Proposed highway sparks concern over threatened tortoise

St. George • Southern Utah officials who want to build a highway across a picturesque national reserve say a proposed land deal would stave off major road congestion in the fast-growing area, but environmentalists worry it would hurt the threatened Mojave desert tortoise and other sensitive species.The plans call for a “Northern Corridor” highway across the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. Washington County officials have proposed a land swap with the federal government that would giv