Save the Mojave Desert Tortoise From Extinction

The Issue
The Mojave Desert tortoise has roamed the American Southwest for millions of years. Once common across California, Nevada, Arizona, and Mexico, it is now vanishing at an alarming rate. In some regions, populations have declined by as much as 90% since 1984.

Habitat loss, vehicle collisions, off-road recreation, military activity, disease, and the accelerating impacts of climate change have driven this keystone species to the brink of extinction. California has already upgraded the tortoise’s status from threatened to endangered under state law — a clear warning that without urgent action, this ancient survivor could disappear forever.

The Mojave Desert tortoise is more than a desert icon. It is an “ecosystem engineer,” digging burrows that provide shelter for countless other species. Its loss would trigger a cascade of decline across an already fragile desert ecosystem.

Yet at the very moment this species needs more protection, federal agencies responsible for safeguarding it are struggling with budget cuts and staff shortages. Without stronger protections and dedicated funding, the tortoise’s future — and the health of the desert itself — will be lost.

We Call On Congress, the Department of the Interior, and Federal/State Agencies to:

• Increase and prioritize funding for tortoise conservation, habitat restoration, and recovery programs.
• Strengthen and enforce protections against habitat destruction, vehicle damage, and other preventable threats.
• Partner with conservation groups to implement long-term, fully resourced recovery strategies.

The Mojave Desert tortoise has survived heat, drought, and predators for more than 15 million years. We cannot allow human neglect to erase it now. Protecting the tortoise means protecting the desert’s delicate web of life — and honoring our responsibility to future generations.