The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

WildlifeEast-west connectivity is intact in only twoplaces: in between Miller Creek and DeadmanGulch, and further south between Davis Creekand the Lantern Ridge area north of CarltonCreek. The riparian corridor alongside theBitterroot River provides connectivity from thevalley sides into the river for many bird species,ungulates, mountain lions, and mesocarnivoreslike foxes.Grizzly: A grizzly bear was observed in 2002on multiple occasions south of Lolo in theStevensville area. This bear had traveled fromthe Rock Creek area. Another bear was killedin the Kelly Creek area near Lolo Pass in fall2007 by a black bear hunter, just to the north ofthis linkage. The Bitterroot ecosystem has thepotential to become occupied habitat if grizzlycould get to it- one route is through this linkage.Wolves: This linkage is important to wolfmovement because it is the west end of itsrange in Montana, and it is, and historically hasbeen, where wolves come east from Idaho andmove further east into the rest of the range inMontana. Wolves move across the Bitterrootmountain ridgeline from Idaho into Montana,and use the parallel drainages funneling downinto the Bitterroot Valley. Big Creek is a wide,important movement area. From the BitterrootValley, there is potential movement northeastto the Seeley-Swan through Turah and the SwanValley. There are at least twelve known wolfpacks operating in the Bitterroot Valley.Wolverine: The Bitterroot Range is consideredwolverine core habitat. Lolo Hot Springs andLolo Peak area are particularly importanthabitat. In terms of wolverine movement, thepath diverges at Lolo Peak, heading north to theCabinet and Yaak Mountains, and northeast atLolo around Missoula. Movement to the south isthrough the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness andacross the top of the Bitterroot mountain chain.The most likely path of connectivity are areas ofpersistent late spring snow pack.Lynx: There are conflicting reports about lynxwithin this linkage; it may server as a potentialarea of dispersal.Fisher inhabit the Lolo Hot Springs area. Theentire Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness westto Idaho along the Montana/Idaho border isfisher core habitat. There is the only large,continuous, native population in Montana.Elk: There are about 8000 elk in the BitterrootValley. The entire valley is winter range, withexclusions in areas of private land subdivisiongrowth. This linkage area, the north end ofthe Bitterroot Valley contains several specificareas of elk winter range. On the west side ofthe valley, elk would historically winter in Davisand Eightmile Creeks from Lolo. They currentlyuse Lolo Creek/Lolo Hot Springs. The ThreemileWildlife Management Area (WMA) was createdto provide elk winter range. There are spots ofconcentrated elk presence between ThreemileWMA) south to Burnt Fork. The elk on the eastside summer up in Burnt Fork Creek, AmbroseCreek, Welcome Creek WMA and ClevelandMountain. Elk and mule deer on the west sideof the Bitterroot Valley use the Lantern Ridgearea and Lolo Creek drainage.Moose are present within this linkage area,particularly along the Bitterroot River corridor.In the winter, moose winter range is in everymajor drainage on the sides of the valley.Conservation ThreatsThe Bitterroot Valley is one of the mostextreme examples of wildlife habitatfragmentation due to exurban private landsubdivision. Land use planning and zoning inthe Bitterroot Valley is in the beginning stages,with mixed public support. There is a lot ofdevelopment and traffic activity along Highway93. Wildlife crossing the highway betweenHamilton and Missoula have an increased risk ofanimal- vehicle collisions.Development: Overall, the Bitterroot Valley isan exclusion area for elk winter range becauseof private land subdivision growth. Ten acreparcels throughout the Bitterroot Valley are athreat to and encroach upon ungulate winterrange. There is a lot of construction activityon the east side of the valley as it is veryconducive to building. There is a private landsubdivision threat through the Blue Mountain127