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ST. GEORGE — New tortoise crossings may be coming to St. George — a potential boon for one of Washington County's most visible species.
Last week, the Washington County Habitat Conservation Plan's Advisory Committee voted to take the next steps necessary to install culverts on Cottonwood Springs Road. These would allow threatened Mojave desert tortoises to cross the street safely, reducing the chances of fatalities and increasing population connectivity.
The plan's technical committee recommended seven potential culvert locations, ranking them as low, medium or high priority, Red Cliffs Desert Reserve biologist Mike Schijf said.
With feedback from the advisory committee, the group will move forward with obtaining cost estimates to determine which areas will be the most viable for engineering. How many are built will depend on the project's cost, Schijf said.
