Red Cliffs Conservation Area

The Northern Corridor Highway alternative route chosen by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would avoid building a new road through prime Mojave Desert tortoise habitat.

Zone 6 is a popular recreation spot and desert tortoise habitat that was protected as part of the deal to build a highway near St. George. Local leaders and the state now say if the highway doesn’t happen, the land is open for business.

The herbicides target invasive plants, which can fuel wildfires and harm native habitats. But conservationists say mixing chemicals and wildlife comes with risks.

A new report from the Bureau of Land Management highlights how a proposed highway through protected land north of St. George could increase wildfire risk and harm endangered desert tortoises.