Deseret News
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Jason Jones, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
ST. GEORGE Almost 53 acres of private property in southwestern Utah vital habitat for the Mojave desert tortoise were recently acquired through the combined efforts of several agencies and organizations.
The parcel is on the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve in Washington County. The Utah Department of Natural Resources, which administers the state’s Endangered Species Mitigation Fund, joined forces with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the county and The Nature Conservancy to acquire the property, where some of the highest observed densities of desert tortoises in the reserve have been found.
ST. GEORGE An area in Washington County known for its higher density of the threatened Mojave Desert tortoises is expanding.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources announced Tuesday that about 23 acres of land were donated toward the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. In addition to the donation, the agency reports that another 30 acres were acquired through an Endangered Species Mitigation Fund, giving the reserve an additional 53 acres.
The new land additions were acquired through the help of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Washington County, and The Nature Conservancy a national land conservation nonprofit. The private property acquired was one of the largest remaining private properties within the reserve, according to DWR biologist Ann McLuckie.