Part of what makes America beautiful is its special creatures like the prehistoric-looking Mojave desert tortoise, whose survival in Nevada is more dire since a federal grant awarded to protect it from being run over by cars is among the frozen grants.
Far from Washington politics, people in Nevada who want to save these strange-looking, sleepy-eyed reptiles rejoiced that U.S. Department of Transportation officials in their sleek office tower near the Washington Nationals Park decided to answer their call for help and award a $16.8 million grant to a Nevada Department of Transportation project.
The federal dollars were to build 61 wildlife crossings and install 68 miles of protective fencing in a godforsaken desert area beside U.S. Highway 93 in southern Nevada. The Mojave desert tortoise weighs from 8 to 15 pounds and has brown, gray or black shells that blend into the barren desert landscape. It’s not easy to see them crawling around out there in the best of conditions.
Uncle Sam was going to extend a hand across America to build safe passageways and fencing to guide these slow-moving small creatures to safely cross the long highway where cars zoom through the middle of nowhere in habitats where these threatened species have always lived for hundreds of years.
Federal decision-makers will determine what is wasteful spending and what is worth paying for. Where do the natural wonders of America’s wildlife in its mute creatures—the tortoises, birds, bumblebees, flowers, fish and forests—fit in the fiscal tug-of-war amid current political winners and losers?
I believe journalists should give the American people the facts so they can make up their own minds. What you’ve just read isn’t what I intended to write when I reached out in January to interview Nevada Department of Transportation officials about how they were going to spend their new federal grant.
They haven’t received the $16.8 million from DC and the project is on hold. Just in case a miracle happens and they do get the grant, I will now describe how they wanted to spend the federal dollars and why it was important to them.
How the Federal Grant Would Have Been Spent
“NDOT’s efforts demonstrate the power of proactive infrastructure to address wildlife conservation and public safety simultaneously. By integrating state-of-the-art wildlife crossings with federal, state, and private funding, NDOT tackles pressing environmental challenges while improving roadway safety. This innovative program serves as a blueprint for other states, showing how transportation systems can harmonize with ecological needs,” stated Kelsey McFarland, NDOT spokesperson, in my interview with her before the funding freeze.
For 35 years, the Mojave desert tortoise has been federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. To stave off extinction, in 1994 critical habitats for this tortoise were designated in Nevada, Arizona, California, Utah and Arizona.
“This project is not just beneficial—it is vital for ensuring the long-term survival of the Mojave desert tortoise and other affected species,” McFarland said. “The Coyote Springs Wildlife Crossings project is critical to the survival of the Mojave desert tortoise, as it addresses the last unfenced highway section within U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-designated critical habitat in Nevada.”
The Coyote Springs Valley is thought to have about 2 tortoises per square kilometer—when double that amount is needed for them to find mates and maintain a stable population. Other factors decreasing the survival of these tortoises are lost habitat, predators, disease and road mortality.
“Conservation strategies, such as constructing barrier fencing and wildlife crossings, play an essential role in mitigating road mortality and preserving habitat connectivity. These measures allow tortoises to safely access vital resources and potential mates while reducing injuries and fatalities, particularly among adult tortoises, which are crucial for population stability and recovery,” McFarland noted.
NDOT wanted to build the 61 wildlife crossings and 68 miles of barrier fencing to also improve highway safety for all travelers by minimizing human-wildlife collisions.
“Fencing this stretch of highway will also reduce the road effect zone—the distance from pavement that wildlife avoids due to noise, vibration, and other impacts—allowing desert tortoises and other species to safely access more of their habitat. Protecting critical habitat not only benefits the tortoise but also supports the ecosystems and species that share these landscapes,” she added.
NDOT has a record of successful transportation safety projects involving wildlife. It has developed a robust network of wildlife crossings statewide, including 24 large animal over- and underpasses.
The state agency has also devised 44 tortoise-specific crossings combined with hundreds of miles of fencing to lower tortoise road mortality rates. In addition, it has worked to modify 13 structures for large animal movements to move safely in important transportation corridors and avoid being involved in vehicle collisions.
“NDOT completed two overpasses near Pequop Summit in 2018. Spanning approximately 200 feet in length, these crossings provide safe passage for migrating deer and represent a collaborative, multiyear effort to improve traffic safety and habitat connectivity,” McFarland said.
The new federal dollars were supposed to help pay for a National Environmental Policy Act study and the start of construction planning in a process that typically takes years.
NDOT has identified over 90 roadway segments to evaluate for potential transportation safety and wildlife connectivity projects.
“These efforts prioritize crash data, climate impacts, development trends, species distribution, and movement patterns to identify and address critical conflict areas. Together, these initiatives reaffirm Nevada’s commitment to protecting biodiversity while enhancing roadway safety for all,” McFarland said. “By leveraging data-driven solutions and partnerships with agencies like U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NDOT ensures projects like Coyote Springs yield lasting benefits for both wildlife and the community.”
Desert Tortoise Roadway Deaths Continue amid State Project On Hold
The population of these disappearing and rare American desert creatures continues to decline amid as the third month of funds for this previously awarded grant remain undistributed—and the grant may never be awarded.
At present, the Mojave desert tortoises are no longer hibernating in their burrows, as they do for some nine months annually. They are in the midst of their first most active cycle in the year (from March to June), which is also a time when they’re the most vulnerable for roadway mortality—which the Coyote Springs project sought to address.
