The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

the linkage, grizzly bear forage in abundant midsummer meadow vegetation and locations thathave army cutworm moths.Wolves: This linkage is important for northsouthconnectivity of wolf populations. Reportsof wolf movement through the linkage date backto the mid 1980s. Lost Horse Creek and EmpireCreek are two key movement areas for wolves.Due to abundant ungulate populations, NevadaMountain to Little Prickly Pear Creek is a mainarea of wolf activity. The wolves spill out intothe Avon Valley, where they get into trouble withlivestock. There was a den site, and wolf packnear the Marysville area, and waves consistentlyoccur in the Flesher Pass area. However, the densite was abandoned after the alpha female waskilled on Highway 12 at MacDonald Pass.Wolverine: While this is not consideredexcellent wolverine habitat, wolverine aremoving through the area. Genetic samples fromtwo separate male wolverines were collectednear the Divide at MacDonald Pass in the winterof 2008.Lynx: This area is considered occupied lynxhabitat; there is good forest cover but suitabledenning habitat is harder to find. The besthabitat for lynx in this linkage is betweenHighway 200 south to Bison Mountain in theLittle Blackfoot Drainage. Lynx tracks have beenfound repeatedly near the Continental Dividebetween Mullan Pass and Hahn Creek, in thelinkage zone to the south.Elk are abundant, with approximately 1,000in this area: Baldy Mountain, south of Lincoln,is winter elk range, as is Little Prickly PearCreek to Canyon Creek. Dog Creek was ratedmoderately high for elk habitat. Elk regularlycross Highway 279 near Silver City, and Highway12 near Blue Cloud.Moose live in this linkage area, particularly onthe west side of the Divide, but are expandingacross the east slopes of the Divide.Fisher: There have been two verified reportsof fisher in the last 16 years around Myers Hilland Dog Creek, although this is atypical fisherhabitat. There was another fisher sightingaround Round Top Mountain.Conservation ThreatsDevelopment: Around the Marysville area,interspersed public/private land makes itdifficult to ensure permeability for animalslike grizzly bears. Private land developmentaround Canyon Creek could open up an areafor development all the way to the centralHelena Valley. Highway 12 west of Helena tonear MacDonald Pass and Rimini is developing.Current development has already affectedwildlife; additional development will furtherreduce the permeability of the lower end of thelinkage area.Recreation: Snowmobiling and late springskiing on the many roads within the Forestcould negatively affect wolverine and lynx,especially if development and populationscontinue to increase. North of Highway 12 bothAerial photo of Elliston-Avon Valleyfrom MacDonald Pass, April Johnston158