Drought-stressed plants in Red Cliffs tortoise habitat need help thespectrum.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thespectrum.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Lindsay Whitehurst
FILE - In this May 13, 2006, file photo, is a desert tortoise in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve east of Leeds, Utah. A coalition of conservation groups on Friday, June 4, 2021, sued the U.S. government over the Trump administrationâs decision to allow construction of a new four-lane highway through the national conservation area in southern Utah that includes protected habitat for the Mojave desert tortoise. (Brain Passey/The Spectrum via AP, File) June 04, 2021 - 12:03 PM
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) â A coalition of conservation groups on Friday sued the U.S. government over the Trump administrationâs decision to allow construction of a new four-lane highway through a national conservation area in southern Utah that includes protected habitat for the Mojave desert tortoise.
Lawsuit Targets Utah Highway Through Protected Conservation Lands, Threatened Tortoise Habitat biologicaldiversity.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from biologicaldiversity.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Wilderness Society joined other groups as plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Department of the Interior, alleging that the Trump administration violated the law when it granted right-of-way for a disruptive highway project through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area in southwest Utah. The government ignored likely impacts to Mojave desert tortoise populations, which include habitat fragmentation and increased invasive species.
Southern Utah has enough panoramic mountain views, striking red-rock formations, and dark-sky zones for a lifetime of adventure. But sometimes it’s better to settle in to explore one place than try to do everything in one trip. We asked a couple of adventurers who love southern Utah to share their favorite spots for going beyond the parks, and staying for a week or longer.
Beyond Bryce Canyon and Zion
For a week of exploring around Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, head to St. George, where you can camp within a short drive of hundreds of miles of hiking and mountain-biking trails. “Our national parks are stunning but I have a soft spot for the many state parks in Utah,” says Nailah Blades Wylie, a Salt Lake City–based adventure coach and founder of Color Outside, which runs adventure retreats for women of color. One of Blades Wylie’s favorites is Snow Canyon; the trails there wind through striking red rock, and streams of black lava are frozen in time against the can