The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

Bozeman PassSpeciesGeographic BoundaryThe Bozeman Pass linkage area isbetween the south end of the BridgerMountains and the north end of theGallatin Range. It is bordered by theBozeman on the west and Livingston onthe east. The linkage area contains thesteep, rugged area at Bozeman Pass andthe mountainous foothills in the east andwest sides of the Pass.Importance of Linkage AreaThe Bozeman Pass is the first majorlinkage area that wildlife encounter asthey move north along the Gallatins outof Yellowstone National Park. This linkagecould provide connectivity between theisolated ranges of the eastern Hub region(Bridgers and Big Belt Mountains) to theGreater Yellowstone ecosystem.Mountain ranges connected in thislinkage: Bridger Mountains, GallatinRangeEcological SettingThe Bozeman pass linkage spans the lowmountain pass between Bozeman andLivingston. The Bozeman side of thelinkage passes through a relatively narrowsteep canyon at Jackson Creek. Theeast side follows Billman Creek throughmore open, rolling foothills. LowerJackson Creek is forested by Douglas-fir(Pseudotsuga menziesii) with numerouscliffs and rock outcroppings on bothsides. The upper Jackson Creek drainageis open meadow bounding a broadwillow (Salix spp.) riparian area, someof it supporting beaver pond complexes.Riparian habitat along Billman Creek isdominated by willows, aspen (Populustremuloides), and some cottonwood(Populus spp.). Uplands east of the passsupport scattered patches of Douglas-fir,65limber pine (Pinus flexilis), lodgepolepine (P. contorta), aspen, chokecherry(Prunus virginiana), and variousgrasslands. Interstate 90 passes throughthe entire length of the linkage, alongwith a railroad corridor, secondary roadsand a major power line. The Trail Creekroad bisects the east half of the linkagewhile the Jackson Creek road bisectsthe northern half. Residential and smallsubdivision development has occurredthroughout the linkage in upper JacksonCreek, Meadow Creek and all of BillmanCreek. Elevations range from about 5,500feet on the Bozeman end to 6,000 feeton the pass, to about 5,000 feet nearLivingston.WildlifeThis wildlife corridor occurs just to thenorth of an extremely rich wildlife areatheGallatin Crest and the Madison Range.These areas are fantastic wildlife habitatbordering the north side of YellowstoneNational Park; therefore, they receiveexpanding ungulate and carnivorepopulations. The Bozeman Pass area willvery likely see an increase in wildlife,particularly carnivores, as populationsincrease the need for new territories.Grizzly currently are not known tocross this linkage area; however, manybiologists believe it will happen, becausea strong, thriving, and expandingpopulation of grizzly live just to the southin the Hyalite Canyon of the Gallatins,and south of Livingston.Wolves are reported on a more incidentalbasis, with one wolf identified in KellyCanyon on the west side of the linkage.Wolves are in the adjacent Bangtails andaround Livingston, and could exist withinthe linkage. Wolves are known to movenorth-south along the Gallatins just to the