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Desert Tortoise Recovery OfficeThe desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is found throughout the Mojave Desert of California, Nevada , Arizona , Mexico , and Utah . Tortoises have survived in the desert for millions of years, however today they face many hurdles. The Desert Tortoise Recovery Office (DTRO) based at the Service's Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office in Reno , Nevada , has been established to address population declines and focus on recovery of the species. The establishment of the DTRO is the result of strategies arising from the General Accounting Office's December 2002 audit of recovery actions for the Desert Tortoise (external link) and the October 2004 Desert Tortoise Recovery Plan Assessment . The DTRO focuses exclusively on research, monitoring, recovery plan implementation, and associated recovery permitting, rather than on regulation, and will provide a centralized point of contact through which these activities are coordinated. The DTRO strives to facilitate increased scientific understanding and improved recovery progress by increasing research activities outlined in the Recovery Plan . It assists in the coordination between managers and research scientists, and tracking and reporting new information about the efficacy of management actions. The DTRO works with the Desert Tortoise Management Oversight Group in coordinating range-wide issues and works with the California Desert Managers Group and other local, state, or regional working groups in coordinating issues at those relevant scale.
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Last updated:
January 21, 2009