For immediate release – February 22, 2012
| Contacts: | Dr. Michael Connor, California Director Western Watersheds Project, 818.345.0425 |
Las Vegas, Nevada – Last weekend at a meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada the Desert Tortoise Council bestowed its James A. St. Amant Special Award to Western Watersheds Project, a westwide regional conservation group, for its efforts to protect desert tortoises. The award recognizes Western Watersheds Project’s work to protect desert tortoises from the negative impacts of livestock grazing and industrial solar projects to tortoises and their habitat in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.
“The conservation and recovery of desert tortoises is entirely dependent on the appropriate mangement of public lands in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.” said Dr. Michael Connor, California Director for Western Watersheds Project. “We are honored that the Council has recognized our efforts to bring this about.”
The Desert Tortoise Council was established in 1976. The James A. St. Amant Special Award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made outstanding or unique contributions to the conservation of desert tortoises and the desert environment.
Western Watersheds Project is a non-profit conservation group founded in 1993. The mission of Western Watersheds Project is to protect and restore western watersheds and wildlife through education, public policy initiatives, and litigation. The groups works to influence and improve public lands management in eight western states.
Visit Western Watersheds Project’s ‘Desert Tortoise’ webpage
