The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

use, particularly in the Pipestone area. Thereare many user-created routes with very littleenforcement of off-highway vehicles (OHV’s)restrictions. In 2007 alone, 10,000 feet ofuser-created two track routes were created inthe Pipestone area. The current Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest travel management planhas effectively deemed the area around theLittle Boulder River a “sacrifice” zone foroff-road vehicle use. The soils are prone todisplacement by OHV use in much of the area.Highways: Elk, moose, bighorn sheep, andmountain goats are frequently struck alongInterstate 15 in the Elk Park area; wolveshave also been killed there. Interstate 90, inthe south end of the linkage area, fragmentshabitat and causes animal-vehicle collisions,particularly around Pipestone and HomestakePass. Road density is high around Basin andother sections.Conflict between livestock operators and theelk is occurring, especially between Pipestoneand Elk Park, and in the Whitetail Creek area inlate summer when elk move onto agriculturallands. Livestock operators have a similar lowtolerance for wolves; packs have been unableto establish long term in this linkage area.Mining: There is the ever-present threat ofmining in this linkage.Forest management practices have allowedconifer encroachment in areas like LittleWhitetail Creek, which lowers the habitat valuefor elk. This has exacerbated the infestation oflodgepole pine by mountain pine beetle.Conservation Opportunitiesfor wildlife connectivity under these forestmanagement revisions include how to managerecreational needs with wildlife requirementsand how to restrict or divert access and travelroutes across wildlife corridors.Highway closure: Interstate 15 at Basin hasbeen periodically closed due to high levels ofelk use. Officials recognize the danger to bothhumans and wildlife and may set importantprecedents.There are opportunities for conservationeasements in this area. The Rocky Mountain ElkFoundation may have some easements interestsin the area. Prairie dogs occur in this area and,although this is not a migratory species, theirpresence has facilitated the establishment of aconservation easement.Established community leaders workingwith the Forest Service in the central BoulderMountains could help facilitate the developmentof good grazing and forest management plans.Homestake Pass and Pipestone are two areaswhere wildlife crossing mitigation efforts mayhave a big reward in terms of enhancing wildlifeconnectivity and human safety.Most of this linkage area is within theBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest (BHDL).The public commenting process for forestmanagement activities is a great opportunity forinfluencing how wildlife connectivity is factoredinto forest management. The BHDL Forest isdeveloping travel planning according to rangerdistricts. Within this linkage area, the JeffersonRanger District of the BHDL Forest is attemptingto re-inventory all the roads from a 2001 effort.This will create a baseline map of motorizeduse in the forest. The main considerations191