The Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area (DTRNA) is a area in the western

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily in ...

, located in eastern

Kern County Kern County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield. Kern County comprises the Bakersfield, California, Metropolitan statistical area. The county sp ...

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

. It was created to protect the native desert tortoise (''Gopherus agassizii''), which is also the California

state reptile Twenty-eight U.S. states have named an official state reptile. As with other state symbols, states compare admirable aspects of the reptile and of the state, within designating statutes. Schoolchildren often start campaigns promoting their favo ...

. The area is located at the southwestern end of the

Rand Mountains The Rand Mountains are located in the Mojave Desert northeast of California City and southwest of the town of Randsburg. History The mountains were the location of the Rand Mining District, with the mining towns of Randsburg, Red Mountain, and J ...

, northeast of

California City California City is a city located in northern Antelope Valley in Kern County, California, United States. It is north of the city of Los Angeles, and the population was 14,973 at the 2020 census. Covering , California City has the third-largest ...

, and has an interpretive center for visitors. of the land was given to the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's la ...

in a 1980 agreement over the Great Western Cities Company land schemes as part of an effort to acquire

clear title Clear title is the phrase used to state that the owner of real property owns it free and clear of encumbrances. In a more limited sense, it is used to state that, although the owner does not own clear title, it is nevertheless within the power o ...

.People v. Great Western Cities, Inc., Los Angeles Superior Court C51745 The

recognized the significance of the area and designated it an "Area of Critical Environmental Concern" and as a "Research Natural Area" in 1980.

References

External links

Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee.org: Desert Tortoise Natural Area website
Protected areas of Kern County, California Protected areas of the Mojave Desert Natural history of the Mojave Desert Natural history of Kern County, California Bureau of Land Management areas in California {{KernCountyCA-geo-stub