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Fort Irwin- A Desert Tortoise Enemy |
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Irwin:
Fort Irwin's "Environmental" Policy (If you know of Fort Irwin Desert Tortoise links, please forward them to: tortoiseaid@tortoise-aid.org) Thank you! |
But now, the Department of Defense wants the land the tortoises call home. Congress approved the translocation of hundreds of tortoises to give the US Army additional training space, for long range weapons testing. Over 700 tortoises were moved from the southern borders of Fort Irwin and onto BLM managed lands. These lands are known to have ill tortoises, and the new habitat this is not able to support so many animals. To make a long story short, the tortoises were dumped from paradise into land that is ill equipped to support them for the long term. For this population of healthy tortoises, the damage has been done. The tortoises were released in the very early Spring months (March 2008) when night time temperatures were still dipping into the 30's. Numerous tortoises have been predated on and killed, as there are not enough burrows for them to find safe refuge, and weather was far too cold for them to dig suitable shelter from exposure and predators.. Food sources are nowhere near as plentiful in the area they were released. At best, this was a cruel, thoughtless, and illegal act. And it cannot happen again. Superior Valley is next on the list. Please join us to halt this move before another population of (federally protected) tortoises are threatened with certain death. Please use the links to the left to find out more about the Fort Irwin Land Grab, and the Superior Valley proposal. Thank you.
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