The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

ReefsSpeciesGeographic BoundaryThe Reefs linkage area is locatedbetween the junction of the DearbornRiver, the Missouri River, and theLewis and Clark National Forest in theSteamboat Mountain and Twin Buttesarea. The southern tip of the linkage isin the Wolf Creek area, and lower eastboundary of the linkage is the MissouriRiver. The upper eastern boundaryroughly follows the Dearborn River untilit meets Flat Creek. The boundary thenruns north along Flat Creek until roughlyMillford Colony. The northern boundaryruns from Millford Colony westward tothe Sheep Mountain area. The westernboundary runs along the National Forestedge back to Wolf Creek.Importance of Linkage AreaThis linkage area functions to connectwildlife moving south from the RockyMountain Front into the isolated mountainranges of the eastern part of the Hubregion.Mountain ranges connected in thislinkage: Sawtooths, Rocky MountainFront, and Big Belt MountainsEcological SettingThe area gets it name from the extensivenetwork of exposed rock reefs andridges that are the most striking featurein this open landscape. They parallelHighway 287 from north of Wolf Creekto Bowman’s Corner, and are also calledthe Birdtail Hills. The Reefs linkage is anexpansive native and domestic grasslandarea encompassing the lower DearbornRiver watershed. Tributaries in the lowerfoothills above the Dearborn River-MissouriRiver confluence are deeply entrenchedand forested with ponderosa pine (Pinusponderosa) and Rocky Mountain juniper151(Juniperus scopulorum). Highways 200and 287 bisect the linkage and intersectat Bowman’s Corner. Ranch roads arecommon with scattered ranch buildingsand a few residences. Some of the largerriparian areas adjoining the few streams inthe linkage have been developed for hayland. Numerous stock ponds have beendeveloped in drainages to provide waterfor livestock. A large part of this linkageis privately owned or controlled by theDearborn Ranch. Interstate 15 and theMissouri River bound the southern edge ofthis linkage.WildlifeCarnivores move more north-south alongthis linkage area, while ungulates tendto move more east-west. The entire WolfCreek-Craig-Cascade Canyon-MissouriRiver area is a major riparian river bottomcorridor that provides both food andshelter for wildlife.Grizzly bears move south from the RockyMountain Front to the Holter Dam area.Biologists predict that in the next tenyears this may be one of the biggestareas for grizzly bears moving southwardout of the Northern Continental Divide/Rocky Mountain Front. A grizzly bear wastrapped in the Wolf Creek area in spring2008.Wolves move north-south along thewestern boundary of this linkage area.Elk winter range extends from the BirdtailHills to the south fork of the DearbornRiver; this area is also used by mule deer.Pronghorn can be found throughout thevalley areas.Bighorn sheep specifically inhabit theBirdtail Hills between Wolf Creek andBowman’s Corner. There is some dispersalacross Interstate 15 and Flat Creek, withevidence of reproductive success.