Montana State Objectives

State Objective 1: Maintain, restore, or enhance riparian/instream native fish habitats and woody draws.

Riparian and instream fish habitats are highly interrelated and represent one of the most degraded habitat complexes in Montana. It is estimated that 75 percent of all grazed, privately owned riparian areas are in need of some degree of restoration and management.

Experience has shown that grazing management, in combination with stream channel restoration when necessary, will restore functioning riparian habitat and fisheries. Healthy riparian vegetation provides clean, cool water, food and habitat structure required by salmonids as well as diverse habitat structure for a wide variety of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

The ephemeral draws of eastern Montana provide a microclimate which promotes the establishment of woody vegetation. These plant communities are composed of low to medium shrub species such as silver buffaloberry, chokecherry, juniper, ash, and box elder. These woody draws provide habitat diversity, thermal cover, forage, and nesting habitat that is important to many species of wildlife, particularly neotropical migratory and resident bird species.

Photo on left: Degraded riparian/fish habitat from unmanaged gazing. Photo on right: Healthy riparian/fish habitat can be maintained or improved with grazing management.

State Objective 2: Maintain, restore or enhance native prairie habitats.

Since settlement, over 18 million acres of native prairie have been converted to other land uses in Montana. The majority of this involves conversion to cropland. Of the large, intact blocks of native prairie remaining in Montana, about 50 percent are in fair to poor condition.

Montana's native grasslands attract many birds, including grasshopper, Baird's, and vesper sparrows. These species have experienced dramatic population declines from 1966 to the present. Of all North American birds, those occupying grasslands are experiencing the steepest declines. Native grasslands are also critical habitat for such diverse species as sage grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, northern pintails and sage thrashers.

Photo on left: Native prairie provides diverse wildlife habitat. (Photo courtesy USDA Forest Service.)Photo on right: The grasshopper sparrow, a neotropical migrant, depends on native prairie. (Photo by Dave Herr, USDA Forest Service.)

State Objective 3: Maintain, restore or enhance native wetland habitats.

The Montana Wetlands Council reports that the state has lost over 240,000 acres of depressional wetlands since settlement. This figure does not include wetland losses associated with riparian areas, wet meadows and springs, which are also significant. Montana's WHIP Plan expands the role of the private landowner in partnership wetland restoration efforts.

Wetlands provide critical habitat for a myriad of fish and wildlife. In Montana, wetlands are a vital habitat component for breeding waterfowl and other migratory birds and are also important habitat for such diverse species as grizzly bears and rare amphibians. Nearly 60 percent of Montana's threatened and endangered species rely on wetlands to meet all or part of their seasonal life cycle requirements. Game species such as white-tailed deer and pheasants are heavily dependent on wetlands, particularly during winter.

Partnership wetland restoration in Montana.

State Objective 4: Foster a positive public attitude about wildlife through information.

Often the general public does not understand the contributions private landowners make in providing fish and wildlife habitat. Many landowners are simply not aware of the compatibility of fish and wildlife habitat development with other farm and ranch enterprises. Informational efforts will illustrate that fish and wildlife interests and landowners have common goals. This will serve to further inform landowners of existing fish and wildlife habitat partnerships and collaborative efforts targeted at benefiting fish and wildlife resources in the agricultural landscape.

< Back to Montana WHIP State Plan Fiscal Year 2007