West Mojave Plan FEIR/S - Desert Managers Group

BLM Study Plots: Five of Dr. Berry’s permanent study plots are found in the Fremont-Kramer DWMA, north of Highway 58. The three plots at the DTNA and one in Fremont Valleyare within or adjacent to Region FK1 (see Map 3-13). The Fremont Peak study plot is in thevicinity of Region FK2. Declines included 93% at Fremont Peak, 91% at DTNA Interior, 84% atDTNA Exterior Interpretive Center, 74% at DTNA Interior Interpretive Center, and 72% atFremont Valley.These data support Dr. Berry’s conclusions that the precipitous declines observed on thefive square miles encompassing these study plots occurred throughout the northern andnorthwestern portions of the Fremont-Kramer DWMA. Two older die-off regions (i.e., RegionsFK3 and FK4) are about seven miles southwest and eight miles south, respectively, of theFremont Peak study plot. As such, Dr. Berry’s documented die-offs in the DTNA, FremontValley, and Fremont Peak identified a smaller region, within a substantially larger one, wheretortoises died between the mid-1980’s and present day.Distribution of Symptomatic Tortoises: Four of the 12 (33%) tortoises with diseasesymptoms were found in or in the vicinity of the Fremont-Kramer DWMA (Map 3-13). The twoidentified with cutaneous dyskeratosis were within and immediately adjacent to Region FK6, thenewer die-off region south of Highway 58. One with URTD-like symptoms was found threemiles northwest of Region FK7; the other was two miles southwest of Region FK3. Three of thefour were within higher concentration areas; the fourth was three miles southwest of the onlyhigher density area west of Highway 395.Superior-Cronese DWMA: Given Dr. Berry’s work and other observations, the die-offin the northern and northwestern Fremont-Kramer DWMA was already suspected, although theaffected area is larger than expected. The die-offs in the Superior-Cronese have been suspectedsince 1998, when sign count data were first collected; however, this is the first documentation ofthe spatial distribution of these die-offs.The recent die-off regions described herein in the Superior-Cronese are alarming newevidence that the entire population within this 980 mi 2 DWMA may be in jeopardy of becomingextinct (i.e., disappearing) within the next 20 years (see discussion below).The eight die-off regions within the Superior-Cronese are characterized in Table 3-22(see also Map 3-13).Chapter 3 3-116