Military officials are planning to move an estimated 1,420 desert tortoises from the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps training expansion area. The plan is to move the reptiles from 88,000 acres in Johnson Valley to federal land southeast of Barstow, known as the Ord-Rodman critical habitat area. The move is needed to keep the animals out of the harm’s way during military training exercises with tanks and live ammunition that are scheduled to begin in August. The relocation still needs final approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Military officials expect to move 900 adults and 285 juvenile tortoises to protected habitat area. Another 235 younger tortoises will be taken to special base facilities, where they will be cared for until they are old enough for release. Desert tortoises are listed as threatened with extinction.
