Turner Conservation Trust

BOLSON TORTOISETO PREVENT THE EXTINCTION OF BOLSON TORTOISES IN THE WILD, WE ARE WORKING TO ESTABLISH FREE-RANGING POPULATIONS ON THELADDER AND ARMENDARIS RANCHES IN NEW MEXICO. THESE RANCHES LIE AT THE NORTHERN TIP OF THE SPECIES' PREHISTORIC RANGE. THE LARGEST AND RAREST OF THE SIX NORTH AMERICAN TORTOISE SPECIES, THE BOLSON TORTOISE ONCE RANGED THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE CHIHUAHUAN DESERT, BUT ITS CURRENT RANGE COMPRISES ONLY A SMALL AREA IN NORTH CENTRAL MEXICO WHERE THE STATES OF DURANGO, CHIHUAHUA, AND COAHUILA MEET. WE AIM TO ESTABLISH FREE-RANGING, MINIMALLY MANAGED, WILD BOLSTON TORTOISE POPULATIONS IN THE NORTHERN CHIHUAHUAN DESERT. DURING THE NEXT 20 YEARS, WE WILL USE CAPTIVE BREEDING TO PRODUCE JUVENILES TO BUILD A LARGE CAPTIVE POPULATION OF BOLSON TORTOISES. POPULATION DECLINE, AND RANGE CONTRACTION ARE DUE TO COLLECTION FOR FOOD AS WELL AS HABITAT LOSS. ADDITIONAL DETAILED INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

MEXICAN GRAY WOLFMEXICAN GRAY WOLVES (MGW) ARE A DISTINCT SUBSPECIES OF GRAY WOLVES THAT ROAMED MOST OF THE SOUTHWESTERN US ANDPORTIONS OF MEXICO UNTIL THEY WERE FUNCTIONALLY ERADICATED IN THE WILD THROUGH AGGRESSIVE GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED PREDATOR CONTROL MEASURES. OUR GOAL IS TO CONTRIBUTE TO RECOVERY OF THE MEXICAN GRAY WOLF POPULATIONS IN THE WILD IN THE US AND MEXICO. DURING THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, TESF WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT MEXICAN GRAY WOLF RECOVERY BY PROVIDING A CAPTIVE FACILITY ON THE LADDER RANCH THAT HOUSES UP TO 25 WOLVES AT ANY ONE TIME, INCLUDING BREEDING PAIRS AND WOLVES TRANSITIONING BETWEEN THE WILDPOPULATION AND CAPTIVITY. THE LADDER RANCH FACILITY WILL RESPOND TO THE NEEDS AND OVERALL PROJECT GOALS SET BY THE USFWS AND THE SPECIES SURIVAL PLAN ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.ADDITIONAL DETAILED INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

RIO GRANDE SUCKER / RIO GRANDE CHUBRIO GRANDE SUCKER (RGS) AND RIO GRANDE CHUB (RGC) HAVE EXPERIENCED RANGE-WIDE DECLINES MAINLY DUE TO HABITAT DEGRADATION AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NON-NATIVE FISHES. OUR GOAL IS TO CONSERVE AND RESTORE SELF-SUSTAINING POPULATIONS OF RGS AND RGC ON TURNER RANCHES AND SURROUNDING LANDSCAPES TO ENHANCE THE CONSERVATION STATUS OF BOTH SPECIES. WE WILL LEAD OR CATALYZE RESTORATION OR IMPROVEMENT OF RGC AND RGS POPULATIONS IN 100 KM OF STREAM ACROSS APPROPRIATE HABITAT ON AND ADJACENT TO TURNER OWNED PROPERTIES. WE WILL WORK WITH STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS TO ADVANCE THE OVERALL SPECIES CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY, SERVE AS A MODEL FOR LARGE-SCALE CONSERVATION EFFORTS ON PRIVATE LANDSCAPES, AND CONTRIBUTE TO CONSERVATION SCIENCE THROUGH INNOVATION, IMPLEMENTATION, AND RESEARCH IN THE FIELD.ADDITIONAL DETAILED INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

MONARCH BUTTERFLYTHE PRIMARY THREAT TO MONARCH BUTTERFLIES IS HABITAT LOSS AND PESTICIDES. IN RESPONSE TO THE UNPRECEDENTED DECLINE OF SUCH AN ICONIC INSECT, TESF TEAMED UP WITH FEDERAL, STATE, AND NON-PROFIT PARTNERS TO INITIATE MULTIPLE MONARCH BUTTERFLY HABITAT CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY PROJECTS ON TURNER PROPERTIES. WE WILL INCREASE POLLINATOR HABITAT THROUGH MILKWEED PLANTINGS AND HABITAT MANAGEMENT. MOST TURNER PROPERTIES LIE WITHIN THE SPRING AND FALL MIGRATION ROUTES OF THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY AND CAN REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO SUPPORT MONARCH POPULATIONS WITH RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION OF MILKWEEDS AND OTHER WILDFLOWERS.ADDITIONAL DETAILED INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.