Sonoran Desert Tortoise Next in Line to Disrupt Arizona Agriculture
By Jake Dillard and Julie Murphree, Arizona Farm Bureau
The WildEarth Guardians (formerly Forest Guardians) and the Western Watershed Project recently petitioned to put the Sonoran Desert Tortoise on the Endangered Species List. The success of their effort could mean the end to ranching and farming in Arizona in the designated petition areas as we know it.
“I’m very concerned,” says Arizona Rancher and Young Farmer & Rancher member Ty Kelly. “This is their spotted owl agenda for the southwest. If you read their petition, they have broad, generalized statements. If they are successful, the desert tortoise is going to impact all user groups of all lands, private state and federal, not just agriculture.”
Currently, the petition is under a 90-day review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to determine if the document contains enough significant data and evidence to warrant further investigation of the species. During this time the USFWS may be asking other organizations such as Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) for other information, or to support or provide clarification on information cited.
The Sonoran Desert Tortoise’s range is considered South and East of the Colorado River in Arizona and ranges from 1,000 to 7,800 feet in elevation. Counties included in the habitat are Cochise, Gila, Graham, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz.
Of the 5 factors considered to list a species on the endangered list only one has to show a significant impact on the species in order to meet the definition of threatened or endangered. The decision is based solely on the best available scientific and commercial information. Any information relating to the economic effects or impact is excluded from the process.
The major focus of the environmentalists’ petition is on livestock grazing and urbanization development as the major downfall of the tortoise population. They cite that cattle grazing has not only destroyed the food source for the tortoise, but that water developments and other land improvements that the rancher does has actually been a detriment to the tortoise because it attracts more predators and funnels cattle to critical habitat areas. However the document does not have much data to back up the claim and the group does admit in the petition that some of the information is projected and based on data collected that did not contain significant numbers or a long period of time.
Quoting directly from their petition, “There has been an enormous increase in extractive uses on BLM lands, which comprise the majority of SDT habitat in Arizona. Among these is livestock grazing across almost six million acres (within 273 grazing allotments), or 78% of BLM classified desert tortoise habitat. From 1990-2002, the BLM listed 9,675 new mining claims, 36% of which are within BLM classified tortoise habitat. Additional impacts to SDTs [Sonoran Desert Tortoises] are increased urbanization and agricultural development in southern Arizona, which fragments and degrades tortoise habitat. These threats are very likely important determinants of the significant declines in desert tortoise populations that have occurred over the past 20 years.”
While WildEarth Guardians and the Western Watershed Project advocate putting the Sonoran Desert Tortoise on the endangered list because of livestock grazing and urbanization, Arizona Game and Fish information on the Sonoran Desert Tortoise cites drought, wildfire, habitat destruction and fragmentation, and invasion of exotic plant and wildlife species. Other impacts to the tortoise include removal of individuals from the wild, vandalism, mortality from vehicles, irresponsible off-highway vehicle (OHV) use, release of captive tortoises into the wild, and disease.
Nowhere is there reference to livestock grazing.
And, in fact, their information indicates a concerted effort to effectively manage by many: “The Arizona Game and Fish Department is coordinating with local, state and federal agencies and private landowners to conserve and manage the desert tortoise in Arizona,” states the Arizona Game and Fish. “In 1985, these groups formed the Arizona Interagency Desert Tortoise Team (AIDTT), which is responsible for coordinating research and management of the desert tortoise in Arizona. Current research is focusing on desert tortoise disease, range-wide monitoring, population genetics, reproductive sampling, habitat use analysis, and foraging studies.”
The Mojave Desert Tortoise was listed as threatened by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 1990. And while the Sonoran population is not currently listed by the USFWS, Arizona law has prohibited removal of desert tortoises from the wild since 1988. Lawfully obtained desert tortoises may be privately adopted, but desert tortoise adoption in Arizona is subject to specific rules.
Action to Take
So what can farmers and ranchers do? As of right now the petition has recently begun its 90-day review (petitions are handled by priority) and is not open to public input. The 90-day decision is expected to be published for the public around June 15th of this year. If the government’s decision determines that listing is “not warranted” then the process is complete, however we can expect to see an appeal by the two groups who filed the petition. If the government determines the listing “warranted” then the USFWS has one year to find a final ruling on whether to list the species or not. At that time, the process will be open for public comments as well as further investigation of the status of the Sonoran Desert Tortoise.
For now, farmers and ranchers are encouraged to keep up to date on the status of the 90-day process. The lead contact for the desert tortoise at the USFWS is Jeff Servoss. You can reach him at 602.242.0210. Those familiar with such petitions suggest that calling the contact can show farmer and rancher concerns with this issue.
If you would like to find out more about the petition, it’s published for public review on the USFWS Arizona Ecological Services Sonoran Desert Tortoise page at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/Sonoran_Tort.htm. Also, limited statistical information on the Sonoran Desert Tortoise can be found through the AZGFD’s Heritage Data Management System website at http://www.azgfd.gov/hgis/, or if you would like to get more detailed studies send a written request for information to AZGFD Director Larry D. Voyles at Arizona Game & Fish Department, WMHB Project Evaluation Program, 5000 West Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000.
“Don’t think this is not a serious issue,” says Kelly. “We have to do something. We can’t just sit around and expect others to respond. Radical environmental agendas have shut down entire industries and entire towns. We need to present the real facts in this and the only way is to support Arizona Farm Bureau and other organizations that can support the effort to stop the WildEarth Guardians and Western Watershed Project.”
