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In an effort to conserve biodiversity while allowing for economic growth in southwestern Utah,
the Washington County Board of Commissioners initiated a Habitat Conservation Plan in 1996.
Scientists of the USGS Western Ecological Research Center are primary contributors of biological
expertise for the HCP. Providing adequate habitat for a viable population of the desert tortoise,
a federally listed threatened species, is an objective of the plan. USGS researchers collect biological
information on diet, nutrition, home range, habitat use, and distribution of the desert tortoise in
Washington County in a long-term research project on the ecology of this species. This information
has been instrumental to designing and establishing a 60,000-acre desert reserve adjacent to the
municipalities of St. George, Washington City, and Ivins. Current efforts include developing a
plan to monitor and analyze distributions of plants and animals for regional management of
multiple species.
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