The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

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elk and bighorn sheep.Conflict has occurred between agriculturalproducers and ungulates, particularly forbighorn sheep around the Stickney Creek area.There are many hobby farms along the MissouriRiver in the southeast part of the linkagewhich increase the risk of wildlife conflict. Thedomestic sheep allotments in this linkage areamean the potential for disease transmissionto wild bighorns, and the increased risk oflivestock-carnivore conflict.Sanitation is an issue in the Missouri Rivercorridor; apple trees growing in developedareas attracts bears and can lead to conflictsand removal.Disease transmission between wild bighornsheep, mountain goats, and domestic sheep is athreat.Conservation OpportunitiesEasements that could be procured north ofHolter and Wolf Creek would especially benefitbighorn sheep and elk. Conservation around theBirdtail Hills to Highway 434 would be desirablefor bighorn sheep.A Devil’s Kitchen community working groupconsists of hunters, landowners, Montana LandAlliance, and agencies. They focus on elk andthe Beartooth Wildlife Management Area.173
SulaSpeciesGeographic BoundaryThe Sula linkage area encompasses thesoutheast end of the Bitterroot Valley(south of Rye Creek). The Lost Trail Passlinkage area is to the south. The SapphireMountains are to the north, and theAnaconda-Pintler Range is to the east.Importance of Linkage AreaThis area connects the southeast endof the Bitterroot Valley and John Long/Sapphire Mountains with Lost TrailPass-Beaverhead Mountains. It alsoconnects the west end of the Anaconda-Pintler Range with the West Fork of theBitterroot linkage area.Mountain ranges connected in thislinkage: Sapphire Mountains, Anaconda-Pintlers, and Bitteroots.Ecological SettingThis linkage area represents the foothillsintersection of heavily forested,mountainous habitat extending downfrom the Continental Divide and lowerelevation shrublands and grasslandsat the head of the Bitterrroot Valley.Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) andDouglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)dominate the forested habitat that ismostly limited to north-facing slopes,with Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperusscopulorum), big sagebrush (Artemesiatridentata spp.), mountain mahogany(Cercocarpus ledifolia) and antelopebitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) occurringon south-facing aspects. Understorygrassland communities in much of thearea are dominated by cheatgrass(Bromus tectorum) and spotted knapweed(Centaurea stoebe). The East Fork of theBitterroot River area has been heavilylogged historically, resulting in high roaddensities. Much of this linkage areahas burned in recent years, removing174large areas of the shrub understory andexpanding cheatgrass communities.Salvage of standing dead timber has alsooccurred on many of these burned areas.Expanding residential developmentis occurring in the East Fork of theBitterroot River around Sula and in FrenchBasin in the southern and central portionsof the linkage area. Highway 93 and theE.F. Bitterroot River border the westernedge of the linkage. The eastern edge ofthis linkage area adjoins the Anaconda-Pintlar Wilderness Area. Elevations in thisarea range from about 6000 feet in theheadwaters of the E.F. Bitterroot River toabout 4300 feet at Connor.WildlifeThe entire area between the towns ofConner and Sula, and down to Lost Trail,are important for carnivore connectivitybetween the Beaverheads, Sapphires,Bitterroots, and Anaconda-Pintlers.Wolverine and wolf occur within andmove through this linkage are. A residentwolf pack lives within this linkage inthe East Fork of the Bitterroot area,and wolves are moving through Darby,this linkage, and into the BeaverheadMountains and Big Hole valley. Wolverinesare known to move from Lost Trail,through the Sula linkage, and into theBitterroots. The unique vegetation makesthis linkage attractive to ungulates, andtherefore the carnivores that follow theprey. This area is winter range for elk,mule deer, and bighorn sheep, especiallyin the valley/mountain interface of RyeCreek; the Middle Fork of Rock Creek andEast Fork of the Bitterroot are importantareas for elk movement. Moose arenumerous in the French Basin area. Thereare bighorn sheep populations, includingthe East Fork of the Bitterroot herd,which is currently about 200 animals.
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Executive SummaryMaintaining the ec
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Map 1. The Hub Conservation Area ma
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Map 3. Major elk linkages identifie
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Map 6. Major mule deer linkages ide
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Map 8. Major wolf linkages identifi
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Map 10. Major grizzly bear linkages
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For information regarding contents
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American Wildlands’ PriorityLinka
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Georgetown Lake,photo by Grace Hamm
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Beaverhead Mountains to the south,
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with mountainous wet meadows and ri
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irds). This step was repeated for c
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Figure 4. Hierarchical breakdown of
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sanitation and conflict issues betw
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Literature ReviewThis review is mea
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that this impediment is deleterious
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may not provide functional connecti
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available during dispersal, and new
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and desert; this reflects overall a
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Photo by Denver Bryanpopulations. L
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Mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus)
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GUIDE TO READINGPRIORITY LINKAGE AS
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Absaroka to CraziesSpeciesGeographi
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BangtailsSpeciesGeographic Boundary
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Bear CreekSpeciesGeographic Boundar
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Big BeltsSpeciesGeographic Boundary
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to disease transmission between dom
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sightings in the Birch Creek area.
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Elk move within this linkage for wi
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south of the linkage area.Wolverine
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ange for about 200 elk, and the Spr
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winter range is private land on the
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e using the Little Belt Mountains,
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Front south along the Continental D
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Clinton to DrummondSpeciesGeographi
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There has been a settlement with At
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Mountain Goats: The highest density
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suspected in very low levels, even
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dispersal corridor for all of these
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the area. Hunting access in general
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with the Elkhorns.Wolverines are kn
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FleecerSpeciesGeographic BoundaryFl
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negotiated grazing agreements on th
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traffic volumes are increasing sign
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pack in the linkage. The large size
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Garnets to BouldersSpeciesGeographi
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105
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persistent spring snow and may be k
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Garnets. The Clark Fork River Corri
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Horseshoe HillsSpeciesGeographic Bo
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Hound CreekSpeciesGeographic Bounda
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Jefferson SloughSpeciesGeographic B
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117
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Willow packs moved here from the po
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the high potential for conflict wit
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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
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Page 147 and 148: persistent snow pack.Lynx: Boles Cr
Page 149 and 150: Potter BasinSpeciesGeographic Bound
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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
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Page 169 and 170: controlled. In recent years, approx
Page 171 and 172: esulting from livestock depredation
Page 173: StickneySpeciesGeographic BoundaryT
Page 177 and 178: Tom Miner to Mill CreekSpeciesGeogr
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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
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Page 189 and 190: Other existing packs include the Wo
Page 191 and 192: Creek and the Boulder River south o
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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
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The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

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