Appendix 2: Coordinated Wildlife Habitat Restoration/Management in Montana

Recent efforts by various public and private entities have produced a number conservation plans valuable for focusing WHIP technical and financial assistance on the most critical wildlife resource needs. For example, the “Partners in Flight Draft Bird Conservation Plan, Montana,” identifies five habitats most in need of conservation action as well as 14 “Priority 1” bird species associated with those habitats. The Draft Partners in Flight Plan further provides a discussion of specific conservation actions needed to benefit a given bird species. Other conservation plans (that is, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Conservation Strategy) identify priority habitats and all associated priority wildlife species, including reptiles and amphibians, fish, birds and mammals.

These conservation plans can be used to assure that WHIP technical and financial assistance is used to address the most important and immediate habitat needs of the targeted wildlife species.

In general, these conservation planning efforts have targeted the same priority habitats as does the WHIP State Plan: native prairie/shrub-steppe, wetlands, and riparian/instream habitats. In addition, the following priority habitats have been identified by our partners: dry forest, burned forest, aspen, cedar-hemlock, boreal (spruce-fir) forest, and high elevation (alpine) lands. When funds are available in excess of those needed for the three priority WHIP habitats, these additional habitats should receive extra attention during the conservation planning effort.

The following tables list the priority habitats and associated priority species for conservation action identified by a number of existing planning documents which are cited at the end of this section.

Once an on-site wildlife habitat assessment has been completed and the target wildlife species are identified, NRCS conservationists can utilize the conservation plans cited in this section to help identify needed conservation actions. These can then be matched to available Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG) practice standards and specifications to implement effective habitat restoration, enhancement, creation and management.

For example, assume that NRCS is developing a conservation plan on a unit in north-central Montana’s mixed grass prairie. The ecological site inventory reveals a relatively low condition native range with a declining trend and conifer encroachment is identified as an issue on a portion of the range unit. The Wildlife Habitat Assessment Guide for rangeland results in a score less than 0.5 (does not meet Quality Criteria). Communication with NRCS and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists suggests that Baird’s sparrow is the primary target wildlife species and the landowner agrees to consider the habitat needs of this sparrow in the management plan. Page 37 of the Partners in Flight Draft Bird Conservation Plan – Montana summarizes the habitat needs of Baird’s sparrow: medium vegetative structure, low (less than 25 percent) woody cover and relatively abundant litter. The following table summarizes habitat issues identified in the Partners in Flight Plan and the available NRCS FOTG conservation practices for addressing these issues.

A similar process could be used for a non-bird wildlife species using the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Conservation Strategy.

Planning Document Citations

Brown, S., C. Hickey, B. Harrington, and R. Gill, eds. 2001. United States Shorebird Conservation Plan. 2nd Edition. Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Manomet, MA. 60pp.

Casey, D. Coordinated Implementation Plan for Bird Conservation in Western Montana. 2004. Montana Steering Committee, Intermountain West Joint Venture.

Casey, D. Partners in Flight Bird Conservation Plan Montana Version 1.0. Montana Partners in Flight, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Kalispell.

Kushlan, J.A., M.J. Steinkamp, K.C. Parsons, J. Capp, M.A. Cruz, M. Coulter, I. Davidson, L. Dickson, N. Edelson, R. Elliot, M. Erwin, S. Hatch, S. Kress, R. Milko, S. Miller, K. Mills, R. Paul, R. Phillips, J.E. Saliva, B. Snydeman, J. Trapp, J. Wheeler, and I. Wohl. 2002. Waterbird Conservation for the Americas: The North American Waterbird Conservation Plan. Version 1. Waterbird Conservation for the Americas, Washington, D.C. 78p.

Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 2005. Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Conservation Strategy. Montana FWP, Helena.

Montana Natural Heritage Program and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 2004. Montana Animal Species of Concern. Montana Natural Resources Information System, Montana State Library, Helena.

Montana Sage Grouse Working Group. 2004. Management Plan and Conservation Strategies for Sage Grouse in Montana – Final. 130p.

North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) Committee. 2003. North American Waterfowl Management Plan Update. 34p.

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