. Draft Caliente Management Framework Plan Amendment and environmental impact statement for the management of desert tortoise habitat. Desert tortoise; Endangered species; Wildlife habitat improvement; Land use; Public lands. CHAPTER 4 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES (Proposed Action) Organized OHV Events Closing ACECs to all speed competitive events would eliminate these events from 83 percent of designated critical desert tortoise habitat in the planning area. New trails would not be created and no widening of existing trails would occur. No direct tortoise mortalities would be caused by speed co
. Draft Caliente Management Framework Plan Amendment and environmental impact statement for the management of desert tortoise habitat. Desert tortoise; Endangered species; Wildlife habitat improvement; Land use; Public lands. CHAPTER 4 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES (Proposed Action) Organized OHV Events Closing ACECs to all speed competitive events would eliminate these events from 83 percent of designated critical desert tortoise habitat in the planning area. New trails would not be created and no widening of existing trails would occur. No direct tortoise mortalities would be caused by speed competitive events. Since fewer than three of these types of events take place annually in the planning area, the benefits from this closure are anticipated to be minimal in the short term. Non-speed organized events would be authorized to pass through the ACECs on designated routes, reducing impacts on desert tortoise and its habitat (Map 2-8). The designation of routes would reduce the potential for course widening, additional soil compaction, and the creation of new courses. The non-speed nature of events would minimize the potential for direct mortalities of tortoises. Impacts associated with spectators and pits would not occur, because these would not be allowed within the ACECs. Outside of ACECs Allowing speed and non-speed events within desert tortoise habitat outside of ACECs could result in impacts to the desert tortoise and its habitat. By requiring that all future events be limited to existing roads and trails, the potential for further habitat destruction would be reduced. A potential would continue to exist for direct tortoise mortalities, possibly during speed events. Soil compaction and creation of new roads and trails by spectators might occur, causing the potential loss of very small amounts of habitat. The roads used for these events would remain open to all other uses; the addition of these organized events would have little, if any, effect on the condition of
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