BBBEVENTEENTH ANNUAL INTRODUCTION TO SURVEYING, MONITORING AND HANDLING TECHNIQUES WORKSHOP PRESENTED BY: THE DESERT TORTOISE COUNCIL OCTOBER 25 & 26, 2008 SPRINGHILL SUITES MARRIOTT, RIDGECREST, CALIFORNIA PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS: Mike and Tracy Bailey Burns & McDonnell California Department of Fish and Game David Carr Edwards Air Force Base Patty Glasco Indian Wells Valley Water District Alice Karl and Associates Ed La Rue, Circle Mountain Biological Consultants U.S. Bureau of Land Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Geological Survey-BRD A. Peter Woodman, Kiva Biological Consulting
SCHEDULE FOR DESERT TORTOISE COUNCIL SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL INTRODUCTION TO DESERT TORTOISE SURVEYING, MONITORING, AND HANDLING TECHNIQUES WORKSHOP Saturday, October 25,2008 7:00 to 8:00 Check-in 8:00 to 8:15 Welcome (Ed LaRue) 8:15 to 9:30 General Overview ofmojave Desert Tortoises (Dr. Kristin Berry 9:30 to 9:50 Break 9:50 to 10:25 Threats to Tortoises (Dr. Kristin Berry) 10:25 to 11 :05 Field Evaluations of Desert Tortoises for Health and Disease; Effects of Diseases on Populations (Dr. Kristin Berry) 11 :05 to 11: 15 Questions for Dr. Berry 11: 15 to 12 :00 Finding Tortoises and Distinguishing One Type of Sign From Another (Peter Woodman) 12:00 to 1:30 Lunch to be provided 1:30 to 1:45 Instructions for outdoor session (Ed LaRue) 1:45 to 2:00 Travel to Field Session #1 2:00 to 4:30 Outdoor Field Session #1 Artificial burrow construction demonstration: auger, PVC, plywood, pallet Egg handling and burrow excavation Field identification: burrow, scat, carcass
SCHEDULE FOR DESERT TORTOISE COUNCIL SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL DESERT TORTOISE SURVEYING, MONITORING, AND HANDLING TECHNIQUES WORKSHOP Sunday, October 26,2008 7:30 to 7:55 Continental Breakfast to be provided 7:55 to 8:00 Announcements (Ed LaRue) 8:00 to 8:20 Bureau of Land Management (Bob Parker) 8:20 to 8:40 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Ray Bransfield) 8:40 to 9:00 Department offish and Game (Becky Jones) 9:00 to 9:20 Questions for Agency Personnel 9:20 to 9:35 Break 9:35 to 10:30 Tortoise Field Surveys, Data Collection and Interpretation (Dr. Alice Karl) 10:30 to 11: 10 Resource Monitoring on Construction Projects (Sean Daly) 11:10 to 11:35 Translocation (Dr. Alice Karl) 11 :35 to 11:50 Instructions for outdoor sessions (Ed LaRue) 11 :50 to 1:30 Lunch (on your own) and travel to field site for Outdoor Session #2 1:30 to 2:00 Tortoise Handling Demonstration 2:00 to 3:30 Plot Surveying
TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTIONl A. Presentation by Dr. Kristin H. Berry (U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division: An Overview of Mojave Desert Tortoises B. Presentation by Dr. Kristin H. Berry (U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division): Threats to Tortoises C. Presentation by Dr. Kristin H. Berry (U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division): Field Evaluations of Desert Tortoises for Health and Disease; Effects of Diseases on Populations MISCELLANEOUS Desert Tortoise Nest Relocation (Science Applications International Corporation, Las Vegas, NV) Burrow (Excerpt from Desert Tortoises: Adoption and Care. Tortoise Group, Las Vegas, NV, Revised Feb. 1999) Data Sheets for Live Desert Tortoises and Health Profile Form for Desert Tortoises (Berry, KH., 1997) Guidelines for Handling Desert Tortoises During Construction Projects (Desert Tortoise Council, E. LaRue, Editor. Revised 1999) Attachment 10: Keys and Figures for Estimating Time Since Death for Shell-skeletal Remains of Desert Tortoises (Berry, KH. and A.P. Woodman. 1984) Preliminary Investigations of Shell Wear in Determining Adult Age Groups in Desert Tortoises (Berry, KH. and A.P. Woodman, 1984) SECTION 2 A. Presentation by Robert Parker (Bureau of Land Management, Ridgecrest, California) SECTION 3 A. Presentation by Ray Bransfield (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) SECTION 4 A. Presentation by Becky Jones (California Department of Fish and Game) SECTION 5 A. Nongame Branch Arizona Game and Fish Department
TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 6 A. Additional Documents - USGS B. Additional Documents - USFWS C. Links