9/26/06
FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT
for Collaborative Desert Tortoise Recovery Planning Process

The U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution has released the FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT for Collaborative Desert Tortoise Recovery Planning Process Proposed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, prepared by a team from the U.S. Institute and the Center for Collaborative Policy.

The report represents the assessment team’s best professional judgment regarding the feasibility of a collaborative recovery planning process, as proposed by USFWS, along with thoughts on an appropriate design and sequence of steps to take in embarking on a collaborative effort. While many elements appear to be converging that would support development of the Revised Recovery Plan for the desert tortoise through a collaborative process, the assessment team identified two key conditions that must be adequately addressed before proceeding. If these feasibility issues can be resolved and USFWS decides to pursue a collaborative recovery planning process, the assessment team recommended a stepwise approach with specific key milestones to gauge progress and an appropriate deadline for completing the recovery planning process.

The U.S. Institute will now step back while USFWS and others interested in desert tortoise recovery consider the feasibility assessment and the recommendations for how to move forward.