The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

esulting from livestock depredations in theMadison.Elk, mule deer, and moose: Large numbers ofall three species utilize Spanish Peaks linkageyearlong, moving from high elevation summerhabitat in the Peaks to high quality winterhabitat in the northern foothills on the Flying DRanch.Mountain goat: A small population of mountaingoats occupies the Spanish Peaks, with somemigrating down slope to the west, to occupywinter habitat in Beartrap Canyon.Bighorn sheep: Bighorn sheep are wellestablishedin the southeast corner of thelinkage near the Gallatin Canyon and Big Sky,and are part of a larger population that occursfurther east in the Gallatins (Point of Rocks) andTom Miner Basin. Winter habitat is limited forthese bighorns and they are often seen on, andhit by vehicles, on Highway 191 near Big Sky.Some of those bighorns have become habituatedto human activity and have been fed on privatelands.Conservation ThreatsDevelopment: Continuing growth of the Big SkyResort and potential development in MoonlightBasin and Jack Creek threatens to severconnectivity between Spanish Peaks and theMadison Range to the south. Any improvementof the Jack Creek Road, or designating it as athrough route, would have significant adverseeffects on wildlife movements. Habituation ofbears and bighorn sheep to human activities andpresence threatens the security of individualanimals and long-term occupancy of adjoininghabitats.Disease: The presence of bison and largenumbers of elk on the Flying D Ranch areperceived as potential sources of brucellosis,but management under the State brucellosismanagement plan should mitigate thoseconcerns.Conservation OpportunitiesConservationists should attempt to collaboratewith Madison County government to prevent orminimize improvement, or public designation,ofthe Jack Creek Road.Securing conservation easements on privatelands in Jack Creek/Moonlight basin wouldprovide significant benefit to maintainingconnectivity. The conservation easementson the Flying D Ranch and the designation ofthe Lee Metcalf Wilderness Area have securedconnectivity in a large portion of the linkage.Extending those benefits to any adjoining landswill further enhance that protection.One idea that was brought up to protect wildlifearound the Big Sky area is to stipulate in thebankruptcy proceedings for the Yellowstone Clubthat any future financial support is contingenton specific wildlife habitat management plansdeveloped to maintain and enhance all wildlifeuses, and on mitigating all other uses lost orcompromised by past development.170