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28th Annual Meeting and Symposium of the
Desert Tortoise Council, February 21-23, 2003
Abstracts
Clark County Highway Fencing Progress
Michael Burroughs1, Christina Gibson2, and Karin Hoff3
1U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Las Vegas, Nevada
2Clark County Desert Conservation Program
3University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The Clark County Desert Conservation Program (DCP) is committed to fencing along roadways to reduce tortoise mortality from vehicle impacts. The DCP has identified fencing priorities and expenditures of up to one million dollars for fencing in each biennial funding cycle since it's inception. The fencing program is collaborative and well developed. It is overseen by a public, multi-agency working group established by Clark County's DCP Implementation and Monitoring Committee. The priorities of the fencing program include the Desert Tortoise ACECs in Clark County and other fencing to support Desert Tortoise recovery. To date, approximately 234 miles of tortoise fencing have been installed in Clark County. An additional 238 miles of required fencing have been identified along major roads. The fencing program has incorporated the results of research addressing the impacts of major roads on Desert Tortoise habitat in southern Nevada, but has yet to address small roads and fragmentation of habitat. The effectiveness of the fencing program will be evaluated through Clark County's DCP Adaptive Management Program.