Another quiver of Tort knowledge in my bag ....It's against the law to take them from the wild. If you've legally adopted one, or rescued one like Epps did, then it's illegal to breed them, and if they lay eggs you're supposed to let nature take its course, as they did by leaving the eggs in the ground to hatch or not. So since they've done nothing wrong, it's perfectly legal for them to either keep the baby or adopt it out, no fee. Once a person has a desert tortoise in their possession it is illegal to turn it out into the wild. It could infect the wild population with disease.
Thanks @Yvonne G
I just had a thought ...... I'm wondering if you have forgotten more tortoise knowledge than I have learned. Just another funny, I truly appreciate being able to access the "Encyclopedia Yvonne"