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Federal Government Plans To Kill Hundreds Of Desert Tortoises To Save $1 Million A Year

220px-Gopherus_agassiziiOutside Las Vegas is a facility that has served as the last line of defense for the beautiful desert tortoise — an animal forced near extinction by developers and sprawling suburbs. Tortoises are brought to the Desert Tortoise Conservation Center, which is largely supported by developer fees and federal support. Now, due to a lack of federal funding, the federal government plans to euthanize hundreds of the tortoises — animals added to the endangered species list in 1990. The cost? One million dollars a year. So our government continues to waste billions in Iraq and Afghanistan while exploring a new war in Syria, but we cannot support a $1 million budget that is so important to the preservation of this species. The Administration would prefer to deliver bags of money to Karzai, buy Russian aircraft that Afghans can’t fly or maintain, or build huge buildings to be then torn down unused. Of course, we have invaded their habitat, but it appears that they are not entitled to the years of upon ended reconstruction funding because they do not threaten to tortoise extremism around the world.

The facility will close in the coming months. They will start to put down arrivals in the fall. Bureau of Land Management spokesperson Hillerie Patton noted that, with fewer homes and developments being constructed, the tortoises will have to die: “With the money going down and more and more tortoises coming in, it never would have added up.” No it doesn’t. Congress and the White House needs billions to burn in Iraq and Afghanistan so environmental, educational, and scientific programs must go.

These magnificent creatures have roamed the Southwest for 200 million years. Where millions once dwelled in areas of Utah, California, Arizona and Nevada, no more than 100,000 tortoises remain. They can live 100 years, but that will no longer be the case for hundreds arriving at this government site for shelter.

Source: Washington Post

49 thoughts on “Federal Government Plans To Kill Hundreds Of Desert Tortoises To Save $1 Million A Year”

  2. I think the French had a similar problem in the late 1700s.
    Not a tortoise problem, a Wealth Centered Government of the 0.1%
    Thank goodness our constitution has no allowance for Royalty nor Aristocrats.

  3. why would it cost 1 million a year, how many torti do they have?

    A little water some cacti and fruit maybe a meal worm or 2 per day for a year, how much could that be?

    instead of killing them, why dont they adopt them out to reptile lovers?

    the government, this government is just full of morons. And we elect these clowns so we must be sub-cretins.

  4. How was the desert tortoise able to survive for millions of years on it’s own without humans around to play god?

    This species has lived through many changes in climate which most certainly resulted in a change of habitat for the tortoise and yet they still survive.

  8. Obviously someone forget to contribute to the re-election campaigns of 6 people in Nevada.

  9. The Feds waste millions every day. Hey, let’s stop paying Congress! They don’t do anything and they’re all millionaires…

  11. Linda Thomas,
    That is a WordPress feature and bloggers don’t have any control over it. Suggest contacting WordPress help desk. Yours is a common complaint, and it’s not the only gripe about WP.

  12. Caring for living creatures must be given greater priority than destroying living creatures. How did this country (the world really) get so far off course?

  13. Mr. Turley really be hatin’ on Obama today. And, there’s no one to give rebuttal as yet. That doesn’t seem right.

  16. Our elected “representatives” are sick, sick. Remember all this stuff when Nov 2014 comes around. Do not vote for a R or a D!

  17. This is crap…. Pure unadulterated crap….. Foreign wars are NOT ,ore important than domestic issues….

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