BLM Shuts Mojave Desert Trails
A federal judge ordered the shutdown of several Bureau of Land Management off-highway trails in California's Mojave Desert to protect endangered desert tortoise habitat. The decision has sparked debate between conservationists and the off-roading community, with ongoing legal developments expected as both sides seek compromise.
- The ruling was made by Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco, who determined the Bureau of Land Management's 2019 "West Mojave Route Network Project" violated the Endangered Species Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. - The lawsuit was filed in 2021 by a coalition of conservation groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Desert Tortoise Council. - This legal battle is part of a conflict spanning more than 20 years, with a prior version of the BLM's West Mojave Plan being rejected by the same judge in 2009 for failing to minimize impacts on the environment. - The decision will close approximately 2,200 miles of off-road vehicle routes that pass through about 1 million acres of designated critical desert tortoise habitat. - In addition to the desert tortoise, the closures are also intended to protect the endangered Lane Mountain milkvetch, a rare flowering plant. - Desert tortoise populations have declined by as much as 90% in some areas since the 1970s. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated the adult tortoise population in the affected area may have dropped by 50% in the last decade alone. - While the ruling closes trails in critical habitats, 63% of the off-road vehicle routes in the Western Mojave will remain available for use. This includes 271,661 acres of "open areas" that are still accessible to off-road vehicles. - The court has given the Bureau of Land Management until 2029 to develop a new route network plan that complies with environmental laws.
