28th Annual Meeting and Symposium of the
Desert Tortoise Council, February 21-23, 2003
Abstracts

Defense Department Participation in Desert Tortoise Management

Major Bruce W. Soderberg
Commanding General, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Division, Box 788110, Bldg 1451, Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, Twentynine Palms, CA 92278

Most tortoise research has taken place either on Department of Defense (DOD) lands or with military funding. DOD has been an active participant in the Desert Managers Group, the West Mojave Coordinated Management Plan and the Desert Tortoise Management Oversight Group. A formal committee of military land managers has been formed and meets regularly to coordinate our actions.

DOD is committed to long-term tortoise management and delisting. As an agency, we highly recommend that other agencies follow our lead. Without cooperative effort throughout the tortoises range, we will not be able to achieve the goals of the approved Recovery Plan. DOD encourages regional efforts to control predators, including participation from municipalities, counties and NGO's including the Desert Tortoise Council. The Sikes Act requires all installations to complete and implement an Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP). These plans detail research and land management goals for a period of five years and they are completed with the cooperation of the USFWS and the appropriate state wildlife management agency. This presentation will primarily focus on these and other "desert-wide" issues, such as sustainable training, encroachment and the loss of habitat due to urban development. The presentation is intended to complement the installation-specific papers that will be presented later in the meeting.