The management of off-highway vehicles in the California desert has been one of the most controversial issues faced by the Bureau of Land Management over the last 30 years. In 1980, the BLM made a public commitment to manage off-highway vehicles through the designation of routes and trails. After the desert tortoise was listed as a threatened species in 1990, the need to manage off-highway travel became imperative. Through the West Mojave Coordinated Management Plan, the BLM and partner agencies are using GIS as a tool in the designation of routes in the California desert. When completed, this plan will protect habitat for over 90 species of rare, threatened, and endangered plants and animals.