A federal judge has ruled that the West Mojave Route Network Project (WEMO) presented in 2019 by the Bureau of Land Management does not adequately protect the threatened (endangered in California) desert tortoise. The lawsuit against the Plan filed in 2021 was brought by six environmental organizations. While not all the lawsuit’s claims were granted, the judge found that the off-road routes could not be shown to adequately protect the tortoise and other endangered species. Additional details can be found in articles in the Los Angeles Times and Desert Sun. MBCA's 2018 commented on the project in 2018.

The California Fish and Game Commission has temporarily designated the desert tortoise as endangered, a step beyond its current status as threatened. Similar to the action reported in our most recent News Update about the status of the western Joshua tree, a year-long review period will precede a permanent designation. Read more in this LA Times article.