The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

Telegraph Creeks.The Little Blackfoot River connects the Garnetsto the Continental Divide-Boulder Mountains.A male grizzly bear was recently spotted in theGarnets to Boulders Creek area south of Highway12. This area, southeast of Garrison Junction, isimportant for grizzly bear connectivity betweenthe Garnets and the Boulder Mountains andcould increasingly become more important asgrizzly bears continue to expand their range.Wolves: The triangle formed from Avon toDeerlodge to the Boulder River (Avon/CastleRock/Garnets to Boulders area) was importanthistorical wolf pack range. Three packs havetried to recolonize this area, but have not beensuccessful due lethal control as a result oflivestock conflict. No pack currently occupiesthis part of Garnets to Boulders linkage. Wolvesmove north-south between the Garnets and theFlint Creek Range and in the valley betweenHelmville and Avon. This is open country andlarge parcels of rural land allow wolves to moveeasily. A movement corridor along the LittleBlackfoot River connects the Garnets to theContinental Divide-Boulder Mountains.Lynx: North of I-90 is considered occupied lynxhabitat.Elk: Big game, such as elk, cross I-90 nearIndependence and Old Gold Creek. Theycommonly move between Garrison and theHelena area. Many elk use the Deerlodge Valleybottom between Garrison and Opportunity.Bighorn Sheep: A self-colonizing herd is locatedat Garrison; possibly from the Anaconda/UpperRock Creek area. There is movement betweenthe Lost Creek herd and the Garrison herd.Pronghorn: One of the largest herds (300animals) in western Montana is in the valleybetween Deerlodge and Drummond, particularlynear Willow Creek. The bucks winter betweenDrummond and Garrison and summer up nearthe Little Blackfoot area. The pronghorn areclosely associated with agricultural lands withinthe valley.Conservation ThreatsDevelopment and winter recreation: Thereis great potential for subdivision developmentin this valley, particularly along the Clark ForkRiver, which could affect ungulate winter range.Private development interests are attempting tobuy up significant land parcels to create a resortarea. One owner owns a significant portion ofClark Fork-Little Belt River at Garrison Junction.Highways: Animal-vehicle collisions are athreat. Wildlife must cross I-90 and Highway12 to move east-west across the linkage area.Most road kill occurs between Avon and Garrisonalong Highway 12, and along I-90 betweenMilltown and Drummond (especially carnivores).Bighorn sheep are crossing near Garrison.Conflicts: Livestock conflicts have beennumerous, particularly in the Avon Valley,leading to lethal control of wolf packs andintolerance of grizzly bears.Disease: Many domestic sheep reside in thevalley, particularly between Garrison andDempsey. The presence of domestic sheep couldincrease the likelihood of disease transmissionto wild bighorn sheep. There is much insectdisease (mountain pine beetle) in the LittleBlackfoot drainage.Water: Water quality is a significant issue fromthe Clark Fork River south to Butte.Conservation OpportunitiesThere are four major ranchland owners in thelinkage area between Drummond-Gold Creek-Garrison; the large ranch sizes are allowing agreat deal wildlife habitat open.A portion of a $168 million settlement withAtlantic Richfield Company (Arco) for minereclamation may be available for conservationpurposes.104