Mojave Desert Trails Closed
A federal judge ordered the closure of several BLM-managed off-roading trails in the Mojave Desert to protect the endangered desert tortoise. The decision follows years of legal battles and has sparked fierce debate among local recreationists and small businesses that rely on outdoor tourism. Hikers planning Mojave trips should check which routes remain open and prepare for potential detours.
- The recent court order specifically closes off-road vehicle routes within the designated critical habitat of the desert tortoise and the endangered Lane Mountain milkvetch plant. Even with these closures, 63% of the off-road vehicle routes in the Western Mojave, and 271,661 acres of "open areas," will remain accessible to off-road vehicles. - This legal battle is the culmination of over two decades of challenges by conservation groups against the Bureau of Land Management's management of the area. The lawsuit that led to this injunction was filed in 2021 by the Center for Biological Diversity and other conservation nonprofits against the 2019 West Mojave Route Network Project. - The ruling by Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Illston found that the Bureau of Land Management had violated multiple federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. The judge noted that the agency failed to explain how designating thousands of miles of routes in critical tortoise habitat was consistent with legal requirements to prevent extinction and promote species recovery. - Desert tortoise populations in some monitored areas have declined by as much as 90% since the 1980s. Threats to the species are numerous and include habitat fragmentation from roads and development, predation by ravens, disease, and invasive plants. - Along with the desert tortoise, the closure also aims to protect the Lane Mountain milkvetch, an endangered flowering plant that only grows in a small area of the Mojave Desert. - The specific off-roading areas impacted by the closures include the Rand Mountains, the Red Mountain area, Cuddeback Lake, and the Kramer Hills, as well as areas north of Barstow and around the Ord, Newberry, and Rodman Mountains. - The Bureau of Land Management has until 2029 to develop a new network of off-road vehicle routes that complies with environmental laws. In the meantime, the agency is required to clearly mark the closed areas with signs and fencing and to implement a monitoring program to ensure compliance.
