Recovery Plan N As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department ofthe Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering the wisestuse ofouriandandwater resources, protectingourfish and wiWlife, preservingthe environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historicalplaces, and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses ourenergyandmineral resourcesandworkstoassure that their development is in the bestinterestsofallourpeople. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities andfor people who live in island Territories under U.S. administration. K Desert Tortoise (Mojave Population) Recovery Plan Tune 1994 Prepared for Regions 1, 2, and 6 of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region I - Lead Region, Portland, Oregon. DESERT TORTOISE (MOJAVE POPULATION) RECOVERY PLAN Prepared by the Desert Tortoise Recovery Team For Regions 1, 2, and 6 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 1 - Lead Region, Portland, Oregon Approved ~ Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Concurred Chairman, Desert Tortoise Management Oversight Group Date Approved June 28. 1994 DISCLAIMER PAGE Recovery plans delineate reasonable actions which are believed to be required to recover and/or protect listed species. Plans are published by the Fish and Wildlife Service, sometimes prepared with the assistance ofrecovery teams, contractors, State agencies, and others. Objectives will be attained and any necessary funds made available subject to budgetary and otherconstraints affecting the parties involved, as well as the need to address other priorities. Recovery plans do not necessarily represent the views, official positions, orapproval of any individuals or agencies involved in the plan fonnulation, otherthan the Fish and WildlifeService, and gnjy after they have been signed by the Regional Director orDirector as ~ppr.Q~d. Approvedrecovery plans are subject to modification as dictated by new findings, changes in special status, and the completion ofrecovery tasks. LiTERATURE CiTATION SHOULD READ AS FOLLOWS Fish and Wildlife Service. 1994. Desert tortoise (Mojave population) Recovery Plan. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, Oregon. 73 pages plus appendices. Additional copies may be purchased from Fish and Wildlife Reference Service 5430 GrosvenorLane, Suite 110 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 Telephone: (301)492 6403 or l-(800) 582 3421 The fees forplans vary depending on the number ofpages. : RECOVERY TEAM This Recovery Plan was preparedby the Desert Tortoise Recovery Team: Dr. PeterF. Brussard, Team Leader University of Nevada, Reno Reno, Nevada Dr. Kristin H. Berry National Biological Survey Riverside, California Dr. Michael E. Gilpin University ofCalifornia, La Jolla LaJolla, California Dr. Elliott R. Jacobson University of Florida Gainesville, Florida Dr. David J. Morafica California State University, Dominguez Hills Carson, California Dr. Cecil R. Schwalbe National Biological Survey Tucson, Arizona Dr. C. Richard Tracy Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado Dr. Frank C. Vasek Valley Center, California Acknowledgements Chris Mullen of the University of Nevada, Reno, provided invaluable help during all phases of the production of this recovery plan. The University of Nevada, Reno, Biology Department and Agricultural experiment station provided facilities and funding. Numerous people and organizations were instrumental in providing significant information and assistance. These include: Dr. William R. Blischke, Eddy Trevino, and Michelle Joyner-Griffith, California State University, Dominguez Hills; Dr. Jerry Boggs, U.S. Naval Weapons Center, China Lake; Capt. Elizabeth Buckrucker, U.S. Army National Training Center, Fort Irwin; Betty L. Burge, The Tortoise Group; Dr. William Boarman, Dr. Harold Avery, Dr. Jeffrey Lovich, James Carroll, Richard Franklin, Clara Stapp, and Anthony Chavez, BLM, California Desert District; Chris Catapano, Chris Tracy, Kathy Dean-Bradley, Robert Espinoza, ScottHillard, Kevin Castle, and Pamela Budhovich, Colorado State University; Deborah Clark, California Department ofFish and Game, Barstow; Thomas 0. Clark, BLM, Barstow Resource Area; Mike Coffeen, U.S. Navy, San Diego; George Cropper and Timothy Duck, BLM, Arizona Strip District; Ted Cordery, BLM, Arizona State Office; Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee; Leslie DeFalco, Todd Esque, Scott Belfit, and John Payne, BLM, Cedar City District; Sid Slone, Phil Medica, and Doug Duncan, BLM, Las Vegas District; Dr. Jerry Freilich,Joshua Tree National Monument; Brian Henen and Chuck Peterson, University ofCalifornia, Los Angeles; Jack Kawashima (deceased) and Dr. John Palmer, Southern California Edison; Dr. Anthony J. Krzysik, U.S. Army National Training Center, Fort Irwin; JeffHowland, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix; Brad Hardenbrook, Nevada Department ofWildlife, Las Vegas; Ed LaRue, Tierra Madre Consultants; Ed Lorentzen, BLM, California State Office; Dr. Claudia Luke, Biosystems Analysis; Dr. Ron Marlow, Silver State Environmental Research and Consulting; Tom Olson, Dames and Moore; Randy Radant, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources; Peter Woodman, Kiva Biological Consulting; Dr. Linda Zimmerman, Drexel University; Sherry Barrett, Pete Tuttle, and David Harlow, FWS, Reno; Jim Rorabaugh, FWS, Phoenix; Judy Hohman and Ray Bransfield, FWS, Ventura; Jay Slack, FWS, Washington D.C.; RobertBenton and Marilet Zablan, FWS, Salt Lake City; Steve Chambers, FWS, Albuquerque; and Interagency Writing Consultants. Desert Tortoise (Mojave Population) Recovery Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Current Status: The range ofthe desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, includes the Mojave and Sonoran deserts in southern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, the southwestern tip of Utah, and Sonora and northern Sinaloa, Mexico. The Mojave population of the desert tortoise (an administrative designation for animals living north and west ofthe Colorado River) was listed as threatened on April 2, 1990. Critical habitat for the Mojave population was designated on February 8, 1994. Habitat Requirements and Limiting Factors: The Mojave population of the desert tortoise occurs primarily on flats and bajadas characterized by scattered shrubs and abundant inter-space forgrowth ofherbaceous plants, with soils ranging from sand to sandy-gravel. Desert tortoises are also found on rocky terrain and slopes, and there is significant geographic variation in the way desert tortoises use available resources. The Mojave population was listed because desert tortoise numbers are declining precipitously in many areas. These declines are mainly attributed to direct and indirecthuman-caused mortality coupled with the inadequacy ofexisting regulatory mechanisms to protect desert tortoises and their habitat. Impacts such as the destruction, degradation, and fragmentation ofdesert tortoise habitat result from urbanization, agricultural development, livestock grazing, mining, and roads. Human “predation” is also a major factor in the decline ofdesert tortoise populations. Predation is used here in its broadest sense, meaning the taking ofdesert tortoises out oftheir populations either by death (accidental or intentional) orremoval from native habitat. An upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) is an additional major cause ofdesert tortoise mortality and population decline, particularly in the western Mojave Desert. Recovery Objective: Delisting through recovery. Delisting Criteria: Genetics, morphology, behavior, ecology, and habitat use define six distinct population segments orrecovery units’ within the range of the Mojave population: northern Colorado, eastern Colorado, upper Virgin River, eastern Mojave, northeastern Mojave, and western Mojave. The 1 For the purpose of this document, the following definitions should be used: Recovery unit - a geographic area harboringan evolutionarily distinct population of the deserttortoise (Mojavepopulation); Desert Wildlife Management Area (DWMA) - adminisu~ative area within the recovery unit which is managed such that reserve-level protection is afforded deserttortoise populations while maintaining and protecting other sensitive species and ecosystem functions (e.g., watersheds). i Desert Tortoise (MojavePopulation) Recovery Plan population within a recovery unit may be considered fordelisting when the following criteria are met (1) As determined by a scientifically credible monitoring plan, the population within a recovery unitmust exhibit a statistically significant upward trend or remain stationary for at least 25 years (one desert tortoise generation); (2) enough habitat must be protected within a recovery unit, or the habitat and desert tortoise populations must be managed intensively enough to ensure long-term viability; (3) provisions must be made forpopulation management within eachrecovery unit so that discrete population growth rates (lambdas) are maintained at or above 1.0. (4) regulatory mechanisms orland management commitments must be implemented that provide for long-term protection of desert tortoises and their habitat; and (5) the population in the recovery unit is unlikely to need protection under the Endangered Species Act in the foreseeable future. Actions Needed: This Recovery Plan describes a strategy for recovery and deisting. Keyto this strategy is - the establishment of at least one Desert WildlifeManagement Area - implementation ofreserve level protection within each DWMA