A solar project 38 miles west of Las Vegas was approved on Thursday (Jan. 16, 2015) despite environmental conflicts with the threatened Mojave desert tortoise.
An estimated 114 adult desert tortoises are on the site, but biologists say there are typically more juvenile tortoises — the size of a quarter — on any given habitat site.
“We continue to be amazed that the BLM pushed so hard for this project at the expense of the declining desert tortoise. Solar energy does not need to be built on the most sensitive habitats. Alternatives on rooftops, degraded lands and even Solar Energy Zones on public lands could be used to avoid these impacts. Enough important habitat has been compromised for energy, and we have the technology and ability to avoid these habitats,” Kevin Emmerich, co-founder of the conservation group Basin & Range Watch said. An estimated 114 adult desert tortoises are on the site, but biologists say there are typically more juvenile tortoises — the size of a quarter — on any given habitat site. “This means that hundreds of desert tortoise juveniles and hatchlings could be crushed by large earth-moving equipment,” according to a Basin and Range Watch news release. (Previous tortoise relocation projects have subjected tortoises to predators.) “The project site is located on diverse high elevation habitat for several other important Mojave Desert species as well,” according to Basin and Range Watch. “These include Joshua trees, Mojave yuccas, kit foxes, American badgers, rare cacti, kangaroo rats, roadrunners, and LeConte’s thrashers. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A solar project 38 miles west of Las Vegas was approved on Thursday despite environmental conflicts with the threatened Mojave desert tortoise.
Greg Haas