Integrated Training Area Management. One of the environmental programs at NTC is the Integrated Training Area Management (ITAM) program. The ITAM program provides training and information to land users to promote environmental awareness and protect natural resources and the environment. The program provides information to the Fort Irwin community and to all rotational units prior to their arrival. These packages contain a 20-minute video explaining the Commander's position on environmental issues, what to expect upon arrival, procedures for turn-in of hazardous materials, how to properly respond to hazardous spills, and other important information that helps protect our surroundings. When the units arrive, lead rotational personnel are briefed and each soldier is issued a small NTC field card that provides instructions for handling fuel spills, encountering endangered species and other similar situations.

In addition to educating the personnel, the Fort Irwin's ITAM program also plans and executes both the repair and maintenance projects of the NTC training lands. The ITAM program inventories and monitors land conditions, provides land rehabilitation and maintenance, and integrates training requirements with land capacity. In 1999 and again in 2000, the NTC won The Exemplar Award given by the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District, which was based on these ITAM programs.

Desert Tortoise: In addition to the NTC's land management efforts, significant accomplishments have also been made in conducting research on the Desert Tortoise. Over the past 10 years, numerous studies have been made on the Desert Tortoise including: behavior of young hatchlings and adult Desert Tortoises; Upper Respiratory Tract Disease (URTD); shell disease; genetics; and long-term life history.

Just a decade ago, very little was known about the behavior of the young Desert Tortoise, but our research program has produced over 20 studies on the hatchling tortoise, and released over 100-hatchling tortoises into the desert. The research conducted at Fort Irwin has lead the way for a "Head Start Program" adopted by the West Mojave Coordinated Management Planning Team for implementation across the West Mojave Desert.

The Army commissioned over 10 studies on URTD, including studies on the causal organisms, transmission of the disease between adults, and studies to determine if the disease is spread from the adult to the egg. We are currently supporting research on an "In the Field Test" to determine quickly if a tortoise is infected with URTD, which will have implications on how or where to relocate tortoise, should the need arise. In addition to the URTD, the NTC has funded the initial research of a shell disease found in the Desert Tortoise to determine the range and cause of this debilitating disease.

The Army has conducted behavior studies to determine where the tortoise spends its time when it is above ground, preferred cover sites, and nesting substrate preference. Genetic studies have also been conducted, comparing the DNA of several populations, both on and off of the installation. The results of this research will provide key information on tortoise repopulating efforts in the Mojave Desert.

The NTC is starting its third year of a long-term life history study on Desert Tortoise. This study is evaluating the effects of URTD on behavior, reproduction, survival and tortoise response to other environmental factors, like drought and human activities, at the NTC and at three other locations around the Mojave Desert.

Recycling: The NTC participates in many other environmental programs to preserve shrinking resources-benefiting the Mojave Desert, such as recycling. The NTC uses innovative recycling techniques that not only save thousands of dollars, but also ensure a cleaner environment. A few programs include recycling air filters and antifreeze, elimination the unused product from propane cylinders, and recycling petroleum, oil or lubricants (POL). To learn more about these programs and others, please contact the U.S. Army Environmental Center