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Basin and Range Watch
Solar Project Causes Desert Tortoise Die Off
July 5th, 2021
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^Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) eats a Beavertail cactus (Opuntia basilaris). Badgers have killed 26 relocated desert tortoises from the site of the Yellow Pine Solar Project.
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American badgers have killed 26 of the 80 desert tortoises relocated for the Yellow Pine Solar Project |
July 5th, 2021 – Badgers have preyed on 26 Federally Threatened desert tortoises that were recently moved out of harm’s way for the 3,000 acre Yellow Pine Solar Project according to personal communications with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
“As we all know, 2021 is a record-breaking drought year in the Mojave Desert,” said Kevin Emmerich, Co-Founder of Basin and Range Watch. “Badgers are not known to commonly prey on desert tortoises. It is possible that drought conditions have driven them to extreme measures”.
Starting in late April, a team of desert tortoise biologists excavated and moved as many desert tortoises as they could find. According to the BLM, over 80 adult desert tortoises have been moved and relocated to a site south of Tecopa Road. In less than a month after the relocation, 1 or 2 badgers have killed 26 of the moved tortoises so far. It is easy to see the evidence of drought throughout the Mojave Desert this year. Joshua tree bark has been eaten by moisture seeking rodents, desert shrubs are not leafing out but rather are staying dormant, and dust storms are bigger than ever due to lack of soil moisture. It is not surprising that American badgers may be utilizing a feeding opportunity provided to them by recently moved desert tortoises.
(Map of the project site desert tortoise burrows above)
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How is this being handled? |
Laura Cunningham, Co-Founder of Basin and Range Watch and past tortoise biologist, noted that, “Desert tortoises will pace for miles to find their original habitat—their home burrows which they dig, their drinking scrapes, and shade areas. In unfamiliar desert with competing resident tortoises, they spend more time above ground and this makes them vulnerable to predation. The Fish and Wildlife Service should modify their desert tortoise relocation protocols to take drought into account.”
The BLM and the US Fish and Wildlife Service are now discussing applying a foul-tasting paste to the tortoise shells as a deterrent for predation.
The Yellow Pine Solar Project was approved by the BLM on September 4th, 2020. It will be a 3,000 acre photovoltaic solar project with lithium-ion battery storage. The project is located in the South Pahrump Valley, 12 miles south of Pahrump, Nevada, and will remove a major portion of Mojave Desert habitat. Over 90,000 Mojave yuccas will be removed for the solar panels.
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BLM also approved the adjacent Trout Canyon Substation which is intended to eventually accommodate more gigantic solar projects in the area. The BLM has placed 3 additional adjacent solar applications totaling nearly 11,000 acres on a “high priority status.” While the BLM says these would be low conflict projects, they are slightly higher in elevation and appear to have very favorable habitat for the desert tortoise. We see this problem in its beginning stage. All of these projects are being planned close to each other. Right is the 3,400 acre Rough Hat Nye proposed project
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Left: Sunshine Valley Solar, Amargosa Valley, Nevada, August, 2019. This is what the desert looks like during solar project construction. |
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Tortoises Cleared from the Yellow Pine site in May, 2021 |
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Right: In May, 2021, A fleet of desert tortoise biologists seen clearing out as many tortoises as they could find before the site is cleared, vegetation mowed and converted to solar panels. Tortoises are monitored for health, outfitted with radio transmitters and tracked by biologists. But all the monitoring out there can't compensate for the current extreme drought conditions. This may have been the worst possible year to try to relocate all the desert tortoises on this 3,000 acre site. |
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The aggressive push to develop the last tortoise habitat for green energy will necessitate upgrading the desert tortoise from Federally Threatened to Federally Endangered, we beleive.
“Does using renewable energy mean we have to push species towards extinction?” asked Emmerich. “No, these solar panels can easily go on rooftops and brownfields.”
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^ Top Left: Playa Solar Project under construction on S. Nevada. Top Right: Desert tortoise
Bottom left: Yellow Pine Solar site Bottom right: Active desert tortoise burrow on Yellow Pine site.
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