitive species as well as to other resourcesand activities A programmatic environmentalreport (PER) evaluates additional treatmentmethods to reduce the risk of wildland fire byreducing highly flammable vegetation such aspinyon juniper and dead or downed woodymaterials The two reports will guide field-levelplanning and projects using mechanical manualand biological techniques to meet fuel-reduction

wwwdeserttortoiseorg8

goals under the National Fire Plan Bothdocuments are national in scope and containsupporting analysis and data

ldquoNoxious weeds and other invasive vegetationthreaten the health and economic productivity ofmillions of acres of public land across the Westrdquosaid BLM Acting Director Jim Hughes ldquoRecentexperience in New Mexico shows that thecarefully planned use of herbicides combined withprescribed fire and mechanical treatments canrestore land health in as little as one or twoyearsrdquo The documents are available at

httpwwwblmgovwostenprogmoreveg_eishtml

and in printed form and on CD-ROM from BLMfield offices A project overview with successstories is also available at

wwwblmgovwoenprogmoreveg_eis0html

Comments on the Final PEIS and PER will beaccepted only in writing and should be mailed tothe following address postmarked on or beforeJuly 31 2007 Mr Brian Amme ProjectManager BLM PO Box 12000 Reno NV89520-0006 Substantive comments will be usedto develop the final decision action to implementthe PEIS as expressed in the Record of Decision(ROD) to be signed later this summer

Rangers Call Off-road Vehicles BiggestThreat to Public Lands

Tucson AZ mdash Reckless off-roading has becomean acute law enforcement problem and is now thesingle greatest threat to American landscapesaccording to a new coalition of rangers and publicland managers assembled by Public Employeesfor Environmental Responsibility (PEER)Rangers say tough new policies such assuspending hunting and fishing licenses and in

extreme cases confiscating vehicles are neededto stem irresponsible off-road vehicle use

The coalition called Rangers for ResponsibleRecreation consists of more than a dozen ofAmericarsquos most seasoned law enforcement andnatural resource management specialists fromevery major public lands agency covering severaldifferent administrations The coalition contendsoff-road abuse is creating chaos on our publiclands and ruining the outdoors for everyone whileoverburdening an already strapped ranger forceAs Don Hoffman a retired Forest Servicewilderness ranger in Arizona states

ldquoRapid population growth accelerating off-roadvehicle sales and ineffectual regulation havecombined to make the indiscriminate use ofoff-road vehicles the greatest threat to Arizonasquiet wild placesrdquo

Ron Kearns a retired biologist and lawenforcement officer with the US Fish andWildlife Service at Kofa National Wildlife Refugein Arizona adds

ldquoI have observed a dramatic increase in the useand misuse of off-road vehicles on the Kofa sinceI began my law enforcement duties there in 1982The abuse involves driving off the 300 miles ofdesignated roads on Kofa resulting in irreparabledamage to desert pavement and pristine landsThe Fish and Wildlife Service must increase lawenforcement effortsrdquo

From a national perspective Jim Baca formerDirector of the US Bureau of Land Managementnow serving as New Mexicos Natural ResourceTrustee contends

ldquoThere is no greater threat to our countryspublic land treasure than off-road vehiclesAdditionally they are killing and injuring toomany young people because of improper trainingoperation and inherent safety deficienciesrdquo

wwwdeserttortoiseorg 7

ldquoThis hallmark legislation advances theDepar tmentrsquos vis ion o f co nse rvat ionpartnershipsrdquo Scarlett said ldquoNature itself isunbounded Cooperative conservation enables usto enhance protect and restore coasts forestswetlands and prairies across a mosaic of landsthrough shared stewardship With thisCooperative Conservation Enhancement Act wewill be able to remove the barriers and roadblocksthat hinder conservation and deter citizen andcommunity conservationrdquo said Scarlett

ldquoAs a result of this legislation conservationefforts will move beyond isolated projectswithout connection or coordinationrdquo Scarlettcontinued ldquoThe Cooperative ConservationEnhancement Act makes everybody a partner andenhances the incentives for landowners and othersto conserve lands water and wildlife and tocoordinate conservation activities acrossjurisdictionsrdquoAs a package the CooperativeConservation Enhancement Act will advance theability of land management agencies to providecompatible services to the American peopleacross Federal landsrdquo said Mark Rey UnderSecretary of Agriculture ldquoThe USDA isdelighted to join the Department of the Interior inthis effort to improve collaborative workingrelationships toward the conservation of ournationrsquos natural resources

The legislation submitted to Congress addressescomments and concerns brought from the 2005White House Conference on CooperativeConservation and numerous listening sessionsacross the country To address much of thebureaucratic red tape that has hampered federalagencies from working closely with each anotherand even private citizens from trying to undertakeconservation efforts on their own land thelegislation addresses four primary areas

Clarifying jurisdiction where previouslegislation was vague or unclear such as allowingfor the Department to promote the existence offriends groups

Strengthening the Departmentrsquosauthority in areas where that authority hadpreviously been ad hoc such as funding grantprograms like Water 2025 which allows theDepartment to fund up to 50 percent of waterconservation and efficiency projects

Codifying successful cooperativeconservation methods such as the jointDepartment of the Interior and Department ofAgriculture Service First program and formallyauthorizing conservation grant programs and

Removing barriers to cooperativeconservation such as modifications to the taxcode so Department grants for conservation arenot treated as income and allowing for closerpartnership among conservation agencies

BLM Releases Final EIS on VegetationTreatmentFuels Reduction on Western

Public Lands for Comment

As part of ongoing efforts to combat the spread ofinvasive and noxious weeds and reduce fire-pronefuels on public lands the Bureau of LandManagement today released its FinalProgrammatic Environmental Impact Statement(PEIS) comprehensively analyzing theenvironmental effects of various methods fortreating and managing vegetation The FinalPEIS is available for public review and commentthrough July 30 2007

The PEIS presents detailed national-levelanalysis of the risks of herbicide use to humansand sensitive species as well as to other resourcesand activities A programmatic environmentalreport (PER) evaluates additional treatmentmethods to reduce the risk of wildland fire byreducing highly flammable vegetation such aspinyon juniper and dead or downed woodymaterials The two reports will guide field-levelplanning and projects using mechanical manualand biological techniques to meet fuel-reduction

wwwdeserttortoiseorg8

goals under the National Fire Plan Bothdocuments are national in scope and containsupporting analysis and data

ldquoNoxious weeds and other invasive vegetationthreaten the health and economic productivity ofmillions of acres of public land across the Westrdquosaid BLM Acting Director Jim Hughes ldquoRecentexperience in New Mexico shows that thecarefully planned use of herbicides combined withprescribed fire and mechanical treatments canrestore land health in as little as one or twoyearsrdquo The documents are available at

httpwwwblmgovwostenprogmoreveg_eishtml

and in printed form and on CD-ROM from BLMfield offices A project overview with successstories is also available at

wwwblmgovwoenprogmoreveg_eis0html

Comments on the Final PEIS and PER will beaccepted only in writing and should be mailed tothe following address postmarked on or beforeJuly 31 2007 Mr Brian Amme ProjectManager BLM PO Box 12000 Reno NV89520-0006 Substantive comments will be usedto develop the final decision action to implementthe PEIS as expressed in the Record of Decision(ROD) to be signed later this summer

Rangers Call Off-road Vehicles BiggestThreat to Public Lands

Tucson AZ mdash Reckless off-roading has becomean acute law enforcement problem and is now thesingle greatest threat to American landscapesaccording to a new coalition of rangers and publicland managers assembled by Public Employeesfor Environmental Responsibility (PEER)Rangers say tough new policies such assuspending hunting and fishing licenses and in

extreme cases confiscating vehicles are neededto stem irresponsible off-road vehicle use

The coalition called Rangers for ResponsibleRecreation consists of more than a dozen ofAmericarsquos most seasoned law enforcement andnatural resource management specialists fromevery major public lands agency covering severaldifferent administrations The coalition contendsoff-road abuse is creating chaos on our publiclands and ruining the outdoors for everyone whileoverburdening an already strapped ranger forceAs Don Hoffman a retired Forest Servicewilderness ranger in Arizona states

ldquoRapid population growth accelerating off-roadvehicle sales and ineffectual regulation havecombined to make the indiscriminate use ofoff-road vehicles the greatest threat to Arizonasquiet wild placesrdquo

Ron Kearns a retired biologist and lawenforcement officer with the US Fish andWildlife Service at Kofa National Wildlife Refugein Arizona adds

ldquoI have observed a dramatic increase in the useand misuse of off-road vehicles on the Kofa sinceI began my law enforcement duties there in 1982The abuse involves driving off the 300 miles ofdesignated roads on Kofa resulting in irreparabledamage to desert pavement and pristine landsThe Fish and Wildlife Service must increase lawenforcement effortsrdquo

From a national perspective Jim Baca formerDirector of the US Bureau of Land Managementnow serving as New Mexicos Natural ResourceTrustee contends

ldquoThere is no greater threat to our countryspublic land treasure than off-road vehiclesAdditionally they are killing and injuring toomany young people because of improper trainingoperation and inherent safety deficienciesrdquo

wwwdeserttortoiseorg8

goals under the National Fire Plan Bothdocuments are national in scope and containsupporting analysis and data

ldquoNoxious weeds and other invasive vegetationthreaten the health and economic productivity ofmillions of acres of public land across the Westrdquosaid BLM Acting Director Jim Hughes ldquoRecentexperience in New Mexico shows that thecarefully planned use of herbicides combined withprescribed fire and mechanical treatments canrestore land health in as little as one or twoyearsrdquo The documents are available at

httpwwwblmgovwostenprogmoreveg_eishtml

and in printed form and on CD-ROM from BLMfield offices A project overview with successstories is also available at

wwwblmgovwoenprogmoreveg_eis0html

Comments on the Final PEIS and PER will beaccepted only in writing and should be mailed tothe following address postmarked on or beforeJuly 31 2007 Mr Brian Amme ProjectManager BLM PO Box 12000 Reno NV89520-0006 Substantive comments will be usedto develop the final decision action to implementthe PEIS as expressed in the Record of Decision(ROD) to be signed later this summer

Rangers Call Off-road Vehicles BiggestThreat to Public Lands

Tucson AZ mdash Reckless off-roading has becomean acute law enforcement problem and is now thesingle greatest threat to American landscapesaccording to a new coalition of rangers and publicland managers assembled by Public Employeesfor Environmental Responsibility (PEER)Rangers say tough new policies such assuspending hunting and fishing licenses and in

extreme cases confiscating vehicles are neededto stem irresponsible off-road vehicle use

The coalition called Rangers for ResponsibleRecreation consists of more than a dozen ofAmericarsquos most seasoned law enforcement andnatural resource management specialists fromevery major public lands agency covering severaldifferent administrations The coalition contendsoff-road abuse is creating chaos on our publiclands and ruining the outdoors for everyone whileoverburdening an already strapped ranger forceAs Don Hoffman a retired Forest Servicewilderness ranger in Arizona states

ldquoRapid population growth accelerating off-roadvehicle sales and ineffectual regulation havecombined to make the indiscriminate use ofoff-road vehicles the greatest threat to Arizonasquiet wild placesrdquo

Ron Kearns a retired biologist and lawenforcement officer with the US Fish andWildlife Service at Kofa National Wildlife Refugein Arizona adds

ldquoI have observed a dramatic increase in the useand misuse of off-road vehicles on the Kofa sinceI began my law enforcement duties there in 1982The abuse involves driving off the 300 miles ofdesignated roads on Kofa resulting in irreparabledamage to desert pavement and pristine landsThe Fish and Wildlife Service must increase lawenforcement effortsrdquo

From a national perspective Jim Baca formerDirector of the US Bureau of Land Managementnow serving as New Mexicos Natural ResourceTrustee contends

ldquoThere is no greater threat to our countryspublic land treasure than off-road vehiclesAdditionally they are killing and injuring toomany young people because of improper trainingoperation and inherent safety deficienciesrdquo

wwwdeserttortoiseorg 9

The Rangers for Responsible Recreation are alsourging a congressional inquiry that accounts forthe real costs to taxpayers from off-road abuses onour public lands as well as augmented lawenforcement funding dedicated to coping with theavalanche of problems occasioned by recklessoff-roading

ldquoOff-roading is becoming the most widelydestructive problematic and demanding use ofpublic landsrdquo states Southwest PEER DirectorDaniel Patterson and ecologist noting thatoff-road abuse has morphed motorized access intoa destructive ldquowreck-reationrdquo ldquoAmerica needs anew national approach to what has become aplague on our legacy of conservation No one hasa right to abuse our public landsrdquo

Counties Cant Seize National Rights-of-wayJudge Says

Salt Lake City UT - Two Utah counties cantunravel protections limiting off-road vehicle useon the Grand Staircase Escalante NationalMonument by claiming without proof that theyhave historic rights-of-way a federal court judgeruled in June

In a ruling that blocks the counties broad seizureof wash bottoms and seldom-used jeep tracks ashighways under a repealed 19th Century lawknown as RS 2477 United States District CourtJudge Bruce Jenkins ensured that off-roadhighway development could not run amok inthese unique national lands

The judge largely dismissed the lawsuit filed byKane and Garfield Counties seeking to overturnlimits to off-road vehicle use within the 18million acre Monument The counties haveclaimed hundreds of seldom-used jeep tracks andcanyon bottoms as highways under the old lawThe suit demanded that their claims be settled bythe federal Bureau of Land Management and inthe meantime that any provisions protecting the

desert environment from dirt bikes ATV andother off-road vehicles be overturned

Judge Jenkins held that it is up to the courts -- notthe BLM -- to determine RS 2477 rights-of-wayand dismissed the counties challenge toMonument plan restrictions on off-highwayvehicle use and road development

Its a great day for the Grand Staircase said TedZukoski one of the Earthjustice attorneys on thecase The Monument plan protects wildlifewater quality wilderness and archeologicalwonders while providing nearly 1000 miles ofroads and off-road trails The counties wanted toeliminate all protections limiting dirt-bikesATVs and other off-road vehicles based on thecounties word that somewhere out there were abunch of roads

The court ruled that you cant just take ascattershot approach to the Management plan inmaking claims You have to prove them case bycase Zukoski said

httpwwwearthjusticeorgnewspress007counties

-cant-seize-national-rights-of-way-judge-sayshtml

PUBLICATIONS

USGS Office of CommunicationsScience Picks

Tortoise Shells Tell Arsenic Tales USGSscientists have found that the outer layer of atortoisersquos shell which has growth scales providesa chronology of elemental uptake from atortoisersquos environment Desert tortoises are long-lived plant-eaters that spend much of their lives incontact with dust soil and sediments includingpotentially toxic elements A survey of 66elements in soil stream sediment and plantsamples from six tortoise study areas in theMojave and Sonoran Deserts have revealed

wwwdeserttortoiseorg10

arsenic in anomalous concentrations region-wideArsenic has been linked to both shell andrespiratory diseases in desert tortoises Thehighest concentrations occurred in soils and plantsin or near areas contaminated by mining ofarsenic-rich ores For more information contactKrist in Berry at 951-697-5361 orkristin_berryusgsgov Maurice Chaffee at 303-236-1855 or mchaffeeusgsgov or AndreaFoster at 650-329-5437 or afosterusgsgov

Desert Tortoise Hibernation According to arecent study in the journal Copeia by USGS andUniversity of Nevada Reno scientists thetransition in and out of hibernation by Mojavedesert tortoises extends over much longer periodsthan was previously thought The scientistsexamined the onset duration and termination ofhibernation in Mojave desert tortoises overseveral years at multiple sites in the northeasternpart of their geographic range and recorded thetemperatures experienced by tortoises duringwinter hibernation The timing of hibernation bydesert tortoises differed among sites and yearsDifferent individual tortoises entered hibernationover as many as 44 days in the fall and emergedfrom hibernation over as many as 49 days in thespring Environmental cues did not appear toinfluence the timing of the hibernation periodhowever regionally hibernation tended to beginearlier and continue longer at sites that werehigher in elevation and generally cooler Theaverage temperatures experienced by tortoiseswhile hibernating differed by only about fivedegrees from the coldest site to the warmest siteThe variability in timing of hibernation and kindsof subterranean burrows (hibernacula) used atdifferent sites are important considerations formanagement decisions that allow activities tooccur during winter months in desert tortoisehabitat See

httpww ww ercusgsgovpubbriefsnussearpbjun2007 html

(Ken Nussear Henderson NV 702-564-4515knussearusgsgov)

Citation Nussear K E T C Esque D FHaines and C R Tracy 2007 Desert tortoisehibernat ion temperatures timing andenvironment Copeia 2007378ndash386

Competitive Interactions Between an ExoticAnnual Grass and Mojave Desert PerennialsCompetition between native and nonindigenousspecies can change the composition and structureof plant communities but in deserts the highlyvariable timing of winter and spring rainfall alsoinfluences nonindigenous plant establishmentthus modulating their effects on native speciesMuch research has focused on the dramaticimpact that the exotic annual grass red brome(Bromus madritensis spp rubens) has on desertplant communities by fueling wildfires that injureand kill native plants A study by scientists of theUSGS Nevada Agricultural Experiment Stationand University of Nevada Reno recentlypublished in Biological Invasions highlights redbromersquos impact on perennial species inundisturbed habitat even before wildfire becomesa problem Among findings from the fieldexperiment the growth of perennials declinedwhen red brome established early in winterbecause the nonindigenous grass had 2 to 3months of growth and extracted soil moisturebefore perennials became active See

httpwwwwercusgsgovpubbriefsdefalcopbmay2007html

(Lesley DeFalco Henderson NV 702-564-4507lesley_defalcousgsgov)

Citation DeFalco L A G C J Fernandez andR S Nowak 2007 Variation in theestablishment of a non-native annual grassinfluences competitive interactions with MojaveDesert perennials Biological Invasions9293ndash307

wwwdeserttortoiseorg 11

Herpetological Conservation and Biology

The newest issue of Herpetological Conservationand Biology has been posted online at

httpwwwherpconbioorg

A new journal published in partnership withPartners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservationand the World Congress of Herpetology

THE CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THEDESERT TORTOISE COUNCIL

Senior Co-Chair Dan PearsonJunior Co-Chair Pete WoodmanCo-Chair Elect Doug DuncanRecording Secretary Lori RoseCorresponding Secretary Pat von HelfTreasurer Mike BaileyProducts Manager Tom EganImmediate Past Co-Chair Pete WoodmanBoard Member Tracy BaileyBoard Member Kristin BerryBoard Member Becky JonesBoard Member Cari RonningBoard Member Glenn StewartBoard Member Bob TurnerMembership Pat von HelfNewsletter Editor Doug DuncanWebmaster Michael Connor

FUNDING

Patagonias Environmental Grants Program

Patagonia (wwwpatagoniacom) the outdoorclothing and gear company provides support forenvironmental work through grants to nonprofitorganizations

Patagonia funds only environmental work andmakes grants to organizations that identify andwork on the root causes of problems and thatapproach issues with a commitment to long-termchange The company funds work that is action-oriented builds public involvement and supportis strategic in its targeting and goals focuses onroot causes accomplishes specific goals andobjectives that can be effectively measured andtakes place in countries where Patagonia has retailstores or an international office

The company does not fund organizations without501(c)(3) status or a comparable fiscal sponsorgeneral environmental education efforts landacquisition land trusts or conservationeasements research (unless it is in direct supportof a developed plan for specific action to alleviatean environmental problem) endowment fundsenvironmental conferences or politicalcampaigns

Most grants are in the range of $3000 to $8000Patagonia accepts proposals for programs that fitits grant guidelines during the months of April orAugust Only one proposal from an organizationwill be considered per year

Please note that organizations based in acommunity in which Patagonia has a retail storeor an international office should submit theirrequest to the store Retail store applications areaccepted year-round

Visit the Patagonia Web site for completeinformation and grant application proceduresApplication deadline is August 31 2007

httpwwwpatagoniacomwebuspatagoniagoassetid=2942

Captain Planet Foundation

The Captain Planet Foundation will fund as manyprojects as its annual resources allow Please readthe following guidelines thoroughly To

wwwdeserttortoiseorg12

maximize the impact of Foundation funds theBoard of Trustees limits their grant awards tothose applications which comply with theguidelines

All applicant organizations or sponsoringagencies must be exempt from federal taxationunder the Internal Revenue Code Section 501 Tobe considered for funding proposals must

bull Promote understanding of environmental issuesbull Focus on hands-on involvementbull Involve children and young adults 6-18bull Promote interaction and cooperation within the groupbull Help young people develop planning and problem solving skillsbull Include adult supervision andbull Commit to follow-up communication with the Foundation

The Captain Planet Foundation reserves the rightto earmark funding for specific budget items anddecline funding for budget items not consistentwith Grant Guidelines The range of grantsawarded by the Foundation is $250 to $2500

The Captain Planet Foundation does not makegrants for

bull The purchase of real estatebull Endowmentsbull General operations expensesbull Capital or building campaignsbull T-shirts and other promotional itemsbull Scholarships to attend summer campsbull Field trips that are not supplemented by a semester long (minimum) lesson planbull Expensive equipment used by only a small number of childrenbull Salariesbull Transportation costsbull Organic gardens generally no more than $500 andbull Adopt-a-stream no more than $400

Deadlines for submitting grant applications areJune 30 September 30 and December 31 Grantproposals are reviewed for three months from thedate of the submission deadline All applicantswill be informed of their proposals status withinfour months of the application deadline

httpwwwcaptainplanetfdnorg

Wildlife Action Opportunities Fund

The Wildlife Conservation Societyrsquos NorthAmerica Program is pleased to announce thesecond round of grants though its Wildlife ActionOpportunities Fund - a program for implementingState Wildlife Action Plans

The fund provides competitive grants toconservation organizations that are focused onimplementing priority conservation actions andstrategies identified in State Wildlife ActionPlans The Fund will provide $2 million in 2007This Request for Proposals is for 2007 awardsonly More information on State Wildlife ActionPlans is available at both wildlifeactionplansorgand the Teaming with Wildlife websitehttpwwwteamingcom

Grants are limited to nonprofit conservationorganizations with approved IRS 501(c)3 statusfor projects in the 50 US states or six USterritories with Wildlife Action Plans TheWildlife Action Opportunities Fund cannot beused to support projects that propose to undertakeland acquisition or conservation easementsbuilding construction political lobbyingorganizational capacity building capt ivebreeding or the gathering of additional data for aState Wildlife Action Plan through biologicalinventory monitoring or research (unless theproposed data gathering is a minor component ofa project addressing one of the funding prioritiesoutlined in the next section) Proposals that areprimarily focused on research or data collectionwill not be considered

wwwdeserttortoiseorg 13

How do you get more information on thisp r o c e s s T h e W C S w e b s i t ewcsorgwildlifeopportunity provides moreinformation on the grant program If you havefurther questions please contact Wildlife ActionOpportunities Fund Program Officer Darren Longat (406) 522-7203 or email dlongwcsorg

Contacts Darren Long or Craig Groves WildlifeConservation Society 2023 Stadium Drive Suite1A Bozeman MT 59715 406-556-7203 406-522-9333 x 109 fax 406-522-9377 fax 406-522-9377 dlongwcsorg cgroveswcsorg

httpwwwwcsorgwildlifeopportunity

DAVID J MORAFKAMEMORIAL RESEARCH AWARD

In honor and memory of Dr David J Morafkadistinguished herpetologist and authority on NorthAmerican gopher tortoises the Desert TortoiseCouncil with the aid of several donors hasestablished a monetary award to help supportresearch that contributes to the understandingmanagement and conservation of tortoises of thegenus Gopherus in the southwestern United Statesand Mexico G agassizii G berlandieri and Gflavomarginatus

Award Amount $2000 to be awarded at theDesert Tortoise Councilrsquos Annual Symposiumdepending on the availability of funding and anappropriate recipient

Eligibility Applicants must be associated with arecognized institution (eg university museumgovernment agency non-governmentalorganization) and may be graduate students post-doctoral students or other researchers They mustagree to present a report on the results of theresearch in which award funds were used at afuture symposium of the Desert Tortoise Council

Evaluation Criteria Applications will beevaluated on the basis of the potential of theresearch to contribute to the biological knowledgeof one or more of the above gopher tortoisespecies and to their management andconservation Important considerations are thesignificance and originality of the researchproblem design of sampling and analysispreliminary data supporting the feasibility of theresearch and the likelihood of successfulcompletion and publication

Application Procedure 1 Obtain an application form from the DesertT o r t o i s e C o u n c i l rsquo s w e b s i t e(wwwdeserttortoiseorg) or print out the formfrom an e-mail notification

2 Provide all information requested on theapplication including a description of theresearch project in no more than 1200 words

3 Applications must be accompanied by threeletters of recommendation one of which must befrom the applicantrsquos research advisor supervisoror a knowledgeable colleague The letters mustbe in sealed envelopes addressed to the ldquoMorafkaResearch Award Selection Committeerdquo with therecommendersrsquo signatures across the flaps

4 Completed application materials must besubmitted by December 1 2007 to the DesertTortoise Council P O Box 3273 BeaumontCA 92223

5 A research award recipient will be selected bya committee of gopher tortoise biologistsappointed by the Desert Tortoise Council Boardof Directors

6 The research award recipient will be notifiedof their selection by February 1 2008 and theaward will be presented at the 2008 DesertTortoise Council Symposium

wwwdeserttortoiseorg14

DAVID J MORAFKA MEMORIAL RESEARCH AWARD2008 APPLICATION FORM

(APPLICATION DUE DECEMBER 1 2007)

INSTRUCTIONS Please provide all specific information requested below within the spaces allotted Type font should be no smaller than 10 point Applications not adhering to these guidelines may berejected Award will be announced by February 1 2008

APPLICANT INFORMATION

Name

Home Mailing Address

E-mail Address

Institution or Organization

Department (if applicable)

Name of Research Advisor Supervisor or Colleague

Phone Number E-mail

RESEARCH INFORMATIONTitle of research project

Location(s) where research will be conducted

Permits held or expected to be obtained for the research

If selected to receive the award would you agree to report on the research at a Desert TortoiseCouncil Symposium

Enclose three letters of recommendation as per instructions in the announcement and mail applicationto the Desert Tortoise Council P O Box 3273 Beaumont CA 92223

RESEARCH DESCRIPTION

In no more than 1200 words describe the objectives andor hypotheses methods and experimentaldesign and any preliminary data supporting the feasibility of the project Also describe how the awardwould benefit the project and clearly indicate how the research would contribute to the biologicalknowledge management and conservation of one or more gopher tortoise species in the southwesternUnited States and Mexico Attach additional sheets if necessary

wwwdeserttortoiseorg

wwwdeserttortoiseorg

Desert Tortoise Councilco Doug DuncanPO Box 331Tucson AZ 85702

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION RENEWAL CHANGE OF ADDRESS DATE EMAIL ADDRESS NAME PHONE

(Please Print) (Include Area Code)ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE

Regular ($3000 per year) Organization ($125 per year) Contributing (gt$10000 per year) Lifetime ($500 or more) Student ($2000 per year- Requires endorsement of advisor or major professor)

NEWSLETTER FORMAT Pdf file via e-mail E-mail notice for web page viewing Mailed paper copy

Make check or money order payable to the Desert Tortoise Counciland send with this application

to Desert Tortoise Council PO Box 3273Beaumont CA 92223

The Desert Tortoise Council does not release its membership list

• Page 1
• Page 2
• Page 3
• Page 4
• Page 5
• Page 6
• Page 7
• Page 8
• Page 9
• Page 10
• Page 11
• Page 12
• Page 13
• Page 14
• Page 15
• Page 16

wwwdeserttortoiseorg

wwwdeserttortoiseorg

Desert Tortoise Councilco Doug DuncanPO Box 331Tucson AZ 85702

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION RENEWAL CHANGE OF ADDRESS DATE EMAIL ADDRESS NAME PHONE

(Please Print) (Include Area Code)ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE

Regular ($3000 per year) Organization ($125 per year) Contributing (gt$10000 per year) Lifetime ($500 or more) Student ($2000 per year- Requires endorsement of advisor or major professor)

NEWSLETTER FORMAT Pdf file via e-mail E-mail notice for web page viewing Mailed paper copy

Make check or money order payable to the Desert Tortoise Counciland send with this application

to Desert Tortoise Council PO Box 3273Beaumont CA 92223

The Desert Tortoise Council does not release its membership list

• Page 1
• Page 2
• Page 3
• Page 4
• Page 5
• Page 6
• Page 7
• Page 8
• Page 9
• Page 10
• Page 11
• Page 12
• Page 13
• Page 14
• Page 15
• Page 16

wwwdeserttortoiseorg

Desert Tortoise Councilco Doug DuncanPO Box 331Tucson AZ 85702

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION RENEWAL CHANGE OF ADDRESS DATE EMAIL ADDRESS NAME PHONE

(Please Print) (Include Area Code)ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE

Regular ($3000 per year) Organization ($125 per year) Contributing (gt$10000 per year) Lifetime ($500 or more) Student ($2000 per year- Requires endorsement of advisor or major professor)

NEWSLETTER FORMAT Pdf file via e-mail E-mail notice for web page viewing Mailed paper copy

Make check or money order payable to the Desert Tortoise Counciland send with this application

to Desert Tortoise Council PO Box 3273Beaumont CA 92223

The Desert Tortoise Council does not release its membership list

• Page 1
• Page 2
• Page 3
• Page 4
• Page 5
• Page 6
• Page 7
• Page 8
• Page 9
• Page 10
• Page 11
• Page 12
• Page 13
• Page 14
• Page 15
• Page 16