The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

More documents

Recommendations

Info

persistent spring snow and may be key denninghabitat.Conservation ThreatsDevelopment: The Georgetown Lake, SilverLake, West Valley area, and Anacondaare becoming increasing developed bothresidentially and recreationally. The Springhillarea is owned by developers and is currently forsale.Fragmentation: Many old forest highwaysfragment habitat.Conservation OpportunitiesMontana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is making aneffort to purchase key conservation landsbetween the National Forest boundary andOlsen Gulch. Preservation of wildlife/openspace values is an interest of the AnacondaSportsman’s Club, the Foundation for NorthAmerican Wild Sheep, Five Valleys Land Trustand other groups.107
Helmville to FlintsSpeciesGeographic BoundaryThe Helmville to Flints linkage areaextends north-south from the northernextent of the Flint Creek Range, acrossthe southern end of the Garnet Rangeand the Robert E. Lee Mountains, endingin the Helena National Forest around thetown of Lincoln. The Clark Fork Riverruns through the southern part of thelinkage area; Nevada Creek runs throughthe central-northern part of the linkagearea. The heart of this linkage betweenthe Garnets and Flints is through the GoldCreek area.Importance of Linkage AreaThis linkage area serves to connectthe more isolated mountain rangesof the southwestern Hub region withthe Continental Divide and the large,continuous mountain complex of theScapegoat Wilderness.Mountain ranges connected in thislinkage: Central Garnets, Flint CreekRange, Boulder Mountains, and theScapegoat Wilderness Area and Robert E.Lee Mountains.Ecological SettingThe south end of this linkage extendsfrom the forested foothills of the FlintCreek Range across open grassland slopeswith stringers of cottonwood (Populusspp.) and willow (Salix spp.) riparianhabitat along perennial streams tributaryto the Clark Fork River. North of theClark Fork, habitat becomes a mix of drysagebrush/grasslands and scattered RockyMountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum),limber pine (Pinus flexilis) and Douglasfir(Pseudotsuga menziesii). Forest coverbecomes progressively denser in largerstands further to the north. The densityof forest cover, predominantly Douglas-fir108(Pseudotsuga menziesii) and lodgepole pine(Pinus contorta), is dependent on aspectand elevation in this area. South-facingslopes are more open with interspersedareas of big sagebrush (Artemisiatridentata) and grasslands whereas northfacingslopes and higher elevations arefairly densely forested. The linkageis bisected by Nevada Creek and theBlackfoot River with broad riparian zones ofthe Blackfoot River and Nevada Creek thatsupport a mix of black cottonwood (Populustrichocarpa) and willow (Salix spp.)communities, although some of this habitathas been converted to agricultural lands.Widespread and intensive timber harvesthas occurred throughout the linkageoften using a high density, road networkon distinct checkerboard land ownershippatterns. Few large intact forest patchesare available that have not been harvestedor roaded. The Blackfoot River valleybisects the linkage with Highway 200, amajor power line, the town of Lincoln andwidely dispersed residences and ranches.Agricultural pasture and hay lands arecommon around Lincoln. Highway 141passes through the Nevada Creek valley.Elevations in the linkage range from about4,200 feet along the Clark Fork River to9,000 feet north of Lincoln.WildlifeThis area currently functions as amovement corridor for grizzly bear,wolves, and lynx.Grizzly: This linkage area is veryimportant for grizzly bear movingsouthwest out of the Blackfoot RiverBasin towards the Garnets-Flint CreekRange. Nevada Lake and Nevada Creekfunction as specific movement corridorsfor bears; likewise, grizzly move throughHelmville and Ovando towards the
Page 5 and 6:
Executive SummaryMaintaining the ec
Page 7 and 8:
Map 1. The Hub Conservation Area ma
Page 9 and 10:
Map 3. Major elk linkages identifie
Page 12 and 13:
Map 6. Major mule deer linkages ide
Page 14 and 15:
Map 8. Major wolf linkages identifi
Page 16 and 17:
Map 10. Major grizzly bear linkages
Page 18 and 19:
For information regarding contents
Page 20 and 21:
American Wildlands’ PriorityLinka
Page 22 and 23:
Georgetown Lake,photo by Grace Hamm
Page 24 and 25:
Beaverhead Mountains to the south,
Page 26 and 27:
with mountainous wet meadows and ri
Page 28 and 29:
irds). This step was repeated for c
Page 30 and 31:
Figure 4. Hierarchical breakdown of
Page 32 and 33:
sanitation and conflict issues betw
Page 34 and 35:
Literature ReviewThis review is mea
Page 36 and 37:
that this impediment is deleterious
Page 38 and 39:
may not provide functional connecti
Page 40 and 41:
available during dispersal, and new
Page 43 and 44:
and desert; this reflects overall a
Page 45 and 46:
Photo by Denver Bryanpopulations. L
Page 47 and 48:
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 100 and 101: traffic volumes are increasing sign
Page 102 and 103: pack in the linkage. The large size
Page 104 and 105: Garnets to BouldersSpeciesGeographi
Page 106 and 107: 105
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
Page 118 and 119: 117
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
Page 145 and 146: 144
Page 147 and 148: persistent snow pack.Lynx: Boles Cr
Page 149 and 150: Potter BasinSpeciesGeographic Bound
Page 151 and 152: 150
Page 153 and 154: Mountain goats exist in small pocke
Page 155 and 156: Rocky Mountain Front to Big BeltMou
Page 157 and 158: Disease between bighorn sheep and d
Page 159 and 160:
the linkage, grizzly bear forage in
Page 161 and 162:
influencing how wildlife connectivi
Page 163 and 164:
Several bighorn sheep herds form am
Page 165 and 166:
Silver StarSpeciesGeographic Bounda
Page 167 and 168:
166
Page 169 and 170:
controlled. In recent years, approx
Page 171 and 172:
esulting from livestock depredation
Page 173 and 174:
StickneySpeciesGeographic BoundaryT
Page 175 and 176:
SulaSpeciesGeographic BoundaryThe S
Page 177 and 178:
Tom Miner to Mill CreekSpeciesGeogr
Page 179 and 180:
178
Page 181 and 182:
development. Subdivision, fencing a
Page 183 and 184:
Townsend from 1000 to 300 animals.
Page 185 and 186:
These appear to be important for gr
Page 187 and 188:
186
Page 189 and 190:
Other existing packs include the Wo
Page 191 and 192:
Creek and the Boulder River south o
Page 193 and 194:
192
Page 195 and 196:
Harestad A.S., and F.L. Bunnell. 19
Page 197 and 198:
Trakhtenbrot, A. R. Nathan, G. Perr
Page 199 and 200:
Appendix 1 (cont.).Table 1Mammals o
Page 201 and 202:
Appendix 2 (cont.).Table 2Home Rang
Page 203 and 204:
Appendix 3 (cont.).Table 3Migration
Page 205 and 206:
Appendix 4 (cont.).Table 4Dispersal
Page 207 and 208:
Appendix 5 (cont.).Studies Demonstr
Page 209:
American Wildlands ~ Winter 2008
show all

The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?