The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

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traffic volumes are increasing significantly.Conservation OpportunitiesLand use planning: Maintaining habitatintegrity on public lands adjoining the linkagewill be essential, considering the escalatingdevelopment on private lands in the area.Conservation management: Some landownersin the linkage recognize the ecological valueof their lands and could be approached aboutconservation easements or other managementstrategies that would be compatible withmaintaining the linkage.Highways: Highway signing at strategic points,advising motorist of collision hazards couldreduce wildlife mortalities, and human safetyrisks.99
GallatinsSpeciesGeographic BoundaryThe Gallatin linkage includes all of theGallatin Range, extending from theGallatin River on the west to the northernfoothills south of Bozeman, to Livingstonand along the western side of theParadise Valley to the north side of TomMiner basin.Importance of Linkage AreaThis linkage is a large intact tract ofsecure core habitat at the northwestcorner of the Greater YellowstoneEcosystem. It provides a secure“jumping-off” site for animals,particularly large carnivores, expandingout of occupied habitat to potentialhabitats further to the north and west.Combined with the Tom Miner Basinlinkage, the Gallatin Range encompassall of the flagship wildlife values forwhich the GYE is noted, as well as all theconflicts with those values from humandevelopment and management.Mountain ranges connected in thisGallatin Range linkage: Absaroka Range,Madison Range, and Spanish PeaksEcological SettingThe Gallatin linkage encompasses anexpansive mountainous area between theYellowstone River south of Livingston andthe upper Gallatin River valley northwestof Yellowstone NP. The lower northeastcorner of the linkage is bisected by theYellowstone River and Highway 89, wherethey pass through the narrow canyonat the north end of the Paradise Valley.The area is broadly forested by Douglasfir(Pseudotsuga menziesii), lodgepolepine (Pinus contorta) with Engelmannspruce (Picea engelmannii), subalpine fir(Abies lasiocarpa) and whitebark pine (P.albicaulis) present depending on aspect100and elevation. Willow (Salix spp.) andaspen (Populus tremuloides) riparianareas, large wet meadow complexes,and open parks and high elevationgrasslands are intermixed with forestedareas. Timber harvest has occurred inthe western and northern portions of thelinkage using a moderate density roadnetwork, and several main access routesfurther fragment the linkage. The TrailCreek road bisects the northeast corner ofthe linkage between I-90 and the ParadiseValley. The northern part of the linkageadjoins the Gallatin Valley at Bozeman,and foothill areas on private lands arewidely developed with residences,subdivisions and some agriculturallands. This area, as well as most of thelinkage, also sustains significant yearlongrecreation use. Elevations in the linkagerange from about 5,000 feet in the lowerYellowstone and near Bozeman to over10,000 feet in several locations.WildlifeWolverine: The Gallatins is a strongholdof secure habitat for wolverines that isbecoming increasingly surrounded bydevelopment, particularly at Big Skyresort and in the Paradise Valley. Thelarge size of the linkage and the presenceof large ungulate populations as a foodsource makes this prime wolverinehabitat.Canada lynx: Some quality habitat ispresent particularly in the north half ofthe linkage but occupancy is spotty andundocumented.Grizzly bear: The linkage is occupiedhabitat but habitat quality is variable.Eightmile Creek to Wineglass Creekappears to be a high use area.Wolf: There is at least one resident wolf
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Executive SummaryMaintaining the ec
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Map 1. The Hub Conservation Area ma
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Map 3. Major elk linkages identifie
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Map 6. Major mule deer linkages ide
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Map 8. Major wolf linkages identifi
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Map 10. Major grizzly bear linkages
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For information regarding contents
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American Wildlands’ PriorityLinka
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Georgetown Lake,photo by Grace Hamm
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Beaverhead Mountains to the south,
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with mountainous wet meadows and ri
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irds). This step was repeated for c
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Figure 4. Hierarchical breakdown of
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sanitation and conflict issues betw
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Literature ReviewThis review is mea
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that this impediment is deleterious
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may not provide functional connecti
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available during dispersal, and new
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and desert; this reflects overall a
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Photo by Denver Bryanpopulations. L
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Mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus)
Page 49 and 50: GUIDE TO READINGPRIORITY LINKAGE AS
Page 51 and 52: Absaroka to CraziesSpeciesGeographi
Page 53 and 54: BangtailsSpeciesGeographic Boundary
Page 55 and 56: Bear CreekSpeciesGeographic Boundar
Page 58 and 59: Big BeltsSpeciesGeographic Boundary
Page 60 and 61: to disease transmission between dom
Page 62: sightings in the Birch Creek area.
Page 65 and 66: Elk move within this linkage for wi
Page 67: south of the linkage area.Wolverine
Page 70 and 71: ange for about 200 elk, and the Spr
Page 72: winter range is private land on the
Page 75: e using the Little Belt Mountains,
Page 78 and 79: Front south along the Continental D
Page 80 and 81: Clinton to DrummondSpeciesGeographi
Page 82 and 83: There has been a settlement with At
Page 84 and 85: Mountain Goats: The highest density
Page 86 and 87: suspected in very low levels, even
Page 88: dispersal corridor for all of these
Page 91 and 92: the area. Hunting access in general
Page 93 and 94: with the Elkhorns.Wolverines are kn
Page 96 and 97: FleecerSpeciesGeographic BoundaryFl
Page 98 and 99: negotiated grazing agreements on th
Page 102 and 103: pack in the linkage. The large size
Page 104 and 105: Garnets to BouldersSpeciesGeographi
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Page 108 and 109: persistent spring snow and may be k
Page 110 and 111: Garnets. The Clark Fork River Corri
Page 112 and 113: Horseshoe HillsSpeciesGeographic Bo
Page 114 and 115: Hound CreekSpeciesGeographic Bounda
Page 116 and 117: Jefferson SloughSpeciesGeographic B
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Page 120 and 121: Willow packs moved here from the po
Page 122: the high potential for conflict wit
Page 125 and 126: the Castle Mountains south of Whets
Page 127 and 128: Lolo to TurahSpeciesGeographic Boun
Page 129 and 130: path; this could further fragment w
Page 131 and 132: Lost TrailSpeciesGeographic Boundar
Page 133 and 134: MacDonald Pass toFleecer/Mt. Haggin
Page 135 and 136: claims within the area and 75 are b
Page 137 and 138: Conservation ThreatsDevelopment cou
Page 139 and 140: MaxvilleSpeciesGeographic BoundaryT
Page 141 and 142: Norris HillSpeciesGeographic Bounda
Page 143 and 144: PipestoneSpeciesGeographic Boundary
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Page 147 and 148: persistent snow pack.Lynx: Boles Cr
Page 149 and 150: Potter BasinSpeciesGeographic Bound
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150
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Mountain goats exist in small pocke
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Rocky Mountain Front to Big BeltMou
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Disease between bighorn sheep and d
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the linkage, grizzly bear forage in
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influencing how wildlife connectivi
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Several bighorn sheep herds form am
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Silver StarSpeciesGeographic Bounda
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controlled. In recent years, approx
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esulting from livestock depredation
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StickneySpeciesGeographic BoundaryT
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SulaSpeciesGeographic BoundaryThe S
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Tom Miner to Mill CreekSpeciesGeogr
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development. Subdivision, fencing a
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Townsend from 1000 to 300 animals.
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These appear to be important for gr
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Other existing packs include the Wo
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Creek and the Boulder River south o
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Harestad A.S., and F.L. Bunnell. 19
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Trakhtenbrot, A. R. Nathan, G. Perr
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Appendix 1 (cont.).Table 1Mammals o
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Appendix 2 (cont.).Table 2Home Rang
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Appendix 3 (cont.).Table 3Migration
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Appendix 4 (cont.).Table 4Dispersal
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Appendix 5 (cont.).Studies Demonstr
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American Wildlands ~ Winter 2008
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The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

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