CHAPTER 3 

AFFECTED 

ENVIRONMENT 

CHAPTER 3 

AFFECTED

ENVIRONMENT
CHAPTER 3 

AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT
 

INTRODUCTION 

The information in this chapter is a summary of the 

information provided in the Analysis of the Management Situation (AMS), which was distributed for public 

review. The AMS contains information on the current 

management policies and regulations, more detail on 

the existing condition of some resources, habitat requirements for fish and wildlife species, information on 

current trends, and the resource specialists’ determination of where change is needed in the current management direction. Maps from the AMS are referenced in 

this chapter as AMS Figures and are included electronically in pdf format on a compact disc with this 

document. 

Throughout this document, the term “Planning Area” 

(PA) refers to the eight-county area with land administered by the BLM’s Butte Field Office. The term “Decision Area” (DA) refers to all surface and subsurface 

(mineral estate) BLM-managed public lands in the PA. 

HOW TO READ THIS CHAPTER 

Chapter 3 provides information on the current condition 

of resources, resource uses, and programs that could be 

affected by the revised RMP alternatives described in 

Chapter 2. This chapter is organized into Resources, 

Resource Uses, Special Area Designations, and Social 

and Economic. Each of these sections is further divided 

into resources or program areas. This is the organization prescribed in the BLM guidance (USDI-BLM 

2005b). 

RESOURCES 

AIR QUALITY 

Several sensitive ecological areas designated by the 

Prevention of Significant Deterioration regulations as 

Mandatory Class I Areas are located within and near 

the PA airshed. These Class I areas include: 

• Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness in western Deer 

Lodge County. 

• Gates of the Mountains Wilderness in Lewis and 

Clark County. 

• Scapegoat Wilderness in Lewis and Clark County. 

• Yellowstone National Park (northern and northwestern portions) in Gallatin County. 

Potentially affected Class I areas near the PA include 

the Bob Marshall Wilderness, which abuts Lewis and 

Clark County’s western border, Glacier National Park, 

about 25 miles north of Lewis and Clark County, and 

the Red Rock Lakes Wilderness, located approximately 

15 miles west of the southern part of Gallatin County. 

Although air quality in most of the PA airshed is considered excellent, localized issues in some urbanized 

centers do not comply with the applicable EPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and 

the Montana Ambient Air Quality Standards (MAAQS) 

for certain pollutants designated as criteria pollutants by 

the Clean Air Act. Consequently, the EPA has designated two areas as “non-attainment areas”: 

• City of Butte, which is rated as not attaining standard conditions (non-attainment category) for 

coarse, inhalable particulate matter having an aerodynamic diameter of 10 microns or less (this category of particulate matter pollutants is referred to 

as PM10), 

• City of East Helena, which is in the non-attainment 

category for lead. 

There are no non-attainment designations for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) because the required monitoring 

data has not been collected or evaluated. 

Air Quality Monitoring and Standards 

The state of Montana maintains a network of ambient 

air quality monitoring stations. Pollutant monitoring is 

performed in Belgrade, Bozeman, Butte (two stations), 

Helena (two stations), Lincoln, and West Yellowstone 

(two stations). Seven of these nine stations monitor 

PM10 on a daily (24-hour) basis. Two of these stations 

also monitor PM10 continuously, while three monitor 

daily PM2.5 as well. Two different stations are equipped 

to continuously monitor ambient air concentrations of 

carbon monoxide. 

Maximum measured ambient air concentrations for the 

criteria pollutants in Gallatin, Silver Bow, and Lewis 

and Clark Counties for 2003, from EPA’s AirData 

database system (USEPA 2004), are presented in Table 

3-1. This is the most complete recent data set available 

through the EPA. Data from these monitoring stations 

indicate that there were no exceedences of national or 

Montana ambient air quality standards in 2003. No 

monitoring station in the East Helena non-attainment 

area is currently reporting data on lead emissions. The 

most recent data available for lead in EPA’s ambient air 

database is for the year 2001, and shows compliance 

with national standards for lead emissions. 

Air quality issues center mainly on sources of particulate emissions. PM10 are emitted by industrial plants 

such as mines, quarries, and sawmills that produce dust 

from mechanical operations. Other common sources of 

PM10 are vehicle traffic on paved and unpaved roads 

and smoke and dust and exhaust from construction or 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 209 
Chapter 3 

Table 3-1 

Background Criteria Air Pollution Data 

Pollutant Averaging 

Time 

Federal 

(NAAQS) 

Montana 

(MAAQS) 

Maximum Monitored Value (2003)1,2 

Gallatin Silver Bow Lewis and Clark 

Carbon Monoxide 

Hourly 35 ppm 23 ppm 8.6 ppm 5.5 ppm NDA 

8-Hour 9 ppm 9 ppm 2.1 ppm 4.0 ppm NDA 

Ozone 

1-hour 0.12 ppm 0.10 ppm NDA NDA 0.079 ppm3 

8-hour 0.08 ppm -- NDA NDA 0.065 ppm3 

Lead 

90-Day -- 1.5 μg/m3 NDA NDA NDA 

Quarterly 1.5 μg/m3 -- NDA 1.02 μg/m3,4 NDA 

Coarse Particulate 

Matter (PM10) 

24-Hour 150 μg/m3

 150 μg/m3 68 μg/m3 49 μg/m3 83 μg/m3 

Annual 50 μg/m3

 50 μg/m3 26 μg/m3 16 μg/m3 23 μg/m3 

Fine Particulate 

Matter (PM2.5) 

24-Hour 65 μg/m3 -- 23 μg/m3

 39 μg/m3 29 μg/m3 

Annual 15 μg/m3 -- 8.1 μg/m3

 8.3 μg/m3 6.8 μg/m3 

NDA = No Data Available; ppm = parts per million; μg/m3 = micrograms per cubic meter 

1 Data in table is for maximum values reported in the year 2003 with the exception of annual particulate matter results, which are 

presented as the annual geometric mean. 2 Monitoring data are not available through the EPA AirData Database for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), and 

Ozone (O3) since no counties within the PA have monitoring stations for these pollutants. 3

 The Ozone result presented for Lewis and Clark County was measured at the Glacier National Park monitoring station in Flathead 

County. This station is in the impact zone for Ozone precursors emitted in parts of the PA. 4 The latest available data for lead are those from calendar year 2001. 

development activities. Most PM2.5 in ambient air is 

believed to arise from combustion processes or atmospheric reactions among naturally occurring or industrial 

pollutants. Both forms of particulate matter are inhalable and penetrate the lungs, where they may be deposited. This is the primary reason for EPA’s regulation of 

these particles at different levels. 

Particulate emissions of both types within the PA are 

produced during prescribed burns of timber and underbrush by forest management, as well as wildland fire, 

private debris burning, agricultural burning, slash burning, and wood burning stoves and fireplaces. These 

emission situations are generally transitory and do not 

pose significant risks to human health because exposures can often be minimized or avoided. However, 

smoke from large fires, particularly PM2.5, can traverse 

great distances, sometimes thousands of miles, and can 

impact visibility in nearby and even distant Class I 

areas. Air quality and visibility can also deteriorate 

locally due to temporary air stagnation events. 

The Montana/Idaho Airshed Group has developed a 

Smoke Management Program to address smoke production from wildland and prescribed fires. Accumulation 

of smoke from controlled burning is limited through 

monitoring of weather conditions and formal coordination of activities through the Monitoring Unit in Missoula, Montana. The Monitoring Unit decides daily on 

burning within a particular airshed depending on adequate smoke dispersion. Airsheds in the PA are Airsheds 5, 6, 7, 8A and 8B. 

Climate 

The climate of the region is modified northern Pacific 

Coast type with continental components. Table 3-2 

provides a sampling of data recorded within the PA. 

The Rocky Mountains exert the main influence on 

climate. Winter days are marked by cold temperatures 

and cloudy days. Winter Chinook winds blow frequently from 25 to 50 miles per hour and can create 

warm, windy days east of the Continental Divide, while 

temperatures remain steadier in the mountain valleys. In 

the summer, the heat and dry conditions are somewhat 

modified by mountainous terrain west of the PA. 

210 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Geologic Resources 

Table 3-2 

Sampling of Climate Data in Planning Area 

Parameter Bozeman: 

Montana State Univ. 

Butte: 

FAA Airport Gardiner Helena: Weather Service Office 

Period of Record 1892–2003 1894–2003 1956–2003 1893–2003 

Average Maximum Temperature 81.0 ̊F 79.7 ̊F 85.9 ̊F 82.7 ̊F 

Month of Average Maximum Temperature July July July July 

Average Minimum Temperature 11.8 ̊F 7.3 ̊F 13.7 ̊F 11.2 ̊F 

Month of Average Minimum Temperature January January January January 

Average Annual Precipitation 18.26 in. 12.77 in. 9.89 in. 11.94 in. 

Average Annual Snowfall 85.1 in. 56.8 in. 25.2 in. 51.3 in. 

Annual Mean Wind Speed NDA NDA NDA 7.7 mph 

Annual Prevailing Wind Direction NDA NDA NDA West 

in. = inches;  ̊F = degrees Fahrenheit; FAA = Federal Aviation Administration; mph = miles per hour; NDA = No Data Available 

GEOLOGIC RESOURCES 

Seismic activity (earthquakes), landslides, rock falls, 

earth flows, slumps, debris flow, and avalanches are all 

examples of geologic hazards that can occur within the 

PA. A belt of seismic activity, known as the Intermountain Seismic Belt, is about 100 miles wide and extends 

through western Montana from near Kalispell in the 

northwest corner of the state to Yellowstone National 

Park in the southwest. Within the Intermountain Seismic Belt, approximately 70 mostly high-angle, steeprange bounding faults are known to have been active in 

the last 1.6 million years, and more than 5,000 earthquakes have been recorded since 1982, according to the 

Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology (MBMG 2005). 

Almost the entire PA is included in the Intermountain 

Seismic Belt. A branch of the Intermountain Seismic 

Belt, called the Centennial Tectonic Belt, extends west 

from the northwest corner of Yellowstone Park, through 

southwestern Montana, and into central Idaho. The 

Centennial Tectonic Belt includes at least eight major 

active faults. The site of the largest historic earthquake 

in the northern Rocky Mountains, the August 18, 1959 

Hebgen Lake, Montana earthquake (magnitude 7.5), is 

located in the southwestern-most portion of the PA. 

Although it has been over four decades since the last 

destructive earthquake in Montana, small earthquakes 

are very common in the region, averaging 7 to 10 per 

day (http://mbmgquake. mtech.edu). 

Landslides, earth flows, and slumps are common where 

1) slopes are steep, and 2) impermeable ground conditions occur, seasonally or otherwise, that result in saturated soils or areas of high moisture content. In addition 

to natural processes such as earthquakes, road building 

and vegetation removal in areas of steep terrain can also 

trigger landslides. 

Debris flows are comprised of fluidized sediments that 

rapidly move downslope, forming channels of saturated, viscous, slurry-like material. They usually occur 

in association with very high rainfall or rapid snowmelt 

events. They typically affect only small areas, with the 

greatest erosion occurring in the flow channels. Debris 

flows can destroy roads and bridges in their paths, and 

can cause physical injury or property damage. 

Rock falls are common in many areas and are associated with locally steep terrain, road cuts, stream valleys, 

cliffs, peaks, and ridges. Rock falls can be triggered by 

temperature fluctuations, precipitation events, or seismic activities. 

Snow avalanches are large masses of snow or ice in 

swift motion down a mountainside or over a precipice. 

Snow slides commonly occur in chutes near mountain 

peaks and along ridges. Both human activity and natural processes can trigger an avalanche. 

SOIL RESOURCES 

Soils were surveyed and are available for the PA including Broadwater, Deer Lodge, Gallatin, Jefferson, 

and Lewis and Clark counties. Soils were surveyed in 

Beaverhead, Park and Silver Bow counties. The data is 

not yet completed and published although some is 

available through the NCSS Web Soil Survey. Three 

major geologic units found include the older Precambrian Belt Series sedimentary rocks, Boulder batholith 

granite and related rocks, and younger Tertiary volcanic 

and sedimentary deposits. In addition, mountain glaciations during the more recent Quaternary period helped 

shape and carve the mountain topography. Eroded bedrock from the mountains was deposited in the adjacent 

valleys. 

The granitic Boulder batholith commonly weathers to 

weakly-developed sandy texture soil horizons over 

coarse sand to slightly decomposed granite subsurface 

layers. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 211 
Chapter 3 

Soils that have developed from Belt Series bedrock 

typically are fine sandy or loamy soils with high percentages of coarse fragments (Veseth and Montagne 

1980). The soils are non-calcareous except for specific 

areas where calcareous strata (impure limestone) is 

exposed at or near the surface. 

Soils in the Tertiary valley-fill can be highly variable in 

physical and chemical properties due to the inherent 

variability of the source rock. The soils in this landscape setting may also have formed from more recent 

Quaternary sediments or other bedrock deposits. 

The basic soil mapping units of the Soil Survey Geographic Database and National Soil Information System 

can be correlated with the underlying igneous rocks, 

limestone, or argillite, or mixed colluvial and alluvial 

deposits. Of the five basic soils forming factors (climate, organisms, parent material, topography, and 

time), parent material, and topography primarily influence the development of soils in the PA. 

WATER RESOURCES 

The PA generally consists of headwaters of the Missouri River (Big Hole River, Jefferson River, Madison 

River, and Gallatin River) and to a lesser extent, the 

Yellowstone River and Clark Fork River. 

Topography varies from steep rugged mountains of the 

Madison, Gallatin, Bridger, Crazy, and Absaroka 

ranges to broad grassy valleys around the towns of 

Bozeman, Butte, and Helena. Elevations range from 

11,200 feet in the Absaroka Range to 3,400 feet along 

the Missouri River below Holter Lake. 

Precipitation patterns are affected primarily by local 

terrain. Mountain ranges cause rain shadow and other 

orographic effects, resulting in variations in annual 

precipitation from 10 to 15 inches in the valleys to 30 to 

60 inches in the mountains (Western Regional Climate 

Center 2004). May and June are the wettest months; 

however, moisture from mountain snowpack typically 

sustains the major streams and rivers all year. 

The EPA has determined that streams and rivers, or 

segments fail in achieving beneficial use(s) as designated by the MDEQ and are therefore considered impaired. Impairment status is based on numeric and 

narrative criteria for chemical, physical, and biological 

conditions of each water body. Each of the impaired 

water bodies is evaluated by the state to determine how 

to attain their beneficial uses by meeting TMDL limitations. As such, any water body in the Decision Area, 

and possibly portions of the PA, that is on the Section 

303(d) List is considered adversely impacted until removed from the List. Impaired water bodies in the DA 

based on the Section 303(d) List for Montana (MDEQ 

2004) are listed in Table 3-3. 

Table 3-3 

Impaired Water Bodies by 4th Level Hydrologic Unit Code 2005 Survey 

4th Hydrologic Unit Code Stream Segment 

Within BLM Land 

Miles 

Within 

BLM Land 

Probable 

Impairment 

Type(s)A 

Probable 

Impairment 

Source(s)B 

Big Hole River (10020004) Big Hole River 3.14 1, 2, 8 1, 8, 13, 21 

Deep Creek 0.86 1, 2, 8 9, 10, 13 

French Creek 0.06 10 19, 20 

Jerry Creek 0.37 1, 2, 8 1, 8, 9, 10, 14 

Moose Creek 6.01 1, 2, 8 1, 8, 9, 13, 19 

Pintlar Creek 0.06 1, 2, 3, 4 1, 6, 11, 17 

Sevenmile Creek 0.27 2, 8 1, 8, 10, 13, 17 

Wickiup Creek 0.01 2, 8, 10 8, 19 

Jefferson River (10020005) Jefferson River 0.63 1, 2, 8, 10 1, 7, 9, 13, 19, 21 

Big Pipestone Creek 3.24 7, 8 1, 8, 9, 10, 13, 21 

Fish Creek 0.92 1, 2, 8 1, 9, 17, 19, 21 

 Whitetail Creek 2.33 8 8 

Boulder River (10020006) Boulder River 3.94 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10 1, 9, 18, 19 

Basin Creek 0.04 8, 10 19, 20 

Big Limber Gulch 1.55 2 1, 10 

Cataract Creek 0.35 8, 10 1, 10, 19 

High Ore Creek 2.12 8, 10 18, 19 

 Little Boulder River 0.53 1, 2, 10 1, 8, 9, 10, 19, 20 

Muskrat Creek 2.66 2 1, 10 

212 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Water Resources 

Table 3-3 

Impaired Water Bodies by 4th Level Hydrologic Unit Code 2005 Survey 

4th Hydrologic Unit Code Stream Segment 

Within BLM Land 

Miles 

Within 

BLM Land 

Probable 

Impairment 

Type(s)A 

Probable 

Impairment 

Source(s)B 

Gallatin River (10020008) Camp Creek 1.80 1, 2, 7, 8, 13 8, 9, 13, 15 

Upper Missouri River (10030101) Beaver Creek 0.26 1, 8 1 

Clancy Creek 0.70 2, 8, 9, 10, 11 1, 6, 8, 15, 18, 19 

Confederate Gulch 0.47 1, 2, 8 1, 9, 18, 19, 20 

Corbin Creek 0.07 7, 10, 13 10, 18, 19, 20 

Crow Creek 1.05 1, 2, 8 1, 9, 19, 20 

Deep Creek 0.18 1, 2, 8 1, 4, 5, 6, 11, 13 

East Fork Indian Creek 1.96 1, 2, 8 1, 10, 19, 20 

Falls Gulch 1.54 9, 10 18, 19 

Golconda Creek 3.09 10, 13 18, 19 

Indian Creek 4.58 1, 2, 8 1, 18, 19, 20 

Little Prickly Pear Creek 2.03 1, 2, 8 1, 2, 9 

Lump Gulch 1.89 10, 13 1, 10, 19 

Prickly Pear Creek 0.86 1, 2, 7, 8, 10, 13 1, 8, 9, 7, 19 

Sevenmile Creek 0.11 1, 2, 7, 8, 10, 12 1, 4, 5, 6, 11, 13 

Silver Creek 0.03 1, 2, 10 1, 9, 18, 19, 20 

Virginia Creek 1.96 10 18, 19 

Blackfoot River (17010203) Blackfoot River 1.90 7, 8, 10 1, 11, 18, 19 

A Cause: 1= flow alterations; 2=other habitat alterations; 3=dewatering; 4=thermal modifications; 5=phosphorous; 6=nitrogen; 

7=nutrients; 8=siltation; 9=mercury; 10=metals; 11=lead; 12=riparian degradation; 13=suspended solids. 

B Source: 1=agriculture; 2=construction; 3=land development; 4=habitat modifications (other than construction); 5=removal of riparian 

vegetation; 6=grazing-related; 7=pasture grazing-riparian construction; 8=highway/road/bridge construction; 9=irrigated crop production; 10=range grazing-riparian; 11=crop-related; 12=logging road construction & maintenance; 13=bank or shoreline modification & destabilization; 14=silviculture; 15=intensive animal feeding operation; 16=confined animal feeding operation (NPS); 

17=hydromodification; 18=abandoned mining; 19=resource extraction;20=placer mining; 21=channelization. 

The primary beneficial uses of water on public land 

include agriculture, support of wildlife, and recreation. 

Water use on private land within the area is primarily 

for agriculture and domestic activities. 

There are four municipal watersheds in the Butte Field 

Office that have federal surface or subsurface mineral 

rights. They are the Missouri River Siphon, Tenmile 

Creek drainage, Big Hole River Intake, and Moulton 

Reservoir. The Tenmile Creek drainage is Helena's 

primary source of drinking water. Additional water is 

obtained, as needed, during the summer months from 

the Missouri River Siphon which is located on the 

downstream side of Canyon Ferry Dam. The Big Hole 

River Intake encompasses a major portion of the Big 

Hole watershed upstream of the intake and is an important source of drinking water for the city of Butte. 

Moulton Reservoir is about five miles north of Butte 

and provides additional drinking water for Butte. 

Municipal watersheds provide water to public water 

supplies which provide drinking water to municipalities. Montana is required under the 1996 amendments 

to the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act to carry out a 

Source Water Assessment Program. The Source Water 

Assessment Program requires all public water systems 

to identify and protect their water sources. Each city 

public works program has local ordinances that regulate 

surface land use in order to protect public drinking 

water source(s). 

Water quantity is another resource quality indicator 

based on whether the Proposed Action or alternatives 

would result in a flow or water level reduction for either 

surface water or groundwater resources. Criteria evaluated include water rights, beneficial uses, and ecological conditions. The PA includes portions of 15 major 

watersheds (4th level Hydrologic Unit Code or HUC) in 

west central Montana. Surface water flow data presented herein were retrieved from the U.S. Geological 

Survey (USGS) website (USGS 2004). Water quality 

data from selected surface water monitoring stations, 

Big Hole River, Jefferson River, Madison River, Missouri River, Yellowstone River, and Silver Bow Creek 

are included in Appendix E of the AMS. No specific 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 213 
Chapter 3 

areas of water quality problems are known in the Decision Area or PA other than the impaired water bodies 

identified on the Section 303(d) List. Some unspecified 

areas of streams, rivers, and groundwater probably have 

exceedences of some water quality standards due to 

natural or anthropomorphic conditions. Erosion and 

sedimentation to streams is occurring in some unspecified areas (MDEQ 2004). 

A list of water rights held by BLM in the PA is found in 

Appendix F of the AMS. These water rights data, as 

well as information on basin closures and groundwater 

control areas, were obtained from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC 

2004). Groundwater wells located in the PA are shown 

in Appendix G of the AMS. Groundwater wells monitored periodically for depth to water by the Montana 

Bureau of Mines and Geology (MBMG 2004) are 

shown on maps contained in Appendix F of the AMS. 

The following subsections describe general water resources for each of the 15 major watersheds that comprise the PA (AMS Figure 2-4). AMS Figures 2-5a, 2-

5b, and 2-5c show greater detail for streams, rivers, 

lakes, and watershed boundaries located in the northern, 

western, and southern portions of the PA, respectively. 

BLM lands are generally scattered such that relatively 

short stream/river reaches flow through BLM lands in 

most cases. 

Big Hole River Basin 

The Big Hole River basin is the western-most drainage 

basin in the southwest portion of the PA (AMS Figure 

2-4). Only the north-central portion of this watershed is 

within the PA. Streams and rivers of this area drain 

south to the Big Hole River. 

Major streams in the area that drain to the Big Hole 

River include West Fork Fishtrap Creek, Seymour 

Creek, Divide Creek, and Moose Creek. 

Currently, the Big Hole River basin is closed to further 

appropriations and reservations of surface water as part 

of the Upper Missouri River basin legislative closure. 

Beneficial water use permits for groundwater can still 

be obtained. 

Jefferson River Basin 

The Jefferson River basin is one of the south central 

watersheds within the PA (AMS Figure 2-4). Major 

streams in the basin that flow into the Jefferson River 

include Fish Creek, Little Pipestone Creek, Big Pipe 

stone Creek, Whitetail Creek, Little Whitetail Creek, 

and the Boulder River. Major lakes or reservoirs within 

this watershed include Delmoe Lake (Big Pipestone 

Creek drainage), Willow Creek Reservoir, and Whitetail Reservoir. Whitetail Reservoir is part of the water 

supply system for the town of Whitehall. The entire 

Jefferson River basin is closed to further appropriations 

and reservations of surface water as part of the Jefferson-Madison River basin legislative closure. Beneficial 

water use permits for groundwater can still be obtained. 

A sediment transport study (Berger and Gammons 

2004) concluded that approximately 90 percent of 

sediment entering Pipestone Creek is from overland 

flow on hillsides and bank erosion. The largest humancaused sediment sources were due to uncontrolled runoff from gullying developed on steep hill slopes along 

portions of Interstate 90. Relatively minor contribution 

of sediment to Pipestone Creek was attributed to offhighway vehicle use. 

Boulder River Basin 

The Boulder River basin is the central-most watershed 

in the management area (AMS Figure 2-4). There are 

no major lakes or reservoirs in this management area. 

The Boulder River basin is closed to further appropriations and reservations of surface water as part of the 

Jefferson-Madison River basin legislative closure. 

Beneficial water use permits for groundwater can still 

be obtained. 

Madison River Basin 

The Madison River basin is one of the south-central 

watersheds (AMS Figure 2-4). Major streams in the 

basin that flow to the Madison River include: Beaver 

Creek, Elk Creek, and South Fork of the Madison 

River. Hebgen Lake is the major lake or reservoir in the 

planning district. 

The entire Madison River basin is closed to further 

appropriations and reservations of surface water as part 

of the Jefferson-Madison River basin legislative closure. Beneficial water use permits for groundwater can 

still be obtained. A controlled groundwater area exists 

for the basin upstream of Hebgen Lake and was established to regulate groundwater development adjacent to 

Yellowstone National Park in an effort to preserve its 

natural hydrothermal features. 

Gallatin River Basin 

The Gallatin River basin originates from the Yellowstone Plateau and continues north to the confluence 

with the Missouri River near Three Forks (AMS Figure 

2-4). Major streams in the watershed include Hyalite 

Creek, Bridger Creek, Taylor Creek, Hell Roaring 

Creek, and Dry Creek. Hyalite Reservoir is the only 

major lake in the basin and is part of the water supply 

system for the town of Bozeman. 

The Gallatin River basin is closed to further appropriations and reservations of surface water as part of the 

Upper Missouri River basin legislative closure. Beneficial water use permits for groundwater can still be obtained. 

Three controlled groundwater areas exist in or near the 

town of Bozeman and include the Bozeman Solvent 

Site, Sypes Canyon, and Idaho Pole. The controlled 

214 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Water Resources 

groundwater area adjacent to Yellowstone National 

Park exists within the headwaters of the Gallatin River. 

Upper Missouri River Basin 

The Upper Missouri River basin is the largest of the 

watersheds in the PA (AMS Figure 2-4). Major 

streams in this watershed include Deep Creek, Confederate Gulch, Avalanche Gulch, Trout Creek, Beaver 

Creek, Little Prickly Pear Creek, Prickly Pear Creek, 

Ten Mile Creek, and Crow Creek. Major lakes and 

reservoirs in this management area include Canyon 

Ferry Reservoir, Hauser Lake, Holter Lake, Lake Helena, and the Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir. 

These lakes and reservoirs are part of an irrigation and 

power generation network that constitute dammed portions of the Missouri River. In addition to these major 

water bodies, Chessman Reservoir and Scott Reservoir 

are part of the water supply system for the town of 

Helena. Park Lake is an alpine lake located near the 

Continental Divide south of Helena and used for recreation. 

The Upper Missouri River basin is closed to further 

appropriations and reservations of surface water as part 

of the Upper Missouri River basin legislative closure. 

Beneficial water use permits for groundwater can still 

be obtained. Currently, the North Hills controlled 

groundwater area is located in the PA in the northern 

portion of the Helena Valley. 

Upper Missouri-Dearborn River Basin 

A small portion of the PA located on the north slope of 

the Big Belt Mountains east of Holter Lake is within the 

Upper Missouri-Dearborn River basin (AMS Figure 2-

4). These land tracts do not directly affect any major 

surface water bodies. 

Upper Musselshell River Basin 

A small portion of the Upper Musselshell River basin 

drains the northeast slope of the Crazy Mountains 

(AMS Figure 2-4). These land tracts do not directly 

affect any major surface water bodies. 

Yellowstone River Headwaters Basin 

The Yellowstone River Headwaters basin located upstream of the town of Gardiner drains the Yellowstone 

Plateau and a portion of the Absaroka Mountains in 

Gallatin County (AMS Figure 2-4). Major streams 

include Slough Creek, Buffalo Creek, Hellroaring 

Creek, and the Lamar River. 

The headwaters of the Yellowstone River within Montana and within Yellowstone National Park are closed 

to further appropriations and reservations of surface 

water. The portion of this basin within Montana located 

north of Yellowstone National Park is part of the controlled groundwater area. 

Upper Yellowstone River Basin 

A portion of the Upper Yellowstone River basin is 

within the PA (AMS Figure 2-4). Major streams within 

this basin include Tom Miner Creek, Big Creek, Mill 

Creek, Trail Creek, and the Shields River. Daily Lake is 

the only major lake or reservoir within the basin. 

A portion of this basin near the town of Gardiner is part 

of the Yellowstone National Park controlled groundwater area. 

Shields River Basin 

The Shields River basin originates from the Crazy 

Mountains and continues south to its confluence with 

the Yellowstone River near Livingston (AMS Figure 

2-4). Major streams of the basin include Potter Creek, 

Cottonwood Creek, Muddy Creek, Flathead Creek, and 

Brackett Creek. Cottonwood Reservoir is the only major lake in the basin. 

Stillwater River Basin 

The Stillwater River basin has a portion of its headwaters within the PA (AMS Figure 2-4). There are no 

major lakes or reservoirs within this watershed. The 

Stillwater River is a major tributary of the Yellowstone 

River. 

Approximately a third of this basin is part of the Absaroka–Beartooth Wilderness area. The headwaters of 

this basin near Yellowstone National Park are listed as 

a controlled groundwater area. 

Clark Fork River Basin 

Clark Fork River basin drains the portion of the PA 

from the Continental Divide near Butte northwest to 

near Georgetown Lake (AMS Figure 2-4). Streams 

draining north to the Clark Fork River include Basin 

Creek, Blacktail Creek, Browns Gulch, Silver Bow 

Creek, Mill Creek, Warm Springs Creek, Lost Creek, 

and Flint Creek. 

Silver Lake near Georgetown Lake is the only major 

lake or reservoir in the PA. Silver Lake is part of the 

water supply system for Anaconda and Butte. Large 

ponds, constructed near Warm Springs and Opportunity, are for treatment of surface water impacted by 

historic mining and smelting activities. 

The Clark Fork River basin is closed to further appropriations and reservations of surface water as part of the 

basin legislative closure. Beneficial water use permits 

for groundwater can still be obtained. The Butte Field 

Office administers only 649 acres of public land in the 

Upper Clark Fork River Basin. 

Blackfoot River Basin 

Headwaters of the Blackfoot River basin drain the 

northwest portion of the Butte Planning District near 

the town of Lincoln (AMS Figure 2-4). 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 215 
Chapter 3 

Currently the Blackfoot River basin is closed to further 

appropriations and reservations of surface water as part 

of the Upper Clark Fork River legislative closure. 

Beneficial water use permits for groundwater can still 

be obtained. 

VEGETATIVE COMMUNITIES 

Plant communities occurring in the PA include midgrass prairie on the driest sites (usually in valleys); 

fescue grasslands on slopes and foothills with higher 

precipitation; sagebrush, bitterbrush, and mountain 

mahogany interspersed in grasslands; and Douglas-fir, 

Rocky Mountain juniper, ponderosa pine, and limber 

pine communities adjacent to and encroaching into 

grasslands and shrublands. The cool moist conifer zone, 

which is composed of Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, and 

Engelmann spruce communities, occupies a relatively 

narrow mid-elevation range in mountains. The highest 

and coldest elevations are characterized by communities of subalpine fire, lodgepole pine, Engelmann 

spruce, and whitebark pine. Riparian communities and 

wetlands occupy the wettest sites along rivers and 

streams and sites where water is available in plant rooting zones for a substantial part of the growing season. 

Processes of Vegetation Change 

Disturbances, whether human-caused or naturally occurring, affect plant communities by creating patterns 

of varying plant species and age classes across the 

landscape. Changes in plant community composition 

and structure and function can be relatively sudden, 

resulting from wildfire, floods, logging, and mining or 

more subtle, resulting from fire suppression, drought, 

insects, disease, or aging of dominant species in the 

canopy overstory. 

Past management has contributed substantially to the 

vegetation condition and status of ecological succession 

by changing cycles and frequency of fires and susceptibility of forest vegetation to insects and disease. Prior to 

European settlement in the mid-1800s, American Indians influenced the range of vegetative conditions 

mostly through their liberal use of fire to improve forage for horses and assist in hunting. Since the mid1800s, agriculture, timber harvest, mining, livestock 

grazing, road construction, introduction of exotic species, and fire suppression have been the dominant factors of change that have shaped vegetation patterns in 

the PA. 

Forest Insects and Disease 

Reduced fire frequency in the last century has allowed 

forest stands to become overstocked, with a high proportion of decadent trees that are stressed through competition and recent region-wide droughts. Stress and 

increased stocking and density of most forest stands and 

conifer colonization of open woodlands, forest openings, meadows, grasslands and shrublands have rendered many stands susceptible to insect infestation and 

disease. 

Insects that affect the health of trees in the PA include: 

mountain pine and pine engraver beetles, species that 

attack the pines; Douglas-fir beetle, a species that attacks Douglas-fir; and spruce budworm, a species that 

attacks Douglas-fir and spruce. Mountain pine beetles 

typically attack the largest, oldest trees in a stand (Despain 1990). These trees are the highest value for timber 

and the most valuable for cavity nesting wildlife. AMS 

Figures 2-6, 2-7, and 2-8 depict changes in environmentally damaged trees by bark beetle infestations over 

a period of 20 years from 1984 to 2004 .Recent attacks 

by the red turpentine beetle on ponderosa pine have 

occurred in the Helena Valley. 

The most common forest diseases are: 

• Dwarf mistletoe, the most serious and widespread 

disease affecting lodgepole pine in the PA and 

throughout its range; 

• Schweinitzii root rot, in all conifer species; 

• Red ring rot, mainly in pines; 

• Commandra blister and western gall rust, in the 

pine species; and 

• White pine blister rust, in whitebark pine and limber pine. 

With high rates of insect and disease pathology, forest 

stands become much more prone to high intensity, 

severe fires that are stand replacing and can alter site 

characteristics by altering soil structure and nutrient 

reserves. Oliver and others (1994) report that many 

forest ecosystems in the northern Rocky Mountains 

develop naturally high levels of insect infestation and 

then burn severely at 100-year intervals. 

Vegetation Zones 

Broad vegetation zones, generally reflecting a temperature and moisture gradient, are addressed in the following section and depicted on AMS Figures 2-9a, 2-9b 

and 2-9c. The acreage of each of the vegetation zones 

in the PA and Decision Area is shown in Table 3-4. 

Vegetation in the PA is predominantly grasslands and 

shrublands, and subalpine conifer forests. Grasslands 

and shrublands occupy valley floors and lower slopes, 

while subalpine conifer communities are present at 

higher elevations in mountains. The smaller areas of 

transitional vegetation, dry foothills/woodlands, and 

cool moist conifer forests reflect a relatively steep elevational gradient that results in relatively narrow zones 

that support vegetation intermediate in ecological requirements of grassland and shrublands and higher 

elevation conifer forest. 

Vegetation on land within the Decision Area reflects 

the predominance of land managed by BLM to be present at lower elevations. Most land in the Decision Area 

216 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Vegetative Communities 

Table 3-4 

Acres and Percent by Vegetation Zones in the PA and Decision Area 

Vegetation Zone Acres in PA Percent of 

Acres in PA Acres in DA Percent of Acres in DA 

Grassland Zone 2,451,212 34 135,722 45 

Shrubland Zone 313,385 4 19,658 7 

Dry Foothills/Woodlands 1,091,820 15 114,926 38 

Cool Moist Conifer Zone 800,387 11 21,738 7 

Subalpine Fir Zone 1,305,766 18 1,796 <1 

Wetland/Riparian 171,313 2 1,266 <1 

Agriculture 562,017 8 2,186 1 

Unvegetated 344,365 5 3,537 1 

Water 77,693 1 265 <1 

Urban 72,921 1 0 0 

Total 7,190,879 100 301,094 100 

is grassland (45 percent) and shrubland (7 percent), and 

conifer forests and woodlands (45 percent). Amounts of 

agricultural land substantially differ between the PA 

and Decision Area (Table 3-4) at seven percent and 0.7 

percent, respectively. 

Typically, the most productive agricultural land in 

valleys is private, whereas land managed by BLM is not 

as amenable to crop production. Land managed by 

BLM where agricultural land is present is on the recently acquired McMasters and Ward ranches. This 

agricultural land is currently seeded to agronomic grass 

species and will be managed in the future as grasslands. 

Forest communities on BLM land generally do not 

include high elevation montane conifer forests (1 percent). The upper elevations of most land in the Decision 

Area support moist conifer forests, which are important 

for timber production and wildlife habitat when combined with drier mid elevation forests and forestlands 

adjacent to National Forest (USFS) lands. 

Encroachment of conifers has been mapped in the 

northern part of the PA (AMS Figure 2-10). Within the 

Decision Area, most encroachment takes place in grasslands (17 percent) and shrublands (5 percent) with 

encroachment also occurring in riparian areas. Douglasfir, Rocky Mountain juniper, and ponderosa pine are 

species most commonly invading grasslands and shrublands; whereas, Rocky Mountain juniper more commonly encroaches into riparian areas. Conifers have 

invaded 250,608 acres of grassland in the PA. Approximately 14,445 acres of sagebrush and 49,803 acres 

of grassland have conifer encroachment in the Decision 

Area. 

Grassland and Shrubland Zone 

Grasslands and shrublands are the most productive 

grazing land in the PA. Grasslands are an important 

vegetation community as they represent 34 percent of 

the PA and 45 percent of the Decision Area. Sagebrush 

is the most dominant shrubland type within the PA. 

Approximately four percent of the PA is sagebrush 

while seven percent of the Decision Area is sagebrush 

habitat. Sagebrush communities are dominated by 

Wyoming big sage, mountain big sage, rubber rabbitbrush, skunkbush sumac, and greasewood. Wyoming 

big sage tends to grow within the mid to low elevations 

on the drier sites, while mountain big sage occurs in 

upper elevations under moister conditions. 

Native grasslands occupy 135,722 acres of the Decision 

Area on a variety of topographical positions, from level 

valley floors, to alluvial benches, and foothills, to dry 

mountain slopes. Grasslands in valleys and lower toe 

slopes are dominated by cool-season grasses and sedges 

which include needle-and-thread, western wheatgrass, 

prairie junegrass and Sandberg’s bluegrass. The warmest and driest grasslands also may have warm season 

species such as blue grama, prairie sandreed, sand dropseed, or red threeawn. Shrubs are minor components of 

these grasslands. 

Grasslands in the PA have floristic components of the 

Mixed-Grass Prairie of the Great Plains (western 

wheatgrass, needle-and-thread, blue grama) and the 

Palouse Prairie of the Pacific Northwest (e.g., bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, western needlegrass, 

and rough fescues). In general, the warmer, dryer sites, 

often with heavier soils, support grasslands dominated 

by sod-forming species typical of the northern Great 

Plains; whereas the higher elevation, cooler grasslands 

are dominated by bunchgrasses with floristic affinities 

with the dry regions of eastern Washington. 

Typically, sod-forming grasslands east of the Continental Divide historically were subjected to heavy grazing 

pressure from bison and other native ungulates; 

whereas bunchgrasses with origins in the Palouse Prairie farther to the West received much lighter grazing 

pressure from native ungulates. West of the Continental 

Divide, bison were relatively scarce or absent; consequently, sod-forming grasses have evolved to be more 

resistant to heavy livestock grazing and trampling than 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 217 
Chapter 3 

are bunchgrass-dominated communities. Dominant 

bunchgrasses such as bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho 

fescue, and rough fescue are considered “decreasers”, 

meaning that they decline in vigor and distribution with 

extended periods of heavy grazing by livestock. 

Additionally, grasslands composed of sod forming 

species tend to be more resistant to the invasion and 

spread of noxious weeds and other invasive species. 

Bunchgrass communities have areas of unvegetated soil 

between bunches of grass, which is susceptible to colonization by noxious weeds. Many of the bunchgrass 

communities in the PA have been infested with noxious 

weeds including spotted knapweed, leafy spurge, and 

Dalmatian toadflax. 

At the upper elevation contacts of grasslands with forest 

communities and woodlands, encroachment by conifer 

species into grasslands is taking place as a result of fire 

suppression. Prior to effective fire suppression, foothill 

grasslands were maintained free of invading trees and 

shrubs by periodic fires. With successful fire suppression over the last century, many grasslands are becoming woodlands or shrublands, with an associated loss of 

habitat features provided by grasslands (e.g., livestock 

and wildlife forage, especially on big game winter 

ranges; and breeding sites for wildlife adapted to grasslands). Additionally, increased tree and shrub growth 

increases the risk of high severity fires that would alter 

soil and vegetation characteristics, increasing the risk of 

invasion by noxious weeds. 

Most grass communities are adapted to frequent fire 

intervals. Bluebunch wheatgrass and Sandberg’s bluegrass, respond well after fire, including stand-replacing 

fires. Needle-and-thread does not regenerate after 

summer burns, which kill root crowns. Response of 

Idaho and rough fescue to fire varies based on plant 

vigor, amount of residual litter, and season of burn 

(USDI-BLM 2003a). 

In native grasslands, historically frequent fires burned 

quickly and did not severely heat the soil and remove 

protective plant cover. With the addition of woody fuels 

from encroachment of trees and shrubs, the potential for 

very hot fires that burn duff and litter down to mineral 

soil has increased. With the exposure of mineral soil, 

reproduction of conifers is facilitated, which initiates a 

type conversion, from grassland to woodland, which 

may not be reversible with practical management. Conifer species require mineral soil for successful seed 

germination and growth and do not become established 

as quickly in intact grasslands. 

The most extensive shrublands in the PA are dominated 

by two types (i.e., subspecies) of big sagebrush (i.e., 

Wyoming big sage and mountain big sage). There are 

19,658 acres of shrub-dominated communities in the 

Decision Area. It is important to distinguish between 

the two subspecies because they have ecological differences that are relevant to management. These two 

forms of big sagebrush differ in their moisture requirements, seed germination characteristics, and importance 

to wildlife (Morris et al. 1976; Tisdale and Hironaka 

1981). Wyoming big sage grows on drier sites, on shallow soils in the 8 to 12 inch precipitation range. This 

subspecies in most common on valley floors and lower 

slopes in the Three Forks-Townsend area and in the 

vicinity of Butte, eastward through the PA (Morris et 

al. 1976). Wyoming sagebrush is preferred by sage 

grouse. 

Mountain big sage is most common in the Helena and 

Shields River valleys, above 6,000 feet elevation, where 

it contacts the forest margin and high elevation fescue 

grasslands. Mountain big sage tends to more readily reestablish itself after fire and on sites of disturbance 

(e.g., road cuts, rodent diggings, and abandoned fields) 

than Wyoming big sage (Morris et al. 1976). 

Other important shrubs often growing in association 

with big sagebrush include rubber rabbitbrush, skunkbush sumac, greasewood, spineless horsebrush, low 

sage, silver sage, bitterbrush, and shrubby cinquefoil. 

Serviceberry, chokecherry, wild rose, and species of 

gooseberry and currant are common on sites with elevated moisture such as ravines and cooler slopes. 

Common understory species include western wheatgrass, Sandberg’s bluegrass, Great Basin wildrye, squirreltail, Indian rice grass, and western needlegrass. Forbs 

are generally abundant in big sagebrush communities. 

Big sagebrush communities occur on a variety of 

slopes, exposures, and soil types. On the driest sites, 

bluebunch wheatgrasss is the dominant grass, with 

rough fescue and Idaho fescue becoming more common 

with increasing moisture. Fringed sage, broom snakeweed, prickly pear cactus, blue grama, and junegrass 

are usually conspicuous understory species on drier 

sites. On moister sites, pussytoes, yarrow, chickweed, 

and buckwheat are common associates (Mueggler and 

Stewart 1980). 

Low sagebrush is one of the driest shrubland types 

occurring in western Montana (Mueggler and Stewart 

1980), usually growing on south and west exposures, on 

dry, rocky soils. Low sagebrush communities usually 

do not form extensive landscape-level stands, but are 

usually part of larger big sagebrush mosaics. Grasses, 

such as bluebunch wheatgrass, needle-and-thread, and 

Sandberg bluegrass dominate the undergrowth. Nonnative annual grasses, such as cheatgrass and Japanese 

brome, may also be present. Common herbaceous species include Hood’s phlox, blue flax, lupine, and 

fringed sage. 

The fire history of shrublands has not been firmly 

established, but fire was probably uncommon on drier 

sites because of sparse fuels, and more frequent, 

averaging 32 to 70 years on moister sites with greater 

herbaceous production (USDI-BLM 2003a). Big 

sagebrush and low sagebrush are sensitive to fire and 

do not sprout from root crowns following fire (Howard 

218 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Vegetative Communities 

sprout from root crowns following fire (Howard 1999 

and McMurray 1986). Amounts of grass and other 

vegetation to sustain fire is directly related to the 

amount of moisture available, consequently, drier sites 

occupied by drought-tolerant Wyoming big sage and 

low sage tend to have the least frequent fire return interval (100 years or more between fires) (USDI-BLM 

2001). Moister mountain big sage communities are 

more likely to be growing in association with continuous grass and forb species that can carry fire. Fire return intervals in basin big sage and mountain big sage 

communities tend to be much more frequent, less than 

50 years (Johnson 2000). 

Non-lethal and mixed severity fires may burn in a mosaic pattern, leaving clumps of live sagebrush. Common 

sub-dominants in sagebrush communities, rubber rabbit 

brush, and spineless horsebrush sprout from root 

crowns following fire. These species tend to reoccupy 

burned sites more quickly than big sagebrush, but over 

time become decadent in absences of periodic fire. 

Fire return intervals in sagebrush communities are 

influenced to a large extent by amounts of herbaceous 

fuel available to carry fire. Livestock grazing has 

probably influenced fire return intervals especially on 

sites where little herbaceous biomass has accumulated. 

Invasion of sites by non-native cheatgrass also has the 

potential to substantially alter fire cycles. Cheatgrass is 

extremely flammable causing stands to burn with much 

greater frequency, as often as every few years. With 

drastic shortening of fire return intervals, sagebrush can 

be effectively eliminated and replaced by grassland 

dominated by cheatgrass, rabbit brush, and fire-resistant 

forbs, often invasive species. This type of conversion is 

common in the Great Basin but is not yet prevalent in 

the Butte PA. 

Bitterbrush is more common west of the Continental 

Divide, but it is present in PA, usually as small patches 

of only a few acres, generally restricted to rather dry, 

rocky, southern exposures (Mueggler and Stewart 

1980). Bitterbrush is palatable to livestock and wildlife, 

being especially important on big game winter ranges. 

Bitterbrush is usually found in association with dry site 

Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, bluebunch wheatgrass, 

Idaho fescue, and rough fescue. 

Bitterbrush is more resistant to grazing early and late in 

the season than during summer. Plants heavily grazed 

early in the season tend to produce more biomass than 

plants grazed at moderate intensity late in the growing 

season. Plants grazed during dormant periods recover 

much more quickly than plants grazed during the peak 

of the growing season (McConnell and Smith 1977). 

Bitterbrush is generally considered susceptible to fire, 

often taking 15 to 30 years to recover following moderate to severe fires; however, the potential to sprout after 

fire is variable depending on fire severity and season, 

genetic composition, carbohydrate reserves, and age. 

Bitterbrushes growing in association with plant communities that have relatively frequent fire intervals tend 

to sprout more frequently than bitterbrush growing on 

sites where fire has been excluded for long periods 

(Agee 1994). Low intensity, high frequency fires favor 

regrowth from sprouting, whereas higher intensity, less 

frequent fires favor regeneration by seed. 

Curlleaf mountain mahogany dominates communities 

that typically occupy hot, dry rocky and limestone soils 

or rock outcrops on slopes. It is one of the few species 

that meet the protein requirements for wintering deer 

and is heavily favored by bighorn sheep in summer. 

Wyoming big sagebrush, rubber and green rabbitbrush 

and juniper are often present in mountain mahogany 

communities. Bluebunch wheatgrass dominates the 

undergrowth; needle-and-thread may be present in 

varying amounts. 

Mountain mahogany often forms dense, closed-canopy 

stands that have little understory or interspecific 

competition. Where ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir are 

also present, mountain mahogany may eventually be 

overshadowed by tall trees and be shaded out (Ross 

1999). Typically, seed production is episodic, often 

producing copious amounts of seed that germinate 

under the canopy of mature plants but then die from 

damping off. Mountain mahogany usually germinates 

and becomes established on bare mineral soil. The 

increase in cheatgrass and other invasive species has 

inhibited reproduction of mountain mahogany in some 

areas of the West. Mountain mahogany is usually killed 

by fire, even fires of low intensity, and does not 

resprout (Ross 1999). Closed, mature stands may not 

have sufficient understory to carry fire, so fire-induced 

mortality may be confined to edges of stands. 

Regeneration by seed may occur after fire if the soil is 

not rapidly colonized by other competitive plants. 

Factors other than fire that can cause extensive mortality include attack by sapsuckers and other woodpeckers, 

which attack intermediate age class trees and girdle the 

stems (Ross 1999). 

Dry Foothills/Woodlands Zone 

The zone is a transition area between the dryer Grassland and Shrubland Zone and the Cool Moist Conifer 

Zone. This zone has historically been characterized by 

relatively open stands of limber pine, Rocky Mountain 

juniper, ponderosa pine, and Douglas-fir on rocky, dry 

slopes. The relative proportions of these species vary 

depending on site conditions and fire history (Arno 

1980), ranging from mixtures of all four species to 

stands dominated by one or two species. BLM forest 

inventory compiled in 2005 for the Decision Area 

clearly shows that the dry forest types continue to mature in a heavily overstocked condition that is unhealthy, declining in productivity, and unsustainable. 

These forest stands are crowded, averaging 600 to 700 

trees per acre with many sampled stands having well 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 219 
Chapter 3 

over a 1,000 trees per acre. These stocking levels are 

indicative of a high potential for insect epidemic and/or 

large-scale disturbance events with severe effects similar to those that occurred recently with the wildfires of 

2000. Stands with these high stocking levels are also 

undergoing bark beetle infestations and the widespread 

western spruce budworm defoliation now being seen in 

many areas. The impacts from these past events are 

expected to be long term as well, with deforestation 

occurring on approximately a quarter to a half of severely affected stands. 

Conifer species in this zone are not as productive for 

timber or fiber because the trees are usually slow growing, often have branches and limbs growing in the 

lower boles, and are more costly to handle when removed for commercial harvest reducing economic 

returns when compared to timber harvesting in the 

higher elevation zones. Many of these forested areas 

produce high volumes of woody materials suitable for 

biomass or other forest products. This zone is often 

important for fire wood gathering, Christmas tree cutting, and recreation because it is easily accessible to 

many urban areas. Dry foothills and woodlands occupy 

approximately 15 percent of the PA and 38 percent of 

the BLM land within the Decision Area. 

This zone is important seasonal and year-around wildlife habitat, often being part of big game winter range 

and year-round habitat for species that occupy the 

higher elevation forest communities in summer and 

lower elevation grasslands and shrublands. This zone is 

especially important for wolves and mountain lions, if 

elk or deer, their primary prey, are present. 

Plant communities in this zone tend to be composed of 

relatively open stands of small, slow-growing trees with 

understories of bunchgrass. Plant communities in this 

zone are susceptible to invasion by noxious weeds 

because forest overstory cover is not sufficiently dense 

to shade out invasive weeds and the bunchgrass component does not compete well with weeds because of 

the prevalence of unvegetated areas among the relatively evenly dispersed bunchgrass clumps. 

Of the conifers present in this zone, Rocky Mountain 

juniper appears to have the widest ecological amplitude, 

growing admixed with ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir 

at higher elevations and extending into riparian areas 

along the Jefferson, Madison, Gallatin, and Missouri 

Rivers. It forms nearly pure stands on some sites in the 

PA. 

Juniper is important to wildlife, being a major source of 

forage for mule deer in winter. Juniper berries are an 

important food for small mammals and birds, especially 

waxwings. This shrubby tree is important nesting habitat for a variety of birds including chipping sparrow, 

robins, song sparrows, and sharp-shinned hawks (Scher 

2002). Fire is a major factor controlling the distribution 

of woodland conifer species such as Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, limber pine and juniper. Limber pine, 

juniper, and smaller conifers are readily killed by low 

intensity burns because of its dense lower branches with 

a high volatile oil content and thin bark. Juniper does 

not sprout after top-kill by fire, with post-fire establishment from seed. Prior to the late 1800s, more frequent fires probably maintained low densities of woodland conifers, often restricting conifers to rocky sites 

without sufficient fuel to carry fire. Dry Douglasfir/ponderosa pine stands historically underwent low to 

moderate severity fires approximately every 5 to 20 

years. Fire maintained these stands open in structure 

with grass understories. Currently, most of these stands 

are overstocked with trees and have a closed canopy 

with little to no grass in the understory. 

Limber pine communities grow on some of the driest 

sites capable of supporting trees, generally on shallow, 

rocky soils derived from limestone. On the driest sites, 

bluebunch wheatgrass is a dominant understory species 

with rough fescue and Idaho fescue becoming dominant 

with increasing moisture (Pfister et al. 1977). Within 

the DA there are approximately 7,560 acres of limber 

pine interspersed with Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine. 

Limber pine is of low commercial value due to its 

growth characteristics and wood quality. The foliage of 

limber pine is largely unpalatable as a browse species 

for wildlife; however, its large high-energy seeds are an 

important food for birds and small mammals. Clark’s 

nutcrackers cache seeds from limber pine, which are 

often found and eaten by bears. 

Limber pine is especially susceptible to five-needle 

pine blister rust. Stands that are infected with this fungal pathogen often experience 75 to 95 percent mortality (Johnson 2001). Although infection by blister rust 

has not decimated populations of limber pine in the PA, 

extensive limber pine communities along the Rocky 

Mountain Front north of Helena are experiencing largescale mortality. 

Young limber pines are susceptible to low-severity fires 

because of their thin bark and low branches that can 

rapidly carry ground fire to the crown. Older trees, 

some more than 500 years old, are more resistant to fire 

because they develop thick bark and few branches near 

ground level. Open savannah-like communities of 

Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine adapted to dry conditions occupy sites at upper elevations of grasslands and 

shrublands. These open stands are important to wildlife 

species such as flammulated owls, which utilize large 

snags for nesting habitat. Ponderosa pine communities 

are present on 16,600 acres in the Decision Area while 

dry Douglas-fir communities are present on 90,700 

acres. At the interface of the dry conifer and grassland/shrubland communities, Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine are increasing in density and expanding into 

areas previously dominated by grasses and shrubs. Fire 

had been a primary factor in shaping the species composition and stand structure (e.g., canopy layers and 

220 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Vegetative Communities 

dominance of trees and shrubs), but fire suppression has 

allowed conifers to grow into these areas. Approximately 14,500 acres of shrubland and 49,600 acres of 

grasslands are encroached with conifers in the PA. 

Increased density and expansion of conifers reduces the 

density and vigor of sagebrush and grasses through 

shading and competition for nutrients and water. Common species associated with ponderosa pine and dry 

site Douglas-fir stands include ninebark, pinegrass, 

bluebunch wheatgrass, ponderosa pine, elk, sedge, 

common juniper, skunkbush sumac, bitterbrush, chokecherry, spirea, rough fescue, and mountain snowberry. 

In the past, frequent low-intensity fires maintained the 

high cover of grasses and sprouting shrubs, with lower 

cover of fire-sensitive sagebrush species. Conifer encroachment into grasslands and shrublands has expanded because of decreased intervals of fire. 

This zone is important from a fire management perspective because it is often part of the wildland-urban interface that separates forests with a high-fire potential 

from urban and residential areas where fires and smoke 

pose a risk to human health and property. Conifer species in this zone often encroach into grasslands and 

shrublands tending to exacerbate the threat of wildfire. 

Table 3-5 shows size class and density of dry forest 

types by 4th field HUC within the Decision Area. 

Cool, Moist Conifer Zone 

The cool, moist conifer zone represents approximately 

11 percent (800,387 acres) of the PA and seven percent 

(21,738 acres) of the Decision Area. Cool moist conifer 

communities are the most productive timber-producing 

forest type in the PA. They also are important summer 

and fall habitat for elk, deer, black bears, small mammals, migratory birds, and woodpeckers. Large Douglas-fir snags in this forest zone are important denning 

and nesting sites for cavity-nesting birds and mammals. 

The majority of this zone is dominated by lodgepole 

pine and Douglas-fir with lesser amounts of Engelmann 

spruce and subalpine fir on colder and moister sites, 

usually at the higher elevations, or extending 

downslope in cold-air drainages. Douglas-fir occupies 

the lower elevations of this zone in association with 

understory shrub and forb dominants including blue 

huckleberry, heart-leaf arnica, kinnikinick, beargrass, 

twinflower, and elk sedge (Pfister et al. 1977). These 

forest vegetation types are also maturing with higher 

stocking densities as indicated by the forest inventory 

compiled in 2005. As a whole in the Decision Area, 

these forests have very low percentages of young stands 

due in part to successful fire protection in the past and 

limited treatment activities over the last planning cycle. 

They are also subject to an increasing potential for 

insect outbreak as they continue to age and overstory 

canopies continue to close with the ground vegetation 

continuing to decline. Moist Douglas-fir communities 

are present on 5,053 acres of the DA. Lodgepole pine 

thrives following disturbances such as fire, logging, and 

insect infestation and is relatively short-lived, becoming 

decadent in absence of periodic replacement regimes 

that initiate reproduction. Lodgepole pine is present in 

the PA as nearly pure stands or intermixed with other 

conifers. Even aged, single-storied stands occur where 

favorable fire, seed, and climatic conditions have combined to produce large numbers of seedlings at one 

time. Dwarf mistletoe is a common disease in many 

lodgepole stands in the DA. Lodgepole pine communities are present on 16,481 acres of the DA. 

Lodgepole pine has a broad ecological range, growing 

in habitats such as frost pockets, soils with high water 

tables, and soils low in fertility. Typically, lodgepole 

pine is a seral or pioneer species and is eventually replaced by Douglas-fir or subalpine fir; however, on 

some sites lodgepole pine may be a climax species, 

Table 3-5 

Size Class and Density of Dry Forest Types in the Decision Area 

Dry Douglas-fir 

Medium and Large 

Size Class 

High Density 

Ponderosa Pine 

Medium and Large 

Size Class 

High Density 

Ponderosa Pine and 

Douglas-fir Medium 

and Large Size 

Class Low Density 

Limber Pine All 

Sizes and Densities 

Ponderosa Pine and 

Douglas-fir Seedling 

Sapling and Pole 

Class All Densities 

Watershed Current Historic1

 Current Historic1 Current Historic1 Current Historic1 Current Historic1 

Big Hole 13,733 6,690 0 78 5,272 3,010 10 60 890 3,247 

Blackfoot 0 86 0 0 368 78 0 0 0 0 

Gallatin 400 61 0 0 133 13 0 0 0 0 

Jefferson 19,123 4,875 64 39 8,484 3,337 3,199 405 1,066 3,479 

Missouri 23,200 5,597 10,773 1,368 17,502 4,692 4,290 338 4,223 6,352 

Yellowstone 1,331 248 0 0 800 228 65 0 0 287 

Total 57,787 17,557 10,837 1,485 32,559 11,358 7,564 803 6,179 13,365 

1 Historic acres were derived from modeling vegetation conditions over a 500-year period using the SIMPPLLE model, run approximately 

30 times, to determine "average" historic condition. See Appendix C for more details. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 221 
Chapter 3 

meaning it persists over a long period of time and is not 

replaced by other tree species. Typical associates of 

lodgepole pine include pinegrass, elk sedge, beargrass, 

twinflower, blue huckleberry, and grouse whortleberry. 

Forest communities in this zone are susceptible to severe, stand-replacing wildland fire. Following fire, 

lodgepole pine often becomes the dominant tree species 

because of the proportion of serotinous, fire resistant 

cones found in the PA that can hold high numbers of 

viable seeds for twenty years or more, which often 

survive intense crown fire such as those seen in Yellowstone Park in 1988. Lodgepole pine also has a high 

rate of seedling survival, rapid growth of young trees, 

early seed production, prolific seed production, and 

high seed viability (Anderson 2003). 

Currently, this zone has a higher density of subdominant trees in the understory and higher levels of 

fuel than with conditions prior to the early 1900s and, 

consequently trees are stressed and vulnerable to insects 

and high-severity, stand-replacing fires. 

In cool moist Douglas-fir areas high-fuel conditions 

have developed as a result of fire suppression and insect 

infestations in this zone. Instead of having mixed intensity fires that occur every 30 to 60 years and are typical 

of moderate severity fire regimes (Agree 1998), the risk 

of high-intensity, large scale fire has greatly increased 

in this zone over most of the PA. High-intensity, standreplacing fires can adversely affect many resources 

such as soils, water quality, wildlife, noxious weed 

invasions, and fisheries, including threatened and endangered species. 

Fire management in cool, moist forest types is addressed by Crane and Fisher (1986). They state that 

protection from unwanted fire is a major fire management consideration in stands where ignition of live and 

dead fuels could result in severe fire behavior. It may 

be difficult and impractical to abate the fire hazard and 

reinitiate normal fire intervals in such stands except in 

conjunction with timber harvest operations and other 

mechanical treatments. Fiedler (1996) suggested that 

prescribed fire in dense stands or those with understory 

ladder fuels could fatally damage the already stressed 

overstory trees. Logging and thinning might be appropriate preburn treatments before prescribed fire can 

safely be introduced into dense forests. 

Subalpine Fir Zone 

Subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce communities occupy the highest, coolest elevations in the PA. Subalpine fir communities are present on 1,796 acres of the 

Decision Area. 

They have minor importance for timber production and 

grazing, but are important hydrologically and for wildlife habitat. High snow accumulations in this zone provide most of the seasonal runoff in rivers and streams 

and recharge groundwater aquifers that provide base 

flow during the driest parts of the summer. Plant communities in this zone are important habitat for pine 

marten, boreal owl, lynx, wolverine, elk, mule deer, 

grizzly bear, black bear, blue grouse, Clark’s nutcracker, and migratory birds. This community occupies 

18 percent (1,305,766 acres) of the PA but only one 

percent (1,796 acres) of the DA. 

Table 3-6 shows size class and density of cool moist 

and subalpine fir forest types by 4th Field Watershed 

within the Decision Area. This zone, dominated by 

subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, lodgepole pine, and 

whitebark pine, extends from the cold limits of Douglas-fir upslope to timberline. Above the elevational cold 

limit of lodgepole pine (9,850 feet) Engelmann spruce 

and subalpine fir often co-dominate to form extensive 

forests to the upper limit of tree growth. Spruce and 

subalpine firs are extremely cold hardy and at timberline both species develop low-growing gnarled growth 

forms, known as krumholtz. Common understory species in this zone include pinegrass, elk sedge, beargrass, 

twinflower, blue huckleberry, and grouse whortleberry. 

Spruce requires a mineral soil seedbed for successful 

establishment; subalpine fir is able to establish in duff 

and litter because of its rapid root growth. ConseTable 3-6 

Size Classes and Density of Cool and Moist and Subalpine Fir Forest Types in the Decision Area 

Watershed 

Cool and Moist Forests 

Medium and Large Size 

Classes – High Density 

Cool and Moist Forests 

Medium and Large Size 

Classes – Low Density 

Cool and Moist Forests 

Seedling, Sapling, and Pole 

Size Classes – All Densities 

Current Historic1 Current Historic1

 Current Historic1 

Big Hole 5,533 2438 1,320 NA 4,335 4,384 

Blackfoot 0 46 460 NA 0 0 

Gallatin 0 0 0 NA 0 0 

Jefferson 1,493 1518 232 NA 610 549 

Missouri 6,187 4262 1,153 NA 1,097 1,174 

Upper Clark Fork 262 0 0 NA 0 0 

Yellowstone 551 158 301 NA 0 0 

Total 14,026 8,422 3,466 NA 6,042 6,107 1

 Historic acres were derived from modeling vegetation conditions over a 500 year period using the SIMPPLLE model, run approximately 30 times, to determine "average" historic condition. See Appendix C for more details. 

222 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Vegetative Communities 

quently, subalpine fir seedlings usually outnumber 

spruce/fir stands even where spruce dominates the 

overstory. Spruce and subalpine firs are very fire sensitive and are generally killed even by low-intensity fires. 

Typically, forests in this zone experience standreplacing fires at intervals of about 150 years (Uchytil 

1991). Lodgepole pine ecology in this zone is similar to 

its ecology in the lower moist, cool conifer communities. 

Infrequent stand-replacing fires are necessary to maintain whitebark pine in early to mid-seral stands because 

of the rapid rate of ecological succession (Howard 

2002). 

Lodgepole pine often forms single-species, even-aged 

stands following fire. In areas where spruce is abundant 

and lodgepole pine is scarce before fire, spruce rapidly 

establishes if adequate numbers of seed trees are present in adjacent unburned areas. If lodgepole pine is 

present in the preburn community, it usually becomes 

dominant, overtopping spruce seedlings; however, 

because spruce seedlings are shade tolerant, they usually survive and eventually become the largest trees in 

the stand in the absence of fire (Uchytil 1991). 

Whitebark pine generally grows on cold, moist sites, 

often exposed, rocky ridges near timberline. Regeneration is dependent on Clark’s nutcrackers, which remove 

the large seeds and bury the seeds in shallow caches, 

usually in open areas and burns, for future food. During 

years of good seed production, Clark’s nutcrackers 

cache more seeds than they consume, with unretrieved 

seeds germinating to become new trees (Howard 2002). 

Whitebark pine communities experience frequent fires 

as a result of lightning strikes on exposed, windswept 

ridges; however fires usually do not spread and are low 

intensity because of discontinuous canopies and sparse 

understory fuel. 

Natural regeneration of whitebark pine is affected by 

five-needle pine blister rust, fire exclusion, bark beetles, 

seed predation, and fungal disease, with the greatest 

threat being posed by blister rust. Seed predators include Clark’s nutcrackers, ravens, chipmunks, red 

squirrels, pine grosbeaks, grizzly bears, and pocket 

gophers. Whitebark pine communities are present on 

less than 30 acres of the Decision Area. 

Wetlands and Riparian Communities 

A riparian zone is the swath of land adjacent to a river 

or stream and is the transition area between terrestrial 

uplands and the stream. The size of the riparian zone 

will vary depending on the landscape. It may be a small 

corridor of vegetation immediately adjacent to the 

stream or a large network of wetlands. 

There are 346 miles of rivers and streams with associated riparian vegetation in the Decision Area. Riparian 

areas and associated wetlands are some of the most 

important habitats in the PA for providing ecological 

functions and values. Riparian areas are the green strips 

bordering springs, streams, and other bodies of water. 

They include wetlands, stream channels, and vegetation 

adapted to soil and moisture conditions transitional 

between uplands and wetlands. These areas support the 

highest densities and diversity of breeding birds, including bald eagle, great blue heron, Swainson’s hawk, 

waterfowl, red-tailed hawk, owls, and numerous migratory birds. Riparian areas provide crucial habitat for 

furbearers such as otter, beaver, mink, and muskrat; 

white-tailed deer; moose; ring-necked pheasant; red 

fox; and coyote. Riparian and wetland areas are especially important to the livestock industry. Livestock 

tend to congregate in wetland and riparian areas and 

utilize the vegetation more intensely than on adjacent 

upland sites. Riparian areas and wetlands often produce 

10 to 15 times the amounts of forage compared to drier 

upland sites. 

Grazing can have substantial effects on vegetation and 

soils, resulting in decreased vigor and biomass and 

alteration of species composition and diversity. Improper grazing of riparian areas can affect the streamside environment by changing and reducing riparian 

vegetation. Channel morphology can be changed 

through: widening the streambed, making it shallower; 

alteration of water flows and velocity; and, decreases in 

water quality. Water quality changes associated with 

improper grazing include increased water temperatures, 

nutrients, suspended sediments, and bacterial counts. 

One of the most extensive human-caused influences on 

riparian zones in the western United States has been 

grazing (Ehrhart and Hansen 1998). Livestock grazing 

has been implicated in declining reproduction of cottonwood and aspen communities and degradation of 

water quality in streams supporting cold-water biota. 

Extensive livestock grazing can result in a decline in 

the recruitment of woody species, a reduction in understory diversity, increased erosion, changes in the channel morphology and degraded water quality. 

The BLM manages grazing in riparian areas through 

seasonal constraints on cattle numbers and times of 

access and through fencing and placement of water 

sources and salt in upslope areas to encourage movement of livestock away from riparian areas. 

Riparian areas also are critical for stabilizing streambanks and shading to reduce water temperatures of 

streams that support trout and other cold water species. 

Sediment generated from streambank erosion is an 

important source of water quality impairment. 

Roads in the PA often are within or close to riparian 

areas, which can adversely affect these areas by vegetation removal, dust generation, sediment delivery to 

streams and associated wetlands, fragmentation, by 

preventing channel migrations, and by increasing human activities such as camping and OHV use. Historic 

mining has often included dredging and other techButte Draft RMP/EIS 223 
Chapter 3 

niques that have altered riparian areas and streams. 

Riparian areas can also be degraded by noxious weed 

infestations and recreational activities. 

Wetlands are regulated under Section 404 of the Clean 

Water Act as a subset of Waters of the U.S. Wetlands 

are defined as areas that are inundated or saturated by 

surface water or groundwater at frequency and duration 

sufficient to support, and under normal circumstances 

do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted 

for life in saturated soil conditions (U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers 1987). Wetlands can consist of herbaceous 

species, shrubs, and trees. 

Riparian shrub communities typically are dominated by 

red-osier dogwood, willows, and water birch. Douglasfir and juniper colonize the drier margins and terraces 

of riparian areas in the absence of frequent flooding. 

Currently, riparian vegetation conditions in the Decision Area vary from healthy native vegetation to severely impacted stands with the majority of plants being 

introduced species. In degraded riparian areas, disturbance processes (such as frequent flooding), which 

create and maintain riparian communities have been 

altered and fire is infrequent. As a result there are larger 

numbers of conifers, especially Rocky Mountain juniper, in valley bottoms and aspen, willow, and cottonwoods are decadent and do not reproduce effectively. 

Heavy browsing and trampling by livestock and wildlife have stressed localized areas of riparian vegetation 

and contributed to streambank instability and delivery 

of sediment to streams. The role of beavers in creating 

higher water tables by dam construction and regenerating woody species has been eliminated or reduced in 

many areas. 

In some riparian areas, the loss of water storage from 

beaver dams and/or the loss of riparian vegetation have 

changed site potentials and vegetation adapted to drier 

conditions has increased. Consequently, species 

adapted to drier site conditions have become more 

prevalent (e.g., Kentucky bluegrass, streambank wheatgrass, silver sagebrush, and shrubby cinquefoil). 

BLM has developed a protocol for determining proper 

functioning condition of riparian areas. This protocol 

entails field observations of hydrologic, vegetative, and 

erosional attributes that indicate functional status of 

riparian communities. Hydrologic attributes include 

flow regimes, flood frequency, presence of beaver 

dams, sinuosity, width/depth ratios, gradient, and riparian zone width. Vegetation attributes include composition, age structure, indicator species, root masses, bank 

cover, vigor, and woody debris recruitment potential. 

Erosion attributes include floodplain and channel characteristics, point bar cover, lateral stream movement, 

stability, and water/sediment balance. 

Riparian areas are considered functioning properly 

when they have adequate vegetation and landforms to: 

• Dissipate stream energy associated with high water 

flows, thereby reducing erosion and improving water quality; 

• Filter sediment, capture bedload, and aid floodplain 

development; 

• Improve flood-water retention and groundwater 

recharge; or 

• Develop root masses and stabilize streambanks 

against cutting action. 

Areas are considered functional–at risk when they are 

functioning properly to some degree but existing soil, 

water, or vegetation conditions make them susceptible 

to degradation. Nonfunctioning riparian areas are identified when conditions are not providing adequate vegetation, landform, or large woody debris to dissipate 

stream energy associated with high flows. 

For fire and fuels management projects, BLM has developed a Riparian Management Zone (RMZ) Strategy 

(USDI-BLM 2003a) for forested and non-forested 

riparian areas. Boundaries of RMZs around ponds, 

lakes, and streams in forested habitat generally would 

be the width of one site-potential tree height. In nonforested rangeland ecosystems, RMZs extend to the 

edge of riparian vegetation or if trees are present, the 

width of one site-potential tree height. 

Of the 346 miles of riparian vegetation along rivers and 

streams in the DA, 150 miles (43 percent) are in proper 

functioning condition, 147 miles (42 percent) are functioning at risk, 40 miles (12 percent) are non-functional, 

1 mile (less than one percent) are unknown, and 8 miles 

are woody draws (2 percent). 

Cottonwood 

Black cottonwood is a common overstory species in 

riparian communities along rivers and larger streams 

with common shrubs including western snowberry, 

serviceberry, red-osier dogwood, and wild rose. 

Cottonwood communities in the PA are most extensive 

along the Missouri, Gallatin, and Jefferson Rivers, and 

other perennial streams. Cottonwood communities 

occupy riparian zones of rivers and streams that have 

periodic over-bank flooding. Riparian plant communities are "pulse-stabilized" systems maintained in continual ecological transition (disclimax) through the 

pulse of periodic flooding. Scouring by floodwaters and 

deposition of water-borne sediment (alluvium) creates 

optimum habitat for seedlings of cottonwood and willow species. Seeds of these species germinate almost 

exclusively on recently deposited, fully exposed alluvium. 

According to Mahoney and Rood (1993), the following 

factors are important for cottonwood seedling establishment: 1) peak flows to prepare germination sites; 2) 

receding flows at the time of seed release to expose new 

germination sites; 3) gradually declining water table to 

224 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Vegetative Communities 

limit seedling drought stress and promote root growth; 

4) adequate summer flows to meet high water demands; 

and 5) adequate autumn flows to maintain water balance and over-winter survival. A detailed discussion of 

life history, ecology, and conservation of North American cottonwood forests is presented by Braatne and 

others (1996), Johnson (1992), and Hansen and 

Suchomel (1990). Fluvial processes, associated with 

establishment and maintenance of riparian forests, are 

discussed by Scott and others (1996). 

Black cottonwood is frequently damaged by lowseverity fires, with young trees with thinner bark being 

more susceptible. Following fire, black cottonwood 

sprouts from stumps, root crowns, and lateral roots 

(Steinberg 2001). Rate of sprouting is highest when 

plants are dormant, and in young plants. Sprout survival 

is highest when the water table is near the surface. Fire 

can improve regeneration from seed by increasing light 

penetration and exposing mineral soil. Exposed mineral 

soil is essential for successful reproduction from seed. 

Aspen 

Aspen has historically occupied moist sites from the 

upper margins of grasslands and shrublands, extending 

well into the higher Cool Moist Conifer Zone. Aspen is 

intolerant of shade and grows in even-aged, singlestoried stands. Aspen is relatively short lived, usually 

maturing in 60 to 80 years, followed by a rapid decline 

in vigor with increased susceptibility to disease. As 

aspen stands mature and decline in growth and vigor, 

conifers begin to dominate the sites. Without fire, logging, or some other disturbance, aspen does not effectively reproduce (DeByle and Winokur 1985). 

Aspen stands are relatively rare in Montana when compared to the other Rocky Mountain States, but where 

they occur they support a diverse avifauna. Large 

stands of pure aspen can be found in southwestern 

Montana, primarily on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge and 

Gallatin National Forests and in the Beartooth Mountain portion of the Custer National Forest. It is often the 

only broad leafed tree within coniferous forests and 

therefore provides unique foraging substrates for a 

variety of insectivorous birds. Its suckers, twigs, and 

bark are used by wintering ungulates, particularly deer, 

elk, and moose. Snowshoe hares and cottontail rabbits 

feed on its twigs and buds, while ruffed grouse are 

highly dependent on aspen buds in winter. Aspen also 

provides cavities and snags for cavity dependant wildlife. 

Aspen trees are in poor condition over most of Montana. Most of the aspen remaining in the state are in the 

older age classes and are in critical need of regeneration. Older stands are usually less vigorous and least 

likely to regenerate successfully. Many of these stands 

are currently being crowded out by competing conifers 

and aspen and will eventually be lost from the site. In 

addition, pure and mixed stands in the older age classes 

are of low vigor and are often heavily infested with 

pathogens. Effective fire suppression over the past 50 

years has permitted competition and disease to reduce 

clone vigor to levels lower than would be expected 

under natural conditions. Compounding the situation, 

fire suppression has drastically reduced fire-induced 

regeneration in recent years resulting in few young aged 

stands. 

Noxious Weeds 

Noxious weeds, designated by state law and county 

weed boards, are non-native species that invade areas of 

native vegetation and replace native species. They are 

aggressive invaders, especially of disturbed soils, and 

decrease habitat value for wildlife, reduce range productivity for livestock, and increase costs for other land 

management activities. 

Thirteen species of weeds are known to be well established on about 20,000 acres in the Decision Area 

(Table 3-7). A substantial number of these infestations 

occur adjacent to roads, power lines, streams, ditches, 

and canals indicating vehicles and water are primary 

carriers of weed seed. Noxious weeds and non-native, 

invasive species are spreading rapidly in much of the 

Decision Area, including the Travel Planning Areas for 

which site-specific plans are proposed in this RMP. 

Noxious weed infestations are causing adverse impacts 

on native plant communities, hydrological cycles, wildlife habitat, soil and watershed resources, recreation, 

and aesthetic values. A shift from shrub and bunchgrass 

vegetation to noxious weeds decreases wildlife forage 

and species diversity and increases soil erosion. 

Any habitat type that has been disturbed or is in poor 

ecological condition is subject to noxious weed invasion. The lack of a forest overstory and the bunchgrass 

structure of many native grasslands and shrublands 

render them susceptible to weed invasion and infestation. Spotted knapweed, Dalmatian toadflax, and leafy 

spurge are the most widespread and frequent weeds. 

Noxious weeds in coniferous forest habitat types 

(mostly the Dry Foothills and Woodlands Zone) are the 

same species that have invaded grasslands and shrublands. The density and vigor of noxious weed populations are inversely related to shading and competition 

from overstory trees, seedlings, and saplings. In forests, 

noxious weeds are usually found in open forest stands 

that have low tree densities and cover because of moisture limitation, or other disturbance. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 225 
Chapter 3 

Table 3-7 

Acres of Noxious Weeds by 4th Code Watershed in the Decision Area in 2005 

Species 4th Code Watershed1 

Big Hole Blackfoot Gallatin Jefferson Missouri Yellowstone 

Canada thistle 354 5 140 78 5 

Dalmatian toadflax 1,490 5 3,805 1,080 4 

Diffuse knapweed 11 12 

Dyers woad 

Field bindweed 8 

Houndstongue 485 5 2,230 787 108 

Leafy spurge 23 65 954 1,047 99 

Oxeye daisy 

Russian knapweed 1 213 

Spotted knapweed 1,192 20 129 1,528 3,370 72 

Sulfur cinquefoil 1 

Whitetop 55 16 

Yellow toadflax 108 5 172 81 22 

Total 3,652 20 214 8,905 6,684 310 

1 No data indicates the species has not been observed in the unit, not absence of the species from the unit. 

Effects of wildland fire and fire-suppression on the 

spread and introduction of noxious weeds are concerns 

because forest canopy cover has been lost in many 

areas that were formerly shaded. Prior to the fires, shading by conifers inhibited noxious weeds from spreading 

into areas with unburned overstories. The proliferation 

of noxious weeds may alter post-fire succession. 

The Butte Field Office utilizes the Integrated Weed 

Management approach for noxious weed control in all 

the resource programs negatively impacted by weeds 

and works cooperatively with other federal, state, and 

county entities in the common goal of noxious weed 

control. 

FISH 

The PA contains a variety of stream networks ranging 

from headwater stream systems to major river systems. 

The PA also contains ponds, lakes, and reservoirs of 

varying sizes. Fisheries in the PA include high-quality 

coldwater fisheries in rivers and streams and warm 

water fish communities in lakes, reservoirs, and larger 

river systems. 

A general overview of conditions and trends of aquatic 

resources includes the following: 

• Currently, native fish species (such as Yellowstone 

and westslope cutthroat trout, bull trout and Arctic 

grayling) that were historically common throughout the PA are either uncommon or have been locally extirpated. The loss of native species is 

mainly due to competition with non-native species, 

hybridization with non-native species, loss of habitat and over harvest. 

• Special-status species (bull trout, fluvial Arctic 

grayling, westslope cutthroat trout, Yellowstone 

cutthroat trout, and northern red belly and fine 

scale dace hybrid) are located throughout portions 

of the PA and some require special management 

direction dictated by interagency Memoranda of 

Understanding and Conservation Plans. 

• Water quantity and water quality have been affected by management activities, which can become cumulative and produce environmental 

changes across the landscape. These activities include fire and fire management, road development, 

mineral development, livestock grazing practices, 

vegetation alteration (timber harvest, forage production), alteration of flow regimes (by placement 

of dams and diversions), and crop production. 

Other factors such as noxious weeds, wildfire, and 

drought have also affected water quantity and quality. 

• A large portion of riparian areas in the Decision 

Area are not in proper functioning condition (approximately 56 percent). 

• Boundaries of the PA have changed and land adjustment (disposal or acquisition) may require different land management activities. 

The current condition of aquatic resources is reflective 

of many types of land use activities that have occurred 

on state, federal, and private land. The PA contains 

approximately 7,638 river and stream miles and 60,976 

acres of lake/reservoirs in the nine primary 4th field 

HUCs. Approximately 239 miles of perennial rivers and 

streams are found within the Decision Area (Table 

3-8). BLM has lands adjacent to lakes and reservoirs in 

the PA, but does not specifically manage these water 

bodies. 

Many variables within a watershed can affect or influence the condition of aquatic resources. These variables 

226 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
 Affected Environment: Fish 

include but are not limited to: land use practices, ownership, surface, and groundwater quality and quantity, 

and riparian habitat condition. Table 3-9 presents conditions of select activities within the nine primary 4th 

field HUCs across the PA. Appendix J of the AMS 

generally describes the watersheds within each 4th field 

HUC. 

Table 3-8 

Miles of Streams and Rivers and Acres of Lakes 

and Reservoirs 

HUC Miles in 

the PA 

Miles in 

the DA 

Acres in 

the PA 

Blackfoot 181.8 1.9 302 

Big Hole 594.3 57.7 923 

Boulder 600.6 37.8 558 

Gallatin 1,231.1 0.05 1,098 

Jefferson 438.8 30.3 1135 

Shields 695.6 0.0 651 

Upper Missouri 2,089.5 107.7 46,411 

Upper Clark Fork 687.9 0.8 7,965 

Yellowstone 1,118.3 3.1 1,933 

Total 7,637.9 239.35 60,976 

Habitat and Stream Condition 

Stream conditions vary across the PA because of the 

natural topography and natural and human-caused influences such as logging, mining, grazing, road construction, wildfire, landslides, drought, excessive precipitation, extreme floods, dam construction, and water 

diversion. These disturbances affect the morphology of 

streams at excessive rates (in the case of human caused 

influences) or may occur as more pulse-based influences associated with flooding. 

Various components of fish habitat are functioning at 

risk or non-functional. It should be noted that stream 

segments on BLM land are typically short (in most 

cases, less than a mile), making these segments difficult 

to manage in trying to achieve or maintain proper functioning condition. 

In the revised Forest Plan, the Beaverhead-Deerlodge 

National Forest (USDA-FS 2005) discussed the range 

of aquatic habitat conditions that occur on National 

Forest land. To a similar extent, these conditions also 

exist within the Decision Area, as often USFS and 

BLM land adjoin or are in close proximity to one another. 

Upstream impacts from public and private land play a 

significant role in the stream conditions. New laws and 

land management techniques have reduced impacts 

across many of the aquatic systems on National Forest 

land and some improvement has occurred. In stream 

and riparian areas that have not recovered, poor habitat 

conditions continue and are exhibited by reduced pool 

quantity and quality, undesirable width-to-depth ratios, 

excessive fine sediment, reduced stream channel stability, lack of woody debris, excessive daily and seasonal 

temperature changes, dewatering and poor water quality 

(USDA-FS 2005). 

Fish migration and upstream movement are often limited by natural and human influenced fish passage barriers. Table 3-9 contains information provided by 

MFWP (2005) regarding the number of fish barriers by 

watershed across the PA. This data set showed no fish 

barriers on BLM land with the exception of a manmade barrier on Muskrat Creek to prevent the upstream 

movement of brook trout into restored westslope cutthroat trout habitat. 

Riparian Condition 

The BLM’s Riparian-Wetland Initiative for the 1990s 

established national goals and objectives for managing 

riparian-wetland resources on BLM land (Quigley et al. 

1999). Riparian/wetland areas achieve proper functioning condition when adequate vegetation, landform, or 

large woody debris is present to dissipate stream energy 

associated with high water flows. 

Given the fragmented nature of land in the PA, the 

BLM-managed stream segments may be in proper functioning condition, however upstream and downstream 

conditions may be different. Therefore, even though 

small segments may be in proper functioning condition, 

they may not have a significant impact on the stream 

system as a whole. Table 3-9 contains information 

regarding the riparian condition of streams within the 

4th field HUC within the Decision Area. 

Water Quality/Quantity 

Water quality and quantity are important for fish populations. Mining, road building, logging, and livestock 

use have degraded some streams. Irrigation is a major 

factor influencing water volume of many streams 

(USDI-BLM 1984a). A detailed water quality and 

quantity discussion regarding 4th field HUCs in the PA 

is presented in the Water section above. 

Fish Species 

MFWP manages the native and non-native fisheries 

resources in the PA. Records from MFWP (2005) indicate stocking of native and non-native fish began as 

early as 1923 in the PA. Many different species were 

stocked with varying frequency and intensity since the 

stocking program began. Salmonid species that were 

stocked included westslope and Yellowstone cutthroat 

trout, rainbow trout and hybrid combinations thereof, 

brook trout, brown trout, lake trout and bull trout, as 

well as Chinook and Coho salmon. Arctic grayling 

were also stocked. Stocking records indicate that fish 

were stocked in mountain lakes, creeks, streams, small 

and large rivers (Table 3-10). 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 227 
Chapter 3 Table 3-9 Current Condition and Trend by 4th Field HUC 

Watershed Activity 

4 th Field HUC 

Blackfoot Big Hole Boulder Gallatin Jefferson Shields Upper Missouri Upper Clark Fork Upper Yellowstone 

BLM Managed AcresWithin the PA 932 58,983 40,341 872 40,748 223 147,827 649 8,010 Public Land Acreage 81,394 311,434 306,219 504,161 193,720 86,394 785,132 195,625 550,243 

Private Land Acreage 45,355 95,108 179,777 518,934 271,468 428,115 1,109,465 325,325 443,811 

Total Acres of WatershedWithin the PA 126,749 406,542 485,996 1,023,095 465,188 514,509 1,894,597 520,950 994,054 Primary land use e.g.Grazing, Recreational,Agricultural, Wilderness 

Grazing/

Recreation 

Grazing/

Recreation 

Grazing/

Farming 

Farming/

Residential

Development 

Grazing/

Farming 

Grazing/

Farming 

Grazing/

Farming 

Historic Mining/

Grazing/

 Farming 

Grazing/ Recreation 

Special-Status Species1 

Presence in PA BT, WCT YCT, AG, WCT YCT, WCT, YCT, AG, WCT WCT YCT YCT, WCT YCT, AG, BT, WCT YCT 

Special-Status Species Presence on Decision Area WCT YCT, AG, WCT WCT None Present WCT None Present WCT WCT None Present 

Miles of 303d ListedStreams in the PA 42.6 128.3 180.8 186.1 158.4 119.5 337.3 288.9 125.3 

Miles of 303d listed Streamson the Decision Area None 10.7 11.2 None None 1.9 21.6 None 0.3 

Stream Miles of PFC inDecision Area2 NA 41.1 8.9 NA 14.6 NA 52.5 NA 12.3 

Stream Miles Functioning atRisk (FAR) in DecisionArea 

NA 31.4 16.1 NA 16.7 NA 35.8 0.6 0.8 

Stream Miles Nonfunctioning (NFU) in Decision Area NA 1.5 6.6 NA 4.98 NA 21.2 NA NA 

Surveyed Fish Barriers inthe PA3 1 7 13 16 3 0 65 13 0 

 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 

1 Yellowstone cutthroat trout (YCT); westslope cutthroat trout (WCT); bull trout (BT); Arctic grayling (AG). 2 Proper Functioning Condition data from Butte Field Office BLM, NA indicates no information was available. 3 From MFWP database. 

228 
Table 3-10

Stream Miles of Fish Species of Interest in the PA and Decision Area by 4th Field HUC* 

Fish Species StatusA 

4 th Field HUC 

Blackfoot Big Hole Boulder Gallatin Jefferson Shields Upper Missouri Upper Clark Fork Upper Yellowstone

PA DA PA DA PA DA PA DA PA DA PA DA PA DA PA DA PA DA 

Yellowstonecutthroat trout 1 NA NA 17.7 6.0 10.7 NA 100.9 NA NA NA 408.5 NA 1.0 NA 8.8 NA 466.7 0.32 

Arctic grayling 2 NA NA 66.8 4.34 NA NA 80.8 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 

Bull trout 2 57.6 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 66.2 NA NA NA Westslopecutthroat trout 1 148.0 2.00 62.0 1.96 36.9 2.96 58.6 NA 22.7 1.33 NA NA 122.6 3.82 213.0 0.82 NA NA 

Brook trout NA 91.7 1.94 301.7 17.3 244.2 9.42 378.8 NA 111.3 10.5 165.8 NA 513.2 23.7 183.9 NA 210.6 NA Brown trout NA 61.7 1.90 53.8 4.34 71.7 4.70 335.3 NA 99.2 3.24 191.9 NA 430.1 14.01 96.0 NA 247.3 0.72 

Rainbow trout NA 3.9 NA 145.2 12.84 149.3 5.23 425.9 NA 96.9 3.06 68.9 NA 540.9 13.61 55.6 NA 306.1 1.06 

Golden trout NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 6.5 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 9.0 NA NA NA 

YellowstoneCutthroat trout Xrainbow trout 

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 3.37 NA 

Source: Information was obtained from MFWP databases and is pertinent to the streams they have surveyed. There may be other un-surveyed streams in the PA that also contain similar species. A 1= BLM Sensitive; 2 = Federally listed as Threatened PA = PA; DA = Decision Area 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 229 
Chapter 3 

Table 3-11 

Westslope Cutthroat Trout Introgression Within the Planning and Decision Areas 

Watershed Status1 Stream Miles 

PA Decision Area 

Big Hole 

1 31.22 1.43 

2 11.84 

5 2.88 

6 3.65 

Blackfoot 

1 103 45 0 05 

2 10.93 

5 22.04 

6 15.99 1.90 

Jefferson 

1 64 

5 8.17 

6 6.61 0.14 

Boulder 

1 28 85 2 96 

2 3.45 

5 1.61 

Gallatin 

1 4 18 

2 9.22 

3 23.16 

6 17.94 

Upper Missouri 

1 44 40 0 49 

2 20.06 0.05 

3 6.60 0.47 

4 15.23 0.84 

5 9.83 0.04 

6 30.65 2.08 

Upper Clark Fork 

1 52 56 

2 15.83 

5 36.26 0.83 

6 108.3 

Endangered, threatened, and sensitive aquatic species 

are given special consideration if there is concern with 

population viability, limited distribution, risks to habitat, or other factors that influence management actions 

in the Decision Area. Five fish species, including bull 

trout, Yellowstone and westslope cutthroat trout, northern redbelly dace, finescale dace hybrid, and fluvial 

arctic grayling have special-status in management considerations (Table 3-10). 

Bull trout occur in the PA in the upper Clark Fork watershed near Anaconda and in the Blackfoot River. 

There is no BLM-managed land in close proximity to 

bull trout in the Upper Clark Fork; however, BLM does 

manage land near the Blackfoot River where bull trout 

are present. 

As Table 3-10 indicates, many fish species are found 

across the PA, providing a diverse fishery and ample 

recreational opportunities to the public. The presence of 

salmonids and other special-status fish species is an 

important aquatic resource component that is used by 

1

 Status: 1 = Unaltered; 2 = < 10% Introgression; 

3 = 10 – 25% Introgression 4 = > 25% Introgression 

5 = Suspected Unaltered; 6 = Potentially Altered 

state and federal officials to evaluate stream health, 

provide recreational opportunities and can be important 

in cultural and socioeconomic considerations. 

Table 3-10 identifies miles of stream occupied by salmonids and special-status fish species as they relate to 

the 4th field HUC in the PA and Decision Area, respectively. AMS Figures 2-21a through 2-21i show by 4th 

field HUC, the surveyed locations of westslope cutthroat and Yellowstone cutthroat trout. 

Genetic introgression of native species of salmonids 

(specifically, westslope and Yellowstone cutthroat 

trout) with introduced or hatchery fish has been evaluated by the MFWP across portions of the PA. Overall, 

lands in the Decision Area are more closely related to 

current and historic westslope cutthroat trout habitats 

than Yellowstone cutthroat trout habitats. Available 

information for westslope cutthroat trout are summarized in Table 3-11 and displayed in AMS Figures 2-

22a, 2-22b, and 2-22c). 

230 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Wildlife 

Restoration 

MFWP, BLM, and the USFS collaborate in an on-going 

effort to conserve westslope cutthroat trout in Muskrat 

Creek, a tributary to the Boulder River. The relatively 

high quality aquatic and riparian conditions as well as 

the remnant westslope cutthroat trout population provide an excellent opportunity for westslope cutthroat 

trout restoration in this stream. A wooden barrier was 

constructed near the USFS boundary at river mile 7.6 in 

1997. Since that time, brook trout have been annually 

removed (using electrofishing) upstream of the barrier 

to a natural barrier at river mile nine. 

In 1997, native westslope cutthroat trout were also relocated above the natural barrier (formerly a fishless 

section of stream). The westslope cutthroat trout relocated above the natural barrier survived and reproduced in the upper basin and by 2002 the trout had 

expanded upstream to the headwaters (approximately 

river mile 13.5) as well as downstream throughout the 

stream. Removal of brook trout between the man-made 

barrier and natural barrier has been successful. In the 

summer of 2003, only 18 brook trout were found in 

July and no brook trout were captured during an extensive effort of four electrofishing passes in October. All 

the brook trout captured during July 2003 were age 2 

and older fish confirming that no brook trout were 

successfully recruited to the population during the past 

three years. No brook trout were captured during 2004 

or 2005 and approximately 5.9 miles of Muskrat Creek 

is once again considered to have a restored and protected population of westslope cutthroat trout. MFWP 

now uses this stream as a donor source of fish to reestablish westslope cutthroat trout populations in other 

streams within and beyond the PA boundaries. 

WILDLIFE 

Important wildlife habitats include wetlands and riparian areas, coniferous forests, shrublands, grasslands, 

snags (standing dead trees), cliffs and rocky outcrops, 

and caves and abandoned mines. Seasonally important 

habitats include big game winter ranges, calving and 

fawning areas, raptor nest sites, bat breeding and hibernation sites, waterfowl nesting areas, sage grouse and 

sharptail grouse courtship (leks) and nesting areas, wolf 

denning and rendezvous sites, and grizzly bear habitat. 

The PA is an important wildlife linkage area that connects the Yellowstone Ecosystem, the Continental Divide, the Gravelly Mountains, the Tobacco Root Mountains, the Belt Mountains, and the Northern Continental 

Divide Ecosystem allowing the potential for movement 

and genetic exchange among geographically dispersed 

wildlife populations. The extents of the various habitats 

are shown in Table 3-4. 

Populations and distribution of wildlife in the PA have 

been influenced by past management activities that 

have altered habitat or caused disturbance including 

agricultural activities (including livestock grazing), 

mining, timber management, exclusion of fire (colonization by conifers into grasslands and shrublands), 

recreation, urban and suburban expansion, highway and 

road construction. While the BLM manages habitat for 

a variety of wildlife species, it is the MFWP that has 

responsibility to manage wildlife populations. 

Habitats 

Grassland/Shrubland 

Sagebrush grasslands are critical areas for a variety of 

wildlife species as they provide critical winter range for 

game species and there are many species that are sagebrush obligate. 

Grassland and shrubland communities have been identified to be dominant communities within the winter 

ranges of antelope, elk, mule deer, moose, and bighorn 

sheep within the PA. Sagebrush is one of the only 

shrubs that have levels of crude protein high enough to 

sustain large herbivores throughout the winter. Other 

shrublands that occur within the PA include low sagebrush, bitterbrush, and mountain mahogany. 

Both grassland and shrublands provide habitat for a 

variety of wildlife species by providing forage, cover, 

and water. Species that utilize these habitats include: 

mule deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, coyote, red fox, 

badger, jackrabbit, pygmy rabbit, black-tailed prairie 

dogs, sage grouse, ferruginous hawk, Swainson’s hawk, 

mountain plover, sage thrashers, sage sparrows, 

Brewer’s sparrows, long-billed curlews, northern harrier, prairie falcon, Baird’s sparrow, chestnut-collared 

long spur, loggerhead shrikes, long-billed curlew, marbled godwit, McCown’s longspur, Sprague’s pipit, 

western rattlesnake, and Columbian, Wyoming, and 

Richardson’s ground squirrels. 

There are a variety of factors that reduce the quality and 

availability of grassland and shrubland communities in 

the PA. Fire suppression has probably had the greatest 

influence within these communities as changes in fire 

regimes has resulted in encroachment of conifers into 

grassland and shrubland communities; thereby reducing 

the grassland/shrubland habitat. The introduction of 

noxious weeds has also resulted in a loss in grassland 

habitats in some areas. In addition, grazing can degrade 

and influence grassland / shrubland habitats when 

stocking rates are at a level that they cause a decline in 

rangeland health. 

Dry Foothills / Woodlands 

Open savannah-like communities of Douglas-fir and 

ponderosa pine adapted to dry conditions occupy sites 

at upper elevations of grasslands and shrublands. These 

communities are important to wildlife species such as 

flammulated owls, which utilize large snags for nesting 

habitat. Large ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir snags 

occur in low densities but persist on the landscape for 

long periods and provide a critical habitat component. 

While conifer encroachment into grasslands and shrubButte Draft RMP/EIS 231 
Chapter 3 

lands is resulting in a loss of these habitats, areas of 

conifer encroachment provide habitat for a wide variety 

of birds, small mammals, and big game animals. Woodlands have been identified as important communities 

within winter range for elk, moose, mule deer, bighorn 

sheep, and white-tailed deer. Mountain mahogany 

communities can be particularly important in some 

areas for providing winter range for big game animals. 

These areas can also be critical for providing transitional habitat between winter and summer range and 

travel corridors for wildlife. 

Some of the species that can be found in these communities include: mule deer, white tailed deer, big horn 

sheep, elk, and moose and coyote, bobcat, mountain 

lion, black bear, yellow-pine chipmunk, red squirrel, 

striped skunk, sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper’s hawk, 

blue grouse, hairy and downy woodpeckers, chickadees, mourning doves, finches, evening grosbeak, jays, 

Clark's nutcracker, nuthatches, spotted towhee, darkeyed juncos, mountain bluebirds, black-capped chickadees, Williamson’s sapsucker, northern flicker, common nighthawk, olive-sided flycatcher, dusky flycatcher, golden-crowned kinglet, Swainson’s thrush, 

hermit thrush, Townsend’s solitaire, solitary vireo, 

western tanager, Cassin’s finch, pine siskin, western 

small-footed myotis, long-eared myotis, silver-haired 

bat and hoary bat. 

Cool, Moist Conifer Zone 

Cool, moist coniferous forest stands within the PA 

provide habitat for a variety of wildlife species. Some 

of these species include: elk, moose, deer, black bears, 

grizzly bears, lynx, mountain lions, wolverines, fishers, 

martens, goshawks, coopers hawk, sharp-shinned 

hawks, boreal owls, three-toed woodpeckers, blackbacked woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, Williamson’s 

sapsuckers, northern flickers, and hermit thrushes. This 

community can also be very important for providing 

winter range for big game species such as elk, moose, 

and white-tailed deer. 

Snags and down wood are major wildlife habitat components of the ecosystem. Their natural abundance and 

distribution have been altered by decades of land conversion, fire suppression, timber and firewood harvest, 

and mining activities. Standing snags provide foraging, 

roosting, denning, and nesting habitat for a number of 

wildlife. A variety of cavity nesters and forest mammals rely on the presence of large diameter snags for 

reproduction and protection. In addition, there are several sensitive species that are dependent on old growth 

habitat and the downed woody material that is found 

within these stands. Maintaining a diversity size and 

age classes is very beneficial for forest wildlife species. 

As snags decay and fall to the ground, they become 

down wood and provide food and shelter for different 

species. Down wood also stores nutrients and moisture, 

and aids in soil development. 

Subalpine Fir 

Snags occur in pulses of high density subalpine fir, 

spruce, lodgepole pine, and occasionally Douglas-fir, 

that historically persisted for short periods of time (5-25 

years). Snags can occur over extensive areas (10’s to 

1,000’s) of acres. Large, unfragmented patches of 

burned or insect killed stands are critical for species 

that depend on this type of habitat such as black-backed 

and three-toed woodpeckers and the Canada lynx that 

requires large areas of young subalpine and lodgepole 

pine forest for foraging. 

The wildlife species that utilize these habitats are many 

of the same species that are found in the cool, moist 

conifer habitat. Some of these species include: elk, 

deer, moose, lynx, wolverines, grizzly bears, black 

bears, pine marten, boreal owls, blue grouse, Clark’s 

nutcracker, and a variety of migratory birds. These 

communities are not as susceptible to the impacts of 

fire suppression and timber management. 

Wetland/Riparian 

Riparian areas are important because they generally 

have better quality soils than the surrounding hillslopes 

and, because of their position lower in the landscape, 

often retain moisture over a longer period. Riparian 

areas support a higher diversity of plants and animals 

than non-riparian land. This is a result of the wider 

range of habitats and food types present as well as the 

proximity to water, microclimate, and refuge. Many 

native plants are found only, or primarily, in riparian 

areas, and these areas are essential to many animals for 

all or part of their lifecycle. Riparian land also provides 

a refuge for native plants and animals in times of stress, 

such as drought or fire, and plays a large role in providing corridors for wildlife movement. 

Although riparian zones may occupy a relatively narrow band, they are critical to maintaining the biodiversity of the more extensive, adjoining uplands. For example, over 75 percent of the animal species in arid 

regions need riparian habitats at some stage of their life 

cycles. A variety of wildlife species utilize wetland/riparian habitats. Some of these species include: 

white-tailed deer, moose, bobcat, beaver, otter, mink, 

coyotes, and a variety of small mammals such as 

skunks, shrews, mice, weasels, and voles as well as 

numerous bat species. Lynx are known to use riparian 

areas as dispersal corridors and for hunting snowshoe 

hare. Wetland/riparian habitats support the highest 

densities and diversity of breeding birds such as: bald 

eagles, Swainson’s hawk, red-tailed hawks, owls, great 

blue herons, flycatchers, woodpeckers, belted kingfisher, spotted sandpiper, western wood-peewee, whitecrowned sparrow, yellow warbler, song sparrow, other 

warblers, and a variety of migratory birds. 

232 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Wildlife 

Aspen 

Aspen stands are relatively rare in Montana when compared to the other Rocky Mountain States, but where 

they occur they support a diverse avifauna. It is often 

the only broad leafed tree within coniferous forests and 

therefore provides unique foraging substrates for a 

variety of insectivorous birds. Its suckers, twigs, and 

bark are used by wintering ungulates, particularly deer, 

elk, and moose. Snowshoe hares and cottontail rabbits 

feed on its twigs and buds, while ruffed grouse are 

highly dependent on aspen buds in winter. Aspen also 

provides cavities and snags for cavity dependant wildlife. 

Producing profuse suckering from aspen regeneration 

practices does not ensure the reestablishment of new 

aspen stands. Suckers are highly palatable to some 

wildlife, such as elk and moose, and entire stands of 

young aspen can be lost to browsing. In addition, young 

aspen are quite fragile and susceptible to physical damage caused by trampling from hoofed animals, including livestock. For these reasons, efforts to reestablish 

aspen in small localized areas often fail. Isolated pockets of young aspen tend to draw elk, moose, and deer to 

these areas resulting in unacceptable levels of browsing. 

Similarly, efforts to reestablish aspen in areas of heavy 

livestock use often results in excessive damage to 

young trees. 

Insect and Disease 

Dwarf mistletoe provides a source of vertical and horizontal diversity through gap creation, and production of 

snags, brooms and down woody material. Many species 

of mammals, birds, and arthropods can take advantage 

of the favorable structure mistletoe infection provides, 

while other species use mistletoe plants or host tissues 

associated with infection for food. 

The abundance of dwarf mistletoe is directly correlated 

with species diversity and bird density (Bennetts 1991). 

There is also a strong positive relationship between the 

occurrence of dwarf mistletoe in an area and the number of snags used by cavity-nesting birds (Bennetts 

1991). Witches' brooms are commonly used for nest 

sites, roosting sites, and cover by a number of bird 

species. The large mistletoe brooms on Douglas-fir are 

often used as nesting platforms by several owls, accipiters (including the coopers hawk, goshawk, and sharpshinned hawk) and passerines. Brooms are also used for 

roosting cover by grouse. The plant itself is also a food 

source for some birds (notably Douglas-fir dwarf mistletoe for blue grouse), mule deer, elk, squirrels, chipmunks, and porcupines. 

Wildlife Corridors 

Wildlife travel corridors are a vital component of habitat for a variety of species. Corridors are travel routes 

used by wildlife to allow them to disperse to new core 

areas. Corridors allow for seasonal movements between 

summer and winter ranges for species such as elk and 

deer. Corridors are also important for movement of 

young animals dispersing from their place of birth to 

establish new territories and home ranges. This can be 

critical for territorial species such as mountain lions or 

grizzly bears. A corridor may also be used for daily 

movements from loafing to foraging areas. 

Habitat fragmentation and isolation of populations as a 

result of degradation or elimination of corridors can 

result in small, vulnerable populations. Isolated populations are more vulnerable to stochastic events and can 

be negatively impacted by inbreeding depression. The 

primary cause for habitat fragmentation is activities 

related to development such as road building, recreational activities, and residential and commercial developments. Fragmentation of habitat is a concern within 

the PA as 49 percent of the PA is privately owned and 

has the potential to be developed. However, 85 percent 

of Decision Area lands are contiguous with other public 

lands (AMS Figure 2-14). The majority of this land is 

contiguous with National Forest System land and 75 

percent of the blocks of BLM land that are contiguous 

with other public lands are larger than 1,280 acres. 

These larger areas that are connected to other public 

lands provide an opportunity for management of wildlife corridors and core habitat. 

Factors that are considered in evaluating corridors include: topography, habitat quality, road density, riparian presence, human developments and activities, vegetative cover and land ownership patterns. It is important 

to identify wildlife corridors and manage to protect and 

maintain food, cover, and security and minimize mortality factors. 

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) identified approaches to managing wildlife linkage areas on 

public land (IGBC 2004). Some of their recommendations for management include: 

• Maintain appropriate amounts and distribution of 

natural foods and hiding cover in linkage zones to 

meet the subsistence and movement needs of target 

wildlife species. 

• Avoid constructing new recreation facilities or expanding existing facilities within linkage zones. 

• Avoid other (non-recreational) new site development or expansions that are not compatible with 

subsistence and movement needs of target species 

in linkage zones. 

• Pursue mitigating, moving, and/or reclaiming developments and disturbed sites that conflict with 

the objective of providing wildlife linkage. 

• Manage dispersed recreational use to maintain 

suitability of approach areas for identified target 

species. Avoid issuing new permits or additional 

use days for recreational activities that may conflict 

with wildlife linkage objectives. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 233 
Chapter 3 

• Manage roads and trails in linkage zones to facilitate target species movement and limit mortality 

risk, displacement, and disturbance. 

• Manage livestock grazing to maintain wildlife forage and hiding cover and to minimize disturbance, 

displacement, and mortality of target wildlife species. 

• Work with adjacent landowners, planners, and 

other interested parties to improve linkage opportunities across multiple jurisdictions. 

• Manage human, pet and livestock foods, garbage, 

and other potential wildlife attractants to minimize 

the risk of conflicts between people and wildlife. 

Considerable research has been conducted on wildlife 

corridors within the Northern Rocky Mountain Region. 

Walker and Craighead (1997) identified potential corridors within Montana using GIS and ‘umbrella’ species. 

The ‘umbrella’ species they selected included grizzly 

bears, elk and mountain lions. They identified corridors 

that had the highest likelihood of successful transfer 

between the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the 

Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem and many of 

these corridors occur within the PA. The corridors 

identified for grizzly bears occur in the Gallatin, 

Bridger, and Big Belt mountain ranges. Secondary 

corridors occur in the Taylor-Hilgard, Gravelly, Tobacco Root, Whitetail/O’Neil, and Boulder mountain 

ranges. Corridors for elk were identified to occur in the 

north end of the Absaroka, Bridger, and Big Belt 

ranges, while corridors for mountain lions occur in the 

Bridger and Big Belt mountains. 

Craighead et al. (2002) modeled wildlife corridors 

within the Northern Rocky Mountain Region, delineated core and sub-core habitat areas, and described 

corridors based on their habitat quality. The model 

relies on a series of assumptions. One of the critical 

assumptions is that migrating animals would select the 

least-cost path or optimum path for travel and that these 

paths would be those areas in which the animal would 

encounter fewer hazards, would spend less time traveling, and would travel through habitat with a higher 

probability of containing food and concealment, thus 

increasing the chance for survival. Corridors were developed based on the habitat needs of grizzly bears. 

Core areas were described as areas large enough for 

wildlife to forage and reproduce, while sub-core areas 

were areas that could act as stepping stones for wildlife 

as they move through the region. Corridors were described as areas of predicted movement between core 

and sub-core areas, where habitat quality is high, but 

not as high and contiguous as the core and sub-core 

areas. Based on this model, 70 percent of the PA is 

core, sub-core or corridor habitat, with 65 percent of the 

Decision Area in core, sub-core or corridor habitat. 

Table 3-12 and AMS Figure 2-15 display the acreages 

for core areas and corridors within the PA and BLM 

land within the PA. 

Within the PA, almost half of the land represents core 

or sub-core habitat. Of the corridor habitat within the 

PA, the majority of the corridors are either moderate or 

low quality. The high quality corridors are located west 

of Anaconda along the Anaconda Mountains and along 

Elk Park Pass between Butte and Boulder. 

Big Game Animals 

Nine species of big game animals occur within the PA. 

These species are elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, 

moose, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, mountain 

goat, mountain lions, and black bear. Much of the information presented below was based on reports developed by the MFWP. The PA falls entirely within Region 3 of the MFWP regional structure. 

Habitat improvement projects occur on both private and 

public land within the PA. Prescribed burning, riparian 

restoration, thinning, reduction of encroachment in 

grasslands and meadows, noxious weed control, riparian restoration, water development, and improved livestock grazing management are all management practices that have been implemented and improve big 

game habitat. The BLM also coordinates with private 

landowners, the USFS, and other management agencies 

to develop and implement habitat improvement projects. 

Elk 

Elk are generalists exhibiting a wide habitat tolerance. 

They are distributed throughout the PA and western 

Montana, but are most commonly associated with 

mountain ranges (Foresman 2001; MFWP 2003; 

Table 3-12 

Corridor Quality in the Planning and Decision Areas 

Corridor Quality Acres of Corridors in PA Acres of Corridors in DA 

Acres % of PA Acres % of Decision 

Area 

Core/Sub-core Areas 3,400,418 47 70,019 23 

Highest Quality Corridors 223,139 3 22,533 7 

Moderate Quality Corridors 534,990 8 61,971 20 

Lowest Quality Corridors 838,933 12 45,564 15 

234 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Wildlife 

Skolvin 1983). They utilize the majority of vegetation 

types found within the PA and are adapted to habitat in 

transitional areas as there is a negative correlation between levels of use and the distance from the interface 

between forest and nonforest communities (Skolvin 

1983). This relationship is assumed to be due to elk 

dependence on security cover and the diversity of forage available in transitional areas. 

Elk are both grazers and browsers. Their forage preferences vary among seasons and years, and are strongly 

related to forage availability (Nelson and Leege 1983). 

Elk migrate seasonally between winter and summer 

ranges with snow accumulation being the significant 

factor influencing migration. Wintering grounds are 

commonly located within foothill areas with southsouthwest exposures and windblown ridges. Grassland 

and shrublands are typically used as winter range. 

Available winter range is commonly the limiting factor 

for elk populations; therefore, proper management of 

identified winter range is important for maintaining 

stable elk populations. 

Approximately 30 percent (2,084,670 acres) of the PA 

is designated elk winter range, with approximately 

188,000 acres of that being managed by the BLM 

(AMS Figure 2-16) (MFWP 1999a). Elk winter range 

within the PA occurs in predominately woodland and 

grassland/shrub communities. The PA also contains 

mapped calving and migration areas; however, the 

BLM manages only a small portion of this land. 

Within the PA, there are approximately 10 Elk Management Units (EMU) as designated by the MFWP 

(MFWP 2004). Elk populations within the majority of 

the EMU’s have been either stable or increasing over 

the last 20 years. This is thought to primarily be a result 

of changes in hunting regulations from season-long, 

either sex seasons to antlered bull regulations and limited antlerless permits (MFWP 2004). Additional factors influencing elk populations within the PA include 

the recent mild winters, which have resulted in less 

winter kill and reduced harvesting, and changes in land 

ownership. Within certain EMUs, landownership has 

shifted from traditional landowners that allowed public 

access for hunting to non-traditional landowners that 

restrict hunting on their private property, thereby creating refuges for big game. The shift in land ownership 

and management has been significant within some 

EMU’s and has impacted harvest success and survey 

accuracy. 

Livestock grazing, timber management and recreation 

are the most predominant uses of lands within the Decision Area and all of these activities can impact elk 

habitat. Approximately 80 percent of the Decision Area 

is managed for livestock grazing. Elk and cattle do have 

dietary overlap and can compete for forage, which can 

become critical on winter range. Cattle and elk do not 

typically utilize the same areas during the winter season 

as livestock are usually concentrated on private land. 

However, livestock grazing management has a significant impact on elk winter range as it influences the 

amount of residual forage that is available for elk. 

The Decision Area provides recreational opportunities 

for the public as this area receives some of the highest 

levels of hunting on public land and the highest level of 

bull elk harvest (MFWP 2004). Recreational activities, 

especially high levels of OHV use, can degrade elk 

habitat and cause disturbance to elk. Snowmobile recreation areas, when located within elk winter range, can 

deter elk from using those disturbed areas and can result in displacement. Roads can also have a significant 

impact on the quality of elk habitat. Winter range in the 

Decision Area is broken into 11 areas (Table 3-13) for 

analysis of big game winter range. Within each analysis 

area, the moving windows analysis was used to calculate open road density within winter range. 

Within the Decision Area, the analysis areas with the 

lowest road densities (less than 1 mile per square mile) 

in elk winter range are the Big Hole (56 percent), Elkhorns (53 percent), Highlands (56 percent), Missouri 

Table 3-13 

Total Road Density for the Decision Area in BLM Elk Winter Range by Big Game Analysis Area 

Elk Winter 

Range Analysis 

Unit 

Total 

Acres 

Total 

Winter 

Range 

Winter 

Range on 

BLM 

BLM Acres 

0 mi/mi2 

Low Density 

0-1 mi/mi2 

Moderate 

Density 

1- 2 mi/mi2 

High 

Density 

2 -3 mi/mi2 

Very High 

Density 

>3 mi/mi2 

Big Belts 290,949 138,825 6,688 650 1,545 2,207 1,280 1,006 

Big Hole 336,143 130,712 23,015 5,257 7,701 4,503 2,330 3,224 

Blackfoot 127,398 55,705 445 0 49 76 50 270 

Clancy 150,854 110,911 10,879 375 1,173 2,159 2,220 4,952 

Elkhorns 641,976 140,437 28,080 4,149 10,816 8,515 3,033 1,567 

Granite Butte 192,583 141,729 17,699 158 1,775 3,886 5,121 6,759 

Highlands 84,049 57,933 26,407 6,125 8,746 6,204 3,630 1,702 

Jefferson 834,418 208,531 33,378 5,706 7,353 7,002 6,003 7,314 

Missouri 223,957 140,820 24,031 17,102 2,853 1,409 1,573 1,094 

Upper Missouri 327,784 120,992 6,481 2,551 1,565 1,437 822 106 

Yellowstone 731,613 159,748 3,252 1,583 787 660 222 0 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 235 
Chapter 3 

(83 percent), Upper Missouri (64 percent), and Yellowstone (7 percent). The Missouri analysis area provides a 

large amount of elk winter range on BLM lands and 

also provides the highest quality habitat. Analysis areas 

with the highest road densities (greater than 2 miles per 

square mile) in elk winter range are the Blackfoot (72 

percent), Clancy (66 percent), and Granite Butte (67 

percent). 

Timber management is a common resource use in elk 

summer range within the PA. Timber harvest can have 

both positive and negative impacts on elk habitat. Timber harvest can improve elk habitat in many areas as it 

improves the cover to forage ratio. Ideally, cover to 

forage ratio should not fall below 60:40. The disturbance associated with the implementation of timber 

harvest can result in the temporary displacement of elk. 

In addition, the loss of security habitat and an increase 

in road density can have a negative effect on elk. Elk 

security measures are the inherent protection allowing 

elk to remain in an area despite increases in stress or 

disturbance associated with hunting season or other 

human activities. Security habitat areas are forested 

habitats with trees larger than 8 inches DBH, greater 

than 30 percent density and larger than 250 acres, 

nonlinear, at least 0.5 mile from an open road, and 

occupying at least 30 percent of the area used during 

autumn. Table 3-14 shows the total acres of security 

habitat by watershed in the Planning and Decision Areas. 

Table 3-14 

Acres of Elk Security Habitat by Watershed 

Watershed Total Security 

Habitat Acres 

BLM Security 

Habitat Acres 

Big Hole 63,016 5,808 

Blackfoot 19,468 0 

Gallatin 30,401 301 

Jefferson 72,722 2,965 

Upper Clark Fork 48,251 0 

Upper Missouri 205,000 9,395 

Upper Yellowstone 557,823 405 

Mule Deer 

Mule deer are distributed throughout Montana and are 

found in open forested regions, plains, and prairies. 

They commonly inhabit foothill, coulee, or riparian 

areas within a grassland or shrubland habitat type. Mule 

deer can also be found in alpine, subalpine, montane, 

and foothill zones (Foresman 2001; Mackie et al. 

1998). In seasonally harsh environments, like western 

and central Montana, mule deer tend to migrate between seasonal ranges (Mackie et al. 1998). Winter 

range is associated with areas accumulating minimal 

amounts of snow and tends to occur at low elevation, 

south and west facing slopes, and wind-blown ridges. 

Winter range is particularly important for maintaining 

healthy mule deer populations because the lack of high 

quality forage, cold temperatures, and increased energy 

demand associated with the winter season tends to limit 

and stress populations. 

Mule deer will tend to browse year-round favoring 

species such as bitterbrush, mountain mahogany, sagebrush, and deciduous shrubs. Forbs and herbaceous 

plants become an important part of their diet in late 

spring and summer, while shrubs are critical in the fall 

and winter. 

Mule deer are distributed throughout the PA. Approximately 95 percent of the PA represents mule deer habitat. Thirty-four percent (2,445,000 acres) of the PA is 

year-round/winter range for mule deer with 206,800 

acres (8 percent) of that being located on BLM land 

(AMS Figure 2-17) (MFWP 1999a). The majority of 

the mule deer year-round/winter range within the PA 

occurs in grassland/shrubland and woodland communities. 

The last MFWP published report discussing the status 

of mule deer in Region 3 was completed in 2002 

(MFWP 2002d). This report stated that the mule deer 

populations within Region 3 were relatively stable and 

static from 1996 to 2001. The report also stated that 

recruitment was improving within populations and it 

was expected that populations would tend to be on the 

increase. 

White-Tailed Deer 

White-tailed deer occur throughout Montana and are 

adapted to a variety of habitats (Foresman 2001). They 

are common along river bottoms and adjacent uplands 

in the PA. Habitat disturbance resulting from agriculture and logging have been beneficial to white-tailed 

deer and has facilitated range expansion (Smith 1991). 

White-tailed deer make extensive use of riparian habitat 

and hardwood forests. Riparian cover appears to influence abundance of white-tailed deer and they are more 

commonly associated with agriculture than mule deer 

(Mackie et al.. 1998). White-tailed deer prefer grasses 

and forbs during spring and early summer, and then 

switch to new-growth leaves and twigs of small trees 

and shrubs. Browse is very important for white-tailed 

deer year-round. In agricultural areas, cultivated crops 

are important dietary components (Mackie et al. 1998). 

Approximately 20 percent (61,328 acres) of the Decision Area is identified as general white-tailed deer 

habitat (MFWP 1999a). The common vegetation communities within this habitat include riparian forests and 

habitats and woodlands. 

Moose 

Moose are closely associated with densely forested and 

riparian habitats and depend upon woody vegetation, 

preferably in early successional stages that occur following disturbances (Foresman 2001; Franzmann 

236 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Wildlife 

1981). They tend to use mountain meadows, river valleys, wetlands, and clear cut areas in the summer and 

utilize willow flats and mature coniferous forests in the 

winter. They prefer feeding on forbs and aquatic or 

woody vegetation depending on the season. Moose are 

adapted to deep snow and extreme cold temperatures 

and have difficulties coping with warmer temperatures 

(above 20 °C) (Foresman 2001). 

Moose are distributed widely throughout the PA where 

suitable habitat is present. Within the PA, there are 

2,398,598 acres of general moose habitat, which is 

approximately 33 percent of the PA. Of the general 

moose habitat in the PA, the BLM manages six percent 

(18,559 acres) (MFWP 1999a). An estimated 13 percent of the PA is moose general/winter habitat. A significant portion of the moose habitat in the Decision 

Area is found within the Big Hole and Boulder river 

basins. In addition, Mount Haggin Wildlife Management Area (56,151 acres) occurs within the PA and has 

a management goal of providing year-round habitat for 

moose. 

The last completed Progress Report on moose done by 

the MFWP was in 2001 (MFWP 2001a). The trend 

information presented in this report was based on harvest and hunter day trends and indicated that moose 

populations within Region 3 had some fluctuations 

between 1996 and 2001, but were relatively stable. 

Pronghorn 

Pronghorn are found within open sagebrush or grassland areas within the PA. Sagebrush grasslands are the 

preferred winter habitat as browse is a critical food 

source during this period. Maintenance of healthy range 

condition is important for pronghorn management as 

forbs are important during the spring fawning period. 

The highest annual mortalities are generally related to 

spring blizzards. Pronghorn tend to avoid areas with 

vegetation higher than 38 cm as it interferes with their 

visibility and detection of predators (Yoakum 1978). 

Approximately 16 percent (1,143,677 acres) of the PA 

represents pronghorn habitat with the BLM managing 

72,559 acres of that habitat (MFWP 1999a). The majority of this habitat is located in the Boulder River basin 

and the Elkhorn Mountains. The last MFWP published 

report discussing the condition of pronghorns within 

Region 3 was completed in 2002. This report stated that 

during the period of 1996 to 2001, antelope populations 

within the region were stable and the trends generally 

remained unchanged (MFWP 2002c). Approximately 

90 percent of the pronghorn overall distribution and 

winter range within the PA occurs in the grassland/shrubland zone. 

Pronghorn can be in conflict with livestock grazing, 

especially range fences. Fences can inhibit the movement of pronghorn because they have a tendency to 

crawl under the fences rather than jump over them. This 

can become a serious issue in the winter, especially 

severe winters, as fences can bisect major winter migration routes and, as snow levels become deep, the 

pronghorn are unable to crawl underneath the fences. 

Sheep, mesh or field fence can also prevent the movement of pronghorn because these woven wire types of 

fence do not allow pronghorn to crawl beneath. To 

allow for pronghorn to pass under fences, wire fences 

should be designed with 3 wires placed at 16-inch, 26­

inch, and 36-inch heights. 

Bighorn Sheep 

Bighorn sheep have a limited distribution within the PA 

and typically use areas with cliffs, mountain slopes, or 

rolling foothills. Winter habitat generally occurs on 

open slopes or ridges where grass is available. Grass 

and shrubs are common food sources during the winter 

while grass, sedges, and forbs are heavily used in the 

spring and summer. Winter range is the limiting factor 

for bighorn sheep herds; therefore, identification and 

management of winter range is important for management of healthy bighorn populations. 

Bighorn sheep tend to forage in open areas with low 

vegetation such as grasslands, shrublands, or mixes of 

these and avoid foraging on slopes with shrub or canopy cover in excess of 25 percent and shrubs 2 feet (60 

cm) or higher. Proximity to escape cover and open 

aspects with good visibility are important features of 

quality bighorn sheep habitat, particularly for females 

with young. Bighorn sheep prefer open habitats which 

facilitate predator detection and enhance visual communication of alarm postures. 

Approximately 712,000 acres within the PA is bighorn 

sheep habitat. Winter range is approximately 187,000 

acres of that with the BLM managing 54,000 acres (29 

percent) (AMS Figure 2-18) (MFWP 1999a). The 

majority of the winter range mapped within the PA 

occurs in the Upper Missouri area, the Elkhorn Mountains and the Big Hole River Basin. The dominant vegetation communities in this habitat are grassland/shrubland and woodland communities. 

Bighorn Sheep have been re-introduced into three areas 

in the PA; Sleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area, Soap 

Gulch (Camp Creek) and Shep’s Ridge (Indian 

Creek/Crow Creek). The last published report done by 

MFWP discussing the condition of bighorn sheep 

within Region 3 was completed in 2002. The Sleeping 

Giant population was declining prior to 1999 due to 

poor nutrition (MFWP 2002b). The population seemed 

to be increasing until 2001 at which time a die-off 

within the population was documented. Approximately 

50 sheep were relocated to Soap Gulch/Camp Creek 

between 2000 and 2001. The Camp Creek population 

experienced a die-off between 1994 and 1995 due to a 

pneumonia complex. Six years after the die-off, the 

recruitment was minimal, although the animals appeared to be healthy. The Shep’s Ridge population was 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 237 
Chapter 3 

healthy and expected to continue growth, as of 2002 

(MFWP 2002b). 

Bighorn sheep are highly susceptible to some strains of 

Pasteurella carried by domestic sheep. Bighorn sheep 

usually die after exposure to specific strains of Pasteurella from healthy domestic sheep. 

Mountain Goats 

Mountain goats utilize areas with steep, broken terrain 

and can sometimes utilize subalpine forests. They typically utilize distinct summer and winter ranges with 

snow accumulation strongly influencing selection of 

winter range. Mountain goats utilize south facing 

slopes, canyon walls and windblown ridges in the winter, and meadows, ravines, cliffs, and sometimes forests 

in the summer. Common food sources include grass, 

sedges, lichens, and shrubs. Mountain goats are fairly 

sensitive to disturbance and overharvest. 

Mountain goats have been transplanted in various locations within the PA. Within the MFWP Region 3, four 

of the populations are native, and the rest either are 

transplants or are the result of dispersing transplant 

populations. The last Mountain Goat Progress Report 

completed by the MFWP (MFWP 2001b) indicated that 

the majority of the populations within Region 3 were 

either stable or increasing. 

Limited mountain goat range occurs within the PA and 

populations have been steadily declining over the last 

decade. Due to low population numbers, accurate census data is limited. Within the PA, there are approximately 705,000 acres of mountain goat habitat mapped 

with the BLM managing about 19,000 acres (3 percent) 

(MFWP 1999a). The majority of this habitat occurs in 

the Upper Missouri area. There are four known individual mountain goats utilizing BLM land within the 

Sleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area. The population 

has been decreasing since the early 1990’s when the 

population contained 50 individuals. The vicinity of the 

Sleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area provides approximately 15,000 acres of mountain goat habitat. 

Black Bear 

Black bears use a variety of habitats depending on 

seasonal variation in diet and availability of food. Black 

bears are omnivorous; however, a significant portion of 

their diet consists of berries, fruits, grasses, sedges and 

inner bark. The entire PA is black bear habitat; however, they tend to prefer dense forested areas, riparian 

areas, open slopes, and mountain meadows (Foresman 

2001). 

The most recent Black Bear Progress Report compiled 

by the MFWP Region 3 was completed in 2002 

(MFWP 2002e). These reports were based on the harvest data received from 1996 to 2001. The harvest 

trends during these years indicated that bear populations in Region 3 were declining; however, the significance of this decline was not discussed. The report also 

identified that the majority of black bear harvesting 

within Region 3 occurred in the eastern portion of the 

region. 

Black bears tend to be relatively tolerant of land uses as 

they have a large home range and can utilize a variety 

of habitats. Recreation, road development, and timber 

management are land uses that tend to have the greatest 

impacts to black bear habitat. Road development within 

the PA is at a moderate level of 1.76 miles per square 

mile (mi/mi2

) and has not been identified as negatively 

impacting black bear habitat. Timber harvest can cause 

temporary disturbance and displacement of black bears; 

however, small timber cuts can improve black bear 

habitat by increasing the vegetation diversity. 

Mountain Lion 

Mountain lions are distributed throughout the PA where 

suitable habitat is present. They use a variety of vegetation types, depending on prey availability, cover, and 

preference for areas with minimal human disturbance. 

Mountain lions typically prefer mountainous and foothill areas; however, in eastern Montana, they are commonly associated with riparian areas and woody draws. 

Mountain lions are carnivorous and feed on a variety of 

animals. However, they prefer deer, elk, porcupines, 

and rabbits. 

Gamebirds 

The PA provides habitat for a variety of upland gamebirds and waterfowl. Blue grouse and spruce grouse 

occupy the coniferous forests, while ruffed grouse, 

sharp-tailed grouse, and Merriam’s turkey are found in 

dryer coniferous forests, brushy draws, riparian areas, 

or grassland areas with a strong presence of shrubs. 

Sage grouse are a sagebrush obligate species and are 

discussed further under the sensitive species section. 

Ring-necked pheasants, chukars and Hungarian partridges are also found in the grasslands and croplands 

within the PA. Ducks and geese also utilize the PA for 

nesting and brood rearing. 

The last published Progress Report on upland gamebirds within Region 3 compiled by the MFWP was 

completed in 1996 (MFWP 1996). This report discussed harvest levels as an indicator of population. A 

general trend of decline within the late 1980s followed 

by an increase in the 1990s was observed with all the 

gamebird species with the exception of the grouse. 

Ruffed, spruce, blue and, especially sage grouse, all 

experienced a decline throughout 1987 to 1996. There 

was little data available for snipe, chukars, and mourning doves as little harvest for these birds occurred during the period covered. 

238 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Special Status Species 

SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES 

Special-status species are those species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act 

(ESA), species proposed or candidates for listing, and 

species designated as “sensitive” by BLM. 

Fish 

Bull Trout (Listed Threatened) 

In the PA, critical habitat includes portions of the Clark 

Fork River. Historically, bull trout were well distributed 

throughout the upper Clark River but are now rare or 

non-existent in the main stem Clark Fork River between 

the Blackfoot River and Warm Springs Creek (MBTSG 

1995). Bull trout do reside however, in the Blackfoot 

River. Some sections of Warm Springs Creek contain 

bull trout but they are primarily resident populations 

residing in the headwaters and Barker Lake, Storm 

Lake, Twin Lakes, Cable Creek, and Foster Creek. 

According to the “Upper Clark Fork River Drainage 

Bull Trout Status Report”, Warm Springs Creek is a 

core area and nodal habitat for bull trout (MBTSG 

1995). Core areas are drainages that currently contain 

the strongest remaining populations of bull trout. They 

are usually relatively undisturbed and need to have the 

most stringent levels of protection as they can potentially provide stock for re-colonization. Nodal habitat 

includes waters containing migratory corridors, overwintering areas and other critical habitat. 

Westslope Cutthroat Trout (BLM Sensitive) 

Westslope cutthroat trout is a sub-species of cutthroat 

trout native to Montana. Its natural range is on both 

sides of the Continental Divide; excluding the Yellowstone River drainage. 

In the PA, westslope cutthroat trout is found in the 

Blackfoot, Clark Fork, Upper Missouri, Madison, Jefferson, Gallatin, Boulder, and the Big Hole rivers as 

well as many of their tributaries. AMS Figures 2-21a 

through 2-21i depict current habitat in the PA known 

to support westslope cutthroat trout. Some of the 

streams in the PA that support westslope cutthroat trout 

are small and have very low late summer flows. Small 

young of the year and yearling westslope cutthroat trout 

can be found in streams less than 18 inches in width. 

There are four primary reasons for the decline of this 

species. First, habitat has been loss due to poor grazing 

practices, historic logging practices, mining, agriculture, residential development, and the lingering impact 

of forest roads. Fish have been unable to use spawning 

habitat due to dewatering of streams for irrigation and 

because of barriers created by dams and road culverts. 

Second, non-native species (brook trout, lake trout, 

brown trout, and northern pike) out-compete juvenile 

cutthroat trout for food or prey on cutthroat trout. Barriers that disrupted historical migration routes for westslope cutthroat trout have sometimes served to protect 

them from non-native species. 

A third reason for decline is hybridization with other 

species. Westslope cutthroat trout hybridize with rainbow trout and other non-native cutthroat trout subspecies. Many remnant genetically pure cutthroat trout 

populations, on both sides of the Continental Divide, 

are located above barriers that protect them from nonnative species. 

The fourth cause of decline has been overfishing. Westslope cutthroat trout are highly susceptible to angling 

(Behnke 1992) but it is uncertain how much of an impact this has had on the species’ overall decline. 

Montana has developed a Conservation Agreement 

(MFWP 1999b). This agreement prioritizes protecting 

genetically pure populations first, then slightly introgressed populations. 

Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout (BLM Sensitive) 

The historical distribution of Yellowstone cutthroat 

trout is believed to have included much of the Yellowstone River basin, including portions of the Clark Fork 

of the Yellowstone River, Bighorn River, and Tongue 

River basins in Montana and Wyoming, and parts of the 

Snake River basin in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, and Nevada (Behnke 1992). In recent times, the majority of the 

indigenous populations in Montana inhabit headwater 

streams, although the Yellowstone River main stem 

also supports large numbers of indigenous Yellowstone 

cutthroat trout. Due to the stocking of Yellowstone 

cutthroat trout, the distribution of this fish in lakes has 

actually increased, as it is now believed that over 100 

lakes in Montana support pure Yellowstone cutthroat 

trout, some of which are found in the PA. 

Nonnative fish may be the greatest threat to the persistence of Yellowstone cutthroat trout. Because Yellowstone cutthroat trout and rainbow trout readily hybridize 

and produce fertile offspring, hybrid populations often 

become established. Introductions or invasions of 

brown trout and brook trout have led to displacement of 

cutthroat trout throughout the western U.S. 

The widespread stocking of nonindigenous populations 

of Yellowstone cutthroat trout often leads to genetically 

homogeneous populations and may be detrimental to 

their long-term persistence. 

The influence of other nonnative organisms also threatens the persistence of Yellowstone cutthroat trout. Yellowstone cutthroat trout are probably susceptible to 

infection by whirling disease. The effects of New Zealand mud snail on trout populations and aquatic ecosystems are unknown but also could be detrimental. This 

snail is presently found in the Madison, Snake, and 

Yellowstone rivers and is likely to be inadvertently 

introduced (probably by anglers) into additional waters. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 239 
Chapter 3 

Habitat degradation is thought to favor certain nonnative fishes and can directly affect Yellowstone cutthroats. Because many populations of Yellowstone 

cutthroat trout possess complex life histories relying on 

movement among diverse habitats, disruptions in habitat quality or availability may lead to extinction of 

isolated populations. 

Historically, intensive harvest by anglers altered the 

size structure and abundance of Yellowstone cutthroat 

trout in some waters. However, harvest restrictions 

appear to protect Yellowstone cutthroat trout under 

severe angling pressure. 

Arctic Grayling (BLM Sensitive) 

The Arctic grayling is a native species to Montana and 

the only remaining indigenous fluvial population in 

Montana is found in the Big Hole River. Currently, 

Arctic grayling are found in the Big Hole River, in the 

Madison River near Ennis, or in small, clear, cool lakes 

with tributaries suitable for spawning. In the PA, Arctic 

grayling are found in the Big Hole River and Park Lake 

within the Missouri River drainage and Heart Lake 

within the Clark Fork Drainage. 

The fluvial Arctic grayling was formally classified as a 

Candidate species in 1991. A petition to upgrade the 

status of the fluvial Arctic grayling to Endangered was 

submitted in October 1991. A recent finding on the 

petition recommended that listing was “warranted, but 

precluded’ by other higher priority species. 

Although fluvial Arctic grayling inhabit the entire Big 

Hole River, highest densities occur in the vicinity of 

Wisdom. The majority of spawning occurs near Wisdom in the main stem and several tributaries. Fluvial 

Arctic grayling rear in the vicinity of where they hatch; 

thus, the Wisdom area provides the majority of rearing 

habitat. Moderate densities of Arctic grayling reside 

between the mouth of the North Fork Big Hole River 

and Dickie Bridge. Limited spawning occurs in lower 

reaches of several tributaries within this reach. Rainbow 

trout and brown trout increase in abundance below 

Dickie Bridge, where Arctic grayling are found in low 

densities. 

Factors potentially threatening survival of Arctic grayling in the Big Hole River include water quality and 

quantity, competition with introduced species, predation, habitat degradation, and angling. Water quantity 

issues include drought and recruitment limitation due to 

sudden runoff events. Sudden increases in stream flows 

during hatching and emergence of larval Arctic grayling may decrease survival and limit recruitment in the 

Big Hole River. Extreme flood flows may also severely 

impact Arctic grayling recruitment in the Big Hole 

River. 

Extreme low flows during severe drought decrease 

survival of older Arctic grayling due to high water 

temperatures, increased susceptibility to predation, and 

diminished habitat volume. Diversion of water for agriculture has exacerbated persistent drought conditions. 

All salmonid species in the upper Big Hole River have 

declined in abundance during the present drought. 

The distribution of Arctic grayling in the Big Hole 

basin suggests that they are displaced by non-native 

brown and rainbow trout through competition. Predation on juvenile Arctic grayling by all non-native species is also a source of mortality. 

Historically, angling may have impacted fluvial Arctic 

grayling populations in Montana because they are easily caught by anglers and susceptible to over-harvest; 

however, catch-and-release-only regulations enacted in 

1988 in the Big Hole River appear to adequately protect 

the Arctic grayling population from over-exploitation. 

Another factor potentially limiting grayling in the Big 

Hole River is habitat degradation. Degradation of riparian vegetation and stream banks by cattle grazing, mass 

willow removal, and dewatering the river for agricultural uses have negatively impacted fish habitat. High 

levels of fine sediments, high mid-summer water temperatures, and loss of suitable habitat volume have 

impacted Arctic grayling in the Big Hole River. 

Northern Redbelly Dace Hybrid (BLM 

Sensitive) 

The northern redbelly dace x finescale dace hybrid 

(Phoxinus eos x P. neogaeus) is a Montana species of 

special concern, Class C. It was placed on the species of 

concern list due to its rarity and unusual form of genetic 

reproduction. Northern redbelly dace prefer quiet waters such as beaver ponds, bogs, and clear streams. The 

finescale dace likes similar habitat but is also found in 

larger lakes. These dace spawn in the spring and early 

summer. 

Further inventory is needed to better define dace distribution in Montana. Due to difficulties of field differentiation, it is likely that some waters thought to contain 

only northern redbelly dace may also have the hybrid. 

Wildlife 

Following is a discussion of the current habitat and 

status of those species identified in Table 3-15 to have 

the potential to occur within the PA. 

Bald Eagle (Listed Threatened) 

MFWP has been conducting bald eagle nest surveys 

since the early 1990’s. Bald eagles have been documented throughout the PA. Breeding eagles can be 

found on the Missouri, Jefferson, and Yellowstone 

rivers. Resident bald eagle populations occur in the 

Upper Missouri River area at Hauser Lake and monitoring of these populations has occurred since the 1970’s 

(Restani and Harmata 1997). 

240 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Special Status Species 

Table 3-15

Special Status Wildlife Species in the PA 

Common Scientific Name Status Found In PA? Habitat 

Threatened and Endangered SpeciesBald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus Threatened Yes Nesting and perching trees near water with primary prey species (fish and water­ fowl) present Canada lynx Felis lynx Threatened Yes Wet forest habitats, with large woody debris, and suitable habitat for primary prey (snowshoe hare) present (usually above 4000 feet elevation)Gray Wolf Canis lupus 

Endangered

and Nonessential Experimental population Yes Forest and shrubland habitats with adequate prey base of big game animals present

Grizzly bear Ursus arctos horribilus Threatened Yes Remote forest habitats with low road density and minimal human disturbance

Black-footed ferret Mustela nigripes Endangered No Prairie habitats with large prairie dog colonies, marginal habitat present in PA. Whooping crane Grus americana Threatened No Wetlands and meadows that provide food and resting habitat for migrating cranes Migratory habitat present in PA.Piping plover Charadrius melodus Threatened No Wetlands, lakes, and ponds having shorelines and beaches with sparse vegetation. Habitat not present in PASensitive Bird SpeciesBaird’s sparrow Ammodramus bairdii Sensitive No Prairie grasslands of northern and eastern Montana, PA outside range of occurrence.Black-backedwoodpecker Picoides arcticus Sensitive Yes Foraging and nesting habitats in conifer forests that have insect infestations associ­ ated with fire and disease

Black tern Chilidonias niger Sensitive No Colonial nester in marshes. Habitat present in PA.

Blue-gray gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Sensitive No Breeding habitat in Montana is restricted to open stands of Utah juniper and limber pine with intermixed big sage. PA outside range of occurrence.

Brewer’s sparrow Spizella breweri Sensitive Yes Short-grass prairie with scattered or abundant sagebrush, or other arid shrub habitats

Burrowing owl Athene cunicularia Sensitive Yes Prairie grasslands and shrublands often in prairie dog or ground squirrel burrows. 

Chestnut-collaredLongspur Calcarius ornatus Sensitive Yes (not in DA) Native mixed-grass prairie. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 241 
Chapter 3 Table 3-15 Special Status Wildlife Species in the PA 

Common Scientific Name Status Found In PA? Habitat 

Common loon Gavia immer Sensitive Yes (migration) Floating nest in lakes in or near emergent wetland vegetation. Migrant on lakes and reservoirs. Pres 

Dickcissel Spiza americana Sensitive No Open meadows and grasslands in eastern Montana. PA outside range of occurrence.Ferruginous hawk Buteo regalis Sensitive Yes Grassland and shrublands in rolling foothills and middle elevation plateaus 

Flammulated owl Otus flammeolus Sensitive Yes Nests primarily in mature and old-growth ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forests

Franklin’s gull Larus pipixcan Sensitive Yes (migration) Breeds on large relatively permanent prairie marsh complexes

Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos Sensitive Yes Prefers open habitats and nests on cliffs or large trees

Great grey owl Strix nebulosa Sensitive Yes Nests in snags, cavities, and stick nests in mature conifer forest, often near mead­ ows and forest openings

Greater sage grouse Centrocercus urophasianus Sensitive Yes Obligately linked to sagebrush habitat for nesting and wintering. Historically, this species is present, but not documented breeding since 1992. Habitat is present. 

Harlequin duck Histrionicus histrionicus Sensitive No Nests along large, fast-flowing mountain streams. Habitat Present in PA.

LeConte’s sparrow Ammodramus leconteii Sensitive No Prefer wet meadows dominated by sedges or grasses. PA outside range of occur­ rence. 

Loggerhead shrike Lanius ludovicianus Sensitive Yes Open shrub and grassland habitatsLong-billed curlew Numenius americanus Sensitive Yes Nests and forages in prairie grasslands and shrublandsMarbled godwit Limosa fedoa Sensitive No Breeds primarily in the Prairie Pothole Region with short-grass to mixed-grass prairie. PA outside range of occurrence, however, migratory habitat is present. 

McCown’s longspur Calcarius mccownii Sensitive Yes (not in DA) Characteristic of shortgrass prairie.

Mountain plover Charadrius montanus Sensitive Yes Arid shortgrass prairie, often in association with prairie dog coloniesNelson’s Sharp-tailedsparrow 

Ammodramus nelsoni Sensitive No Nests in grassland, marsh edges, and herbaceous wetlands. PA outside range of

occurrence. 

Northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis Sensitive Yes Nests in mature to old-growth conifer and aspen forest 

242 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected E nvironment: Special Status Species 

Table 3-15

Special Status Wildlife Species in the PA 

Common Scientific Name Status Found In PA? Habitat 

Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus anatum Sensitive Yes Nests on ledges and cliffs, often near water with prevalent prey base (birds)

Red-headed woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus Sensitive No Open country, open groves of large trees or groups of scattered trees in fields, and old burns. Cavity nester. PA outside range of occurrence.

Sage sparrow Amphispiza belli Sensitive No Nests in sagebrush/grassland habitats. Habitat present in PA.

Sage thrasher Oreoscoptes montanus Sensitive Yes Limited almost entirely to semi-dry regions and communities containing extensive sagebrush 

Sedge wren Cistothorus platensis Sensitive No Breeding habitat is wet meadows and marsh edges. PA outside range of occurrence.

Sprague’s pipit Anthus spragueii Sensitive Yes (not in DA) Prefers native, medium to intermediate height prairie.

Swainson’s hawk Buteo swainsoni Sensitive Yes Nests in trees, often in riparian areasThree-toedwoodpecker Picoides tridactylus Sensitive Yes Breeds and forages in conifer forests with high incidence of insect infestation from fire, disease, or wind throw.

Trumpeter swan Cygnus buccinator Sensitive Yes (not in DA) Nests in emergent vegetation at edge of lakes and ponds

White-faced ibis Plegadis chihi Sensitive No Large marshes and wetlands with emergent vegetation. Habitat present in PA.

Willet Cataptrophorus semipalmatus Sensitive Yes Shallow wetlands in the northern Great Plains, nests mainly in native prairie and grasslands. 

Wilson’s phalarope Phalaropus tricolor Sensitive Yes (not in DA) Breeds around shallow, marshy wetlands on the plains.

Yellow rail Coturnicops noveboracensis Sensitive No Breeding habitat consists of wet sedge meadows and other wetlands. PA outside range of occurrence.

Sensitive Mammal SpeciesBlack-tailedprairie dog Cynomys ludovicianus Sensitive Yes Associated with grasslands and shrub/grassland in relatively level sites. 

Fisher Martes pennanti Sensitive Yes (not in DA) Mature conifer communities, often associated with riparian areas in boreal forests

Fringed myotis Myotis thysanodes Sensitive Yes Variety of habitats from low to mid-elevation grass, woodland, and desert regions, up to and including spruce-fir forests.

Fringe-tailed myotis Myotis thysanodes pahasapensis Sensitive No Prefers dry, coniferous forests, ponderosa pine, and juniper. PA outside range of occurrence. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 243 
Chapter 3 Table 3-15 Special Status Wildlife Species in the PA 

Common Scientific Name Status Found In PA? Habitat 

Great Basin pocketmouse Perognathus parvus Sensitive No Desert and semi-desert habitats dominated by sagebrush and grassland communi­ ties. Marginal habitat present in PA.

Long-eared myotis Myotis evotis Sensitive Yes Often associated with forested stands containing old-growth characteristics, but found in habitats characterized by shrubland and juniper.

Long-legged myotis Myotis volans Sensitive Yes Primarily montane coniferous forest and riparian habitat

Northern bog lemming Synaptomys borealis Sensitive Yes (not in DA) Open fens and forested wetlands with dense cover of mosses and sedges. Habitat present in PA. 

Pallid bat Antrozous pallidus Sensitive No Associated with dry, desert environments, but range into oak and pine forests. PA outside range of occurrence.

Northern myotis Myotis septentrionatis Sensitive Potentially Mixed and coniferous forests. Hibernacula often occur in abandoned mines and narrow crevices. 

Pygmy rabbit Brachylagus idahoensis Sensitive Yes Can be found in a variety of sagebrush structures, but have found to show a prefer­ ence for dense stands of big sagebrush, often along drainages with alluvial soil deposition. 

Spotted bat Euderma maculatum Sensitive No Roosts in arid habitats with cliffs and crevices and forages over meadows, wetlands, and water bodies. Habitat not present in PA.

Swift fox Vulpes velox Sensitive No Prairie habitats with high density of small mammals (ground squirrels or prairie dogs), its primary prey. PA outside range of occurrence. 

Townsend’sbig-eared bat Plecotis townsendii Sensitive Yes Roosts and hibernates in caves and mines and forages over open areas with wet­ lands and riparian communities.

Western spotted skunk Spirogale gracilis Sensitive Yes Woody, brushy habitat often in riparian areas.

Wolverine Gulo gulo luscus Sensitive Yes (not in DA) Forages in remote areas of boreal forests and dens in high-elevation cirques

White-tailedprairie dog Cynomys leucurus Sensitive No Grassland and sagebrush habitat of southeastern Montana. PA outside range of occurrence. 

Reptiles and Amphibians Snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina Sensitive No Large rivers in eastern Montana. PA outside range of occurrence.

Spiny softshell turtle Trionyx spiniferus Sensitive No Large rivers in eastern Montana. PA outside range of occurrence. 

244 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected E nvironment: Special Status Species 

Table 3-15

Special Status Wildlife Species in the PA 

Common Scientific Name Status Found In PA? Habitat 

Boreal/Western toad Bufo boreas Sensitive Yes 

Uses a variety of habitats including low elevation beaver ponds, reservoirs, streams, marshes, lake shores, potholes, wet meadows, and marshes, to high elevation ponds,fens, and tarns at or near tree line.

Coeur d’Alenesalamander Plethodon idahoensis Sensitive No Wet areas near waterfalls, with dense moss cover in extreme western Montana. PA outside range of occurrence.

Great Plains toad Bufo cognatus Sensitive No 

In Montana they seem to prefer the higher elevations of short-grass prairies or undifferentiated grasslands, meadows within open stands of ponderosa pine, and areas near streams and irrigated lands. PA outside range of occurrence.

Greater short-hornedlizard 

Phrynosomahernandesi Sensitive Yes Ridge crests between coulees, and in sparse, short grass and sagebrush with sun­ baked soil. Current status is unknown. 

Northern leopard frog Rana pipiens Sensitive No Wetlands and water bodies. Historically present but none documented recently. 

Plains spadefoot Spea bombifrons Sensitive Yes Found in arid grasslands and sagebrush with sandy or loose soils; usually near per­ manent or temporary water bodies

Milk snake Lampropeltis triangulum Sensitive Unknown Sandstone bluffs, rock outcrops, grasslands, open ponderosa pine and juniper stands. Habitat is present.

Western Hog-nosedsnake Heterodon nasicus Sensitive No Arid areas, prairie grasslands and shrublands, floodplains with gravely or sandy soils. PA outside range of occurrence.

Sources: Foresman 2001; MTNHP 2004; MPIF 2000; Maxell et al 2003; Reichel and Flath 1995, MBDD 2005; Lenard et al. 2003. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 245 
Chapter 3 

There are currently approximately 50 nest sites documented within the PA, although, not all of them are 

active annually. The mean brood size and nesting success has been steadily increasing for bald eagles within 

Montana. Bald eagle concentrations at Hauser Lake 

have been found to be strongly correlated to the presence of salmon (MBEWG 1994). From 1991 to 1996, 

100 to 300 migrating eagles were identified to congregate at Hauser Lake. These numbers have declined due 

to a decline in kokanee salmon within the lake. By 

2000, fewer than 20 bald eagles were documented utilizing the area. MFWP have been stocking the salmon at 

Hauser Lake in an attempt to restore the fishery, but 

have not been successful. The entire PA is potential 

winter habitat for bald eagles, although the larger rivers 

with fisheries are used more commonly. 

Grizzly Bear (Listed Threatened) 

Portions of two grizzly bear recovery zones overlap the 

PA. The very southeastern tip of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem Recovery Zone overlaps the 

northwest corner of the PA. The Yellowstone Ecosystem Recovery Zone overlaps the southern portion of the 

PA, north and east of Yellowstone National Park. Occupied habitat extends north of the Yellowstone Recovery zone to near Interstate-90, between Livingston and 

Bozeman (AMS Figure 2-19). 

Within the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem 

Recovery Zone, 17,100 acres occur within the PA; 

however, the BLM does not manage any of this land. 

Of the area that has been identified and delineated as 

occupied grizzly bear habitat within the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, 232,240 acres occur in the 

PA with approximately 8,000 acres (3 percent) of that 

being under BLM management. Within the Yellowstone Ecosystem Recovery Zone, 994,670 acres occurs 

within the PA; however, the BLM does not manage any 

of this land. Of the occupied grizzly bear habitat within 

the Yellowstone Ecosystem Recovery Zone, 1,881,415 

acres occur in the PA with approximately 5,775 acres 

(less than one percent) of that being under BLM management. 

The road density within the PA portion of the Yellowstone Ecosystem is low at an average of 1.0 mi/mi2 of 

roads. The road density within the Northern Continental 

Divide Ecosystem is considerably higher with an average of 2.6 mi/mi2

. This level is higher than the average 

road density for the entire PA which is 1.8 mi/mi2

. 

Grizzly bear corridors with the highest likelihood of 

successful transfer between the Greater Yellowstone 

and Northern Continental Divide Ecosystems occur in 

the Gallatin, Bridger, and Big Belt mountain ranges. 

Secondary corridors occur in the Taylor-Hilgard, Gravelly, Tobacco Root, White-tail/O’Neil, and Boulder 

mountain ranges (Walker and Craighead 1997). 

Similarly, modeling predicted that 70 percent of the PA 

is core, sub-core, or corridor habitat, with 65 percent of 

the Decision Area in core, sub-core, or corridor habitat 

(Craighead et al. 2002). 

Gray Wolf (Listed Endangered, Nonessential 

Experimental) 

The majority of the PA lies within the Greater Yellowstone Recovery Area, and thus the populations are 

designated as nonessential experimental. As reported in 

the 2004 Annual Report (USFWS et al. 2005), there are 

an estimated 835 wolves within the Northern Rocky 

Mountain Recovery Areas and 153 of those occur in 

Montana. 

There essentially was no increase in the wolf population 

numbers in 2004 within the Greater Yellowstone Recovery Area and it is believed that the wolf population 

in this area has stabilized and should remain relatively 

consistent (USFWS et al. 2005). 

Canada Lynx (Listed Threatened) 

Canada lynx are classified as a furbearer in Montana 

but the trapping season is currently closed. In Montana, 

lynx are found in mountain and forest regions. East of 

the Continental Divide the subalpine forests inhabited 

by lynx occur at higher elevations (1,650 to 2,400 

meters) and are composed mostly of subalpine fir. 

Secondary habitat is intermixed Englemann spruce and 

Douglas-fir habitat types where lodgepole pine is a 

major seral species (Ruediger et al. 2000). Throughout 

their range, shrub-steppe habitats may provide 

important linkage habitat between the primary habitat 

types described above (Ruediger et al. 2000). 

Approximately 30 percent of the PA is lynx habitat 

(cool, moist conifer zone and subalpine fir zone). Approximately eight percent (21,738 acres) of the Decision Area is cool, moist conifer zone, while one percent 

(1,796 acres) is subalpine fir zone. Based on lynx habitat and linkage zone mapping (USDA-FS and USDIBLM 2004), approximately 212 miles of lynx linkage 

areas occur within the PA. 

Golden Eagle (BLM Sensitive) 

In Montana, golden eagles eat primarily jackrabbits, 

ground squirrels, and carrion and occasionally prey on 

deer and antelope fawns, small mammals, waterfowl, 

and grouse. Golden eagles nest on cliffs, in large trees, 

or occasionally on artificial structures such as power 

poles. 

Approximately 60 percent of the PA is representative 

golden eagle habitat (grass and shrubland, woodland or 

agriculture). In 1996, surveys were conducted within 

the PA to determine population status and reproductive 

success (Markum and Harmata 1996). Within the 

20,000 square kilometers (km2

) that was surveyed, 84 

breeding areas were located containing 142 nests. Only 

29 percent of the potential breeding areas were occu246 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Special Status Species 

pied and only six young were produced. These surveys 

were repeated in 1997 (Markum and Harmata 1997), 

and although they found that the number of pairs available for breeding, actual breeding attempts, and the 

overall number of young produced increased, the differences between years were not significant and were 

suspected to be due to proper survey timing and the use 

of aerial surveys. 

The 1997 surveys documented 28 active breeding areas 

and 16 young produced. 

Burrowing Owl (BLM Sensitive) 

Burrowing owls are widely distributed east of the Continental Divide in Montana. They are typically associated with open grasslands and commonly use abandoned burrows of mammals for nest sites. Burrowing 

owls are opportunistic feeders and their diet varies with 

the seasons. Their historic range expands into the PA; 

however, there is no recent documentation of burrowing 

owls within the PA. The reduction in prairie dog populations is believed to be contributing to the decline of 

these owls. 

Brewer’s Sparrow (BLM Sensitive) 

Brewer’s sparrows are sagebrush obligate species that 

prefer sites with high shrub cover and large patch size 

(Ashley and Stoval 2004). Their open cup shaped nests 

are typically found in live big sagebrush. These sparrows occur within the PA and breeding habitat has been 

documented (Lenard et al. 2003). 

Sage Grouse (BLM Sensitive) 

Sage grouse are sagebrush obligate species that prefer 

sagebrush stands with a canopy cover of at least 20 

percent and a height of 8 inches or higher. Research 

conducted in Montana found that breeding habitat usually occurs in sagebrush habitat with 20 to 50 percent 

sagebrush canopy cover (MSHWG 2004). Leks are 

typically located in areas of bare ground or low-density 

vegetation such as ridge tops. Nesting typically occurs 

within two miles of the lek and has a sagebrush canopy 

cover between 15 to 30 percent. Sage grouse populations in Montana are at low levels and are declining. 

Statewide, population numbers for sage grouse were 

relatively stable until 1984, while sage grouse declined 

from 1991 through 1996 and increased through 2000 

(MSGWG 2004). Approximately nine percent 

(2,354,572 acres) of the statewide sage grouse habitat 

occurs within Region 3 and there are 36 known active 

leks in this region. 

Historically, general sage grouse habitat comprised 

1,620,000 acres within the PA, which has been reduced 

to approximately 340,000 acres. Within the PA, there is 

approximately 67,000 acres of sage grouse breeding/nesting habitat. These areas occur within the Big 

Hole River basin and the Yellowstone area. The BLM 

manages approximately 1,250 acres (2 percent) of the 

breeding/nesting habitat and 21,700 acres (6 percent) of 

the general habitat (AMS Figure 2-20). MFWP monitors several leks in the PA; however, no sage grouse 

leks have been documented on BLM land in the PA 

since 1992. 

Sage Thrasher (BLM Sensitive) 

Sage thrashers are sagebrush obligate as they are common inhabitants of shrub-steppe communities that are 

dominated by big sagebrush. Nest-site selection is specific as most nests are located within or beneath sagebrush plants with high foliage and branch density 

(MPIF 2000). Dense patches of large sagebrush plants 

and low densities of exotic plants also seem to be an 

important habitat characteristic for sage thrashers. 

Documented breeding habitat occurs within the PA 

(Lenard et al. 2003). 

Chestnut-collared Longspur (BLM Sensitive) 

The Montana distribution for chestnut-collared longspurs is east of the Continental Divide on native mixedgrass and tall and short grass prairies. Chestnut-collared 

longspurs arrive on Montana breeding ground in late 

April and first clutches are initiated in early to mid-June 

(MPIF 2000). Flocking occurs as nesting ends in midAugust and migration begins in early September. Historic range occurs in the PA; however, there is no recent documentation of these birds using the PA (MBDD 

2005; Lenard et al. 2003). 

Loggerhead Shrike (BLM Sensitive) 

Loggerhead shrikes breed throughout much of eastern 

Montana in a variety of habitats such as grassland prairies with scattered trees, riparian areas, woody draws, 

or cultivated land with shelterbelts. In Montana grasslands and shrub steppe, loggerhead shrikes tend to 

select areas with a significant presence of shrubs and 

forbs (Dechant et al. 1998). Loggerhead shrikes have 

been documented utilizing the PA (MBDD 2005; Lenard et al. 2003). 

Long-billed Curlew (BLM Sensitive) 

The long-billed curlew breeds throughout Montana and 

typically nests in the high plains, preferring welldrained native grasslands, sagebrush, and agricultural 

land with gentle rolling topography (MPIF 2000). 

Long-billed curlews are found throughout the PA 

(MBDD 2005; Lenard et al. 2003). 

McCown’s Longspur (BLM Sensitive) 

Montana provides a large portion of the available 

breeding habitat for McCown’s longspurs. They can be 

found throughout Montana, east of the Continental 

Divide. Historic habitat occurred within the PA; however, there have been no recent documentations of 

McCown’s longspur using the PA (Lenard et al. 2003). 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 247 
Chapter 3 

Mountain Plover (BLM Sensitive) 

Research indicates that mountain plovers were historically widely distributed through the PA. Some early 

naturalist reports suggest that they were not common, 

but always associated with short grass prairies 

(Knowles and Knowles 1998). Mountain plover surveys 

were conducted within some areas of the PA during 

1991 to 1996 (Knowles and Knowles 1997). Plovers 

were generally associated with Stipa comata and Bouteloua gracilis habitat types. They were closely associated with slopes under five percent, vegetative heights 

under six cm, and greater than half the soil surface 

being bare ground or lichen. Reproduction was documented and approximately 150 mountain plovers were 

observed. 

Sprague’s Pipit (BLM Sensitive) 

Research suggests that large areas of grassland are 

preferred by Sprague’s pipit and, in some areas, a 

minimum area of 190 hectares is required (MPIF 2000). 

The historic range for Sprague’s pipit occurred in the 

southeastern portion of the PA; however, there has been 

no recent documentation of these birds and only a small 

portion represents habitat (MBDD 2005; Lenard et al. 

2003). 

Black-backed Woodpeckers (BLM Sensitive) 

In Montana, black-backed woodpeckers are most abundant in recent stand-replacing burns (Hill et al. 2002). 

Black-backs are most common in the northwest portion 

of the state; however, they have been documented in the 

Big and Little Belt Mountains and the Bridger Range. 

Surveys documented black-backed and three-toed 

woodpeckers nesting and successfully breeding in the 

Nursery Creek area in 2003. Nursery Creek (west side 

of Elkhorn Mountain Range) had a stand replacing fire 

in 2000 and was not salvage logged. Surveys for blackbacks or three-toes were conducted in a salvage cut in 

the Boulder area in 2003 and neither was found. 

Three-toed Woodpeckers (BLM Sensitive) 

Three-toed woodpeckers are mainly found in northwest 

Montana; however, they have been documented within 

the PA (MBDD 2005; Lenard et al. 2003). 

Trumpeter Swan (BLM Sensitive) 

The trumpeter swans that breed within Montana are 

members of the Rocky Mountain population. Breeding 

trumpeter swans are not common in Montana but nest 

along the Rocky Mountain front where habitat is present. Wintering birds are mainly found in southwestern 

Montana. There is the potential for trumpeter swans to 

occur within the PA as breeding has been documented 

(MBDD 2005; Lenard et al. 2003). 

Willet (BLM Sensitive) 

Most of the documented occurrences of willets in Montana have occurred east of the Continental Divide in 

prairie wetlands. Willets prefer a mosaic of wetland 

types with adjacent grasslands for nesting and brood 

rearing. There is the potential for willets to occur within 

the PA as breeding has been documented within the 

area (MBDD 2005; Lenard et al. 2003). 

Black-tailed Prairie Dog (BLM Sensitive) 

Historically, there was an estimated 1.5 million acres of 

black-tailed prairie dog occupied habitat in Montana. 

This has been reduced to an estimated 100,000 acres 

(Knowles 2005). Several prairie dog towns have been 

documented in the southern Elkhorn Mountains and in 

the Whitehall Valley (Knowles 2005). 

There is only one documented prairie dog town within 

the Decision Area. The town is located at Holter Lake 

and is approximately 13 acres (402 mounds). BLM has 

issued a yearlong closure on the discharge of all weapons within the area of this town. 

Fisher (BLM Sensitive) 

Thought to be extirpated in Montana, fishers were reintroduced into western and northwestern Montana 

(Foresman 2001). Recently, verified fisher records have 

been documented in various mountain ranges of western and south-central Montana (Vinkey 2003), including the Beartooth Range. While there are no recent 

records of fisher in the PA (MTNHP 2004), potential 

habitat occurs in both the Planning and Decision Areas. 

Northern Bog Lemming (BLM Sensitive) 

Northern bog lemming habitat does occur within the PA 

and within the Decision Area. Although, they have not 

been documented on BLM land, there is the potential 

for them to be there. 

Spotted Skunk (BLM Sensitive) 

There are limited documented occurrences of spotted 

skunks in Montana and they have occurred in the 

southwestern and south central portion of the state. 

There is the potential for spotted skunks to occur within 

the PA and within the Decision Area. 

Pygmy Rabbit (BLM Sensitive) 

Although, pygmy rabbits have typically been associated 

with relatively tall, dense stands of basin big sage or 

Wyoming big sage, surveys completed by the BLM 

have found that pygmy rabbits also utilize stands of 

mountain, three-tip and low sage (Bockting 2005). 

Surveys also documented that pygmy rabbits will use 

stands of low, relatively open sagebrush. Montana is at 

the northeastern edge of the pygmy rabbits range. There 

has been documented burrow activity within the PA in 

the Big Hole River basin as recent as fall of 2004. 

248 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Special Status Species 

Wolverine (BLM Sensitive) 

Wolverines occur in coniferous forests within the PA 

(Foresman 2001; Inman 2004). There is the potential 

for wolverines to utilize the Planning and Decision 

Areas, especially the large, contiguous areas adjacent to 

National Forest 

Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (BLM Sensitive) 

The occurrence of Townsend’s big-eared bat has been 

documented in at least 25 Montana counties (Foresman 

2001) including counties in the PA. Lewis and Clark 

Caverns, along the southern border of the PA, contain 

one of four known nursery colonies in Montana (Tipton 

2004). 

A roosting site was documented on BLM land in Soap 

Gulch (2003) during AML surveys. Ample foraging 

habitat and extensive limestone outcrops within the PA 

provide roosting habitat for Townsend’s big-eared bats. 

Fringed Myotis (BLM Sensitive) 

Western Montana is on the northeastern limit of the 

distribution of fringed myotis (Foresman 2001). Surveys conducted in 2003 on BLM land near the Big Hole 

River documented fringed myotis in three locations 

during mist netting. These bats were found between 

5,800 to 6,000 feet elevation. Fringed myotis were also 

detected in five locations using bat detectors. 

Long-eared Myotis (BLM Sensitive) 

Long-eared myotis are distributed throughout Montana 

(Foresman 2001). Long-eared myotis were documented 

utilizing the Big Hole River area during the 2003 surveys conducted on BLM land. 

Long-legged Myotis (BLM Sensitive) 

Long-legged myotis range throughout Montana (Adams 

2003). Mist net surveys conducted on BLM land within 

the Big Hole River area in 2003 documented longlegged myotis utilizing the area. 

Plains Spadefoot (BLM Sensitive) 

There are documented occurrences of plains spadefoot 

in the PA (Maxell et al. 2003). 

Boreal (Western) Toad (BLM Sensitive) 

While still widespread in western Montana, surveys 

suggest that populations of boreal toads may be declining (Maxell et al. 2003). Boreal toads occur in the PA 

where there is suitable habitat (Maxell et al. 2003) and 

have been found in the Decision Area in Halfway Creek 

in the Whitetail Pipestone area. 

Northern Leopard Frog (BLM Sensitive) 

Once widespread in Montana, leopard frogs appear to 

be extinct over much of western Montana, west of the 

Continental Divide (Maxell et al. 2003). According to 

Maxell et al. (2003), this species is currently known 

from only two sites west of the Continental Divide and 

evidence suggests that populations may have been 

extirpated from Jefferson County. 

Short-horned lizard 

Short-horned lizards’ distribution is poorly documented 

east of the Continental Divide (Maxell et al. 2003). 

While there are old records of this species in Gallatin 

County, the current status of the species is unknown. 

Plants 

Special-status species are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, proposed or 

candidates for listing, designated as “sensitive” by 

BLM (Table 3-16). 

Musk-root (BLM Sensitive) 

Musk-root grows in vernally moist places in mountains, 

often at the bottom of undisturbed, open rock slides 

with cold air drainage. There are 11 known occurrences 

in the state, one historically on BLM land in Jefferson 

County. 

Sitka Columbine (BLM Sensitive) 

Sitka Columbine is an herbaceous perennial with stems 

which are four inches to two feet high and arise from a 

simple or branched root crown. The plant grows in 

moist soil of open coniferous, cottonwood, or aspen 

forests in the montane to subalpine zone. The plant is 

known from eight locations in southwest Montana near 

the Madison and Gallatin county boundary. 

Sapphire Rockcress (BLM Sensitive) 

Sapphire rockcress is an endemic species, known from 

21 locations, occurring only in the mountains of southwestern Montana. It is typically found in sagebrush 

grasslands on steep, dry slopes of limestone-derived 

soils, on warm exposures with sparse vegetation. It is 

known to occur in the Decision Area (Silver Bow 

County) where it grows with mountain mahogany, 

juniper, or limber pine woodlands. Fire has been frequent in habitats with sapphire rockcress, but the sparse 

vegetation does not usually carry fires well. Factors that 

affect the long-term persistence of this species are noxious weed encroachment, grazing and trampling, mining, and herbicide application (MTNHP n.d.). 

Lesser Rushy Milkvetch (BLM Sensitive) 

Lesser rushy milkvetch is known from 14 locations near 

Helena, with six of these locations on BLM lands. It 

grows in grassland and shrublands often in association 

with bluebunch wheatgrass, fescue species, and mountain big sage. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 249 
Chapter 3 

Table 3-16 

Special-Status Plants Known or with Potential to Occur in the PA 

Common and Scientific Name Status Habitat 

Muskroot 

Adoxa moschattelina 

Sensitive 

1 occurrence on BLM land 

Vernally moist area below talus slopes in mountains 

Sitka columbine 

Aquilegia Formosa 

Sensitive 

No occurrences on BLM land 

Moist soil of open coniferous, cottonwood, or aspen forests in the montane to subalpine zone. 

Sapphire Rockcress 

Arabis fecunda 

Sensitive 

4 occurrences on BLM land 

Steep slopes with big sagebrush or mountain mahogany and sparse tree cover on Madison limestone 

Lesser rushy milkvetch 

Astragalus convallarius var. convallarius 

Sensitive 

6 occurrences on BLM land Grassland and open pine woodlands 

Idaho sedge 

Carex idahoa 

Sensitive 

1 occurrence on BLM land Moist alkaline meadows, often along streams 

American yellow lady’s slipper 

Cypripedium parviflorum 

Sensitive 

1 occurrence on BLM land Fen, damp mossy woods, and seepage areas 

Linearleaf fleabane 

Erigeron linearus 

Sensitive 

3 occurrences on BLM land 

Dry, often rocky soil from the foothills up to moderate elevations, frequently with sagebrush. 

Prostrate hutchensia 

Hutchinsia procumbens 

Sensitive 

No known occurrences on BLM 

land or in PA 

Vernally moist, alkaline soil of sagebrush steppe in 

the valley to lower montane zones 

Dwarf purple monkeyflower 

Mimulus nanus 

Sensitive 

3 known occurrences in PA 

Dry, open, often gravelly, or sandy slopes in the 

valleys and foothills. 

Lemhi beardtongue 

Penstemon lemhiensis 

Sensitive 

2 occurrences on BLM land Moderate to steep slopes often on open soils 

Mealy primrose 

Primula incana 

Sensitive 

Known occurrences in PA Saturated, often calcareous wetlands 

Ute ladies’ tresses 

Spiranthes diluvialis 

Threatened 

No known occurrences 

on BLM land 

Wetlands and swales in broad open valleys, often 

with calcium carbonate accumulations 

Source: BLM and Montana Natural Heritage Program 

Idaho Sedge (BLM Sensitive) 

Idaho sedge is a regional endemic known from 40 locations in southwestern Montana. One of these occurrences is on BLM land in Silver Bow County. This 

species grows in moist, alkaline, subirrigated, streamside meadows with other grasses and sedges. Shrubby 

cinquefoil may also be present. Idaho sedge can withstand light to moderate livestock utilization, but declines under heavy grazing (MNHP n.d.). 

American Yellow Lady’s Slipper (BLM 

Sensitive) 

There are 72 known occurrences of yellow lady’s slipper in Montana, with three in the PA in Lewis and 

Clark and Gallatin counties. One of these occurrences is 

on land administered by BLM. This species grows in 

fens, damp mossy woods, seepage areas, and moist 

forest-meadow margins in valleys and mountains. 

Linearleaf Fleabane (BLM Sensitive) 

There are four known occurrences of linearleaf fleabane 

in the PA; three locations are managed by the BLM in 

the Scratchgravel Hills area. Mining, grazing, and the 

encroachment of exotic weeds are factors that may 

affect long-term population stability. Linearleaf fleabane grows on dry, often rocky soil from the foothills 

up to moderate elevations, frequently with sagebrush. 

The low stature of this plant probably means that it 

responds positively to livestock grazing. Leafy spurge 

and spotted knapweed threaten populations in the 

Scratchgravel Hills. Observations suggest that this 

species may respond positively to disturbance. 

Prostrate Hutchinsia (BLM Sensitive) 

Prostrate hutchensia is an annual that flowers in June 

and matures in July. The plant grows in vernally moist, 

alkaline soil of sagebrush steppe in the valley to lower 

montane zones. The plant has been found in areas adjacent to, but not in the PA itself. 

Dwarf Purple Monkeyflower (BLM Sensitive) 

Dwarf purple monkeyflower is only known from a few 

extent occurrences in the state, plus two historical collections. Populations are generally small and in habitats 

susceptible to weed invasion. The plant is found in dry, 

open, often gravelly, or sandy slopes in valleys and 

250 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Wildland Fire Management 

foothills. It has been found in three locations in the PA, 

one of which is adjacent to land managed by the BLM. 

Lemhi Beardtongue (BLM Sensitive) 

There are 83 known occurrences of Lemhi beardtongue 

in southwestern Montana, including two in Silver Bow 

County on land administered by the BLM. This regional endemic, occurring only in southwestern Montana and adjacent Idaho, grows on moderate to steep 

east and southwest-facing slopes in habitat dominated 

by sagebrush and bunchgrasses. Fire suppression may 

be a factor in the range-wide decline. Monitoring studies in Beaverhead County have found that recruitment 

dramatically increased after fire treatment, consistent 

with tendency of fire-adapted species to emerge from 

seed banks following removal of litter and duff (MNHP 

n.d.). 

Noxious weed infestations, especially spotted knapweed tend to invade habitats occupied by Lemhi beardtongue, especially following fire. 

Mealy Primrose (BLM Sensitive) 

Mealy primrose is known from 22 locations in Montana 

of which 10 are in the PA. This species grows in saturated wet meadows, often calcareous, with sedges and 

grasses adapted to wetland growing conditions. Livestock grazing can have variable effects on mealy primrose. Grazing by livestock removes seed heads but does 

not kill the plant and associated removal of sedges and 

grasses by grazing reduces shading and allow regrowth 

from the basal rosettes. Lowered water tables, through 

draining of wetlands or channel downcutting are the 

primary threat (MNHP n.d.). 

Ute Lady’s Tresses (Threatened) 

This rare orchid is known to occur at 12 sites in Montana, all on private or state land, mostly in Gallatin, 

Jefferson, Madison, and Broadwater counties. It grows 

in wetlands and swales and wet meadows in broad, 

open valleys, with calcareous carbonate accumulations. 

It grows in the Piedmont Swamp in Jefferson County. 

WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT 

Historic Fire Regime 

Coarse-scale definitions for historical fire regimes were 

developed by Hardy et al. (2001) and Schmidt et al. 

(2002). The historical fire regimes are based on average 

years between fires (frequency) combined with the 

severity (amount of replacement). The regimes are 

shown in Table 3-17. Historic fire regimes for the PA 

are shown on AMS Figures 2-11a, 2-11b, and 2-11c. 

Fire Regime Condition Class 

A Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) is a classification of the departure from the historic fire regime (Hann 

and Bunnell 2001). The classification is based on a 

relative measure describing the degree of departure 

from the historical natural fire regime. AMS Figures 2-

12a, 2-12b and 2-12c shows fire condition classes for 

the PA. 

In FRCC 1, vegetation characteristics; fuel composition; fire frequency, severity and pattern; and other 

associated disturbances are considered within the natural (historical) range of variability. Fire behavior, effects, and other associated disturbances are similar to 

those that occurred prior to fire exclusion (suppression) 

and other types of management that do not mimic the 

natural fire regime and associated vegetation and fuel 

characteristics. Composition and structure of vegetation 

and fuels are similar to the natural (historical) regime. 

The risk of loss of key ecosystem components (e.g. 

native species, large trees, and soil) is low. 

In FRCC 2, there is a moderate departure from the 

natural (historical) regime of vegetation characteristics; 

fuel composition; fire frequency, severity and pattern; 

and other associated disturbances. Fire behavior, effects, and other associated disturbances are moderately 

departed. 

Composition and structure of vegetation and fuel are 

moderately altered. Uncharacteristic conditions range 

from low to moderate and the risk of loss of key ecosystem components is moderate. 

Table 3-17 

Historic Fire Regimes 

Regime Frequency and Severity 

I 0–35 year frequency and low (surface fires most common) to mixed severity (less than 75 percent of the dominant overstory vegetation replaced). 

II 0–35 year frequency and high (stand replacement) severity (greater than 75 percent of the 

dominant overstory vegetation replaced). 

III 5–100+ year frequency and mixed severity (less than 75 percent of the dominant overstory 

vegetation replaced). 

IV 35–100+ year frequency and high (stand replacement) severity (greater than 75 percent of the 

dominant overstory vegetation replaced). 

V 200+ year frequency and high (stand replacement) severity. 

Source: Hardy et al. (2001) and Schmidt et al. (2002) 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 251 
Chapter 3 

In FRCC 3, there is a high departure from the natural 

(historical) regime of vegetation characteristics; fuel 

composition; fire frequency, severity and pattern; and 

other associated disturbances. Fire behavior, effects, 

and other associated disturbances are highly departed 

(more or less severe). Composition and structure of 

vegetation and fuel are highly altered. Uncharacteristic 

conditions range from moderate to high and the risk of 

loss of key ecosystem components is high. 

Generally, the consensus among fire ecologists (Brown 

and Smith 2000; Crane and Fisher 1986; Hardy and 

Arno 1996) is that the structure and composition of 

most forest communities in the west, including the PA, 

have been altered by exclusion of natural cycles of fire. 

Fire suppression in the last century has reduced the 

frequency and spatial extent of fires in many forest 

communities. Fire suppression generally has lengthened 

intervals between fires, contributing to the creation of 

dense stands with high levels of fuel. 

The paradigm most often adopted relative to the historic 

role of fire is that low to moderate intensity fires increases dominance of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine 

on relatively dry sites. These periodic fires pass through 

the forest, burning needles and debris on the forest floor 

and lower branches of trees. Fires reduce numbers of 

seedlings, remove dense understories of saplings and 

pole-size trees, and thin overstory trees. Prior to fire 

suppression efforts, fire rarely reached the tree crowns 

and therefore usually did not kill the large, mature ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir. Exposure of mineral soil, 

in openings caused by fire, perpetuated reproduction of 

Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine in a mosaic pattern. 

Under pre-settlement fire regimes, low-elevation forests 

were often more open. Pre-1900 fires often covered 

large areas and were characterized by uneven burning 

patterns that resulted from the mosaic pattern of stand 

structure. Past burn mosaics increased the probability 

that subsequent fires would also burn in a mixed pattern 

(Brown and Smith 2000). 

Prior to aggressive fire suppression, wildfires of variable intensity and severity periodically occurred. Standreplacement fires, especially in the cool Douglas-fir and 

subalpine fir types were the norm under pre-settlement 

conditions. 

Fire suppression is the most extensive cause for departure from the historic fire regime. However, other 

causes include invasive species (e.g. weeds, insects, and 

diseases), management activities affecting forest composition and structure (e.g. large trees removed in a 

frequent surface fire regime), and grazing. 

Current Wildland Fire Management 

Table 3-18 outlines the Fire Management Zones and 

their predominant Fire Management Categories in the 

Fire/Fuels Management Plan. 

Table 3-18 

Fire Management Zones 

Fire Management Zone1

 Category FMZ Acres2 BLM Acres in FMZ2 

1. Absoraka Foothills C 67,700 3,900 

2. Big Belt Mountain C 360,300 7,200 

3. Big Hole River Corridor C 68,800 11,100 

4. Blackfoot (See Missoula Field Office) C 340,800 0 

5. Boulder River B 264,400 14,300 

6. Clancy/ Marysville C 299,600 28,200 

7. Elkhorn Mountains C 482,900 68,900 

8. Fleecer Mountain C 284,300 18,100 

9. McCartney/ Rochester C 273,600 28,100 

10. North Hills B 33,900 6,300 

11. Pipestone C 369,300 41,000 

12. Scratchgravel Hills B 126,900 7,900 

13. Sleeping Giant/Sheep Creek C 82,600 20,500 

14. Spokane Hills and North B 156,500 6,800 

15. Three Forks C 485,000 31,200 

16. Wise River Townsite B 10,100 1,400 

17. Bozeman/ Livingston Scattered Tracts A 1,714,300 7,300 

Source: USDI-BLM 2004b 

1 Category and associated treatments only apply to BLM land within each zone. 

2

 Acres are approximate. 

252 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Cultural Resources 

Current policy is to control all wildfires burning on or 

threatening public land within the first burning period 

Modified suppression areas were established based on 

consideration of the following criteria: 

• Values at Risk. 

• Fire behavior. 

• Fire occurrence. 

• Beneficial fire effects, including but not limited to 

a reduction of fuel loading. 

• Fire suppression costs. 

• Consistency with other agency plans and policies. 

Wildland Fire History 

According to the Butte Field Office Fire Management 

Plan, there were 194 reported wildland fires between 

1980 and 2003, of which 53 percent were humancaused. Local fire departments (non-federal) may or 

may not report wildland fires to the BLM. An average 

of eight fires burned an average of 1,348 acres per year 

(USDI-BLM 2004f). 

Direction for fire and fuels management needed to 

protect other resource values and broad levels of treatment over 10 years, as described in the Fire/Fuels Management Plan are shown by category in Table 3-19. 

CULTURAL RESOURCES 

Currently in the Butte Field Office there are 1,174 historic properties. Of these, 538 are prehistoric sites, 506 

are historic sites, eight contain both prehistoric and 

historic components, and 130 sites on private land were 

recorded due to the effects of federal projects. In addition, 63 sites have been determined to be eligible for 

listing on the National Register of Historic Places, and 

65 sites that have been determined not to be eligible for 

listing. The Butte Field Office has two historic properties listed on the National Register: the Crow Creek 

Ditch-and-Flume System, and the McCormick Feed and 

Livery sign. The Butte Field Office boundaries host 

segments of two national trail systems; the Lewis and 

Clark National Historic Trail, and the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. 

Cultural Resources managed by BLM are assigned to 

one of six Use Categories, summarized as follows: 

Scientific Use Applies to any cultural property determined to be available for consideration as the subject of 

scientific or historical study at the present time, using 

currently available techniques. 

Conservation for Future Use This category is reserved 

for any unusual cultural property which, because of 

scarcity, a research potential that surpasses the current 

state of the art, singular historic importance, cultural 

importance, architectural interest, or comparable reasons, is not currently available for consideration as the 

subject of scientific or historical study that would result 

in its physical alteration. 

Traditional Use This category is to be applied to any 

cultural resource known to be perceived by a specified 

social and/or cultural group as important in maintaining 

the cultural identity, heritage, or well being of the 

group. 

Public Use This category may be applied to any cultural 

property found to be appropriate for use as an interpretive exhibit in place, or for related educational and 

recreational uses by members of the general public. 

Experimental Use This category may be applied to a 

cultural property judged well-suited for controlled experimental study, to be conducted by BLM or others 

concerned with the techniques of managing cultural 

properties. 

Discharged from Management This category is assigned to cultural properties that have no remaining 

identifiable use. 

Complete Use Category definitions are located in Appendix J – Cultural Resources, subsection .42; A-F. 

Prehistoric Sites 

Prehistoric sites from each of the cultural periods identified for the Northwestern Plains region have been 

documented in southwest Montana. The oldest occupations in the PA come from the Paleo-Indian period, 

about 12,000 to 8,000 years ago. 

An increase in occupational intensity during the Middle 

Plains Archaic (ca. 5,000–3,100 Before Present [B.P.]) 

is evidenced by comparatively frequent occurrence of 

projectile points diagnostic of the McKean technocomplex. This increase in prehistoric use is punctuated 

during the Late Plains Archaic (ca. 3,100–1,400 B.P.). 

Corner-notched Pelican Lake-type projectile points are 

more profuse than any other single diagnostic point 

style identified in southwestern Montana (Davis et al. 

1980; Deaver and Deaver 1986; Foor 1994). The Late 

Prehistoric Period (ca. 1,400–200 B.P.) is also represented, corresponding with an era of increased moisture 

and resultant improved habitat conditions for buffalo 

and other large ungulates (Bryson et al 1970; Fredlund 

1979). Side-, corner-, and tri-notched arrow points, 

characteristic of the “Old Women” type, commonly 

occur in association with open camps, communal kills, 

lithic workshops, and as isolated finds (Davis et al. 

1980; Taylor et al. 1984; Deaver and Deaver 1986). 

While occupational intensity varied through time, site 

patterns appear to have remained relatively constant. 

The majority of prehistoric sites, regardless of their age 

or apparent cultural affiliation, can be classified into 

one of seven types based on their suspected functions or 

the presence of unique attributes. The types include: 1) 

lithic scatters, 2) habitations, 3) stone cairns and alignments, 4) toolstone quarries, 5) hunting sites, 6) rock art 

and ceremonial sites, and 7) trails. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 253 
Chapter 3 

Table 3-19

Fire Management Categories

Category A Category B Category C Category D 

DescriptionFire is not desired at all (8,000 acres). Unplanned fire is likely to cause negative effects (81 million acres). Fire is desired to manage eco-systems, but current vegetative condition creates

constraints on use (252 million acres). 

Fire is desired; no constraints on its use(200 acres). 

Fire Management ActivitiesMitigation and suppression required.Fire should not be used to managefuels. 

Suppression required. Fire and non-firefuel treatments may be used 

Suppression may be required. Fire andnon-fire fuel treatments may be used 

Suppression may not be necessary.Both fire and non-fire treatments couldbe used 

Rationale for CategorizationDirect threats to life or property. Ecosystems not fire dependent. Long fire return intervals. 

Unplanned ignitions would have negative effects on ecosystems unless mitigated Significant ecological, social, or politi­ cal constraints Few ecological, social, or political constraints. Less need for fuels treat­ ment. 

Fire Suppression ConsiderationsEmphasis on prevention, detection, andrapid suppression response and techniques. 

Emphasis on prevention/education andsuppression. 

Emphasis on reducing unwanted ignitions, resource threats, and fuels accumulations. Emphasis on using planned and un­ planned wildfire to achieve resource objectives. 

Multiple Fire Priority1

Highest High Medium Lowest 

Anticipated type and level of fire/fuel treatments, including treating areas that were previously treated: <1,000 acres mechanical 

105,000 acres prescribed fire74,000 acres mechanical37,000 acres chemical weed treatment 

192,000 acres prescribed fire84,000 acres mechanical149,000 acres chemical weed treatment 

2,000 acres fire use or prescribed

Source: H-1601-1 Land Use Planning Handbook (USDI-BLM 2005b) and IM No. 2002-034

If multiple fires were burning, Categories A and B would generally receive priority for fire management resources. 

254 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: 

Lithic scatters are the most commonly identified sites. 

They consist of concentrations of waste flakes and 

occasionally cores and complete or broken tools. Lithic 

scatters may reflect a range of functional activities, 

from the initial reduction of locally obtained toolstone 

to the production of formal tools such as projectile 

points or scrapers. While some lithic scatters may mark 

the former locations of prehistoric camps, the absence 

of domestic artifacts and features suggests that they 

generally represent brief, intermittent occupations. This 

site type is pervasive throughout southwest Montana 

and occurs in nearly all environmental settings. Deaver 

and Deaver (1986) found that of the 199 sites recorded 

in the Decision Area within Broadwater, Deer Lodge, 

Gallatin, Jefferson, Park, and the southern half of Lewis 

and Clark Counties prior to 1986, 121 (61 percent) are 

lithic scatters. 

Habitations are the second most common prehistoric 

site type in southwest Montana. They range from small, 

briefly occupied field camps to expansive base camps 

containing features attributable to multiple extendedfamily groups. These sites typically have evidence of 

hearths (fire-cracked rock concentrations), and artifactual remains of food processing and/or preparation. The 

remains of residential structures are occasionally apparent and may consist of natural land form features, such 

as rock shelters, or purposefully constructed dwellings. 

In general, researchers believe that the stone rings 

found at some habitation sites were used to hold down 

the covers of tipis. 

Stone cairns and alignments occur in a wide range of 

environmental settings in southwest Montana, and 

many have been recorded in the Planning and Decision 

Areas. Individual features take a range of forms and 

based on their landscape position, it is occasionally 

possible to determine site functions. Linear arrangements of cairns often designate prehistoric trails or may 

have functioned as drive lines for communal kills. Isolated features or small groups of cairns located on 

prominent ridge lines or mountain crests may mark 

vision quest sites or other ceremonial activities. 

Toolstone quarries are areas where prehistoric peoples 

obtained raw materials to be used for the manufacture 

of stone tools. Quarries are associated with exposures 

of fine-grained glassy rocks such as chert, chalcedony, 

quartzite, and vitreous basaltic stone. 

Hunting Sites represent areas where groups of people 

worked collectively to force small herds of ungulates -

including bison, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep - into 

preselected kill areas. Communal kills are the best 

documented of the prehistoric hunting sites in southwest Montana. Often the animals were herded over 

cliffs, where the fall killed or maimed them. In other 

cases, brush or pole enclosures were constructed and 

once animals were herded inside they were killed using 

projectiles or blunt instruments. Communal kills generally contain dense animal bone deposits, as well as 

associated projectile points and meat/hide processing 

tools. Kill sites usually occupy lowland settings along 

major rivers or streams that provide topographic features favorable for herding and containing/killing animals. Small numbers of sites representing this type 

have been recorded within PA (Scarborough 1975; 

Deaver and Deaver 1986). 

Hunting blinds are another type of prehistoric hunting 

site known to exist in southwest Montana, including the 

Decision Area (Kiely, pers. comm. 2003). A hunting 

blind typically is found near a game trail or watering 

spot, and usually appears as a crescent-shaped rock. 

They were built and used by prehistoric people to layin-wait in order to ambush game. 

Rock art and ceremonial sites represent highly personal cultural manifestations that are oftentimes interrelated. In southwestern Montana, rock art sites consist 

entirely of pictographs—images that are painted on 

rock faces, boulders, or other outcrops. They typically 

appear as monochrome panels with simple line drawings of human figures, animals, tally marks, and geometric designs. Rock art sites often occupy vertical 

bedrock faces that form narrow canyons at the mouths 

of tributary streams (Greer and Greer 1998). 

Trails used by prehistoric people originally linked all 

the major valleys and ridge line systems in southwestern Montana. Few however, have been documented, in 

large part due to modern alterations to their associated 

features. The Old North Trail and the Indian Creek 

Trail are two examples of routes used by prehistoric 

people in Montana. There is no consensus about the 

locations of these trails, however. 

Historic Sites 

Mining-related sites are the most common historic sites 

in the PA. These sites span from the period from the 

early 1860s to after World War II, and many retain 

evidence of more recent development. Site complexity 

ranges from individual prospect pits and test trenches to 

concentrations of adits, shafts, waste-rock dumps, and 

remains of industrial structures such as mills. Placer 

mining sites also exist in the PA and almost universally 

are identified by accumulation of placer tailing (man- or 

machine-made piles of gravel) along a creek or river. A 

placer mine is often accompanied by a network of 

ditches and dams. Residential buildings in various 

states of decay and other domestic features can be 

found at both lode and placer mine sites. The PA also 

contains remnants of towns (in various states of decay) 

that appeared in response to the residential, commercial, and social needs of miners and their families. The 

bulk of the larger and/or complex mine sites and towns 

are on private rather than public land (McDaniel 1975; 

McCormick and Quivik 1991; Park 1993a; Park 1993b; 

Sanders 1993; Sanders 1996; Peterson and Melhs 1996; 

Rossillon 1997; Travis 1997a; Travis 1997b; Sanders 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 255 
Chapter 3 

and Walker-Kunz 1998; Fairchild and Horstman n.d.a; 

Fairchild and Horstman n.d.b). 

Most mining-related sites lie within districts, organizational frameworks historically imposed over a fairly 

concentrated area of mining activity. Historic mining 

districts all or partly within the Decision Area include 

Austin, Boulder, Clancy, Colorado, Confederate Gulch 

High Ore Creek, Marysville, McClellan/Mitchell, Melrose, Indian Creek, Pipestone, Radersburg, Scratchgravel Hills, Stemple, Whitehall, and Winston. Most of 

these districts have been minimally recorded to date. 

The great copper mining and smelting complex of 

Butte-Anaconda is also within the PA. Unlike most 

other mining districts in the area, it has been subject to 

intensive inventory. 

Agricultural-related resources are the second most 

common historic site type documented in the PA. Due 

to the region’s short growing season, large farmsteads 

and/or homesteads are rare, especially in comparison to 

much of eastern Montana. Raising livestock rather than 

cultivation of crops (other than hay) dominated the 

region’s agricultural development. Cattle and sheep 

ranches and dairy farms tend to be widely scattered in 

favorable areas such as along streams and near upland 

springs, and with few exceptions are located on patented (i.e., private) rather than public land. A variety of 

site types which historically played ancillary roles in 

ranching/farming operations have been documented 

within the Decision Area. The most prevalent of these 

site types are dams and ditches, cow camps, sheep 

camps, line shacks, and isolated corrals (Davis et al. 

1980). 

Several historic roads and railroad lines also exist in the 

PA. Road and railroad alignments are mostly confined 

to private land and, in the case of roads, state-owned 

land. Similar to agricultural properties, sites secondary 

to the development and/or use of a road or railroads 

have been identified in the Decision Area. To date these 

include construction camps and signs. Some of the 

other more common historic properties known to exist 

in the PA are timber camps and sawmills, and remnants 

of trails and/or wagon roads. A few isolated graves and 

an airplane crash site have been recorded in the Decision Area (Stoner 1981; BLM 1984a; McCormick 

1997). 

Several of the known cultural resource sites in the Decision Area have been determined eligible for listing in 

the National Register of Historic Places. Of these, however, only two sites have been listed. 

PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES 

Paleontology is a discipline that combines biology and 

geology in the study of fossils. Fossils are paleontological resources that include the body remains, traces, or 

imprints of plants or animals that have been preserved 

in sedimentary deposits during past geologic or prehistoric times. 

Fossils and fossil-bearing deposits occur in Paleozoic, 

Mesozoic, and Cenozoic rocks throughout the PA, and 

range in age from 600 million years to recent. Important 

fossil resources within the PA focus on vertebrate fossils that are of scientific interest from a variety of points 

of view (for example: dinosaur skeletons, nests and 

eggs, turtle remains, or horses and camels). Most of 

these vertebrate fossils occur in Cenozoic Era rocks, 

from the Paleocene to the Pliocene, approximately 65 

million to 1.6 million years ago. In the PA, the Cenozoic fossils come mostly from Eocene and Miocene 

epochs. These strata are most well known for containing horses and camels. 

Paleozoic and Mesozoic sediment (deposited 600 million to 65 million years ago) in the PA most commonly 

contain marine invertebrates, although non-marine 

invertebrates, fish and reptiles occur as well. Within 

these various sedimentary units, fossil density and occurrence ranges from sparse to abundant. Some individual sedimentary beds are composed of predominantly fossil and shell fragments (fossiliferous), while 

others may rarely contain fossils. The Madison, 

Kootenai, and Morrison formations are important 

stratigraphic units that contain these fossils (Davis et al. 

1980). The stratigraphic section has been described in 

some detail by Freeman and others (1958) and Klepper 

and others (1971). Their work indicates which sedimentary units contain fossils, the most commonly observed 

fossil types, and occasionally provide an indication of 

the fossil density or abundance. Exposures and fossil 

occurrences in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic stratigraphic 

units of the PA are similar to those found commonly 

across southern Montana and are, therefore, not considered to be either unusual or unique (Davis et al. 1980). 

GIS analysis for the PA shows that only three fossil 

specimens have been recorded as flying reptiles; seven 

fossil specimens have been terrestrial dinosaurs; 61 

specimens have been marine reptiles, and 189 specimens have been fossil mammals. By far the most productive formations are Tertiary sedimentary rocks and 

sediments. The largest collection of recorded paleontological localities (60) is located in Jefferson County, 

containing mixed specimens of mammals and marine 

reptiles. But while Jefferson County has the largest 

number of recorded fossil localities and specimens, no 

terrestrial dinosaurs are included in those known localities. 

VISUAL RESOURCES 

The visual resource inventory includes a general discussion regarding VRM Classes. Under the current 

Headwaters RMP, specific VRM Classes were assigned 

to areas characterized by high visual resources (river 

corridors and Wilderness Study Areas). All other public 

land was not designated a specific VRM Class until a 

256 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Forest and Woodland Products 

project occurred in that area. At that time, VRM 

Classes were assigned according to BLM’s VRM 

Handbook. 

VRM Class I was assigned to WSAs. Management 

practices within this class must not be noticeable by the 

casual observer. 

VRM Class II was assigned to special recreation areas 

or Areas of Critical Environmental Concern and some 

river corridors. VRM II allows for minimal visual disturbance from management activities that should be 

indiscernible to the casual observer. 

VRM Classes have been assigned to some land based 

on specific project plans within the PA since 1983. 

VRM Classes consider special management areas, key 

observation points, scenic quality, distance zones, and 

sensitive areas. 

RESOURCE USES 

FOREST AND WOODLAND PRODUCTS 

The Decision Area contains 87,797 acres of forest land. 

Under current BLM policy (BLM Manual 5251.11), 

forest and woodland stands are classified as commercial 

forests when they are producing or capable of producing at least 20 cubic feet of wood per acre per year of 

commercial tree species. The predominant commercial 

species are Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, and ponderosa 

pine, with minor amounts of subalpine fir and spruce. 

The forested acres have changed since 1984 due to a 

change in the Decision Area boundary and several large 

land exchanges. Table 3-20 summarizes the commercial forest land acres. 

Approximately 5,169 acres of forested public land in 

the PA has been treated by forest management since 

1984. The majority of forest treatments were selective 

harvests in mature stands. Nearly half of the acres 

(2,052 acres) treated since 1984 where forest salvage 

and restoration planting treatments on a portion of the 

5,178 acres of commercial forest burned by wildfires in 

2000. Wildfire suppression has kept forest structure 

changes from wildfire to less than one percent of all 

disturbances. 

Approximately 60 to 80 percent of the forest land effected by the larger wildfires in the Decision Area were 

completely consumed by stand replacement fire intensities, potentially resulting in a quarter to half of the area 

considered to be deforested as very little seed source 

remains for natural regeneration. 

An estimated 29,000 areas of conifer colonization of 

grass-shrub vegetation types has occurred over the last 

several decades with similar conifer establishment 

problems developing in the open forest types, dry forest 

meadows and woodlands that have become heavily 

overstocked by young conifer trees as well, converting 

stands to high fuel loadings and closed canopy conditions, particularly in the WUI. 

Table 3-20 

Summary of Forested Acres in the Decision Area 

Designation Acres 

Total Forested Acres (CFL + woodland) 110,350 

Commercial Forest Land (CFL) 87,797 

Suitable CFL 82,815 

Nonsuitable CFL 4,982 

CFL Set Aside for Wildlife1

 8,035 

CFL Set Aside for Recreation 7,076 

CFL Set Aside for Wilderness Recommendations 7,939 

Total CFL Set Aside 28,032 

Total Available Base (Suitable CFL-Total CFL 

Set Aside) 54,783 

TPCC Restricted Base2 42,650 

Non-restricted Base (Total Base Restricted Base) 12,133 

Allowable Cut (million board feet per decade) 27.21 

Miles of Road Construction (Miles of Permanent 

road per decade) 55 

Acres Cut per Decade (@ 3 thousand board feet 

per acre) 9,069 

CFL = Commercial Forest Land 

TPCC = Timber Production Capability Classification

1 Set Aside – Forest areas that have been removed from general 

forest management and the use of silvicultural techniques to 

meet forest production goals. 2 TPCC Restricted Base – Forest areas where specific silvicultural treatment methods and/or techniques may be restricted 

on a case-by-case basis to prevent or mitigate specifically 

identified resource impacts. 

In the 1984 Headwaters RMP estimated resources could 

support an annual allowable cut of 2.6 to 2.9 million 

board feet. The estimate amounted to an average of 867 

acres per year or a total of 17,333 acres over the 20 

years since the 1984 plan was established. 

There are 22,553 acres of woodland, which are forest 

communities often occupied by noncommercial species 

such as limber pine, juniper, mountain mahogany, or 

quaking aspen, and are often accompanied by Douglasfir and ponderosa pine. Table 3-21 presents a summary 

of forested woodland acres by county. 

Table 3-21 

Summary of Woodland by County, Butte DA 

County Current Woodland Acres 

Beaverhead 271 

Broadwater 4,935 

Deer Lodge 18 

Gallatin 409 

Jefferson 9,139 

Lewis and Clark 5,570 

Park 506 

Silver Bow 1,705 

Total 22,553 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 257 
Chapter 3 

LIVESTOCK GRAZING 

Of the approximately 302,000 acres of public land in 

the PA, 273,039 acres are managed as part of 237 grazing allotments ranging in size from 4 acres to 13,118 

acres. Thirteen allotments are currently vacant. Seven 

allotments are managed by other BLM or USFS offices. 

The number of allotments grazed by cattle, horses, and 

sheep is 210, 5, and 3 respectively, with three additional 

allotments grazed by both cattle and sheep and one 

grazed by both horses and sheep. Resource allocation 

within an allotment is based on AUMs (the amount of 

forage needed to sustain one animal unit, or its equivalent, for one month). AUMs required for livestock are 

based on the nutritional needs specific to each livestock 

class. The domestic livestock permitted to graze on 

allotments in the PA includes cattle (24,139 AUMs), 

sheep (1,286 AUMs), horses (240 AUMs), and buffalo 

(12 AUMs). AMS Table 2-15 displays allotment information in a tabular form. AMS Figures 2-13a, 2-

13b and 2-13c show the grazing allotments in the PA. 

Grazing Permits and Leases 

The following Affected Environment discussion is 

based upon the grazing regulations and guidance in 

effect from August 21, 1995 to August 10, 2006. New 

regulations with a few legally challenged exceptions 

become effective August 11, 2006. 

Grazing preference is defined as the total number of 

AUMs within a grazing allotment that BLM has allocated for livestock use, to be used by qualified operators that own or control land suitable as base property. 

Grazing use in the allotment is authorized through issuance of grazing permits or leases. The permits and 

leases and attendant activity plans describe the livestock class, intensity, duration, and timing of grazing as 

well as fences, water developments, and other range 

improvements to be installed. BLM analyzes effects of 

proposed grazing according to the NEPA process and 

prepares an Environmental Assessment (EA) prior to 

permit issuance or renewal. Most permits and leases are 

valid for a period of 10 years. 

Details of management may be incorporated into an 

Allotment Management Plan that becomes part of the 

lease or permit. These plans include grazing instructions specified to meet resource condition, sustained 

yield, multiple uses, economic, and other objectives. In 

the PA, the trend is to focus more on reviewing management during the rangeland health evaluation process 

rather than to develop new plans (Thompson, pers. 

comm. 2003). Currently, 41 of the 226 allotments (18 

percent) have approved Allotment Management Plans. 

Five of these are Coordinated Resource Management 

Plans (CRMPs) developed in conjunction with USFS 

land in the PA. 

The BLM authorizes permittees to use the land for 

grazing by establishing an allocated amount of forage a 

permittee may graze on an allotment (this is referred to 

as “active use”). A permittee may enter temporary 

nonuse status when operators do not wish to graze for 

financial, operational, or related reasons or where resource conditions do not allow for grazing. Alternatively, if excess resource is available as a result of favorable weather and good growth conditions, the BLM 

may temporarily authorize the permittee to graze in 

excess of the established level of use. If the permittee 

chooses to allow another operator to graze livestock on 

their permitted allotments livestock control agreements 

must be filed with and approved by the Authorized 

Officer. 

Range Health Standard Assessments 

The conditions of resources on each allotment are determined through assessment and monitoring. From 

these assessments, the potential impacts of grazing are 

evaluated in the context of standards for rangeland 

health and guidelines for grazing administration. A 

BLM interdisciplinary team evaluates allotments in 

accordance with established rangeland health standards 

and guidelines. Standards are descriptions of the desired 

condition of the biological and physical components 

and characteristics of rangeland. Guidelines are management approaches, methods, and practices that are 

intended to achieve a standard. 

Allotment evaluations include identification of factors 

influencing the condition of the resources. Where current grazing management practices or levels of grazing 

use on the public land are a significant factor in failure 

to achieve rangeland health standards, BLM has until 

the next grazing season to start implementing corrective 

actions. 

Such actions may include adjustment to grazing duration, timing, intensity, forage utilization, or installation 

or implementation of range improvement projects. 

Permittees, interested publics and other agencies are 

consulted and actions are analyzed according to the 

NEPA process prior to implementation of corrective 

actions. To date, 110 allotments have been assessed as 

to whether they meet Land Health Standards. 

Permanent monitoring points established in accordance 

with the objectives of the 1984 RMP planning effort are 

used to evaluate upland and riparian sites throughout 

the PA. Upland monitoring stations are located in key 

areas and include transects assessed using Daubenmire’s method of ocular plant cover estimation and 

photo points. Riparian areas and wetlands are primarily 

monitored using cover board photo points (Thompson, 

pers. comm. 2003). The trend observed in long-term 

monitoring of these locations is used to assess the 

health and condition of these areas and provide a basis 

for adjusting management, including grazing, as appropriate. 

258 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Minerals 

Range Improvement Projects 

Range improvements are installed and projects are 

implemented to improve condition or facilitate management of resources. In the PA, most range improvements consist of items such as fences, wells, and spring 

developments. Fences are used to keep livestock of 

various permittees’ separate, control the season of use, 

and exclude grazing from selected areas. Water improvements help improve distribution of livestock and 

alleviate pressure on natural water sources such as 

streams and wetlands as well as providing water for 

some species of wildlife. Other range improvement 

projects such as prescribed burning are used to produce 

an immediate change in vegetative or environmental 

conditions that will lead to improved rangeland health 

or utility. 

Range improvements can be authorized on public land 

under a Cooperative Range Improvement Agreement or 

Range Improvement Permit. Cooperative Range Improvement Agreements are used to authorize permanent 

structural improvements such as reservoirs. Range 

Improvement Permits only authorize installation of 

removable improvements such as livestock handling 

facilities. Proposed projects funded by BLM are prioritized based on evaluation of the need and costs as they 

relate to expected benefits. All improvements are constructed according to BLM standards and specifications. 

Prohibited Acts 

Permits or leases and preference may be cancelled and 

civil penalties may be applied as a result of grazing 

rules violations. The BLM is responsible for monitoring 

use on the land it administers. 

Factors Influencing Grazing 

A variety of environmental, economic, and social factors weigh heavily in planning decisions related to 

livestock grazing in the Decision Area. Grazing management is adjusted during renewal of permits and 

leases and at other times as appropriate in response to 

these factors. Site-specific factors influence management to a more notable degree, but the following factors 

influence grazing management in each of the management areas. 

Wildlife Habitat 

One objective of allotment management is to maintain 

and, where possible, enhance wildlife habitat. Protection of federally listed species and species of special 

concern occasionally requires intensive management 

that is sensitive to the wildlife needs. In addition, maintaining available forage for big game animals, especially on winter range, can conflict with livestock grazing. Livestock grazing is adjusted as appropriate to 

ensure wildlife habitat requirements are taken into 

account in accordance with the 1984 Headwaters RMP. 

Riparian Areas and Wetland 

Riparian and wetland areas are integral to maintaining 

many ecosystem processes and maintaining their health 

and function is a high priority. Succulent vegetation, 

shade, and water are often associated with these areas. 

Issues related to riparian and wetland conditions are a 

dominant factor driving changes in allotment management. While most upland communities meet condition 

and health standards, riparian areas frequently are in 

need of more intensive management to improve conditions. During review of grazing leases and permits, 

appropriate management tools and guidelines for grazing management options are considered and prescribed 

as necessary to improve the condition of riparian and 

wetland areas (Thompson, pers. comm. 2004). 

Noxious Weeds 

Noxious weeds effectively compete against native 

vegetation for resources and continue to expand in the 

PA. These weeds are unpalatable to most classes of 

domestic livestock and their expansion reduces the 

amount of available forage. Control of noxious weeds is 

an integral part of allotment management. 

Forest Encroachment 

Encroachment of forests onto areas traditionally managed as rangeland impacts utility of the area for use by 

livestock by reducing herbaceous productivity and 

forage availability. As forest stands colonize rangeland, 

palatable species are replaced by woody species and 

sparse understory vegetation. The reduction in available 

forage reduces the carrying capacity (AUMs) of the 

area, thereby restricting livestock grazing until such 

time as rangeland vegetation is allowed to reestablish. 

This reduction in forage also increases livestock and 

wildlife conflicts as they compete for the same resource. 

Urban Interface and Recreational 

Conflicts 

Subdivisions and land purchased for recreational purposes has an effect on allotment management and grazing. Frequently, private land next to or near allotments 

is sold to private citizens not engaged in the livestock 

business. The change in land use adjacent to public land 

directly influences the use of public land. Increased 

recreational use, increased public awareness of livestock use, and improved access often result in conflicts. 

MINERALS 

Mineral uses are divided into four categories based on 

laws regarding their disposition: 

• Leasable fluid minerals, which includes oil and 

gas, coal bed natural gas (methane), and geothermal resources; 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 259 
Chapter 3 

• Leasable solid minerals (coal); 

• Locatable minerals (metals, some limestone and 

building stone); and 

• Salable minerals (sand and gravel, some limestone 

and common varieties of flagstone). 

Leasable minerals are defined under the Mineral Leasing Act (February 1920; 43 CFR 3000-3599, 1990) and 

include: coal, phosphate, oil, oil shale, gas, sodium, 

native asphalt, and solid and semi solid bituminous 

rock. In more recent years, potash and geothermal resources, and sulphur in New Mexico and Louisiana, 

were added to minerals that are considered leasable. 

The rights to these minerals on public land may only be 

acquired by competitive leasing. In the discussion below, leasable minerals are divided into fluid and solid. 

Locatable minerals are minerals for which the right to 

explore or develop the mineral resource on federal land 

is established by the location (or staking) of lode or 

placer mining claims and is authorized under the General Mining Law (May of 1872). Locatable minerals 

include metallic minerals (gold, silver, copper, lead, 

zinc, molybdenum, uranium, etc) and non-metallic 

minerals (fluorspar, asbestos, talc, mica, limestone, etc). 

Salable minerals were designated under the Materials 

Act (July 1947), which authorizes the disposal of petrified wood, and common varieties of sand, stone, gravel, 

pumice, cinders, and clay through a contract of sale or a 

free use permit. Uncommon varieties of these same 

minerals are locatable. 

Much of the information provided in this section regarding the potential for mineral resources in the PA is 

derived from the Butte Field Office Mineral Potential 

Report (Kirk 2005). 

LEASABLE FLUID MINERALS 

Oil and Gas 

There are no producing oil and gas wells in the Butte 

Field Office. Recent activity within the BFO includes 

14 dry holes drilled since 1983. (If no economically 

producible oil or gas is discovered, a well is called a 

“dry hole”). The last of these dry holes was completed 

in 2005 in Lewis and Clark County. By 1982, much of 

the BFO had been leased. However, as leases expired, 

very few leases were issued after 1988. Currently there 

are 94 authorized federal oil and gas leases (including 

Forest Service minerals) within the Planning Area (PA) 

covering 148,892 acres. In addition, approximately 

28,000 acres are suspended lease nominations, pending 

completion of this RMP. 

With respect to oil and gas resources, the Butte Field 

Office is partially within the Rocky Mountain (Montana) Overthrust Belt and partially within the Southwest 

Montana Province (USGS 1995; Perry 1995a-b). Both 

areas are considered highly prospective for oil and gas. 

Both source rocks abundant in organic carbon and porous reservoirs exist in the Paleozoic stratigraphic section. Faults and folds related to these structural provinces have produced structural traps for oil and gas. The 

historically productive Central Rocky Mountain Foreland Province lies to the east of the Rocky Mountain 

Overthrust Belt and immediately to the north and east 

of the PA. 

Knowledge of the existing geologic setting for oil and 

gas resources in the PA is based on bedrock geologic 

mapping, geophysical data, and the 110 dry oil and gas 

wells drilled in the general area of the PA (AMS Figure 2-2). While 110 wells may seem like many tests, 

only 37 of those wells were drilled to a depth of 5,000 

feet or more. Only 21 of those deep tests were located 

within the boundaries of the Butte Field Office. The 

wells shallower than 5,000 feet did not adequately test 

the area. 

Occurrence and Development Potential 

To provide guidance to planners on possible future oil 

and gas activity, the BLM uses a two stage mapping 

process, called: 1) occurrence potential; and 2) development potential mapping (USDI-BLM 2004a). Occurrence potential is a measure of the likelihood of an area 

to contain oil and gas, regardless of current economics 

and current accessibility to the area. Development potential is the current estimate of the probability that oil 

and gas drilling will occur in the future. Both types of 

mapping are dynamic and can change as new data becomes available. In frontier areas like southwest Montana where drilling is sparse, one deep test or discovery 

well can rapidly change the occurrence and development potential of an area. 

The following factors are evaluated when creating 

occurrence potential maps: 

• The existence (or lack) of USGS designated oil and 

gas plays, 

• The thickness of the sedimentary rock package, the 

existence (or lack) of producing oil and gas fields, 

• The presence (or lack) of buried source rocks with 

the potential to generate hydrocarbons, 

• The presence (or lack) of reservoir rocks (the hydrocarbon “sponge”), and 

• The presence (or lack) of adequate hydrocarbon 

seals and traps. 

The USGS has used "play analysis" in the preparation 

of their national oil and gas assessments. A play is a set 

of discovered or undiscovered oil and gas accumulations that exhibit nearly identical geological settings 

and characteristics. Therefore, a play is defined by the 

geological properties responsible for the real or potential accumulations of oil and gas resources. In the 

USGS assessments, only oil and gas accumulations of 

at least one million barrels of oil (MMBO) or six billion 

cubic feet of gas (BCFG) are considered when plays are 

260 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Leasable Fluid Minerals 

defined and assessments of significant resources are 

made. In the national USGS analysis about 700 plays 

are grouped into 72 provinces that, in turn, are grouped 

into eight regions. This PA covers parts of two provinces, the Montana Overthrust and Southwest Montana 

Provinces and contains all or parts of ten plays. Seven 

of the plays are hypothetical because there has been no 

production associated with the plays and three of the 

plays are confirmed as there has been some historical 

production, but not within the PA. 

The potential for occurrence of oil and gas in the Butte 

Field Office PA has also been classified by BLM staff 

geologists (Long 1990a-h, 1991a-c; Bown 2003a, 

2003b). Occurrence potential is shown for the entire PA 

on Figure A-1 in Appendix L -Fluid Minerals, 

including congressionally designated wilderness areas, 

since the occurrence potential is based solely on geology, which continues beyond the wilderness boundaries. Areas classified as having a high potential for 

occurrence of oil and gas are reserved for proven oil 

and gas producing provinces. There are no areas of 

“high” oil and gas occurrence potential in the PA. This 

is because of the distance to the nearest producing field. 

Moderate occurrence potential means an area with an 

apparent unmetamorphosed sediment thickness above 

the Precambrian Archean basement rocks of 2,500 feet 

or more in a currently non-productive province and 

containing probable source rocks and reservoir beds. 

Low occurrence potential areas were classified using 

two slightly different standards. Under the first, they are 

areas having sediments with less than 2,500 feet of 

thickness or those areas with insufficient evidence to 

learn the thickness of the sediment. Under the second 

standard they are areas with 1,000 to 3,000 feet of 

sediment cover over the Pre-Cambrian rock. Those 

areas with very low occurrence potential are primarily: 

• Precambrian outcrops, 

• Highly metamorphosed areas that are not proven 

overthrusts with a section of sediments likely below the thrust sheets, or 

• Large areas of outcrop of younger intrusive rocks 

(i.e., the Boulder Batholith, between Helena and 

Butte). 

Reasonably Foreseeable Development 

At the time the 1984 Headwaters RMP was prepared, 

little additional leasing was anticipated to take place 

because most available leases had already been acquired under existing established leasing regulations 

with appropriate stipulations for special conditions. It 

was also anticipated that a relatively large number of 

permits to drill might be sought, given the accelerated 

level of exploration activity that was being driven by 

economic conditions at the time and relatively new 

discovery of prospects for deep structurally trapped oil 

in the Montana Overthrust Belt. Laws, regulations, and 

rules were in-place to provide guidance with these 

leasing and permitting activities. It was anticipated that 

oil and gas drilling would be a part of the foreseeable 

future of resource development within the PA. 

Despite the flurry of exploration activity in the Montana 

Overthrust Belt in 1983, the only two areas of oil and 

gas production were in Teton and Ponderosa Counties, 

east of the Rocky Mountain Front in areas are no longer 

within the PA. 

The Reasonably Foreseeable Development (RFD) scenario is an estimate of oil and gas activity expected 

because of resumed oil and gas leasing in the PA. The 

scenario is hypothetical in that drilling may occur anywhere in the PA where an oil and gas lease allowing 

surface occupancy is issued. Actual drilling proposals 

that result from leasing, if any, will likely differ in 

location from those anticipated by this RFD scenario. It 

is also possible that leasing could result in either more 

or fewer drilling proposals than presented in the scenario. A summary of the RFD scenario prepared for this 

RMP follows. 

Four areas were identified during preparation of the 

RFD scenario as having the highest potential for conventional oil and gas exploration and drilling activity in 

the Planning Area. Each of the four areas is associated 

with one or more play areas defined by the USGS. 

These areas are further described and also mapped in 

Appendix L of this document. Area #1 is referred as the 

"Southern Deerlodge Valley Basin Area". This area 

occurs in the southernmost portion of a fault bounded 

Tertiary-aged basin that is located in the Deerlodge 

Valley. Area #2 is referred to as the “Imbricate Thrust 

Zone”. The area occurs both to the north and east of 

Helena, Montana, in a sequence of sediments that are 

thick and structurally thickened by imbricate thrust 

faulting associated with the Eldorado and Reff thrust 

faults. Area #3 is referred to as the “Helena Salient Gas 

Play Zone”. This zone occurs over a very large area in 

the east-central portion of the Planning Area. Area #4 

consists of the “Crazy Mountain Oil and Gas Play.” 

This area occupies most of the northern portions of 

Gallatin and Park Counties in the easternmost portion 

of the Planning Area as a broad extensive area of potential oil and gas resources. 

Based on the analysis in the RFD scenario, it was estimated that up to 15 conventional oil and gas wildcat 

wells (exploratory wells drilled in an area with no existing production) might be drilled in the PA in the next 

15 to 20 years. Of these 15 wells, it is estimated that 11 

would be “dry” holes. Dry holes would be plugged and 

abandoned with surface reclamation occurring shortly 

afterward. It is further estimated that four of the wells 

could be completed for production, two of which would 

be uneconomic producers in the long run; the other two 

would become long-term producers, one of which 

would be a federal well. Each of the discovery wells 

would probably prompt additional step-out wells. A 

"step-out well" is a well drilled adjacent to or near a 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 261 
Chapter 3 

proven well to establish the limits and continuity of the 

oil or gas reservoir or to assist with production. It was 

estimated that eight step-out wells would be drilled, two 

for each discovery. For analysis purposes two of the 

producing wells are assumed to be BLM. 

Coal Bed Natural Gas 

As the name suggests, coal bed natural gas resources 

are sources of natural gas that are intimately associated 

with coal deposits. The gas is generated by degradation 

of buried organic material as a byproduct of its conversion to coal by either thermal (burial) or microbial 

activity. Often the coal deposit is saturated with water; 

and the gas generated is typically trapped under pressure by groundwater within the coal beds. Drilling and 

relieving the water pressure allows the gas to be released from the coal bed aquifer. 

There are very few significant coal deposits within the 

PA and therefore little potential for exploration or development of coal bed natural gas resources outside of 

the Trail Creek and Livingston coal-fields. In 2001, J. 

M. Huber Corporation applied for a permit to drill one 

coal bed natural gas well in the southeastern part of the 

PA, on private land. This proposed well would have 

targeted potential gas reserves possibly associated with 

the Trail Creek coal-field, near Bozeman Pass, east of 

Bozeman. These coal-fields are not located on BLM 

administered public land; however, the BLM does administer a small number of isolated tracts of split estate 

minerals in the Trail Creek coal deposit area. This permit to drill was granted by the State of Montana, but 

legal action involving Gallatin County and the formation of a local zoning district delayed drilling of the 

well. The permit to drill expired in January of 2003. 

This area is referred to as Area #5 in the RFD. This is 

an area on Bozeman Pass where an area of coal bed 

natural gas potential is associated with the coal deposit 

on the Pass. 

It is anticipated that as many as 40 wells would be 

drilled for coal bed natural gas in limited and scattered 

areas of known sub-bituminous coal resources located 

in Gallatin and Park Counties; most likely in the Trail 

Creek Road area near Bozeman Pass (Livingston and 

Trail Creek Fields). It is envisioned that initially 16 

exploration wells would be drilled, and that six of these 

would discover coal bed natural gas resources that 

would warrant the drilling of an additional 24 step-out 

wells to develop the resources. These would all likely 

be non-federal wells based on the small percentage of 

Federal ownership in the area. 

Geothermal Resources 

Geothermal resources are naturally occurring heat 

sources that can potentially be used for heat or generating power. The structural geologic setting of the PA is 

ideal for development of geothermal resources. In addition, there is an extensive naturally occurring geothermal system developed around the Yellowstone volcanic 

center. 

Geothermal resources are rated by temperature: 

• Low temperature, less than 194° F; 

• Moderate temperature, 194-302° F; and 

• High temperature, greater than 302°F. 

No high temperature geothermal resources have been 

identified in Montana. Although there are many known 

geothermal springs in the PA, only a small number of 

them have been developed commercially (for example, 

Chico Hot Springs, Bozeman Hot Springs, Fairmont 

Hot Springs, Broadwater Athletic Club, etc.), and none 

of those are on public land. 

There are three Known Geothermal Resource Areas 

(KGRAs) on public land within the PA; Boulder Hot 

Springs, Corwin Springs, and Marysville. 

The Boulder Hot Springs is a large KGRA located near 

Boulder, in Jefferson County. Temperatures are variable and low, and the resource is probably only useful 

for recreation, heating for buildings, or possibly 

agricultural use. Most of the outlying springs are only 

useful for recreational or small space heating. 

The Corwin Springs KGRA is located along Highway 

191 about seven miles northwest of Gardiner, in Park 

County, along the Yellowstone River near Yellowstone 

Park. Some interest was expressed in developing this 

geothermal resource for heating purposes in the early 

1990s on private land. The proposal was somewhat 

controversial at the time, and in January 1994 a Water 

Rights Compact between the NPS and the State of 

Montana placed limits on the development of all water 

resources (and geothermal resources in particular), 

adjacent to Yellowstone Park in Montana (similar actions were taken in Idaho). The purpose of this controlled groundwater area is to protect the geothermal 

resources at Yellowstone National Park. This federally 

managed hot springs has not been offered for a lease 

sale. 

The Marysville KGRA is located about 12 miles northwest of Helena, Montana. This geothermal resource 

was identified by anomalous geothermal heat flow and 

does not have any surface expression of a hot spring. 

Temperatures are moderate (around 100o

C (212°F) and 

no useable resource was developed (1983). In 1997 a 

geothermal lease application was filed as a noncompetitive offer and included land within the Marysville KGRA. Because it was a non-competitive lease 

offer within a designated KGRA, the BLM rejected the 

offer. After an appeal the lease offer was withdrawn. 

The Boulder and Marysville KGRAs have been offered 

for lease sale in the past but have not had any bidders. 

There has been no recent interest in leasing any of the 

three areas. 

262 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Recreation 

Leasable Solid Minerals 

Coal 

In the southern part of the PA, the small Trail Creek, 

Livingston, and Electric (Gardiner) coal-fields, although historically mined, are still undeveloped. Historical underground production was small; production 

began in about 1870 and was completed by 1947, 

reaching a peak in about 1910. Although some production was used for heating purposes, most production 

was used in metal smelters and steam engine locomotives. Much of the coal was converted to coke for use in 

the smelters in hundreds of small coking ovens (Alt and 

Hyndman 1986). It is likely that significant underground reserves of coal remain in the area, but given 

the small size of the fields, their location with respect to 

recent rural residential development, and the fact that 

the coal needs to be mined from underground makes 

future development unlikely. Other sporadic undeveloped and sub-economic deposits of coal and lignite 

occur throughout the PA. 

Phosphate 

Extensive deposits of the Permian Phosphoria Formation have been historically mined from the Maiden 

Rock area south of Butte. Mining for phosphate here 

probably peaked in the early 1950s when the phosphate 

was used to supply an elemental phosphate plant at 

Silver Bow, west of Butte. These mines were underground mines and resulted in significant underground 

development. Activity here ceased in the 1970s. There 

are phosphate resources remaining both at the Maidenrock area and south and to the east, north of the Humbug Spires, but the development of the phosphate fields 

in Idaho, where the mines could be developed as open 

cut mines, has rendered these resources as uneconomic. 

Locatable Minerals 

Metals 

Mineral deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, and 

molybdenum are present within the PA (AMS Figure 

2-3). Because of the unusually abundant mineral wealth 

in the Butte Field Office, this area contains some of the 

most famous mining districts in Montana, including: 

Butte, Corbin-Wickes, Basin, Scratch Gravel Hills, 

Marysville, Radersburg, Helena, Elkhorn, Boulder, 

Emigrant, Jardine, and New World. 

Active metal mines in the PA include: 

The Golden Sunlight Mine, an open pit gold mine 

northeast of Whitehall opened in 1981. The mine has 

operated continuously since then and is scheduled to 

close in approximately 2010; 

Montana Tunnels Mine, an open pit polymetallic mine 

(lead, zinc, silver, gold) located west of Jefferson City 

opened in 1985 and is scheduled to close in 2011; and 

Montana Resources Mine (the Butte mine), an open pit 

copper and molybdenum mine with associated silver 

and gold byproducts. Mines in the Butte area have 

operated more or less continually since the 1860s and 

this is the current pit, following on from previous open 

pits in the district, the Berkeley Pit and the Continental 

Pit. The mine has reserves that extend many years. 

Limestone 

Three active limestone mines are located within the PA. 

These mines process high-calcium limestone for chemical and industrial uses. 

The Indian Creek Mine is on public land adjacent to 

and within the Montana Army National Guard’s Limestone Hill Training Area, west of Townsend, in Broadwater County. A proposal by the Army National Guard 

to evaluate the withdrawal of the area from public land 

laws, including mining laws, is currently in progress. 

The Ash Grove Cement Company produces limestone 

from its Montana City Quarry. The Trident Mine, another limestone mine, is north of Three Forks, in 

Gallatin County. 

Marble and Slate 

A small marble quarry has been operated intermittently 

at the south end of the Limestone Hills area and west of 

Townsend. Marble from this quarry has been shipped 

internationally for use as pedestal and column bases. 

Two slate building stone quarries are located in the PA. 

One is in Soap Gulch area near Melrose (south of 

Butte) and the other quarry, the Gates Stone Quarry, is 

located in Towhead Gulch. Another series of small 

open-cut mines or quarries in the Gardiner area have 

mined travertine for decorative building or ornamental 

uses. Operation of these quarries has been intermittent 

and they often reopen and operate to meet a specific 

demand. 

Salable Minerals 

The PA currently has three salable material operations 

on public land. Two sand and gravel pits are located in 

the Limestone Hills west of Townsend. One of the pits 

is inactive and the other pit is used by the Army National Guard for road surfacing material. The third, a 

community flagstone pit, is located near Montana City. 

RECREATION 

Recreation Opportunities 

Recreational activities available within the Decision 

Area include big game hunting, upland bird and waterfowl hunting, fishing, mountain and road biking, camping, backpacking, horsepacking, river rafting, canoeing 

and kayaking, swimming, lake boating, downhill skiing 

and snowmobiling, OHV use, picnicking, archery, 

organic materials gathering, organized festivals, and 

viewing wildlife and landscapes. No Recreation OpporButte Draft RMP/EIS 263 
Chapter 3 

tunity Setting classifications currently exist to guide 

appropriate levels of recreation experiences, services, 

and developments. 

BLM land along the Madison, Big Hole, Jefferson, 

Missouri, and Yellowstone rivers, offer some of the 

most outstanding sport fishing opportunities in the 

United States. The State of Montana classifies many 

reaches of these streams as Class I or "blue ribbon" 

fisheries. In addition the Butte Field Office manages 

intensively used land and highly developed sites along 

Holter, Hauser, and Toston Reservoirs on the Missouri 

River. 

Recreation Management Areas 

Specific recreational resources in the Decision Area 

include five Special Recreation Management Areas, 

one Extensive Recreation Management Area (ERMA), 

and 49 developed recreation sites, seven of which are 

fee sites (AMS Figures 2-24a, 2-24b, and 2-24c). Fee 

collections at developed sites are used to maintain, 

operate, and improve facilities and services. An SRMA 

is an area where BLM prioritizes management efforts to 

provide specific recreational activities and opportunities 

(AMS Figure 2-25). These areas usually require higher 

levels of recreational management. An ERMA is an 

area not specifically designated as an SRMA and includes all BLM land outside the SRMAs where uses are 

generally dispersed and management primarily custodial. This extensive area includes the Continental Divide Trail, three popular OHV riding areas, and several 

developed recreation sites where both dispersed and 

concentrated recreation activities occur. The primary 

objectives for managing the ERMA are resource protection, public safety, and user satisfaction. Within this 

extensive area, public services, monitoring, improvements, and facility maintenance are conducted at a 

lower scale. Information on visitor usage of SRMAs 

and the ERMA is provided in Table 3-22. 

Holter Lake/Sleeping Giant SRMA 

The Holter Lake/Sleeping Giant Special Recreation 

Management Area totals 19,000 acres and is located on 

both sides of Holter Lake about 30 miles north of Helena. The SRMA includes a portion of the Lewis and 

Clark National Trail, the Sleeping Giant ACEC, the 

Sleeping Giant and Sheep Creek Wilderness Study 

Areas, seven developed recreation sites and about 30 

dispersed boat-in camp sites. Both of the Wilderness 

Study Areas are recommended for wilderness designation and are currently closed to motorized uses. Four of 

the seven developed recreation sites are fee sites: 

• Beartooth Landing. 

• Woodsiding Trailhead. 

• Sleeping Giant Trailhead. 

• Departure Point: Fees – Camping $10, Day Use $2, 

Season Day Use Pass $25. 

• Holter Lake Dam: Fees – Camping $6. 

• Holter Lake Recreation Site: Fees – Camping $10, 

Day Use $2, Season Day Use Pass $25, Group Picnic Reservations $50. 

• Log Gulch Recreation Site: Fees – Camping $10, 

Day Use $2, Season Day Use Pass $25, Group Picnic and Camping Reservations $50. 

This SRMA is a high use area especially along Lake 

Holter. Primary recreation opportunities in this SRMA 

include camping, picnicking, boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, hunting, and viewing wildlife, spectacular 

landscapes, which feature Beartooth Mountain and the 

Gates of the Mountains Canyon. 

Lewis and Clark Trail SRMA 

The Lewis and Clark Trail Special Recreation Management Area totals about 16,300 acres of BLM land. It 

is a corridor that encompasses the lower reaches of the 

three rivers forming the Headwaters of the Missouri 

River (Jefferson, Gallatin, Madison) and the uppermost 

Table 3-22 

2005 Decision Area Visits and Visitor Use Days by Recreation Management Area 

RMA Visits VUD1 % of Total Visits % Total of VUDs 

Headwaters ERMA 644,100 507,048 52% 44% 

Holter Lake/Sleeping Giant 

SRMA 159,250 253,396 13% 22% 

Humbug Spires SRMA 19,000 24,146 2% 2% 

Lewis and Clark Trail SRMA 277,600 254,884 22% 22% 

Scratch Gravel Hills SRMA 13,950 4,609 1% 0% 

Upper Big Hole SRMA 133,200 113,916 11% 10% 

Totals 1,247,100 1,158,000 100% 100% 

1 One VUD = 12 hours. 

Source: USDI-BLM 2005c 

264 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Recreation 

segment of the Missouri to Hauser Lake Dam. Missouri 

River reservoirs within this SRMA include Toston, 

Canyon Ferry, and Hauser Lakes. This SRMA includes 

the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail, two recently acquired areas (Ward and McMaster Ranches), 15 developed recreation sites, and numerous dispersed use sites 

along the lakes and river shorelines. Two of the 15 

developed recreation sites are established fee sites. 

• Clark’s Bay Day Use Site: Fees – Day Use $2, 

Season Day Use Pass $25 and Group Picnicking 

Reservations $50. 

• Devil’s Elbow Recreation Site: Fees – Camping 

$10, Day Use $2, Season Day Use Pass $25 and 

Group Camping Reservations $50. 

• Two Camps Vista. 

• Spokane Bay. 

• French Bar. 

• White Sandy. 

• Ward Ranch Historical Site. 

• Spokane Bay Trailhead. 

• McMaster Hills West Trailhead. 

• McMaster Hills East Trailhead. 

• Spokane Hills South Trailhead. 

• Lombard Recreation Site. 

• Crimson Bluff. 

• Lower Toston Recreation Site. 

• Toston Dam Recreation Site. 

The Lewis and Clark Trail SRMA is located between 

Helena, Bozeman, and Whitehall. Primary recreation 

opportunities include camping, power boating, river 

floating, fishing, swimming, horseback riding, hiking, 

hunting, and viewing wildlife/scenic landscapes. 

Scratchgravel SRMA 

The Scratchgravel Hills Special Recreation Management Area totals about 5,500 acres and is located immediately northwest of Helena. The area provides numerous day-use recreation opportunities. Residents of 

Helena and subdivisions around the Scratchgravel Hills 

area are the primary users of the community-based 

SRMA. This area includes numerous secondary roads 

and trails and three developed recreation sites none of 

which have fees: 

• Head Lane Trailhead. 

• Tumbleweed Trailhead. 

• John G. Mine Trailhead. 

Primary recreation opportunities provided by the 

Scratchgravel Hills SRMA include hiking, jogging, 

horseback riding, OHV riding, mountain biking, folfing, and limited fall hunting. Conflicts between motorized and non-motorized users are occurring. This area is 

currently closed to shooting outside the fall hunting 

season, open fires and fireworks. A cooperation management agreement exists with Lewis and Clark County 

to provide support services in the area. 

Humbug Spires SRMA 

The Humbug Spires SRMA totals about 11,000 acres 

and is located about 26 miles south of Butte along Interstate 15. A portion of this area was designated a 

BLM Primitive Area in 1972. Approximately 8,800 

acres of the Humbug Spires Wilderness Study Area is 

recommended for wilderness designation. This SRMA 

is characterized by irregular drainages and hills that are 

forested with Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine. Special 

features include the numerous granite rock spires (nine 

rise 300 to 600 feet), Moose Creek, numerous riparian 

areas, old growth timber, and lush meadows. This 

SRMA contains one site, the Moose Creek Trailhead, 

which provides important access to an established hiking trail. 

The Humbug Spires SRMA area offers many quality 

opportunities for primitive and unconfined recreation. 

Primary activities include hiking, tent camping, backpacking, stream fishing, horseback riding, rock climbing, fall hunting, wildlife viewing, nature photography, 

and snowshoeing. The SRMA is closed to motorized 

vehicle use. 

Upper Big Hole River SRMA 

The Upper Big Hole River Special Recreation Management Area totals about 15,000 acres of BLM land. 

The area is located west of Interstate-15 and Divide, 

along the Upper Big Hole River in Silver Bow, Beaverhead, and Deer Lodge counties. This SRMA includes 

numerous access roads, trails, 11 developed recreation 

sites, and numerous dispersed use locations along the 

river. One of the 11 developed recreation sites has an 

established fee. 

• Divide Bridge Campground: Fee – Camping $6. 

• Sawmill Gulch Trailhead. 

• Divide Bridge Day Use Area. 

• Titan Gulch. 

• Jerry Creek Bridge. 

• Dickie Bridge Recreation Site 

• Bryant Creek Recreation Site. 

• East Bank Recreation Site. 

• Sawlog Gulch. 

• Pintlar Creek. 

• Maiden Rock East. 

The Big Hole River offers some of the most outstanding sport fishing opportunities in the United 

States, especially during the famous salmon fly hatch 

season. The State of Montana has classified this river as 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 265 
Chapter 3 

a Class I or "blue ribbon" fishery. Other opportunities 

in the area include camping, picnicking, river floating, 

hunting, hiking, driving for pleasure and nature observation, which are all focused within the river corridor. 

Headwaters ERMA 

The Headwaters Extensive Recreation Management 

Area includes all BLM land not identified as an SRMA. 

This public land totals about 238,000 acres. Primary 

recreation site/areas include three OHV riding areas, 

three popular rock climbing areas, hiking trails, trailheads, river access sites, campgrounds and numerous 

dispersed use areas. 

There are 12 developed recreation sites within this 

ERMA none of which have established fees, including: 

• Carbella Recreation Site. 

• Buffalo Hump Recreation Site. 

• Crow Creek Recreation Site. 

• Galena Recreation Site. 

• Radersburg OHV Site and Trailhead. 

• Ohio Gulch OHV Site and Trailhead. 

• Sheep Mountain Trailhead. 

• Pipestone OHV Trailhead. 

• Four Corners OHV Trailhead. 

• Whiskey Gulch OHV Trailhead. 

• Sheep Camp Recreation Site. 

• Ringing Rocks Recreation Site. 

Recreation Use 

In 2003, 65 percent of visitors’ time was spent engaging 

in recreation activities outside of developed recreation 

sites (USDI-BLM 2004c). In 2003, the ten most popular 

uses in the Decision Area included: camping; driving 

for pleasure, fishing, hiking, running, walking, big 

game hunting, OHV use, picnicking, power boating, 

swimming, and wildlife viewing (USDI-BLM 2003d). 

Camping and freshwater fishing had the most visitors 

and Visitor User Days (VUD) out of the top ten recreation activities in the Decision Area (USDI-BLM 2003d) 

(Table 3-23). 

Special Recreation Use Permits 

The Butte Field Office manages about 20 Special Recreation Use Permits each year. The primary activity for 

13 of these permits is big game hunting. Most hunting 

outfitter/guides pursue mule deer, elk, upland birds, 

bear, and mountain lions. The Special Recreation Use 

Permits for hunting are for day use only. No hunting 

camps exist within the Decision Area. Special Recreation Use Permits are also issued for rock climbing in the 

Humbug Spires, Indian Creek, and Allen Spur. Recreation use permits are also frequently issued for folfing, 

horseback riding, OHV group riding events, mountain 

biking events and other social gatherings. 

Table 3-23 

2005 Decision Area Visits and Visitor Use Days by Primary Recreation Activities 

Recreation Activity Visits Percentage 

of Total 

Total Visitor 

Days 

Percentage 

of Total 

Concentrated 

Visitor Days 

Dispersed 

Visitor Days 

Fishing 166,100 13% 113,000 10% 83,000 30,000 

Motorized Water Activity 159,300 13% 58,000 5% 38,000 20,000 

Motorized Vehicle Travel 153,700 12% 115,000 10% 15,000 100,000 

Hunting/Archery 151,500 12% 170,000 15% 0 170,000 

Camping 147,600 12% 427,000 37% 337,000 90,000 

Wildlife/Natural Viewing 146,800 12% 57,000 5% 17,000 40,000 

Foot Travel 124,700 10% 99,000 9% 30,000 69,000 

Picnicking 73,800 6% 26,000 2% 20,000 6,000 

Non-motorized Boating 36,400 3% 27,000 2% 8,000 19,000 

Swimming 24,900 2% 18,000 2% 14,000 4,000 

Snow Skiing 18,900 2% 21,000 2% 21,000 0 

Snowmobiling 18,500 1% 10,000 1% 0 10,000 

Biking 12,500 1% 2,000 0% 0 2,000 

Rock Climbing 6,300 1% 9,000 1% 0 9,000 

Horseback Riding 6,100 0% 6,000 1% 0 6,000 

Totals* 1,247,100 100% 1,158,000 100% 583,000 575,000 

1

 One VUD = 12 hours 

Source: USDI-BLM 2005c 

266 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Travel Management, Access and Facilities 

All existing permits have been issued on a first-come, 

first-served basis. The authorized term for most existing 

permits is five years. Fee collecting for these special 

use permits are used to offset administrative costs, 

monitor approved activities and protect recreation resource values for future use. 

Recreation Facilities 

BLM has developed recreation sites on Hauser Lake 

and Holter Lake through donations under Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licensing agreements and 

exchanges with the State of Montana. Developed sites 

include Devil's Elbow Campground and the Clark's Bay 

Day Use Site on Hauser Lake, and Log Gulch Campground and Departure Point on Holter Lake. 

Most dispersed developed recreation sites in the Decision Area contain picnic tables, vault toilets, improved 

boat launching ramps, and some parking areas. The 

Butte Field Office road system provides access to various trailheads throughout the area. Many of these sites 

have been acquired by BLM through exchanges and 

donations from the state and counties. 

Recreation facility information collected from the developed-site inventory of Butte Field Office Facility 

Asset Management System (FAMS) database is summarized in Table 3-24. 

Table 3-24 

Developed BLM Recreation Sites within the Butte 

Decision Area 

Type of Site Number 

of Sites 

BLM 

Prior 

to 1984 

Developed or 

Acquired 

Since 1984 

Campground 17 3 14 

Day Use Area 8 3 5 

River/ 

Reservoir Access 4 1 3 

Trailhead 17 0 17 

Interpretative 3 1 2 

Total 49 8 41 

TRAVEL MANAGEMENT, ACCESS AND 

FACILITIES 

This section describes transportation facilities and their 

maintenance as well as other types of facilities administered by the BLM. Travel route availability decisions 

(open, closed or limited) are determined through sitespecific Travel Management Plans. Most of the larger 

tracts of public lands have legal public access via existing federal, state, and county roads (AMS Figures 2-

23a, 2-23b, and 2-23c). Many smaller tracts of public 

lands do not have legal access. In most cases, such 

parcels do not have resource values/demands that justify the costs for acquiring access. There are some situations where road segments to and within these parcels 

are important for a given resource use or to provide 

through access to other lands and are therefore included 

in the transportation plan. 

Roads 

The transportation road and trail system provides 

physical access for the public to state, private, and other 

federal lands throughout the Decision Area. Demands 

for the existing transportation network are directly 

related to the resources and uses within the PA. A 

transportation system is needed to maintain access for 

commercial activities (e.g. livestock grazing, timber 

harvest, mineral development, outfitting and guiding), 

non-commercial activities and casual use (e.g., OHV 

use, hunting, fishing, rafting, camping, bird watching, 

recreational driving, firewood gathering), and for administrative access to manage/protect resources and 

property. 

The Decision Area has approximately, 856 miles of 

BLM system roads or trails, as recorded in the FAMS. 

These roads and trails are within eight different counties and accessible via federal, state and county roads 

(Table 3-25). 

Table 3-25 

Butte Decision Area Road System 

County Miles 

Beaverhead 50.4 

Broadwater 201.2 

Deer Lodge 12.2 

Gallatin 0.8 

Jefferson 261.4 

Lewis and Clark 219.3 

Park 4.2 

Silver Bow 106.8 

Total 856.3 

Source: Facility Information Maintenance Management System Road Inventory (Appendix L of AMS). 

The primary federal roads within the PA include Interstate-15, US-89, US-191, and US-287 Interstate-90 and 

US-12. Almost all of the BLM roads are single lane 

consisting of natural, compacted soils. A few high usage roads (maintenance level 4 and 5) are double lane 

with improved aggregate surfaces. There are also approximately 3 miles of paved, bituminous base roads 

associated with recreation sites. On average, approximately 80 miles of BLM roads are maintained annually 

by BLM crews. While the maintenance levels are identified for roads, funding often does not allow BLM to 

meet the maintenance provisions of the assigned levels. 

Gates and cattle guards on the road system are constructed and maintained using available funds from 

multiple programs. These facilities are monitored and 

maintained as part of the Transportation and Facilities 

program. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 267 
Chapter 3 

Trails 

The Butte Field Office maintains approximately 80 

miles of motorized and non-motorized trails. The condition of these trails is periodically assessed and recorded 

under the BLM FAMS system. Maintenance is performed as capabilities allow through the recreation and 

facility maintenance programs. State trail grants and 

BLM Challenge Cost Share funds are critical sources of 

revenue for maintenance. Funding often does not allow 

BLM to fully meet maintenance level provisions. 

Administrative Sites 

The Butte Field Office has two Administrative Sites: 

Belmont and Bull Mountain Communication Sites. 

Radio communication service calls are done by BLM 

personnel from the Montana State Office. Department 

of the Interior requires these structures have a Periodic 

Review of each asset performed at a minimum of every 

three years, and a Comprehensive Condition Assessment performed a minimum of once every five years. 

Maintenance is performed on these two sites on an “as 

needed” basis. 

Recreation Sites 

The Butte Field Office is a high use recreation area, 

with 49 developed recreation sites. Types and usage is 

covered under Recreation Use. Tracking of maintenance is done through the FAMS database with a work 

order process in the development stage. The Department of the Interior requires these facilities have a 

Periodic Review of each asset performed at a minimum 

of every three years, and a Comprehensive Condition 

Assessment performed a minimum of once every five 

years. Maintenance is performed on these sites annually. BLM has a five year plan, which allows for funding on deferred maintenance and capital improvement 

assets. This competitive, BLM-wide funding addresses 

high cost backlog maintenance needs. An example of 

the use of this funding is the replacement of approximately 35 vault toilets with concrete, handicap accessible restrooms. 

Bridges 

The Butte Field Office currently manages three bridges 

that are all associated with OHV trails in the Pipestone 

area. Condition assessments are conducted every three 

years. These facility assets are recorded and tracked 

through the FAMS database. Maintenance of these 

bridges will continue to be performed on an “as 

needed” basis. 

Signs 

The Butte Field Office currently maintains hundreds of 

signs throughout the Decision Area. Most of these signs 

are associated with roads, recreation sites, and OHV 

riding areas. Sign categories are Regulatory, Directional, Traffic Control, Informational, and Identification. All signs are monitored annually and maintained 

on an “as needed” basis. A GIS data system has been 

developed to locate and record all field office signs. 

Most new signs are ordered as needed on an annual 

basis through the BLM National Sign Shop in Rawlins, 

Wyoming. 

Land Ownership 

Most of the larger tracts of public land have legal public 

access via existing federal, state, and county road systems. Many smaller tracts of public land do not have 

legal access. In most cases, such parcels do not have 

resource values to justify public interest in acquiring 

access. Some small tracts along rivers serve as important public access points and require protection of existing legal access or acquisition of new legal access. 

TRAVEL MANAGEMENT 

Public expectations and demand for motorized and nonmotorized recreation has changed substantially since 

the completion of the 1979 Dillon MFP and 1984 

Headwaters RMP Plans. Advances in motorized and 

non-motorized recreation travel technology and use 

have increased the public’s ability to traverse conditions and terrains not previously envisioned. As a result, 

motorized travel has led to adverse resource impacts, as 

well as increased conflict between motorized and nonmotorized users, particularly at urban/rural interfaces. 

Public interest and demand for motorized and nonmotorized travel opportunities are expected to continue 

to increase. 

Travel Management Plans 

Areas within the Butte Field Office that have existing 

travel plans include: 

• Elkhorn Mountains – “limited” area designation – 

(with the exception of an approximately 632 acre 

“open” OHV use area near Radersburg). 

• Clancy-Unionville – “limited” area designation. 

• Whitetail-Pipestone – “limited” area designation -

(with the exception of an approximately 5 acre 

“open” motorized motorcycle hill climb area). 

• Sleeping Giant – “limited” area designation. 

These areas are described briefly below. Environmental 

documents for each of these previously completed sitespecific travel plans are available at the Butte Field 

Office. 

Elkhorn Mountains 

The Elkhorn Mountains travel management area is 

located along the east side of Interstate I-15, between 

Boulder and Helena. The Elkhorn Mountains Travel 

Management Plan, established August 1995, is a cooperative project between the Helena and Deerlodge National Forests and the Bureau of Land Management. 

The Travel PAs consists of approximately 160,000 

268 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Travel Management 

acres of National Forest lands and 68,205 acres administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The plan 

was developed in collaboration with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks because of high 

wildlife values and designation of the Forest Service 

portion of the Elkhorns as a Wildlife Management Unit. 

This plan represents a balance between motorized travel 

opportunities and protection of resource values. No 

management changes were necessary in order to comply with the 2003 Statewide OHV ROD. 

Clancy-Unionville 

The Clancy-Union Travel PA is located along the west 

side of I-15, approx. 3 miles northwest of Clancy, Montana, approximately 10 miles south of Helena. ClancyUnion consists of 5,820 acres. The Final Decision Notice for the Clancy-Unionville vegetation manipulation 

and travel management Environmental Impact Statement was signed February 2000. Although the travel 

management planning portion of the EIS analysis was 

developed jointly by the Forest Service (Helena National Forest) and the BLM, this (above referenced) 

Record of Decision is specific to only BLM actions. 

The selected alternative provides a system of designated roads and trails to ensure a wide variety of motorized and non-motorized recreation opportunities while 

protecting important resource values. No management 

changes were necessary in order to comply with the 

2003 Statewide OHV ROD. 

Whitetail-Pipestone 

The Whitetail-Pipestone Travel PA is bounded by I-15 

in the west, I-90 in the south, and Montana State Highway 399 in the East. Whitetail-Pipestone consists of 

28,648 acres. In 1995, the Forest Service and Bureau of 

Land Management issued a Notice of Intent to prepare 

a joint EIS for Whitetail-Pipestone analysis area. In 

June 1998, the BLM issued an Emergency Closure 

Order restricting motorized use to existing roads and 

trails until a decision could be issued. In 2000, the Forest Service withdrew from the project due to budget 

reasons. The BLM decided to proceed with an Environmental Assessment (smaller project area), and in 

March 2003 the travel plan for the BLM portion of this 

area was completed. The selected alternative provides a 

system of designated roads and trails to serve the needs 

of a wide variety of area users, while protecting important resources of the area (cultural, wildlife, vegetation, 

soil, and water). A plan amendment was initiated in 

concert concurrent with the travel plan EA. The plan 

amendment was approved August 2002, and converted 

a number of areas previously managed as Open to Restricted (Limited). No management changes in Whitetail-Pipestone were necessary in order to comply with 

the 2003 Statewide OHV ROD. 

Sleeping Giant 

The Sleeping Giant travel management area is located 

along the east side of Interstate I-15, approximately 30 

miles north of Helena. It is bordered on the east by 

Hauser Lake and the Missouri River; and in the north 

by the small town of Wolf Creek. Totaling 18,300 

acres, Sleeping Giant includes 11,609 acres of BLM 

lands managed as an ACEC, and 6,691 acres of BLM 

lands managed for multiple use. The ACEC contains 

two Wilderness Study Areas (Sleeping Giant, 6,666 

acres; Sheep Creek WSA, 3,801 acres). 

This travel plan was completed in March 2004. The 

plan protects the important resources of the area 

(WSAs, ACEC, wildlife, soils, vegetation, water quality, and cultural) while providing a designated system 

of roads to serve the needs of a variety of area users. No 

management changes were necessary in order to comply with the 2003 Statewide OHV ROD. 

Other 

Additional travel planning has been completed for 

several smaller “sub-planning” areas, including the Big 

Hole (Southwest Interagency Travel Management 

Plan), Confederate Gulch, Sawlog Creek, the Great 

Divide Ski area, and Nez Perce Ridge road. Several 

“emergency area closures” are in effect as well, pending future travel planning. The emergency area closures 

include the North Hills, Sawmill Gulch, Ward Ranch, 

the McMasters, and Spokane Hills. 

In accordance with the 2003 OHV ROD and plan 

amendment, the Butte Field Office has identified and 

prioritized nine additional areas, all with “limited” area 

designations, needing site-specific travel planning. The 

nine proposed areas include: 

• Helena (focus area – Scratchgravel Hills). High 

Priority 

• East Helena (focus area – North Hills). High Priority 

• Lewis and Clark Country Northwest (focus area – 

Marysville). High Priority 

• Boulder/Jefferson City. High Priority 

• Upper Big Hole River. High Priority 

• Missouri River Foothills. Moderate Priority 

• Jefferson County Southeast. Moderate Priority 

• Broadwater County South. Moderate Priority 

• Park/Gallatin. Moderate Priority 

The five high priority TPAs are described below. 

Helena Travel Planning Area 

The Helena TPA area contains 10,162 acres of BLM 

lands within the 95,492-acre TPA. The majority of 

lands in the TPA are privately owned (56,499 acres) 

with USFS lands making up a substantial portion as 

well (23,911acres). The approximately 52.2 miles of 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 269 
Chapter 3 

BLM roads make up about 7.5 percent of the approximate total of 694 road miles in the entire TPA. Most 

roads (528 miles) are on private lands. 

Two sub PAs, known as Scratchgravel Hills and Birdseye, are focal points for current traveling planning 

efforts. A number of small isolated tracts (overall total 

of 3,106 acres), are scattered throughout the remainder 

of the Travel PA. Maps 6 through 9 depict the Helena 

TPA. 

The Scratchgravel Hills area is 4 miles north of the 

Helena City limits, and contains approximately 5,403 

BLM acres, in 18 sections. The Scratchgravels are 

characterized by gently rolling to moderately steep 

terrain varying in elevation from 3,700 to 5,200 feet 

above mean sea level. The Scratchgravel Hills have a 

dry climate. Average minimum/maximum temperatures 

are 8/29° Fahrenheit in January and 52/84° Fahrenheit 

in July. Average precipitation is approximately 12 

inches. Average annual snowfall is 48 inches. Average 

number of days with snow on the ground is 61. 

Seven soil series are represented in the Scratchgravel 

Hills. Most soils are highly erodable and several series 

are very shallow. Rock outcrops are prevalent in several 

mapping units. Existing vegetation at lower elevations 

include grasses, forbs, and scattered shrubs with 

patches of occasional juniper and ponderosa pine woodlands, with carpet-like areas of pine/fir colonization 

commonly occurring. Higher elevations and north facing slopes are dominated by ponderosa pine forest with 

a bunchgrass or fescue under-story that commonly 

contains stagnant, old Douglas-fir seedlings. 

The Birdseye area lies 1.5 miles southwest of the 

Scratchgravel Hills, and contains approximately 2,655 

BLM acres, in eight sections. The Birdseye area is 

similar in character, but the eastside rain shadow effect 

is much more pronounced with stubby limber pine and 

Douglas-fir trees dominating the open woodland areas. 

Ponderosa forest values are few, limited to north slopes 

bordering some of the deeper draws. 

Scratchgravel Hills and Birdseye constitute islands of 

undeveloped hills surrounded by an area experiencing 

steady residential growth. According to the 1984 

Scratchgravel Hills Comprehensive Management Plan, 

the Scratchgravel area contained 300 homesites in three 

major subdivisions and several smaller developments. 

Since that time, residential housing has continued to 

grow, with over 1,000 residential homes currently located in and around these same areas (U.S. Census 

Bureau 2000). Two additional residential developments, Big Silver Creek, and Cornerstone Village, are 

being planned. Big Silver Creek development will be 

located near the northwest corner of Scratchgravel 

Hills, adjacent to Big Silver Creek road. If approved, 82 

residential units will be constructed on approximately 

1,500 acres. The Cornerstone Village development will 

be located southeast of the Scratchgravel Hills, bordered by Franklin Mine Road on the north, and Head 

Lane on the west. If approved, Cornerstone Village will 

consist of over 800 single family dwellings located on 

284 total acres of land. The development will also include a 300 person school occupying 30 acres. 

As a result, the character of the area is rapidly changing 

from a rural setting to a residential neighborhood setting. 

As the population and residential development of these 

areas continues, a significant increase in recreational 

and other uses of the Scratchgravel Hills and Birdseye 

areas is projected. 

Existing Land Use 

Recreation 

Existing recreational use of the Scratchgravel Hills area 

is well established. There is an extensive network of 

roads and trails used by hikers, joggers, horseback 

riders, motorcyclists, OHV riders, and 4-wheel drive 

enthusiasts. Some “folfing” and paintball game activity 

has occurred during the recent years. Hunting is considered marginal, big game numbers are low. Current 

management prohibits the use of fireworks and the 

discharge of firearms (except during hunting season). 

Snow cover in the Scratchgravel Hills is generally inadequate for snowmobiling or cross country skiing. As 

a result, the area provides convenient winter time hiking, mountain bike, motorized travel and horseback 

recreation opportunities for local residents as well as 

those from the city of Helena. 

As throughout the west, this combination of rapid urbanization and increased recreational use has led to 

sharp conflicts; between area residents, recreation users, 

and among recreational users themselves. The majority 

of conflict stems between non-motorized and motorized 

recreational use activity. As expressed during the public 

scoping meeting, many area residents deliberately located near Scratchgravel Hills in order to pursue recreational interests. 

This TPA contains three developed recreation sites 

(Head Lane, John G. Mine, and Tumbleweed Trailheads) and one Special Recreation Management Area 

(Scratchgravel Hills). All remaining lands within the 

TPA are managed as part of the Butte FO Extensive 

Recreation Management Area. There are no existing 

and potential Special Designations within this TPA. 

Mineral/Energy Development 

The Scratchgravel Hills is an area which contains precious and base metals in both hard rock and placer 

deposits. Historic production came from numerous 

small mines throughout the area. Over the years there 

have been a large number of patented and unpatented 

mining claims distributed throughout the area. While 

presently only a few claims are maintained, increases in 

270 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Travel Management 

precious metal prices could increase the mineral activity level. 

Range Management 

Thirteen grazing allotments exist in the Helena TPA. 

The largest allotment is the Granite Creek allotment in 

the Birdseye area. Due to the extended drought conditions, the amount of active grazing use has declined in 

the last 4 to 5 years. Grazing use may increase if wetter 

climate conditions return. 

Forest and Fire Management 

There are approximately 3,100 acres of forest and 

woodland in the Helena TPA. The Scratchgravel Hills 

portion was withdrawn from general forest management 

in the Headwaters RMP during the last 20 years. The 

closed pine forest conditions and extensive colonization 

have left many areas with dense and hazardous fuels 

conditions. It is expected that the area would burn intensely with severe impacts similar to those seen to the 

east when the Spokane Hills near Canyon Ferry burned 

in 2000. The fuels in the area are classified in the moderate to high hazard range. In 2000/2003 a fuels hazard 

assessment was done for the Scratchgravel Hills area. 

Findings from that assessment show that in the forested 

areas, 52 percent of forested stands rated high; and 37 

percent of forested stands rated moderate for hazardous 

fuels conditions in the Scratchgravel Hills Fire Management Zone. In consideration of the WUI (Wildland/Urban Interface) that surrounds the area, the 

Scratchgravel Hills are a high priority for fuels reduction work. Mechanical fuel reduction work has been 

conducted in the Silver Creek area within 500 feet of 

the public/private land boundaries over the last several 

years. More mechanical projects are anticipated to 

reduce the fuels and enhance the health of the forest 

ecosystems. 

Cultural/Historic 

Prehistoric sites in the Scratchgravel Hills are very 

sparse, even though they are relatively close to the 

Montana City Archeological District. They consist 

mainly of lithic scatters and may or may not be related 

to activity in the archeological district. European sites 

in the Scratchgravel Hills are related to mining. Placer 

mining started in the Scratchgravel Hills earlier than in 

Last Chance Gulch, but was never very productive. 

Several lode mines were developed later, but the area 

never produced as well as the other districts in the Helena area. 

Military Activity 

The Montana State National Guard is known to use 

portions of the Birdseye area during training activities. 

Important Resource Issues 

Wildlife 

The Helena TPA is heavily populated with subdivisions, ranches, and development, especially near the 

town of Helena. Although human development is extensive in the TPA, habitat is still available for those 

wildlife species that depend on grassland/shrublands 

and dry forests. 

BLM lands in the TPA are dominated by grassland and 

shrubland habitats (6,501 acres) as well as dry Douglas 

fir and ponderosa pine forests (3,700 acres). 

Grasslands and sagebrush habitats within the TPA 

provide habitat for elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, 

badger, coyote, red fox, mountain cottontail, whitetail 

jackrabbit, ground squirrels, and other small mammals. 

Forests in the TPA provide habitat for species including 

but not limited to; elk, moose, mule deer, coyote, red 

fox, bobcat, cougar, black bear, mountain lion, mountain cottontail, marmot, red squirrel and other small 

mammals. 

The TPA also provides habitat for numerous forest and 

grassland bird species including but not limited to; 

pileated, hairy and downy woodpeckers, Cooper’s 

hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, red-tailed hawk, blue 

grouse, hairy and downy woodpeckers, dusky flycatcher, pine siskin, western tanager, black-capped 

chickadee, red-breasted nuthatch, mountain bluebird 

and chipping sparrow, Townsend’s solitaire, dark-eyed 

junco, Cassin’s finch, pine siskin, red crossbill, western 

meadowlark, Swainson’s hawk, red-tailed hawk, horned 

lark, mountain bluebird, prairie falcon, chipping sparrow, savannah sparrow and vesper sparrow. 

Critical fawning and foraging habitat for pronghorn 

antelope was historically located in the southwest section of Scratchgravel Hills. Year-round pronghorn 

habitat was also historically found in the northeast 

corner of the Helena TPA. Although portions of the 

area still provide pronghorn habitat, due to the extensive amount of development around Helena, the area no 

longer provides high quality pronghorn habitat. 

A 50,000 acre strip through the middle of the Helena 

TPA continues to provide winter range for mule deer 

and the entire western half of the TPA, approximately 

56,400 acres, is winter habitat for elk. 

The Birdseye section of the Helena TPA is within a 

wildlife movement corridor that provides a connection 

between the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem 

and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This corridor 

also provides for local daily movements and seasonal 

movements between higher elevation summer range 

along the Continental Divide and lower elevation winter range. This corridor is predominately moderate 

quality due to fairly high road densities in the TPA 

(greater than 2 mi/mi2

). 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 271 
Chapter 3 

This TPA also provides habitat for several BLM sensitive species including; golden eagle, flammulated owl, 

Brewer’s sparrow, long-billed curlew, ferruginous 

hawk, Swainson’s hawk, and long-eared bat. 

The long history of mining in the area has created habitat for bats and surveys have been conducted to determine bat use of the area. Eighteen abandoned mines 

were surveyed in 2002 and 2003 in the Scratchgravel 

Hills. Bat species identified during these surveys included: western small-footed myotis, long-legged 

myotis, hoary bat, big brown bat, and several unknown 

myotis species. As a result of surveys, five abandoned 

mines were closed with bat gates. 

Aquatics/Fisheries 

This 95,500 acre TPA is found within the Upper Missouri watershed. There are approximately 71 miles of 

perennial streams and 37 miles of fish bearing streams 

on all land ownerships in the TPA. Non-native fish 

species found in the TPA include brook, brown, and 

rainbow trout. Native fish found in the TPA include 

white sucker, longnose sucker, westslope cutthroat 

trout, and mottled sculpin. 

On BLM lands, there are approximately 6.0 miles of 

perennial stream, 2.0 miles of fish bearing stream and 

5.5 miles of intermittent stream. Fish species found in 

streams managed by the BLM include non-native brook 

trout and native westslope cutthroat trout. 

In the entire TPA, there are five streams (Skelly Gulch, 

East Skelly Gulch, Threemile Creek, Greenhorn Creek, 

and Silver Creek) with westslope cutthroat trout (BLM 

sensitive species). Westslope cutthroat trout are found 

throughout approximately 20 miles of stream. Genetic 

testing has been completed on two streams (Threemile 

and Skelly Gulch) and has confirmed these fish to be 

100 percent genetically pure. 

In the Helena TPA, there are two streams on BLM 

lands (Skelly Gulch and Greenhorn Creek) where westslope cutthroat trout have been confirmed. Greenhorn 

Creek provides approximately 1 mile of habitat for 

westslope cutthroat trout and these fish have not had 

genetic testing to confirm their purity. Skelly Gulch 

also provides approximately 1.0 mile of habitat for 

westslope cutthroat trout and genetic testing has confirmed these fish to be 100 percent genetically pure. 

Water Resources 

Within the entire Helena TPA there are six streams 

(totaling about 37.9 stream miles) that are listed as 

impaired water bodies by Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Impaired reaches of two of these 

streams, Sevenmile Creek (0.1 mile), and Skelly Gulch 

(0.8 mile) flow through BLM managed lands. Siltation 

is identified as one of the impairment types for both of 

these streams. 

Riparian 

Approximately 7.8 miles of riparian reaches and associated habitat are found in the Helena travel planning 

area. Current condition ratings on these reaches include 

3.7 miles in Proper Functioning Condition, 1.6 miles 

Functioning-At-Risk condition, and 1.7 miles in nonfunctioning condition. Trends on most reaches are upward or static. 

Currently, the roads having the biggest impacts on 

riparian conditions in this TPA are the county road 

along Sevenmile Creek and the access road paralleling 

Skelly Gulch. Both roads deliver extra sediment to 

these streams as well as affecting creek banks. 

Sensitive Plants 

The overall TPA contains populations of two sensitive 

species, linearleaf fleabane, and lesser rushy milkvetch. 

Both species grow in the Scratchgravel Hills area. Linearleaf fleabane grows on dry, often rocky soil from the 

foothills up to moderate elevations, frequently with 

sagebrush. Lesser rushy milkvetch grows in grassland 

and shrublands often in association with bluebunch 

wheatgrass, fescue species, and mountain big sage. 

Noxious weed infestations pose the greatest threat to 

these species’ long term health and viability. 

Noxious Weeds 

The primary noxious weeds in the Helena TPA are 

leafy spurge, Dalmatian toadflax, whitetop, spotted 

knapweed, houndstongue, and Canada thistle. 

In the Scratchgravel Hills area, leafy spurge is present 

throughout the area with the highest densities found in 

draws. Dalmatian toadflax infestations are spreading 

throughout the southern edge and located sporadically 

in other areas. Whitetop, spotted knapweed, houndstongue, and other undesired species are found in small, 

scattered infestations. 

In the Birdseye area, leafy spurge, houndstongue, Canada thistle, and spotted knapweed are found in small to 

moderate infestations along roadways, drainages and 

some upland areas. Dalmatian toadflax, whitetop, and 

other invasive species like bull thistle and common 

mullein have been observed. 

Soils 

Seven soil series are represented in the Scratchgravel 

Hills. Many of the soils are highly erodable and several 

series are very shallow. 

Minerals 

The mineral potential of the Scratchgravel Hills is rated 

as high by the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. 

This high mineral potential in conjunction with the high 

number of mining claims in the area suggests the continuing potential for small scale mineral exploration and 

placer operations. 

272 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Travel Management 

Summary Public Scoping Comments 

Two public scoping meetings were conducted for the 

Helena TPA (December 1, 2004 and January 6, 2005). 

Both meetings were especially well attended by residents of the Scratchgravel Hills area. The majority of 

the written and oral comments received during the 

meetings centered on conflicts between motorized and 

non-motorized recreation users. Representatives of both 

user groups expressed a wide range of points of view, 

with discussions leading to the inevitability of the need 

for cooperation and resolution among conflicting uses. 

Some participants felt that although the Scratchgravel 

Hills area is not overly large, accommodations for both 

motorized and non-motorized uses could be made. 

Strategies included creating separate areas of use for 

motorized and non-motorized activities. 

Other public issues and concerns included: 

• Illegal activities - A number of comments were 

made during both meetings concerning a range of 

illegal activities, including dumping, drug use, underage alcohol use, unattended camp fires, and 

vandalism. There was widespread agreement that 

most of these activities were associated with 

motorized use, and oftentimes occurred after dark. 

• General need for improved mapping/signing and 

trailhead facilities. 

• Active enforcement of completed travel plan. 

• Soil erosion. 

• Noxious weeds. 

• Wildland fire. 

East Helena Travel Planning Area 

The 200,991-acre East Helena TPA contains 20,039 

acres of BLM lands. There are approximately 71 miles 

of BLM road, making up about 8 percent of the approximate total of 892 road miles in the TPA. The majority of roads (690 miles) lie on private lands. 

The area lies in the Helena Valley, which has a dry 

climate. Average minimum/maximum temperatures are 

8/29 degrees Fahrenheit in January and 52/84 degrees 

Fahrenheit in July. Average precipitation is approximately 12 inches. Average annual snowfall is 49 inches. 

Five sub-PAs, known as the North Hills, Mt. Bend, 

Ward Ranch/Centennial Gulch, McMasters 

Hills/Spokane Bay, and Spokane Hills/Breaks areas, are 

focal points for current traveling planning efforts. In 

addition, there are a number of smaller, isolated tracts 

scattered throughout the remainder of the East Helena 

TPA that may also require travel planning. Of the five, 

the North Hills has the most need for travel management, based on road density and current use levels. 

Maps 10 through 13 present the East Helena TPA. 

The North Hills area lies approximately three miles 

north of Lake Helena, and occupies 4,708 acres. The 

North Hills are bordered on the west, north, and south 

by private property, and by the Missouri River on the 

east. The majority of the North Hills are characterized 

by gently rolling to moderately steep terrain varying in 

elevation from 4,100 to 5,280 feet. The area along the 

Missouri River has a number of sheer, vertical rock 

cliffs that extend down to the river’s edge. With the 

exception of several large open meadows, the lower 

elevations are vegetated with a moderately thick ponderosa pine forest; and occasional juniper and scattered 

shrubs. The higher elevations and north facing slopes 

are dominated by pine/fir forest with a bunchgrass or 

fescue under-story. 

During the late summer of 1984, the northern half of 

North Hills was burned in a major wildfire. The fire 

resulted in severe impacts to many of the pine stands 

located on the north and east aspects of American Bar, 

Foster and a number of secondary drainages. Following 

the fire, emergency stabilization efforts (grass reseeding) were undertaken to reduce sedimentation into 

Holter Lake. Due to the lack of natural forest seed 

sources, areas that have converted to grass and downed 

log habitats will likely remain deforested for decades. 

Mt. Bend is located approximately 3 miles east of Lake 

Helena, on the west side of York Bridge. Approximately 1,106 acres in size, Mt. Bend is bordered by 

Hauser Lake on the north and east, and by private property on the west and south. Mt. Bend can be described 

as a steep hill, ascending in elevation from south to 

north, and then descending again in the north to the 

Hauser Lake shoreline. The south facing slopes are 

vegetated by grasses, scattered trees and shrubs, while 

the higher elevations and north facing slopes are dominated by pine/fir forest. 

The Ward Ranch/Centennial Gulch area is located 

along the eastern shore of Hauser Lake. Approximately 

4,361 acres in size, it is bordered by Hauser Lake on the 

west, USFS lands in the north and east, and private 

property and Bureau of Reclamation lands on the south. 

The area extends north for approximately 7 miles, from 

the Riverside Recreation Site to Soup Creek; and varies 

in width from one to two miles. The area is composed 

of a combination of pre-existing BLM lands and the 

newly acquired 2,200 acre Ward Ranch. The physical 

environment is similar in nature to the North Hills and 

Mt. Bend areas, and is characterized by gently rolling to 

moderately steep terrain varying in elevation from 

approximately 3,600 feet along Hauser Lake to 4,750 

feet near the York Bridge area. The topography along 

the Missouri River varies from gently sloping foothills 

hills and valley meadows, to steep rock cliffs. With the 

exception of several large open meadows (and some 

cleared ranch lands), the lower elevations are vegetated 

with a moderately thick ponderosa pine forest; and 

occasional juniper and scattered shrubs. Higher elevaButte Draft RMP/EIS 273 
Chapter 3 

tions and north facing slopes are dominated by pine/fir 

forest with a bunchgrass or fescue under-story. 

The McMasters Hills/Spokane Bay area is located at the 

southern end of Hauser Lake, approximately 2.5 miles 

west northwest of Canyon Ferry Dam. Approximately 

1,588 acres in size, the area is bordered on the north by 

a combination of BLM, private, and Bureau of Reclamation lands (which in turn is bordered by Hauser 

Lake); and by private property on the west, south, and 

east. The area is composed of a combination of preexisting BLM lands and the newly acquired McMaster’s (North) ranch complex. The terrain varies in elevation from 3,750 to 4,100 feet. The southern portion of 

the McMasters Hills/Spokane Bay area is characterized 

by open valley land, and is the site for the McMaster’s 

ranch complex, located adjacent to Spokane Bay and 

Spokane Creek. The ranch complex includes several 

cultivated fields, developed ponds, corrals/fences, residential housing, and an assortment of ranch buildings. 

With the exception of the ranch complex, which has 

mature cottonwood trees growing along Spokane 

Creek, the lower elevations are vegetated with native 

grasses, cacti, and a few scattered juniper and pine 

trees. The northern portion of the McMasters 

Hills/Spokane Bay area is a mosaic of steep sided 

ridges rising 300 to 400 feet above the valley floor, 

with rolling benches. The upper elevations are vegetated with sagebrush, native grasses, small groups of 

ponderosa pines, and several formerly cultivated fields 

planted to crested wheatgrass. 

The Spokane Hills/Breaks area is located along the 

western shore of Canyon Ferry Lake. Approximately 

7,492 acres in size, the Spokane Hills/Breaks area is 

bounded on the north, west, and south by private property. The east boundary is bordered by Bureau of Reclamation lands, which in turn are bordered by Canyon 

Ferry Lake. The Spokane Hills/Breaks area is composed of 6,286 acres of BLM lands (including the 

newly acquired McMaster’s “South” ranch complex) 

and 1,205 acres of Conservation Fund lands. The area 

extends north for approximate 9 miles, from the White 

Earth Recreation Site to the Lorelei Recreation Site, 

and varies in width from 0.5 to 1.5 miles. The area is 

characterized by steep sided ridges punctuated by 

drainages and gullies. The Spokane Hills burned in 

their entirety on both the public domain and McMasters 

properties in the major Bucksnort Wildfire of 2000. 

Approximately 60 to 80 percent of the forest stands 

burned intensely with few surviving trees for natural 

reforestation. 

Each of the five areas could be described as an island of 

undeveloped land, surrounded by steady residential 

growth. This is particularly true for the North Hills 

focus area. 

Existing Land Use 

Recreation 

Recreational use is well established for all five subPAs. Recreational use activities include: camping, hunting, target practice, hiking, jogging, horseback riding, 

mountain bike riding, and a range of motorized use 

(motorcyclists, OHV riders, and 4-wheel drive enthusiasts). Snow cover is generally inadequate for snowmobiling or cross country skiing. As a result, the sub-PAs 

provide convenient recreation opportunities for adjacent 

residents, as well as those from the city of Helena. Road 

density is relatively low for all five areas. 

Three (travel related) emergency closures are in effect 

for the East Helena TPA, pending future resource and 

travel planning efforts. In 1991, in cooperation with the 

MFWP’s “Block Hunting Management Program” the 

BLM restricted motorized travel in the North Hills to 

“designated open routes from October 15 to December 

1”. The purpose of the emergency closure was to minimize big-game harassment, soil erosion, vegetative 

loss, visitor safety hazards, and the spread of noxious 

weeds. 

In 2004, an emergency closure was issued for the 

McMasters Hills/Spokane Bay sub-PA. With the exception of motorized access to the McMaster family residence/ranch complex, the closure prohibits all motor 

vehicle use from the former ranch lands. The purpose of 

the closure is to protect public health and safety, prevent the spread of noxious weeds, and protect cultural 

and historic values until a resource inventory is completed and public uses can be evaluated through resource management planning. 

A 2004 emergency closure was also issued for the former Ward Ranch (Ward Ranch/Centennial Gulch subPA). Under the land transfer agreement, the former 

owner’s will continue to reside at the ranch complex. 

The emergency closure restricts motorized public access from the ranch complex; non-motorized public 

access (hiking, horseback) is allowed. In addition, it 

provides an area shooting restriction for the protection 

and safety of the residents. 

This TPA contains 11 developed recreation sites (White 

Sandy, Devil’s Elbow, Two Camps Vista, Clark’s Bay, 

Ward Ranch, Spokane Bay, French Bar, Spokane Bay 

TH, McMaster Hills W. TH, McMaster Hills E. TH, 

Spokane Hills S. TH) and one Special Recreation Management Area (Lewis &Clark National Historic Trail). 

All remaining lands within the TPA are managed as 

part of the Butte FO Extensive Recreation Management 

Area. Existing and potential Special Designation areas 

within this TPA include the Lewis & Clark NHT and 

the eligible Missouri River WSR segment below 

Hauser Dam. 

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the North Hills had 

121 homes, with an estimated population of 300 people 

living in and around the area. 

274 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Travel Management 

Mineral/Energy Development 

The East Helena TPA includes several historic mining 

districts; Missouri River, York, Magpie Gulch, Confederate Gulch, Hellgate, Winston, and Park (Indian 

Creek). Most of these mining district are renowned for 

their placer mines, including the “bars” of the Missouri 

River; Ming’s, American, El Dorado, Spokane, French, 

and Dana’s. These bars hosted rich deposits of placer 

gold and sapphires. Production records are incomplete, 

but likely total around $15,000,000. Confederate Gulch 

was the richest producer. The placer gold was derived 

from lode deposits associated with intrusives in the 

Elkhorns and Big Belts. Production from lode deposits 

continued until 2002 when the Apollo Gold Diamond 

Hill Mine up Indian Creek closed. Mineral properties at 

Winston and Miller Mountain have had considerable 

exploration. Other mineral resources in the East Helena 

TPA include decorative building stone from the Greyson Shale Belt formation, a moderate potential for oil 

and gas development, and a low potential for stratibound copper deposits. 

Active claims are common in the areas with high potential and there are active notices in the East Helena TPA 

as well. 

Range Management 

Ten grazing allotments exist in the East Helena TPA. 

The largest allotment is the Spokane Hills Individual 

allotment in the Spokane Hills/Breaks area. Due to the 

extended drought conditions and the 2000 Bucksnort 

fire, the amount of active grazing use has declined in 

the last four to five years. Grazing use may increase if 

wetter climate conditions return. BLM has cooperatively participated with private landowners, the State of 

Montana, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Conservation Districts on a sheep and goat weed control project in the Spokane Hills/Breaks area the past three 

years. 

Forest and Fire Management 

Approximately 9,150 acres of inventoried forest land 

exist in the East Helena TPA, which does not include 

the McMasters properties scheduled for inventory prior 

to implementation of forest management activities. 

Active forest management activities have been limited 

as a result of budget considerations in the 1980s and 

1990s to small forest product sales based on public 

requests, wildfire salvage and replanting. No large 

timber sales, landscape vegetation treatments or fuel 

management projects have occurred, except on the 

McMasters properties in the Spokane Hills under private management where a number of clearcuts and 

selected harvest occurred in the 1970s while the property was privately owned. The McMasters’ areas fully 

regenerated after the extensive clearcutting, but the 

2000 wildfire eliminated all the regenerating trees in 

those areas and the overstory trees that had provided 

seed for the natural regeneration were also killed in 

most areas. No public salvage or replanting occurred in 

the North Hills area after the 1984 fire, but approximately 220 acres of timber salvage and 250 acres of 

replanting occurred on public domain within 3 years of 

the Bucksnort Fire in the Spokane Hills, cumulatively 

amounting to 10 percent of the burned public domain. 

No forest management or further fire rehabilitation 

work is currently scheduled in the burn areas. The remaining forested areas are heavily stocked with second 

growth ponderosa pine and will be considered for both 

fuel reduction and forest health treatment work to deal 

with identified fuels and forest health problems. 

In 2000/2003 a fuels hazard assessment was done for 

the North Hills Area. Findings from that assessment 

indicate that 66 percent of forested stands rated high 

and 13 percent rated moderate for hazardous fuels conditions in the North Hills Fire Management Zone. In 

consideration of the WUI (Wildland Urban Interface) 

that surrounds the area, the East Helena TPA is a high 

priority for fuels reductions work in the future. 

Fire suppression for the East Helena TPA was delegated to the Forest Service as part of the offset of fire 

protection responsibilities in Montana. 

Important Resource Issues 

Wildlife 

This TPA provides a diversity of habitats from agricultural fields to high elevation forests. BLM lands in the 

TPA, however, are dominated by dry forests of Douglas 

fir and ponderosa pine (10,702 acres) and grassland/sagebrush habitats (9,249 acres). 

Forests in the TPA provide habitat for species including 

but not limited to; elk, moose, mule deer, coyote, red 

fox, bobcat, cougar, black bear, mountain lion, mountain cottontail, marmot, red squirrel and other small 

mammals. 

Grasslands and sagebrush within the TPA provide habitat for elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, badger, coyote, red fox, mountain cottontail, 

whitetail jackrabbit, ground squirrels, and other small 

mammals. 

The TPA also provides habitat for a variety of forest 

and grassland bird species including but not limited to; 

pileated, hairy and downy woodpeckers, Cooper’s 

hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, red-tailed hawk, blue 

grouse, hairy and downy woodpeckers, dusky flycatcher, pine siskin, western tanager, black-capped 

chickadee, red-breasted nuthatch, mountain bluebird 

and chipping sparrow, Townsend’s solitaire, dark-eyed 

junco, Cassin’s finch, pine siskin, red crossbill, western 

meadowlark, Swainson’s hawk, red-tailed hawk, horned 

lark, mountain bluebird, prairie falcon, chipping sparrow, savannah sparrow and vesper sparrow. 

The majority of mule deer and elk winter range, approximately 42,000 acres, is located in the northern 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 275 
Chapter 3 

section of the East Helena TPA as well as along the 

shore of the reservoirs. The entire TPA is within pronghorn antelope habitat with approximately 20,000 acres 

of pronghorn winter range. 

This TPA provides habitat for several BLM sensitive 

species including; golden eagle, flammulated owl, 

Brewer’s sparrow, long-billed curlew, northern goshawk, ferruginous hawk, Swainson’s hawk, and longeared bat. The long history of mining in the area has 

created habitats for bats but surveys have not been 

conducted to assess use of these features. Habitat within 

the TPA also provides habitat for two BLM sensitive 

amphibians, the plains spadefoot, and the boreal toad. 

Several plains spadefoot toads were found in the late 

1990s and 2001 in the southwest section of the East 

Helena TPA. Boreal toads were found near Canyon 

Ferry Lake. 

The shorelines of upper Holter, Hauser, and Canyon 

Ferry Lakes provide good quality habitat for bald eagles, peregrine falcon, osprey, and numerous waterfowl. 

Aquatics/Fisheries 

This 201,000 acre TPA is found within the Upper Missouri watershed. There are approximately 171 miles of 

perennial streams and 100 miles of fish bearing streams 

on all land ownerships in the TPA. Fish species found 

in the TPA include non-native brook, brown and rainbow trout, walleye (Missouri River) as well as stocked 

Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Beaver Creek. 

Native fish species found in the TPA include; white 

sucker, mountain whitefish, longnose dace, longnose 

sucker, stonecat, burbot, westslope cutthroat trout, and 

mottled sculpin. 

On BLM lands, there are approximately 7.6 miles of 

perennial stream and an additional 1 mile of fish bearing stream. 

In the entire TPA, there are approximately 14 miles of 

stream with westslope cutthroat trout. There are no 

streams on BLM lands in the TPA that provide habitat 

for westslope cutthroat trout in the East Helena TPA. 

Spokane Creek (McMasters Hills/Spokane Bay area) is 

an important riparian area. The creek provides spawning habitat for brown trout, rainbow trout, and salmon 

in Hauser Lake. Additionally, the associated riparian 

area provides habitat for several plant and animal species as well as acting as a filter for water flowing into 

Hauser Lake. 

Water Resources 

Within the entire East Helena TPA there are seven 

streams (including the Missouri River), totaling about 

44.2 stream miles, that are listed as impaired water 

bodies by Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Impaired reaches of two of these streams, Trout 

Creek (0.3 mile) and Prickly Pear Creek (0.9 miles) 

flow through BLM managed lands. 

Canyon Ferry Reservoir and the Missouri River from 

Canyon Ferry Dam to Hauser Lake are both identified 

as impaired water bodies on the MDEQ 303(d) list. 

Canyon Ferry Reservoir has impairments related to 

excess nitrogen and ammonia as well as excess algal 

growth, likely related to municipal point source discharges, septic systems, agriculture, and abandoned 

mine lands. Canyon Ferry also has excessive arsenic 

and thallium attributed to contamination from abandoned mine lands. Missouri River from Canyon Ferry 

Dam to Hauser Lake has impairments primarily related 

to excessive nutrients and oxygen deficiency. These 

impairments are attributed to dam construction, grazing 

in riparian or shoreline zones, municipal point source 

discharges, and septic systems. 

Riparian 

Approximately 22.3 miles of riparian reaches and associated habitat are found in the East Helena travel planning area. Current condition ratings on these reaches 

include 4.4 miles in Proper Functioning Condition and 

17.9 miles in Functioning-At-Risk (FAR) condition. 

Most of the FAR reaches are associated with the 

lake/river shoreline of Hauser lake/Missouri River. 

Trends on most reaches are upward or static. Currently, 

BLM roads or trails are having minimal impacts on 

riparian conditions in this TPA. 

Sensitive Plants 

The North Hills and Spokane Hills areas have likely 

habitat for a sensitive species—lesser rushy milkvetch. 

Populations of this species have been found in both 

areas on private land. 

Noxious Weeds 

The primary noxious weeds in the East Helena TPA are 

leafy spurge, spotted knapweed, Dalmatian toadflax, 

houndstongue, and Canada thistle. Small infestations of 

Russian knapweed and diffuse knapweed have been 

found and promptly treated. 

In the North Hills area, large infestations of low to 

moderate density leafy spurge occur throughout this 

sub-PA. Other noxious weeds present are Canada thistle, Dalmatian toadflax, and small patches of Russian 

knapweed. 

In the Mt. Bend area, large infestations of Dalmatian 

toadflax occur throughout this sub-PA. Leafy spurge, 

houndstongue, and spotted knapweed are also present. 

In the Ward Ranch/Centennial Gulch area, large 

infestations of Dalmatian toadflax and spotted 

knapweed occur throughout this sub-PA. Scattered 

infestations of Canada thistle, leafy spurge, and 

houndstongue have been observed. Undesirable 

invasive species present include prickly pear cactus and 

large infestations of musk thistle. 

276 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Travel Management 

In the McMasters Hills/Spokane Bay area, several infestations of Dalmatian toadflax, leafy spurge, spotted 

knapweed, and Canada thistle are present. Scattered 

infestations of musk thistle were also observed. 

In the Spokane Hills/Breaks area, there are large infestations of spotted knapweed, Dalmatian toadflax, and 

leafy spurge in this sub-PA. Noxious weeds present in 

smaller patches are Canada thistle, Russian knapweed, 

and diffuse knapweed. 

Soils 

Soils range in depth from shallow to very deep and are 

typically very to extremely gravelly loams and clay 

loams with a few sandy loams. Soils formed from argillites, quartzite, volcanics, alluvium, or limestone. 

Cultural/Historic 

Cultural resources in the Helena valley reflect all of the 

ways of life that have been used since people have lived 

in Montana. Prehistoric Native American hunting sites 

and living areas are as old as 10,000 years. They may 

be tool material sites, or rock features that probably 

served a number of uses before the arrival of Europeans. After their arrival, site types diversified to include 

European activities – mostly related to mining and 

ranching. The Ward and McMasters ranches were established before the turn of the 19th century. The Ward 

family engaged in mining and logging, as well as ranching. The McMasters ranch began as a blacksmith’s shop 

servicing the local stage and individual travelers. As 

time passed, the family gradually turned to ranching 

full time. 

Summary Public Scoping Comments 

A well attended public scoping meeting was conducted 

for the East Helena TPA on November 30, 2004. Most 

of the written and oral comments received focused on 

the North Hills sub-PA; however several comments 

were also received for the newly acquired Ward and 

McMasters’ ranch lands. 

The majority of comments centered on conflicts between motorized and non-motorized recreation in the 

North Hills. A number of participants felt that accommodations could be made for both motorized and nonmotorized uses. Strategies included creating separate 

areas of use for motorized and non-motorized activities, 

and seasonal closures. Other participants advocated 

prohibiting all motorized travel in favor of horse and 

pedestrian travel, arguing the area is too small to provide motorized recreation opportunities. 

Other issues and concerns were raised during the meeting included: 

• Illegal activities - Dumping, drug use, underage 

alcohol use (keg parties), unattended camp fires, 

vandalism, and unauthorized travel. 

• Target Shooting - A number of comments were 

made regarding unsafe and irresponsible shooting 

(trees destroyed). 

• General need for improved boundary marking, 

signing, maps, and separate trailhead facilities for 

motorized and non-motorized users 

• Enforcement – Proactive law enforcement, increased uniformed patrols by BLM staff. 

• Soil erosion. 

• Noxious weeds. 

• Wildland fire - In particular, WUI concerns adjacent to North Hills. 

Lewis and Clark County Northwest 

Travel Planning Area 

The 406,700-acre Lewis and Clark County Northwest 

TPA contains approximately 17,037 acres of BLM 

lands. There are approximately 68 miles of BLM roads, 

making up about 4.7 percent of the approximate total of 

1,448 road miles in the TPA. The majority of roads 

(819 miles) lie on private lands. 

Weather patterns for the lower elevations are similar to 

the Helena Valley, with average minimum/maximum 

temperatures of 8/29 degrees Fahrenheit in January, and 

52/84 degrees Fahrenheit in July. Average annual precipitation is approximately 12 inches, with an average 

annual snowfall of 49 inches. Annual precipitation 

levels for the higher elevations range from 20 to 30 

inches, with annual snowfall averaging 150 inches. 

Four sub-PAs, known as Marysville/Great Divide Ski, 

Stemple Pass, Sieben Ranch, and Lincoln have been 

identified for planning efforts. Of the four, the Marysville/Great Divide Ski area has the most need for travel 

management, based on road density, current use level, 

and public scoping comments. Maps 14 through 17 

depict the Lewis and Clark County Northwest TPA. 

The Marysville/Great Divide Ski sub-PA is located 

about 25 road miles northwest of Helena, Montana, and 

occupies approximately 12,178 acres. Marysville/Great 

Divide is bordered on the north and east by a combination of private and state lands, and on the west and 

south by USFS and private lands. The majority of the 

area is characterized by moderate (25 to 30 percent) to 

steep (50 percent) slopes. Elevations range from 5,700 

to 7,230 feet. Upper elevation north and east facing 

slopes are heavily forested by lodge pole pine and subalpine fir, while mid to lower elevations are Douglas fir 

and ponderosa pine. Low to upper elevation, west and 

south facing slopes are vegetated by fescue and bluebunch wheatgrass. 

The Sieben Ranch sub-PA is located approximately 25 

miles north of Helena, along the west side of Interstate15. The sub-PA occupies approximately 1,612 acres. 

Sieben Ranch is bordered on the east by I-15, and on 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 277 
Chapter 3 

the north, west, and south by a combination of private 

and state lands. Medicine Rock Creek is the predominant feature, and flows easterly for approximately two 

miles through a moderately steep “V” shaped canyon. 

A graded dirt road parallels the creek bottom. Elevations range from 5,000 to 5,750 feet with the canyon’s 

north facing slopes ascending steeply from the creek 

bottom. North facing slopes are vegetated by a moderately dense forest of fir and ponderosa pine, while the 

dryer less steep south facing slopes are populated by 

pine. Open meadows are located along the bench tops, 

and along the southerly facing slopes. 

The Stemple Pass sub-PA is located approximately 13 

miles north of Marysville, and occupies approximately 

2,040 acres. The physical environment is very similar to 

the Sieben Ranch sub-PA. Virginia Creek is the predominant feature, and flows easterly for approximately 

two miles through a deep “V” shaped canyon. Elevations range from approximately 4,900 to 6,500 feet with 

the canyon’s north and south facing slopes both ascending steeply from the creek bottom. The slopes are vegetated with moderately dense forest of spruce, fir, and 

ponderosa pine. Open meadows are located along the 

bench tops, and occasionally along the slopes. 

The Lincoln sub-PA is located approximately 5 miles 

west of the town of Lincoln, and occupies approximately 894 acres. The physical environment is similar 

to the Sieben Ranch and Stemple Pass sub-PAs, but has 

higher levels of precipitation (approximately 15 to 19 

inches). The Blackfoot River is the predominant feature, and flows westerly for approximately 1.5 miles 

through a “U” shaped canyon. Elevations range from 

approximately 4,250 feet along the river benches to 

5,187 feet at Long Point. North facing slopes are vegetated by a moderately dense forest of western larch and 

fir, while the dryer south facing slopes are populated 

more heavily by ponderosa pine. Open meadows are 

located along the bench tops, and occasionally along 

the slopes. 

Existing Land Use 

Recreation 

Recreational use is well established for the Marysville/Great Divide Ski area, particularly for winter 

sports. Winter sport activities include: snowmobiling, 

downhill skiing, backcountry skiing, ski racing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. An extensive network of 

roads and trails support a wide range of off-season 

activities, including: camping, hunting, target practice, 

hiking, jogging, horseback riding, mountain bike riding, 

and motorized use (motorcyclists, OHV riders, and 4­

wheel drive enthusiasts. 

Marysville was a thriving mining town in the late 

1800’s, with a population of 4,000 at its peak. The core 

of Marysville is still present with approximately 50 

structures in use and about 71 full time residents according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Additional residential 

development is located in the Canyon Creek and Little 

Prickly Pear areas. 

The 1,600 acre Great Divide Ski resort, lies above the 

town of Marysville on the east flank of Mount Belmont, 

about 1 mile northeast of the Continental Divide. The 

Great Divide Skiing Company operates the resort under 

a lease agreement with the BLM (leasing approximately 

900 acres) and private property owners. Great Divide 

Ski resort is not a destination resort (no lodging available), and relies heavily on a local market based in 

Helena. Visitation has increased from about 6,000 in 

the mid-1980s to over 60,000 during the 1998-1999 ski 

season. Approximately 1,200 visits are expected on a 

typical heavy use day. Current facilities include four 

chairlifts and a tow, a lodge (day-use only), a maintenance shop, snowmaking system, slope lighting system, 

parking lot, and 130 named trails. 

The Stemple Pass, Sieben Ranch, and Lincoln sub-PAs 

receive limited recreation use. Stemple Pass and Sieben 

Ranch areas are frequented by big game hunters during 

the fall. 

This TPA contains no developed recreation sites or 

SRMAs. All TPA lands are managed as part of the 

Butte FO Extensive Recreation Management Area. The 

only Special Designation in this area is a three-mile 

segment of the Continental Divide National Trail. 

Mineral/Energy Development 

The Marysville mining district is located west of 

Marysville. Production began in the early 1870s and by 

1935 the district had produced $31million dollars worth 

of gold and silver. No production records are available 

since that time. Recent production has been limited to 

the Belmont in the late 1980s and early 1990s. There 

are reportedly still reserves remaining in the Belmont. 

Historical information in BLM’s LR2000 records indicates that 3,357 claims have been active throughout the 

Marysville area since 1977. Today only 40 claims remain active. While this decrease in the number of mining claims represents in part depletion of the high grade 

gold and silver deposits, it also represents cycles in the 

mining industry. The Montana Bureau of Mines and 

Geology evaluation ranked much of the area as having 

high mineral potential for future production. Additionally claims surrounding Bald Butte have been purchased by United Bolero for their molybdenum potential (molybdenum is used for steel hardening). Best 

estimates for reserves are 150 to 200 million tons at 

0.05 to 0.07% molybdenum. During winter 2006, Bolero began mining and is shipping ore to Philipsburg for 

processing. 

Future mining production is always difficult to predict 

because it is a cyclic business that depends on technological abilities and market demand. However future 

mining nearly always reoccurs in old districts as these 

are the mineralized areas and multiple types of miner278 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Travel Management 

alization often occurs together. Therefore, the Marysville sub-PA has high potential for future mining and 

exploration. 

Range Management 

Fifteen grazing allotments exist in the TPA. The largest 

allotments are the Empire Creek, Drumlummon-Skelly, 

and Edwards Mountain allotments in the Marysville/Great Divide Ski sub-PA. Due to the extended 

drought conditions, the amount of active grazing use 

has been reduced in the last 4 to 5 years. Grazing use 

may increase if wetter climate conditions return. 

Forest and Fire Management 

Approximately 11,500 acres of inventoried forest land 

occur in the Lewis and Clark County NW TPA. The 

general character of the vegetation is forested in each of 

the sub-PAs, with large areas of cool, moist conifer and 

sub-alpine fir zones, and lower elevations dominated by 

the dry conifer zone. Some of the most productive forest lands in the Butte Field Office area occur in this 

area. Forest stands are mainly second growth, having 

been heavily affected by harvesting and use starting 

with area settlement in the late 19th century and 

continuing through the present. Few old growth stands 

exist and large wildfire events have not occurred since 

1910. Most stands are considered to be commercial 

forest, and have few current limitations or restrictions 

as to the silvicultural practices and treatment techniques 

that may be utilized for forest management. With the 

exception of the Medicine Rock area, these lands are 

adjacent to and blend in with the Continental Divide 

Landscape, where a landscape analysis was completed 

by the Helena National Forest in 1996. 

The Lewis and Clark County NW TPA has considerable areas of WUI (Wildland Urban Interface). The 

general character of the vegetation is forested in each of 

the sub-PAs, with large areas of cool, moist conifer and 

sub-alpine fir zones, and lower elevations dominated by 

the dry conifer zone. The fuels in the area are classified 

in the moderate to high hazard range. In 2000/2003 a 

fuels hazard assessment was done for the Marysville 

area. Findings from that assessment show that 33 percent of forested stands are rated high and 40 percent are 

rated moderate for hazardous fuels conditions in the 

Marysville Fire Management Zone. In consideration of 

the wild-land urban interface that surrounds the area, 

the Lewis and Clark County NW TPA is a moderate to 

high priority for fuels reductions work in the future. 

Fire suppression for the Lewis and Clark County NW 

TPA was delegated to the USFS as part of the offset of 

fire protection responsibilities in Montana. 

Cultural/Historic 

Lewis and Clark County hosts a number of archeological resources dating back as long as Montana has been 

inhabited, at least 10,000 years. Site types include the 

entire range of subsistence types; hunting, game and 

plant processing and general habitation, and religious 

sites are present in the area. The arrival of Europeans is 

elusive in the archeological record. The presence of 

European goods does not necessarily indicate contact, 

but trade for those goods. However, a few ranches and 

numerous mines began to populate the area to the extent that their remains make up the dominant site type 

in the area. 

Marysville began as a mining camp that grew up 

around the Drumlummon mine, discovered in the late 

1860s by Irish immigrant, Tom Cruse. In 1876, Cruse 

relocated his old claim, the Drumlummon, and prospected for about six years before hitting a very rich vein 

of silver. He built a five-stamp mill at the upper end of 

Silver Creek, and the town of Marysville began. In 

1883, Cruse sold his mining interests to an English 

company for $1,500,000. They proceeded to build two 

large stamp mills in Marysville, which operated for 

another 10 years. The waste piles from the mines were 

so rich that they were profitably leached two separate 

times. 

Important Resource Issues 

Wildlife 

The Lewis and Clark TPA straddles the Continental 

Divide and historically provided high quality habitat for 

a variety of wildlife species. This TPA provides a diversity of habitats from agricultural fields to high elevation cool, moist forests. 

BLM lands in the TPA are dominated by cool, moist 

forest with dry Douglas fir at the lower elevations 

(13,047 acres) and sagebrush and grassland meadows 

(3,990 acres). Forests in the TPA provide habitat for 

species including but not limited to; elk, moose, mule 

deer, coyote, red fox, bobcat, cougar, black bear, mountain lion, pine marten, river otter, beaver, snowshoe 

hare, mountain cottontail, marmot, red squirrel and 

other small mammals. 

Grasslands and sagebrush within the TPA provide habitat for elk, mule deer, coyote, red fox, mountain cottontail, ground squirrels, and other small mammals. 

The TPA also provides habitat for forest and grassland 

bird species including but not limited to; pileated, hairy 

and downy woodpeckers, Cooper’s hawk, sharpshinned hawk, red-tailed hawk, blue grouse, hairy and 

downy woodpeckers, dusky flycatcher, pine siskin, 

western tanager, black-capped chickadee, red-breasted 

nuthatch, mountain bluebird and chipping sparrow, 

Townsend’s solitaire, dark-eyed junco, Cassin’s finch, 

pine siskin, red crossbill, western meadowlark, Swainson’s hawk, red-tailed hawk, horned lark, mountain 

bluebird and chipping sparrow. 

Mule deer winter range is located along the eastern half 

of the TPA (158,140 acres) as well as near Lincoln 

(21,500 acres). Elk winter range is also located in the 

lower elevations along the eastern half of the TPA 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 279 
Chapter 3 

(193,800 acres) as well as around Lincoln (55,500 

acres). 

The western half of the TPA is within a wildlife movement corridor that provides a connection between the 

Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem and the Greater 

Yellowstone Ecosystem. This corridor also provides 

local daily movements and seasonal movements between higher elevation summer range along the Continental Divide and lower elevation winter range. Although this corridor has fairly high road densities 

(greater than 2 mi/mi2

) the quality of the corridor is 

moderate to high to wildlife based on the large amount 

of federal lands in the area. 

The western half of the TPA (231,600 acres) is within 

the occupied range of grizzly bear extending south from 

the Northern Continental Divide recovery zone. 

The Lewis and Clark County NW TPA is within the 

Northwest Montana Recovery Area for the gray wolf. 

In 2003, a den site with a single female and five pups 

was located just south of the Great Divide Ski Area. 

The den was subsequently disturbed by humans and the 

female moved five pups to an unknown location. Currently, there is one known pack in the area. Due to 

livestock loss, two other local packs were exterminated 

in February 2003. 

Approximately 112,250 acres of cool, moist forest in 

the TPA provide habitat for the Canada lynx. The majority of lynx habitat is located in the western half of 

the area between Lincoln and Marysville. Dry, mature 

Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, and ponderosa pine forest 

types at lower elevations provide habitat for the Northern goshawk. 

Two BLM sensitive amphibians have been found 

within the Lewis and Clark TPA, the boreal toad and 

the Northern leopard frog. Another BLM sensitive 

species, the wolverine, has also been documented west 

of the Continental Divide in the TPA. 

The long history of mining in the Marysville area has 

created numerous habitats for bats. Bat species identified during surveys include; Townsend’s big-eared bat 

(BLM sensitive species), silver-haired bat, big brown 

bat and several unknown myotis species. 

Aquatics/Fisheries 

This 406,700 acre TPA is found within the Upper Missouri (257,265 acres) and Blackfoot (149,435 acres) 

watersheds. There are approximately 238 miles of perennial streams and approximately 292 miles of fish 

bearing streams on all land ownerships in the TPA. Fish 

species found in the TPA include non-native brook, 

brown, and rainbow trout. Native fish species found in 

the TPA include; white sucker, mountain whitefish, 

longnose dace, longnose sucker, westslope cutthroat 

trout, mottled sculpin, and bull trout. 

On BLM lands, there are approximately 7.0 miles of 

perennial stream, 11 miles of fish bearing stream and 

6.3 miles of intermittent streams. Non-native fish species found on BLM lands in the TPA include brook, 

brown, and rainbow trout. Native fish found on BLM 

lands in the TPA include; white sucker, mountain 

whitefish, longnose dace, longnose sucker, westslope 

cutthroat trout, mottled sculpin, and bull trout. In the 

entire TPA, there are approximately 220 miles of 

stream with westslope cutthroat trout of varying genetic 

purity and approximately 65 miles with bull trout. 

On BLM lands, westslope cutthroat trout are found in 

nine streams for approximately 7.7 miles. The longest 

length of stream with westslope cutthroat trout is Virginia Creek, with 2 miles. Only three streams have had 

genetic testing, Blackfoot River, Sauerkraut Creek, and 

Sawmill Gulch. Of these streams, only Sauerkraut 

Creek was found to have 100 percent genetically pure 

westslope cutthroat trout (less than 0.1 mile is on BLM 

managed lands). The Blackfoot River flows through the 

northwest corner of the TPA near the town of Lincoln 

and provides the only bull trout habitat in the Butte 

Field Office. Bull trout are found in approximately 2.0 

miles of the Blackfoot River in the Decision Area. 

Water Resources 

Within the entire Lewis and Clark County NW TPA 

there are 19 streams (totaling about 111.9 stream miles) 

that are listed as impaired water bodies by Montana 

Department of Environmental Quality. Impaired 

reaches of five of these streams (Blackfoot River – 1.9 

miles, Jennies Fork – 0.2 mile, Little Prickly Pear Creek 

– 0.7 mile, Silver Creek – 0.03 mile, and Virginia Creek 

– 2.0 miles) flow through BLM managed lands. Key 

types of impairment include heavy metal contamination, siltation, and flow alteration. 

Riparian 

Approximately 18.7 miles of riparian reaches and associated habitat are found in the Lewis and Clark Northwest travel planning area. Current condition ratings on 

these reaches include 11.1 miles in Proper Functioning 

Condition, 5.6 miles Functioning-At-Risk condition, 

and 1.7 miles in non-functioning condition. Trends on 

most reaches are upward or static. 

Currently, the roads and trails having the biggest impacts on riparian conditions in this TPA are the county 

road along Ottawa Gulch, the trail along Woodchopper 

Gulch, the road along Empire Creek, the road in 

Towsley Gulch, and the county road paralleling Virginia Creek. All of these roads affect stream channels to 

some degree as well as delivering extra sediment during 

runoff events. 

Sensitive Plants 

Habitat for yellow lady’s slipper does occur in the 

Marysville area. No populations have been documented 

there however. 

280 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Travel Management 

Noxious Weeds 

The primary noxious weeds in the Lewis and Clark 

County NW TPA are spotted knapweed, houndstongue, 

leafy spurge, Dalmatian toadflax, yellow toadflax, 

whitetop, and Canada thistle. 

In the Marysville/Great Divide Ski Area, observed 

infestations include large patches of spotted knapweed 

with smaller infestations of houndstongue, whitetop, 

yellow toadflax, and Canada thistle. Undesirable weeds 

present include musk thistle and common mullein. 

The majority of the Stemple Pass area has spotted 

knapweed infestations ranging from low to high canopy 

cover densities. This area has the largest single infestation of noxious weeds of the four sub-PAs. 

In the Sieben Rancharea, large infestations of spotted 

knapweed with smaller infestations of houndstongue, 

leafy spurge, and Dalmatian toadflax occur in this area. 

Undesirable weeds present include bull thistle, musk 

thistle, and common mullein. 

In the Lincoln area, small patches of spotted knapweed 

have been found in this sub-PA. 

Soils 

Soils in the Lewis and Clark County NW TPA are from 

limestone, granite, argillite, and igneous rocks. They 

range from shallow the very deep and in texture from 

gravelly loams and clay loams to extremely stony 

loamy sand. Limestone soils are the most stable and 

granite soils the most erosive. 

Summary Public Scoping Comments 

A well attended public scoping meeting was conducted 

for the Lewis and Clark County NW TPA on December 

2, 2004. Most of the written and oral comments received focused on the Marysville/Great Divide Ski subPA. There were many comments received regarding 

future management of the Continental Divide Trail. The 

majority of comments centered on conflicts between 

motorized and non-motorized recreation, including 

winter sports activities. A number of participants felt 

that accommodations could be made for both motorized 

and non-motorized uses. Strategies included creating 

separate areas of use for motorized and non-motorized 

activities, and seasonal closures. 

Other issues and concerns raised during the meeting 

included: 

• Interagency Coordination – Maintain interagency 

connectivity and coordination with USFS and other 

adjacent agencies. 

• Continental Divide Trail – Manage as nonmotorized in cooperation with the USFS. Consider 

re-routing the existing trail away from existing or 

future planned motorized routes. Or, allow for motorized crossings at site specific junctions. 

• Illegal activities – Dumping, drug use, underage 

alcohol use (keg parties), unattended camp fires, 

vandalism, and unauthorized travel. 

• Access – Ensure access to mines and private property. 

• General need for improved boundary marking, 

signing, maps, and separate trailhead facilities for 

motorized and non-motorized users 

• Enforcement – Proactive law enforcement, increased uniformed patrols by BLM staff to ensure 

compliance with completed travel plan. 

• Wildlife – Wildlife security and travel corridors. 

Boulder/Jefferson City Travel Planning 

Area 

The 60,418-acre Boulder/Jefferson City TPA contains 

approximately 14,487 acres of BLM lands. There are 

approximately 61 miles of BLM roads, making up 

about 15.6 percent of the approximate total of 392 road 

miles in the TPA. The majority of roads (212 miles) lie 

on private lands. 

The largest contiguous portion of the TPA lies west of 

the town of Boulder; bounded on the south and east by 

Interstate-15. The remaining portion of the TPA extends northwards up to the community of Corbin. Several additional small communities (Fuller, Comet, 

Amazon, and Wickes) also lie within the TPA. Elevations range from 5,000 feet near Boulder to approximately 8,000 feet at Mt. Thompson. Maps 18 through 

21 depict the Boulder/Jefferson City TPA. 

The area experiences four distinct seasons. Weather 

patterns for the lower elevations are similar to those for 

the Helena Valley, with average minimum/maximum 

temperatures of 8/29 degrees Fahrenheit in January, and 

52/84 degrees Fahrenheit in July. Average annual precipitation is approximately 12 inches, with an average 

annual snowfall of 48 inches. Annual precipitation 

levels for the higher elevations range from 20 to 30 

inches, with annual snowfall averaging 30 to 60 inches. 

The majority of the area is characterized by moderately 

steep mountain terrain (15 to 35 percent slopes), punctuated by a number of small perennial and seasonal 

streams. North facing slopes are vegetated by a moderately dense forest of fir and ponderosa pine, while the 

dryer less steep south facing slopes are populated by 

pine. Occasional open meadows are located along the 

bench tops, and along the southerly facing slopes. Small 

stands of aspen can be found along the riparian areas. 

The lower elevations (located along the west side of I15) are characterized by open sagebrush meadows with 

scattered juniper and pine groves. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 281 
Chapter 3 

Existing Land Use 

Recreation 

The Boulder/Jefferson City TPA contains a relatively 

dense network of BLM administered roads. Several 

maintained county roads (Big Limber Gulch, High Ore 

Creek, Finn Gulch, and Wickes) provide primary vehicle access. The majority of recreation use is by local 

and area residents. Primary recreation activities include 

Big Game hunting (deer, elk), OHV use (motorcyclists, 

ATV riders, 4-wheel drive), and winter snowmobiling. 

Other activities may include camping, hunting, target 

practice, hiking, jogging, horseback riding, and mountain bike riding. With the exception of some old mine 

sites, there are no known destination points or points of 

interest. 

This TPA contains no developed recreation sites or 

SRMAs. All lands within this TPA are managed as part 

of the Butte FO Extensive Recreation Management 

Area. There are no Special Designations within this 

TPA. 

Mineral/Energy Development 

The Boulder/Jefferson City TPA is highly mineralized 

and thus incorporates numerous historic mining districts 

including Alhambra-Warm Springs, Amazon, BasinCataract, Boulder, Clancy-Lump Gulch, ColoradoWickes-Corbin-Gregory, Golconda, and Montana City. 

Placer mines in the general area date back to the 1860s. 

Estimates report that placer mining in Jefferson County 

drainages alone produced 109,629 ounces of gold and 

39,628 ounces of silver from 1902 to 1948 (Roby et al. 

1960). 

Placer mining was followed by lode mining in several 

drainages throughout the area. In 1890 Roby reports 

that three concentrating mills, six stamp mills, and four 

smelters were operating in Jefferson County. 

The Free Enterprise was the largest producer of uranium in the area, although other occurrences are present 

in the district. Radioactivity is associated with silicified 

and altered zones in the batholith (Popoff and Irving 

1952). 

Limestone for smelter flux was quarried near Montana 

City at the turn of the century. 

Presently the Montana Tunnels mine, centered on a 

large diatreme, operates an open pit mine. From 1984 to 

2005 Montana Tunnels produced 1.3 million ounces of 

gold, 20 million ounces of silver, 312 million pounds of 

lead, and 853 million pounds of lead. Present mine 

permits allow mining to 2007 and the company is submitting a proposal to expand the operation to 2011. 

The Golconda District (WSA area) has several mineralized deposits delineated to date. These include 750,000 

tons of economic gold resources at a grade of 0.052 

ounces per ton gold and a porphyry stock work, coppermolybdenum deposit containing what is described as at 

least 100 million tons of mineralized rock. The copper 

prospect was dropped in the late 1970s due to a decline 

in the price of copper at that time (USBM and USGS 

1990). 

Due to the strong mineralization in the area it is likely 

that there will be future proposals to explore for and 

possibly develop mineral deposits at some time in the 

future. 

Range Management 

Ten grazing allotments exist in the Boulder/Jefferson 

City TPA. The largest allotments are the High Ore, 

Sugarloaf, Boomerang and Amazon allotments. Due to 

the extended drought conditions and the Boulder complex fires in 2000, the amount of active grazing use has 

been reduced in the last 4 to 5 years. Grazing use may 

increase if wetter climate conditions return. 

Forest Management 

Approximately 9,500 acres of inventoried forest land 

occur in the Boulder/Jefferson City TPA. The general 

character of the vegetation consists of large areas forested with dry Douglas-fir conifer types found mainly 

on north and east aspects that are bisected with dry 

meadows, and large areas of open grass and sage vegetation on southerly aspects and broad ridges. Warm and 

dry ponderosa pine stands are found on south and west 

aspects, north of the Boulder Hills in the drainages that 

flow north toward the Missouri River by Helena. 

The forest stands are mainly second growth, having 

been heavily affected by harvesting and use starting 

with area settlement in the late 19th century and 

continuing through the present. As a result, very few 

old growth stands remain in the TPA. A large, 12,500 

acre wildfire complex occurred in the summer of 2000, 

where approximately 72 percent of the 4,000 acres of 

burned forests on BLM lands were severely damaged 

by stand replacement fire, potentially resulting in a 

quarter of the area considered to be deforested as few 

live trees remain for forest reestablishment in the large 

burn areas. The BLM planted 690 acres of the most 

severely burned with native conifers seedlings in 2002 

and 2003. 

While most stands were considered to be commercial 

forest, uneven aged silvicultural practices and treatment 

techniques have been proposed in current land use 

planning that would leave substantial over-story canopy 

elements in many areas under most treatment scenarios 

and would also require higher frequency treatment 

activities to achieve and maintain desired conditions 

through future planning cycles. The lands, mainly in 

and south of the Boulder Hills are located in the Boulder River Landscape, where the joint landscape analysis 

was completed with the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in 1998. The remaining lands occur in the 

Continental Divide Landscape, where the landscape 

282 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Travel Management 

analysis was completed by the Helena National Forest 

in 1996. 

Cultural Resources 

Cultural resources in the Boulder/Jefferson River valleys reflect all of the life-ways that have been used 

since people have lived in Montana. Prehistoric Native 

American hunting sites and living areas are as old as 

10,000 years. There are tool material sites, rock features, shelters and various living areas that served a 

number of uses before the arrival of Europeans. After 

their arrival, site types diversified to include European 

activities – mostly related to mining and ranching. 

Important Resource Issues 

Wildlife 

Habitat in this TPA is split almost evenly between 

Douglas fir or Douglas fir/lodgepole pine (30,000) and 

grasslands/shrublands (30,420 acres) with inclusions of 

willow, riparian habitat, and rocky outcrops. BLM 

lands in the TPA, however, are dominated by dry 

Douglas fir (9,500 acres) with sagebrush and grassland 

meadows (4,987 acres). 

Forests throughout the TPA provide habitat for species 

including but not limited to; elk, moose, mule deer, 

coyote, red fox, bobcat, cougar, black bear, mountain 

lion, pine marten, snowshoe hare, mountain cottontail, 

marmot, red squirrel and other small mammals. 

Grasslands and sagebrush within the TPA provide habitat for elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, badger, 

coyote, red fox, mountain cottontail, whitetail jackrabbit, ground squirrels, and other small mammals. 

The TPA provides habitat for forest and grassland bird 

species including but not limited to; pileated, hairy and 

downy woodpeckers, Cooper’s hawk, sharp-shinned 

hawk, red-tailed hawk, blue grouse, hairy and downy 

woodpeckers, dusky flycatcher, pine siskin, western 

tanager, black-capped chickadee, red-breasted nuthatch, 

mountain bluebird and chipping sparrow, Townsend’s 

solitaire, dark-eyed junco, Cassin’s finch, pine siskin, 

red crossbill, western meadowlark, Swainson’s hawk, 

red-tailed hawk, horned lark, mountain bluebird, chipping sparrow, savannah sparrow and vesper sparrow. 

The Boulder/Jefferson City TPA provides winter range 

for elk and mule deer. The entire TPA is considered 

winter range for elk while the lower elevations along 

the eastern half of the TPA are winter range for mule 

deer. The quality of winter range is extremely variable 

throughout the TPA due to topography, elevation, and 

seasonal weather patterns. 

The Boulder/Jefferson City TPA provides habitat for 

several BLM sensitive species including; flammulated 

owl, Brewer’s sparrow, long-billed curlew, northern 

goshawk, black-backed and three-toed woodpeckers 

and long-eared bat. The long history of mining in the 

area has created habitats for bats but surveys have not 

been conducted to assess use of these features. 

Aquatics/Fisheries 

This TPA is found within the Upper Missouri (27,000 

acres) and Boulder River (33,000 acres) watersheds. 

There are approximately 81 miles of perennial streams 

and 32 miles of fish bearing streams on all land ownerships in the TPA. Non-native fish species found in the 

TPA include brook, brown, and rainbow trout as well as 

stocked Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Cataract Creek. 

Native fish found in the TPA are westslope cutthroat 

trout and mottled sculpin. 

On BLM lands, there are approximately 13.5 miles of 

perennial stream, 4 miles of fish bearing stream and 

approximately 13 miles of intermittent streams. 

In the entire TPA, there are 16.5 miles of stream with 

westslope cutthroat trout in five streams (Kady Gulch, 

South Fork Quartz Creek, Sullivan Gulch, High Ore 

Creek, and Clancy Creek). All of the streams, with the 

exception of Sullivan Gulch, have 100 percent genetically pure westslope cutthroat trout. 

BLM lands in the TPA provide approximately 3 miles 

of habitat for 100 percent genetically pure westslope 

cutthroat trout in the Boulder/Jefferson City TPA. 

Westslope cutthroat trout are found in 2 miles of High 

Ore Creek, 0.5 mile of Kady Gulch and 0.2 mile of 

Clancy Creek. High Ore Creek had extensive reclamation work within the stream and riparian area to restore 

the stream channel and water quality. Currently, rainbow trout, brook trout, and westslope cutthroat trout are 

found in the stream. 

Water Resources 

Within the entire Boulder/Jefferson City TPA there are 

10 streams (totaling about 32.8 stream miles) that are 

listed as impaired water bodies by Montana Department 

of Environmental Quality. Impaired reaches of seven of 

these streams (Basin Creek – 0.04 mile, Big Limber 

Gulch – 1.55 miles, Boulder River – 0.9 mile, Cataract 

Creek – 0.4 mile, Clancy Creek – 0.2 mile, Corbin 

Creek 0.1 mile, and High Ore Creek – 2.1 miles) flow 

through BLM managed lands. The most commonly 

identified impairments for these streams include siltation, heavy metals contamination, and direct habitat 

alteration. 

Riparian 

Approximately 17.1 miles of riparian reaches and associated habitat are found in the Lewis and Clark Northwest travel planning area. Current condition ratings on 

these reaches include 2.0 miles in Proper Functioning 

Condition, 10.2 miles Functioning-At-Risk condition, 

and 5.0 miles in non-functioning condition. Many of the 

reaches were affected by historical mining. Trends on 

most reaches are upward or static. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 283 
Chapter 3 

Currently, the roads and trails having the biggest impacts on riparian conditions in this TPA are the county 

roads along High Ore Creek, the west fork of Spring 

Creek. BLM roads and trails affect riparian conditions 

along Kady Gulch, Boomerang Gulch, Black Jim 

Gulch, Stagecoach Gulch, and Big Limber Gulch. All 

of these roads affect stream channels and also deliver 

excess sediment during runoff events. 

Sensitive Plants 

Muskroot was observed in this area in 1892. Some 

potential habitat at the base of talus slopes occurs in this 

area. 

Noxious Weeds 

Noxious weed and non-native, invasive species are 

well-established and spreading rapidly in the Boulder/Jefferson City TPA. The primary noxious weeds in 

this area are Dalmatian toadflax, spotted knapweed, 

whitetop, houndstongue, and Canada thistle. Non-native 

invasive species found include musk thistle, common 

mullein, and black henbane. The spread of weeds on 

BLM lands is particularly apparent where surface soils 

or native vegetation are disturbed. Some of the major 

disturbance factors on BLM lands are construction of 

roads and OHV travel. A substantial number of infestations occur adjacent to roads, power lines, streams, 

ditches, and canals indicating that primary carriers of 

weed seed are vehicles and water. Ground-based activities, particularly those involving motor vehicles or 

equipment, disturb surface soils which has the effect of 

preparing a receptive seed bed for these pioneering 

weed species. 

Soils 

Soils in this area are derived mainly from granite. Granite soils are more erosive and less stable than soils derived from other rocks. They are mainly cobbly sandy 

loams and loamy sand textures. 

Summary Public Scoping Comments 

A public scoping meeting was conducted for the Boulder Jefferson City TPA on November 16, 2004. The 

meeting was attended by six local residents. Most of the 

comments received during the meeting focused on Big 

Game hunting and winter sports (snowmobile) access. 

There were no comments or discussion regarding conflicts (either existing or potential) between motorized 

and non-motorized recreation, including winter sports 

activities. Other issues and concerns discussed during 

the meeting included: 

• Interagency Coordination – Maintain interagency 

connectivity and coordination with USFS and other 

adjacent agencies, especially regarding winter 

snowmobile. 

• Enforcement – Proactive law enforcement, increased uniformed patrols by BLM staff to ensure 

compliance with completed travel plan. 

Upper Big Hole River Travel Planning 

Area 

The Upper Big Hole River TPA is a relatively long, 

narrow shaped area (approximately 60 by 18 miles) 

located in the southwest portion of the Butte Field Office. This 357,275-acre TPA contains approximately 

63,108 acres of BLM land. It includes BLM lands located along the north and south banks of the Upper Big 

Hole River as well as a large contiguous section located 

east of Interstate-15, near the town of Divide. A large 

contiguous portion extends south from Divide to the 

town of Melrose and includes the Humbug Spires 

Primitive Area. There are approximately 165 miles of 

BLM roads, making up about 12.6 percent of the approximate total of 1,309 road miles in the TPA. The 

majority of roads lie on private (540 miles) and Forest 

Service (459 miles) lands. 

The western boundary of the Upper Big Hole River 

TPA is located approximately 10 miles east of the town 

of Wisdom, at the Deer Lodge/Beaverhead county line. 

From the western boundary, the TPA extends east for 

32 miles to the town of Divide (near Interstate-15), and 

then easterly for an additional 28 miles, terminating at 

the common Jefferson/Silver Bow/Madison County 

boundary line. At its widest point (adjacent to I-15), the 

TPA extends south for approximately 18 miles, from 

the Feely Hill/I-15 exit to the town of Melrose. Maps 

22 through 25 depict the Upper Big Hole River TPA. 

Weather patterns for the lower elevations are similar to 

those for Butte, Montana (elevation 5,549 feet). January 

has average temperatures of 28.4 degrees Fahrenheit for 

a high, and 4.2 degrees Fahrenheit for a low while July 

has average temperatures of 80 degrees Fahrenheit for 

highs, and 45 degrees for lows. Average annual precipitation is approximately 12 inches, with average annual 

cumulative snowfall 20 inches. 

Annual precipitation levels for the higher elevations 

range from 20 to 30 inches, with annual snowfall averaging 36 to 60 inches. 

The majority of the area is characterized by moderate 

(25 to 30 percent) to steep (50 percent) slopes, particularly along the Big Hole River corridor. Elevations (for 

BLM lands) range from approximately 5,200 to 7,200 

feet. Upper to mid elevation north and east facing 

slopes are vegetated with sub-alpine fir, Douglas fir, 

spruce, and scattered aspen groves. Upper to mid-south 

facing slopes are vegetated with lodgepole pine. Low 

elevation, west and south facing slopes are vegetated 

with sagebrush, lodge pole pine and occasional junipers. Vegetation along the Big Hole River corridor 

consists of sagebrush, willow, occasional cottonwood 

trees, and native grasses. 

284 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Travel Management 

Existing Land Use 

Recreation 

Recreation use is well established in the Upper Big 

Hole River TPA, with fishing and big game hunting 

topping the list. The Big Hole River is one of Montana’s finest trout streams, and has gained national 

recognition as a premiere fly fishing destination point. 

From late May until the middle of June, fly-fisherman 

from all over the country come to the Big Hole for its 

“Salmon fly” hatch. The hatch begins around Twin 

Bridges and moves upstream as far as the East Bank 

Recreation site. The hatch moves 3 to 5 miles a day. 

The Big Hole River is the only river in the lower 48 

states to host a large population of Arctic Grayling. The 

Big Hole hosts rainbow, brown, cutthroat, and brook 

trout. Rocky Mountain whitefish are also present. 

Big game hunting is also well established in the Upper 

Big Hole TPA. The area receives use by local as well as 

non-resident hunters. Big game species include elk, 

mule deer, whitetail, antelope, black bear, mountain 

lion, and moose. 

Other known recreational activities include: hiking, 

horseback riding, auto/OHV touring, upland game bird 

hunting, canoeing, kayaking, rock-hounding, gold panning, wildlife observation, and rock climbing (Humbug 

Spires). 

A drive along the Big Hole River, from Divide west to 

Wisdom, and from Divide south to Twin Bridges, illustrates the importance of the Upper Big Hole to the regional economy. A number of motels, rental cabins, 

private/public campgrounds, restaurants, and outfitter 

and guide businesses are located along the river. A 

larger number of motels, sporting good stores, and 

outfitter and guide businesses located in the surrounding communities of Butte, Anaconda, and Dillon benefit directly from the Big Hole River as well. 

This TPA contains 12 developed recreation sites (Divide Bridge CG, Sawmill Gulch TH, Divide Bridge 

Day Use, Titan Gulch, Jerry Creek Bridge, Dickie 

Bridge, Bryant Creek, East Bank, Sawlog Gulch, Pintlar Creek, Maiden Rock East, and Moose Creek TH) 

and two Special Recreation Management Areas (Upper 

Big Hole River and Humbug Spires). All remaining 

lands within the TPA are managed as part of the Butte 

FO Extensive Recreation Management Area. 

Existing and potential Special Designations include 

Humbug Spires WSA, the Upper Big Hole eligible 

WSR, and the Humbug Spires potential ACEC. 

Mineral/Energy Development 

The Highland Mountains experienced both early placer 

production and later free-milling ore from lode mines 

producing gold silver copper, lead, and zinc. Rich ores 

were worked locally in arrastres or stamp mills or were 

shipped to local mills. Most production was recorded 

up to about 1937. 

Moose Creek, Upper Camp Creek, and Soap Gulch 

each contained enough mineralization to classify as 

their own districts. Placer gold was worked intermittently but lack of high enough grades and sufficient 

water inhibited larger scale production. None of these 

areas carried sufficient grade or tonnage to yield larger 

scale profitable mines and production did not carry past 

the late 1930s. 

Recent exploration has focused on placer deposits near 

the mouth of Soap Gulch and large scale targets for 

lead/zinc in the upper reaches of the drainage. A decorative slate operation is presently permitted in Soap 

Gulch. Phosphate from the Phosphoria Formation was 

produced on a larger scale in the area, and activity and 

interest have continued until recently. 

Much of this area is strongly mineralized and may 

continue to see exploration and possible development in 

the future as commodity demands change over time. 

Range Management 

There are 42 grazing allotments in the Upper Big Hole 

TPA. The largest allotments are the Camp Creek Jerry 

Creek, and Copp-Jackson allotments. Due to the extended drought conditions, the amount of active grazing 

use has been reduced in the last 4 to 5 years. Grazing 

use may increase if wetter climate conditions return. 

Forest Management 

Approximately 30,000 acres of inventoried forest land 

that are managed by the Butte Field Office are located 

in the Upper Big Hole TPA. The general character of 

the vegetation is forested with large areas of cool, moist 

conifer and sub-alpine fir zones. The lower elevations 

and south facing slopes north of the Big Hole River are 

dominated by the dry conifer zone, mountain shrubs, or 

open grassy slopes. These are some of the most productive forest lands in the Butte Field Office. The forest 

stands are mainly second growth, having been heavily 

affected by harvesting and use starting with area settlement in the late 19th century and continuing through the 

present. There are few old growth stands and large 

wildfire events have not occurred since 1910. Most 

stands are considered to be commercial forest and have 

few current limitations or restrictions as to the silvicultural practices and treatment techniques that may be 

utilized for forest management. Exceptions occur in the 

Humbug Spires WSA which is managed under nonimpairment guidelines for lands under wilderness review, and the forested areas in close proximity to the 

Big Hole River and the nearby recreational developments where visual characteristics are important considerations in all management activities and vegetation 

treatments. The lands south of the Big Hole River are 

located in the Pioneer Mountain Landscape, where the 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 285 
Chapter 3 

joint landscape analysis was completed with the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in 1998. 

Cultural/Historic 

Cultural resources in the Upper Big Hole River valley 

reflect all of the ways of life that have been used since 

people have lived in Montana. Prehistoric Native 

American hunting sites and living areas are as old as 

10,000 years. The most well-known resource in the area 

is the Nez Perce Trail, the path taken by Chief Josef and 

the Nez Perce tribe as they engaged the US Army in 

1877. The formally recognized trail does not include 

land in the Butte Field Office management unit, but the 

Big Hole River provided a means of escape for the 

warriors and their families. There are tool material sites, 

rock features, shelters and various living areas that 

served a number of uses before the arrival of Europeans. After their arrival, site types diversified to include 

European activities – mostly related to mining and 

ranching. 

Important Resource Issues 

Wildlife 

This TPA provides a diversity of habitat from low elevation grasslands/shrublands to high elevation cool, 

moist forests. Upper Big Hole Travel Planning area is 

the “Crown Jewel” of wildlife habitat in the Butte Field 

Office. The TPA consists of a wide variety of vegetation that provide habitat for a multitude of wildlife 

species. 

Forests in the TPA provide habitat for species including 

but not limited to; elk, moose, mule deer, coyote, red 

fox, bobcat, cougar, black bear, mountain lion, pine 

marten, river otter, beaver, snowshoe hare, mountain 

cottontail, marmot, flying squirrel, red squirrel, longtailed weasel and other small mammals. 

Forested lands in the eastern portion of the Travel Plan 

area, including the Moose Creek drainage, provide a 

transition zone from lower elevation winter range to 

higher elevation wet forest type used by black bear, 

lynx, gray wolf, beaver, mink, coyote, and other forest 

associated species. 

Grasslands and sagebrush within the TPA provide habitat for elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, bighorn 

sheep, coyote, red fox, badger, mountain cottontail, 

ground squirrels, and other small mammals. To the east, 

the Soap Gulch and Camp Creek drainages are dominated by grassland and sagebrush that provide important habitat for grassland species and sagebrush obligates including species such as sage grouse and sage 

thrasher. Other BLM sensitive species found in these 

habitat types include; long-billed curlews, brewer’s 

sparrows, Swainson’s hawk, and golden eagle. 

The TPA provides habitat for a diversity of forest and 

grassland bird species including but not limited to; 

pileated, hairy and downy woodpeckers, Cooper’s 

hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, red-tailed hawk, greathorned owl, blue grouse, hairy and downy woodpeckers, dusky flycatcher, pine siskin, western tanager, 

black-capped chickadee, red-breasted nuthatch, mountain bluebird and chipping sparrow, Townsend’s solitaire, dark-eyed junco, Cassin’s finch, pine siskin, red 

crossbill, western meadowlark, Swainson’s hawk, redtailed hawk, horned lark, mountain bluebird and chipping sparrow. 

BLM lands in the Big Hole Valley provide critical elk 

and mule deer winter range as well as calving habitat. 

BLM lands are within the transition zone between 

grassland/shrubland and forested habitats and provide 

the essential habitat requirements for big game. 

The eastern portion of the Travel Plan area also provides critical winter range for elk and mule deer as well 

as year round habitat for bighorn sheep. 

Nearly the entire TPA is within core or subcore habitat. 

The Big Hole Valley provides a critical link from north 

to south and the east half of the Travel Plan area provides a corridor from the Highland Mountains to the 

Pintler/Pioneer Mountains. This corridor also provides 

for local daily movements and seasonal movements 

between higher elevation summer range along the Continental Divide and lower elevation winter range. 

There are more known sightings of threatened, endangered and BLM sensitive species in this TPA than in 

any other area in the Field Office. Known sensitive 

species to occur in the Planning Area include; arctic 

grayling, westslope cutthroat trout, boreal owl, boreal 

toad, spotted frog, tailed frog, wolverine, northern goshawk, pygmy rabbit, great gray owl, flammulated owl, 

4 different bat species, fisher, sage grouse, sage 

thrasher, pileated woodpecker, golden eagle, Brewer’s 

sparrow and long-billed curlew. 

Threatened or endangered species know to occur in the 

Planning Area include; Canada lynx, gray wolf, grizzly 

bear, and the bald eagle. 

The higher cool, moist forest in the Travel Plan area 

provides habitat for the Canada lynx. Dry, mature 

Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine forest types at lower 

elevations provide habitat for the northern goshawk. 

Almost all the known nest sites for the northern goshawk in the Butte Field Office occur in the Big Hole 

watershed. 

The Upper Big Hole Valley has the northern most 

known population of pygmy rabbits. 

Although the Planning area is not within a designated 

recovery or distribution zone for grizzly bear, the entire 

western half of the TPA, is considered to be high quality habitat for grizzly bear and sightings of grizzly bears 

often occur. 

The entire TPA is habitat for the gray wolf. The eastern 

portion of the TPA is within the Yellowstone Non286 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Travel Management 

essential Experimental Population area and the rest of 

the Big Hole Valley is within the Central Idaho Nonessential Experimental Population area. 

Aquatics/Fisheries 

The Big Hole River is a world renowned trout fishery 

and is one of only a few free flowing rivers left in the 

west. The lower Big Hole is classified as a Blue Ribbon 

fishery and hosts rainbow, brown, westslope cutthroat 

and brook trout. Rocky Mountain whitefish are also 

present. The river is refuge for the last wild population 

of fluvial Arctic grayling, a trout species now limited to 

the Big Hole River in the lower 48 states. 

There are approximately 223 miles of perennial streams 

and 276 miles of fish bearing streams on all land ownerships in the TPA. Fish species found in the TPA include non-native brook, brown, rainbow trout, stocked 

Yellowstone trout and common carp. Native fish found 

in the TPA include; white sucker, longnose sucker, 

burbot, arctic grayling, westslope cutthroat trout, and 

mottled sculpin. 

On BLM lands, there are approximately 41 miles of 

perennial stream, 19 miles of fish bearing stream and 31 

miles of intermittent stream. Fish species found in the 

TPA include non-native brook, brown, rainbow trout, 

common carp and stocked Yellowstone cutthroat trout. 

Native fish found on BLM managed lands in the TPA 

include; white sucker, longnose sucker, burbot, arctic 

grayling, westslope cutthroat trout, and mottled sculpin. 

As of 2003, there were 45 conservation populations of 

westslope cutthroat trout inhabiting 167 miles of stream 

within the Big Hole watershed. Almost all stream segments occupied by westslope cutthroat trout that 

showed no genetic introgression were classified as 

conservation populations. 

In the Upper Big Hole TPA, there are 15 streams on 

BLM lands with westslope cutthroat trout and westslope cutthroat trout are found in approximately 19 

miles of stream. Genetic testing has been conducted on 

cutthroat trout from eight streams and westslope cutthroat trout from Bear Creek and Fish Creek were 

found to 100 percent genetically pure. 

Arctic grayling were once widespread in the Missouri 

River drainage upstream of Great Falls. During the 20th 

century, the range of fluvial grayling became restricted 

to the Big Hole River, which represents about four 

percent of its native range. The Montana Fluvial Arctic 

Grayling Restoration Plan was developed to recover 

fluvial Arctic grayling with the goal of at least five 

stable, viable populations distributed throughout at least 

three of the major river drainages within the historic 

range of Montana grayling. Reasons for decline of 

arctic grayling include; competition from non-native 

salmonids, overfishing, habitat degradation, drought, 

stream dewatering and irrigation diversions. 

In the entire TPA, there are seven streams with arctic 

grayling and grayling are found in approximately 73 

miles of stream. 

On the Decision Area, arctic grayling are found within 

three streams in the TPA, Big Hole River, Deep Creek, 

and LaMarche Creek. Arctic grayling are found within 

approximately 4.4 miles of stream on BLM lands. 

In 1994, stretches of the river reached alarmingly low 

levels as drought conditions parched the region and 

irrigators diverted water for cattle and hay fields. That 

same year, the USFWS decided that protection of the 

grayling was "warranted but precluded" under the Endangered Species Act. The river was also being considered by the Montana Department of Natural Resources 

and Conservation under a statute that called for identifying "chronically de-watered" rivers in the state. Such 

a designation would have meant installing measuring 

devices on all water diversions from the main stem of 

the river. The State of Montana precluded listing on the 

idea that cooperative efforts from local irrigators were 

needed to increase stream flows to 60 cubic feet per 

second (cfs). Ensuring a minimum in-stream flow for 

the long term is necessary to protect a self-sustaining, 

healthy population of Arctic grayling. 

In 2004, the federal Natural Resources Conservation 

Service offered ranchers payment for not irrigating their 

hay meadows and pastures. The goal was to leave more 

water in the Upper Big Hole to aid in the survival of 

stream living grayling. During this year, the water level 

rose from 30 cfs to 159 cfs after irrigation stopped. 

Water Resources 

Montana's Big Hole River winds through the mountain 

ranges, steep canyons and rolling sagebrush prairie 

south of Butte. This un-dammed river runs over 150 

miles from its headwaters above Jackson, elevation 

7,340 feet, to its confluence with the Beaverhead and 

Ruby Rivers in Twin Bridges, where they form the 

Jefferson River at an elevation of 4,600 feet. 

Although the Big Hole watershed encompasses nearly 

1.8 million acres, only about 2,000 people live in the 

area, many of them making their living by ranching and 

hay farming. Other uses for land within the watershed 

basin include tourism, recreation, and outfitting. The 

Big Hole River is also a water source for the city of 

Butte. 

Approximately 419,946 acres of the Big Hole watershed are within the Butte Field Office with 61,236 acres 

(15 percent) managed by BLM, 209,147 acres (50 percent) of USFS lands, 46,074 acres (11 percent) state 

lands, and 103,489 acres (25 percent) of private lands. 

Thirty-six water bodies in the Big Hole Watershed are 

on the draft MDEQ 303(d) list for a wide range of reasons including, but not limited to, metals contamination, flow alteration, habitat alteration, siltation, and 

streambank destabilization. Approximately 26.6 miles 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 287 
Chapter 3 

of streams listed as impaired flow through BLM lands 

in this TPA. 

Riparian 

The Upper Big Hole River TPA includes approximately 

90 miles of riparian areas divided into 137 riparian 

reaches on BLM land. Some of the reaches were affected by historical mining, logging, and grazing regimes. Current condition ratings on these reaches include 50.2 miles in Proper Functioning Condition, 36.8 

miles Functioning-At-Risk condition, and 1.5 miles in 

non-functioning condition. Trends on most reaches are 

upward or static. 

Currently, the roads and trails having the biggest 

impacts on riparian conditions in this TPA are the roads 

along Camp Creek, Soap Gulch, McLean Creek, Moose 

Creek, Bear Creek, Sawlog Gulch, and Charcoal Gulch. 

Mitigation work has been conducted on all of these 

roads; however they all affect stream channels and 

sediment delivery to some degree. 

Sensitive Plants 

Three BLM sensitive plant species—Lemhi beardtongue (Penstemon lemhiensis, Sapphire rockcress 

(Arabis fecunda), and Idaho sedge (Carex idahoa)— 

are known to occur within the Upper Big Hole River 

TPA. 

Noxious Weeds 

The primary noxious weeds in the Upper Big Hole 

River TPA are spotted knapweed, leafy spurge, yellow 

toadflax, Dalmatian toadflax, houndstongue, and Canada thistle. Small, isolated infestations of oxeye daisy 

and diffuse knapweed have been observed. Some undesirable, invasive species found include common mullein, black henbane, and musk thistle. 

Soil 

Soils are derived mainly from three types of parent 

material, Limestone, Granite and mixed materials, 

mostly argillites. Limestone soils are the least erosive 

and the most stable. They are mainly very gravelly 

loams. Granite soils are the most erosive and least stable and are mainly cobbly sandy loams. Soils from 

mixed parent materials (argillites) are intermediate in 

erosiveness and stability between limestone soils and 

soils from mixed parent material. 

Summary Public Scoping Comments 

A public scoping meeting was held for the Upper Big 

Hole TPA on November 15, 2004. The meeting was 

attended by four local residents. The majority of comments received concerned the adverse effects of motorized use on big game hunting. Several comments were 

made expressing concern over “too much motorized 

access”, and advocated reducing road density by closing redundant roads/trails, as well as designating specific non-motorized walk-in hunting areas. None of the 

comments received advocated increasing motorized 

use. The overall tone of the comments was to maintain 

the “primitive” character of the Upper Big Hole River 

corridor and adjacent lands. Other issues and concerns 

discussed during the meeting included: 

• Interagency Coordination – Maintain interagency 

connectivity and coordination with USFS and other 

adjacent agencies. 

• Enforcement - Proactive law enforcement, increased uniformed patrols by BLM staff to ensure 

compliance with completed travel plan. 

• Maps/Signs - Provide quality travel plan maps and 

designated route signs. 

• Public Access- Seek public access (easements) to 

Alder Creek and Tie Creek. 

LANDS AND REALTY 

The Butte Field Office (BFO) Lands and Realty program is responsible for management of land use authorizations including right-of-way grants, road use 

agreements, land use permits, leases, and easements; 

land ownership adjustments including land acquisition, 

disposal, exchange, transfer, and donation; access to 

BLM land; land withdrawals; and unauthorized use 

including trespass identification and abatement. The 

Lands and Realty program supports other BFO resource 

management programs and occasionally those of local, 

state, and other federal agencies. BLM land with unique 

or special values can be designated for specific purposes such as recreation development, and for cultural, 

historic, or other resource value protection. BLM can 

provide land for community expansion through public 

sale or exchange. BLM can also provide land for recreation and public purpose uses. Examples include, but 

are not limited to schools, community buildings, municipal/law enforcement facilities, hospitals, fire stations, parks, and recreation sites. 

The 1984 Headwaters RMP encompassed 311,337 

surface acres and 655,505 acres of federal mineral 

estate located in nine counties in west-central Montana 

including Broadwater, Cascade, Gallatin, Jefferson, 

Lewis and Clark, Meagher, Park, Pondera, and Teton 

(USDI-BLM 1984a). 

In April 1993, District Office (Field Office) jurisdictional boundaries were adjusted. The BFO now has the 

management responsibilities for eight counties: Broadwater, Deer Lodge, Gallatin, Jefferson, Lewis and Clark 

(southern portion), Park, Silver Bow, and a portion of 

Beaverhead County along the Big Hole River (AMS 

Figures 2-27a, 2-27b, and 2-27c). 

Most of the BLM land (89 percent) is located in four 

counties, Broadwater, Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, and 

Silver Bow (Table 3-26). Most of the producing agricultural land in the resource area was patented under 

homestead laws, most known mineral land was patented 

288 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Renewable Energy 

under mining laws, and most of the forested land was 

withdrawn for administration by the USFS. 

Some large blocks of BLM land still exist, but in general, historic disposal policies have resulted in a scattered land ownership pattern. Some of the BLM land 

consists of isolated tracts surrounded by private land or 

the tracts are situated next to National Forest Land. It is 

common to find very small BLM parcels among patented mining claims. 

Table 3-26 

Public Land by County in the Decision Area 

County Acres 

Broadwater 65,404 

Deer Lodge 5,227 

Gallatin 7,250 

Jefferson 94,397 

Lewis and Clark (southern portion) 63,510 

Park 8,365 

Silver Bow 45,221 

Beaverhead (portion along Big Hole River) 12,660 

Total Acreage 302,034 

Land Use Authorizations 

The BFO analyzes requests for land use authorizations 

on a case-by-case basis and through the environmental 

review process, and applies mitigation measures and 

Best Management Practices. 

Land use authorizations on BLM land include right-ofway grants; road use agreements; temporary use permits under several different authorities; leases, permits 

under Section 302 of FLPMA; airport leases under the 

Act of May 24, 1928; and Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act leases. For the purposes of this planning effort, R&PP patent transfers, unlike R&PP leases, 

are considered “land ownership adjustments” and are 

covered below under that heading. 

The BFO administers approximately 554 rights-of-way, 

which encumber over 40,837 acres of BLM land 

(USDI-BLM 2004d). These existing grants are for a 

myriad of different facilities and are held by private 

individuals and groups as well as various business and 

government entities. Rights-of-way for roads, telephone 

lines, electric transmission lines, and pipelines constitute a major portion of existing land uses and requests 

for new authorizations. Various types of road rights-ofway are the most common types, accounting for 53 

percent or over half of the total number of grants. Examples of additional types of rights-of-way facilities 

authorized within the Decision Area (DA) include water pipelines, communication sites, ditches, railroads, 

material sites, fiber optic lines, and a Montana Army 

National Guard training site. The BFO processes approximately 10 to 15 right-of-way actions annually. 

These include right-of-way applications for new facilities as well as amendments, assignments, renewals, or 

relinquishments of existing right-of-way grants. Communication Sites and Utility Corridors are discussed 

below in a subsequent section. 

The BFO administers seven FLPMA Section 302 leases 

involving about 910 acres of BLM land. This includes 

904.91 acres at Great Divide Ski Area and 3.9 acres at 

Holter Lake Lodge under commercial occupancy lease, 

and a total of 1.39 acres for five occupancy leases. 

There are no permits or easements under Section 302 of 

FLPMA or airport leases located within the DA. One 

R&PP lease has been issued under Section 212 of 

FLPMA to the Last Chance Handgunners involving 

39.1 acres (USDI-BLM 2004j). R&PP patent transfers 

are discussed below under the section Land Ownership 

Adjustment. 

One of the larger tracts of BLM land, approximately 

20,000 acres in the Limestone Hills west of Townsend, 

is utilized under a right-of-way grant to the Montana 

Army National Guard for military training purposes 

(USDI-BLM 1984c). The 30-year right-of-way was 

granted in 1984 and expires in 2014. Eighty-eight percent of the land in the training area is administered by 

the BLM, with the remainder under state and private 

ownership (USDI-BLM 2004e). Military training over 

the years has resulted in unexploded ordnance (UXO) 

contamination, particularly within the interior 5,000­

acre impact area. Based on BLM policy, the BFO implemented an emergency closure on the impact area. 

The Montana Army National Guard was also advised 

that its right-of-way for the range would not be renewed 

upon expiration in 2014, and the only way to assure its 

continued use of the area was through a military withdrawal. In September 2003, the Department of the 

Army announced its intent to prepare a legislative EIS 

for the withdrawal of the approximately 20,000 acres of 

BLM land that support training exercises at the Limestone Hills Training Area. 

RENEWABLE ENERGY 

Renewable energy includes solar power, wind, biomass, 

and geothermal resources. As demand has increased for 

clean and viable energy to power the nation, consideration of renewable energy sources available on public 

lands has come to the forefront of land management 

planning. 

In cooperation with the National Renewable Energy 

Laboratory (NREL), the BLM assessed renewable 

energy resources on public lands in the western United 

States (BLM and DOE 2003). The assessment reviewed 

the potential for concentrated solar power, photovoltaic, 

wind biomass, and geothermal energy on BLM, BIA, 

and Forest Service lands in the west. Hydropower was 

not addressed in the BLM/NREL report. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 289 
Chapter 3 

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP): This technology 

uses sunlight concentrated on a single point to generate 

power. The BLM/NREL study indicates that the potential for this type of renewable energy lies primarily in 

states to the south and southwest of Montana. No BLM 

lands within the DA were identified as having potential 

for this type of energy source. In keeping with this 

assessment, the BFO has not had any expressions of 

interest in developing CSP facilities on public lands. 

Photovoltaics (PV): Photovolaics technology makes 

use of semiconductors in PV panels (modules) to convert sunlight directly into electricity. The BLM/NREL 

study did not identify the BFO as one of the top 25 PAs 

for PV potential. To date, the BFO has not authorized 

any PV facilities strictly for commercial power production, nor has any interest been expressed by industry in 

developing such facilities on BLM lands. 

Wind Resources: Wind power classes range from one 

(lowest) to seven (highest). BLM-managed lands in 

approximately 13 percent of the DA are Class 3 and 

higher. The BLM/NREL study did not identify the BFO 

as one of the top 25 PAs for wind energy potential The 

Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on 

Wind Energy Development on BLM-Administered 

Lands in the Western United States (BLM 2004b) categorizes BLM-administered lands into areas having low, 

medium, or high potential for wind energy development 

from 2005 through 2025, on the basis of their wind 

power classification. Wind resources in Class 3 and 

higher could be developed economically with current 

technology over the next 20 years. Class 3 resources 

have medium potential; resources in Classes 4 and 

higher have high potential. The Programmatic EIS 

identifies scattered public land parcels in the DA with 

medium or high wind resource potential that might be 

developed economically with current technology. Map 

40 shows lands within the DA with Class 3 or higher 

wind power potential. 

Two sites in the BFO have been seriously considered 

for development by the private sector. One is on BLM 

lands south of Interstate 90 at Livingston, where a previous wind power project was located in the 1980s 

(Map 40). Park County has turbines on private land 

next to BLM at this location. The other site is at the 

Golden Sunlight Mine at Whitehall. Wind data is being 

collected there under a BLM permit at the present time. 

Guidelines from the Wind Energy Development Programmatic EIS (ROD signed December 2005) would be 

used when considering wind energy projects on BLM 

land. 

Biomass: The BLM/NREL study identified the BFO as 

one of the top 25 BLM planning units having high 

potential for biomass resources. However to date, utilization of small diameter forest material has been sporadic at best to non-existent. This is due to long haul 

distances to pulp facilities and low return pulp markets. 

Some of this material is used through personal use 

firewood permits. Utilization of this material for biomass related energy production has not been a factor. 

No such facility exists in this region. Use of small diameter wood products or residue is currently encouraged when possible. 

Geothermal: Geothermal resources are addressed 

under the Energy Minerals-Fluid Leasable Minerals 

section through the RMP. 

The BFO has received inquiries from several individuals and companies regarding renewable energy projects. 

One of the primary limiting factors in site selection is 

access to power transmission interconnects, as well as 

acquisition of permits and power purchase agreements 

between the producer and owner of the power lines. 

Land Ownership Adjustment 

Land ownership adjustment refers to those actions that 

result in the disposal of BLM land and/or the acquisition of non-federal land or interest in land. 

Current planning guidance with respect to land ownership is provided by the 1984 Headwaters RMP and the 

1979 Dillon MFP. Further and more specific guidance 

was provided by the “Land Pattern Review and Land 

Adjustment, Supplement to the State Director Guidance 

for Resource Management Planning in Montana and the 

Dakotas, 1984” (USDI-BLM 1984b). This guidance 

was later amended by the 1989 State Director’s guidance pertaining to access (see the Access section below). This direction established land exchange as the 

predominant method of land ownership adjustment. It 

also established retention, disposal, and acquisition 

criteria to be used in categorizing public land. Criteria 

in the supplement were used to identify retention and 

disposal zones within the DA. 

There are approximately 280,000 acres (80 percent) of 

BLM land located within retention zones in the DA. 

These retention zones typically include the better 

blocked BLM lands that meet retention criteria. Although land in retention zones can be disposed of when 

significant public benefits are realized, the goal, generally, is to retain or enhance BLM land holdings within 

these zones. Land outside these retention zones is generally available for the full range of land ownership 

adjustment opportunities – including retention, exchange, sale, or transfer. Land ownership adjustment 

proposals in the DA are analyzed in project specific 

reviews using the aforementioned guidance. 

The primary means of land ownership adjustment 

within the DA has been through exchange. Thirteen 

exchanges affecting BLM land and/or non-federal land 

within the PA have been completed since the implementation of the Headwaters RMP in July 1984. 

Table 3-27 lists land ownership adjustment actions for 

the PA since the approval of the Headwaters RMP in 

July 1984. 

290 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Renewable Energy 

Table 3-27 

Land Ownership Adjustment Actions Since July 

1984 in the Decision Area 

Type of Action Number of 

Actions 

Acres 

Disposed 

Acres 

Acquired 

Public Sales 3 10 0 

Purchases 4 0 140 

LWCF Purchases 4 6,615 

Donations 8 0 2,352 

R&PP Patent 

transfers 5 1,168 0 

Land Exchanges 13 23,290 18,895 

Total Acres 24,468 28,002 

Note that acreages are approximate. 

The BFO has been using exchanges to improve public 

land ownership patterns by generally disposing of 

small, isolated tracts of BLM land with limited resource 

values and acquiring non-federal land with higher resource values adjacent to larger blocks of BLM land. 

Land in the DA has also been used in exchanges mandated by Congress for other agencies. During this same 

time period, the BFO completed four Land and Water 

Conservation Fund purchases: one in the Devil’s Elbow 

area, two associated with Crimson Bluffs, the McMasters Ranch, and one on the Ward Ranch near Hauser 

Lake. Eight donations to the government were also 

processed: three for recreation sites (White Sandy, Log 

Gulch, and Holter Dam), three during the acquisition of 

Ward Ranch, and two during the acquisition of the Iron 

Mask property. The BFO completed three land sales, 

one southeast of Mount Helena, one near Montana City, 

and one east of Holter Lake. 

The R&PP Act authorizes the issuance of a land patent, 

with reversionary provisions, for BLM land when it 

serves the public interest. The BFO completed five 

R&PP patent transfers since approval of the Headwaters RMP. 

These are: 

• 34.09 acres to the MFWP for a recreation site. 

• 40 acres in Lewis and Clark County for a sewage 

treatment area. 

• 71.62 acres to Jefferson County for a warehouse 

and storage area. 

• 400 acres to Broadwater County for a shooting 

range. 

• 622.38 acres to MFWP for expansion of the Beartooth State Wildlife Management Area. 

During this same time period, no lands have been conveyed for agricultural entries under the Desert Land Act 

or Carey Act, nor have any lands been conveyed for 

airport grants, Indian allotments, color-of-title actions, 

railroads, or state grants. 

Access 

For the purposes of this section, access refers to the 

physical ability and legal right of the public, agency 

personnel, and authorized users to reach public land. 

The lands and realty program primarily assists in the 

acquisition of easements to provide for legal access 

where other programs have identified a need. 

Access to BLM land is an issue of concern to both 

agency personnel and the public. The PA’s existing 

fragmented ownership pattern of BLM land, intermingled with private, state, and other Federal land, complicates the access situation. While the BFO has and is 

currently making progress in terms of improving access 

to public lands, there are still areas within the PA that 

lack legal access. Current planning guidance with respect to access is provided by the Headwaters RMP as 

supplemented by guidance prepared by the Montana 

State Office on access (USDI-BLM 1989). 

In accordance with guidance in this latter document, the 

BFO has been focusing its access acquisition efforts on: 

• Larger blocks of BLM land, which are designated 

for retention in BLM ownership. 

• Areas with important resource values. 

• Areas where public demand for access is high. 

• Areas with substantial BLM investments. 

Generally speaking, access is acquired from willing 

landowners on a case-by-case basis as needs or opportunities arise, using criteria and direction provided in 

the guidance referred to above. 

The BFO uses acquisition of road and trail easements as 

the primary means of obtaining legal access to public 

lands where it does not currently exist. There are three 

types of easements: exclusive easements, where the 

BLM acquires full public rights to the road in perpetuity and exclusively manages all other road uses; nonexclusive easements, where the BLM acquires only the 

right to use the road in perpetuity but does not control 

other uses; and temporary easements, where the BLM 

acquires the right to use the road for only a fixed period. 

Since 1984, the BFO has acquired 40 permanent exclusive easements, which provide legal access to BLM 

land for the U.S. and its assignees, licensees, permittees, and the general public. The BFO has acquired six 

permanent non-exclusive easements, which provide 

legal access to BLM land but usually do not include 

access for the general public. The BFO has also acquired 11 temporary easements, encroachment permits 

and easements or permanent easements for specific 

projects such as fences, livestock or water pipelines and 

troughs (USDI-BLM 2004d). 

Since the completion of the Headwaters RMP in 1984, 

the BFO has acquired access-related easements at the 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 291 
Chapter 3 

average rate of about four per year. When possible, 

emphasis for easement acquisition is on those roads or 

trails identified through a route analysis process. 

Most of the larger tracts of BLM land have legal public 

access via existing federal, state, and county road systems. Many smaller tracts of BLM land do not have 

legal access. In most cases, such parcels do not have 

resource values to justify public interest in acquiring 

access. Some small tracts of BLM along rivers serve as 

important public access points and require protection of 

existing legal access or acquisition of new legal access. 

Although used much less frequently than easement 

acquisition, the BFO uses land exchanges on occasion 

to acquire needed access to public lands. Access is 

typically just one of many benefits of these exchanges. 

The consolidation of BLM land ownership patterns by 

exchange has generally improved the access situation in 

the DA. When disposing of BLM parcels containing 

roads or trails necessary for access to other federal land, 

the BFO protects these access routes by reserving access rights in conveyance documents. 

Withdrawals 

A withdrawal is a formal action that sets aside, withholds, or reserves Federal lands by administrative order 

or statute for public purposes. The effect of a withdrawal is to accomplish one or more of the following: 

• Segregates (close) Federal land to the operation of 

all or some of the public land laws and / or mineral 

laws. 

• Transfers total or partial jurisdiction of Federal 

land between Federal agencies. 

• Dedicate BLM land for a specific public purpose. 

Withdrawals can be categorized into three major types 

including: 

• Congressional – legislative withdrawals made by 

Congress in the form of public laws. Examples include designation for wild and scenic rivers or wilderness. 

• Administrative – withdrawals made by the President, Secretary of the Interior, or other officers of 

the executive branch of the Federal Government. 

Examples include stock driveways, resource protection, and public water reserves. 

• Federal Power Act – power project withdrawals 

established under the Federal Power Act of June 

10, 1920. These withdrawals are automatically created upon the filing of an application for 

hydroelectric power development with the Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). 

Table 3-28 summarizes the specific types of withdrawals and approximate acres of public lands withdrawn. It 

should be noted that many of these withdrawals overlap 

so the total number of acres withdrawn is less than the 

sum of the acres shown in the table. The table does not 

include the withdrawals of the National Forest System 

land (other than administrative sites outside forest 

boundaries), and land where the Bureau of Reclamation 

and the US Army Corps of Engineers have total administration responsibilities. 

Table 3-28 

Existing Land Withdrawals in the Decision Area 

(May include a small area administered by the 

Bureau of Reclamation) 

Type of Withdrawal BLM Acres 

Withdrawn 

Power Site/Power Project 6,292 

Public Water Reserves 1,930 

Protective Withdrawals 261 

USFS Administrative Site 400 

Total Acreage 8,883 

BLM Recreation Sites: The BFO currently has one 

recreation site which is administratively withdrawn. 

Devil’s Elbow Recreation Site is withdrawn from surface disposal and mining, but not from mineral leasing. 

Public Water Reserves: These include a number of 

administrative withdrawal actions over the years for 

spring areas set aside for public use. These areas are 

scattered throughout the DA and are withdrawn from 

surface disposal and nonmetalliferous mining, but not 

from metalliferous mining and mineral leasing. 

BLM Protective Withdrawals: This includes 

administrative withdrawals on lands acquired for 

wetland, riparian, recreation, and wildlife values. These 

lands are generally withdrawn from surface disposal 

and mining, but not from mineral leasing. 

USFS Administrative Sites: These are administrative 

withdrawals for U.S. Forest Service administrative sites 

located outside Forest Service boundaries. 

Power Site Reserves and Classifications: There are 

numerous power site reserves and classifications within 

the DA. These are administrative withdrawals that 

protect water/power development potential. Generally 

speaking, these sites are withdrawn from surface disposal only. 

FERC Power Project: These withdrawals are administered by FERC. Lands included in an application for 

hydroelectric power development with FERC are automatically segregated from surface disposal. At the time 

FERC issues a license or preliminary permit, the lands 

are automatically closed to location and entry under the 

mining laws, but are still available for mineral leasing. 

The BFO considers requests for new withdrawals and 

withdrawal revocations, extensions, or modifications on 

a case-by-case basis. Existing withdrawals are reviewed 

on a case-by-case basis prior to the end of the withdrawal period or as otherwise required by law to deter292 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Communication Sites and Utility Corridors 

mine whether they should be extended, revoked, or 

modified. 

It should be noted that while BLM land classifications 

are not formal withdrawals, they are considered “de 

facto” withdrawals since most land classifications also 

segregate public lands from the operation of all or some 

of the public land laws and/or mineral laws. A BLM 

land classification accomplishes one of the following: 

• Determines if BLM land is suitable for certain 

types of entry (disposal or lease) under the public 

land laws (for example, R&PP Act leases and patents). 

• Determines if BLM land is suitable for retention 

for multiple-use management. 

Historically, much of the DA was under classification 

for retention for multiple-use pursuant to the Classification and Multiple Use Act (C&MU) of 1964. With the 

passage of FLPMA in 1976 and its direction that BLM 

lands generally be retained in public ownership, these 

C&MU classifications within the DA were deemed 

unnecessary and were terminated. 

Any new classification actions since the completion of 

the 1984 Headwaters RMP have been in response to 

R&PP Act lease or patent applications or sale actions. 

In September 2003, the Department of the Army announced its intent to prepare a legislative EIS for the 

withdrawal of approximately 20,000 acres of land that 

support training exercises at the Limestone Hills Training Area. The BFO is currently processing an application for the military withdrawal of 20,000 acres at the 

Limestone Hills Training Area and is a cooperating 

agency for the project EIS. A draft of the EIS is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2007. 

Unauthorized Use 

Trespass actions under the Lands and Realty program 

can be split into three separate categories. These include: 

• Unauthorized Use. 

• Unauthorized Occupancy. 

• Unauthorized Development. 

Unauthorized use refers to activities that do not appreciably alter the physical character of the public land or 

vegetative resources. Some examples of unauthorized 

use include the abandonment of property or trash, enclosures, and use of existing roads and trails for purposes that require a use fee or right-of-way. Unauthorized Occupancy refers to activities that result in full or 

part-time human occupancy or use. An example would 

be the construction, placement, occupancy, or assertion 

of ownership of a facility or structure (cabin, house, 

natural shelter, trailer, etc.). Unauthorized Development 

means an activity that physically alters the character of 

BLM land or vegetative resources. Examples include 

cultivation of public lands, road or trail construction or 

realignment, or unauthorized utility construction. 

The BFO attempts to abate trespass through prevention, 

detection, and resolution. In the Lands and Realty program, priority for resolving trespass in the DA is accorded to those newly discovered ongoing uses, developments, or occupancies where resource damage is 

occurring and needs to be halted to prevent further 

environmental degradation. Lesser priority is accorded 

to those historic trespass cases where little or no resource damage is occurring. Lands and Realty trespass 

cases in this latter category are resolved as time permits. 

COMMUNICATION SITES AND UTILITY 

CORRIDORS 

Twenty communication site rights-of-way occupying 

seven different communication site locations are authorized within the DA (AMS Figure 2-28 and Table 

3-29). 

Table 3-29 

Communication Sites and Locations in the DA 

Legal Description Communication Site (Principle Meridian, Montana) 

Boulder T.6N., R.4W., Sec. 19, SE1⁄4 NW1⁄4 

Bull Mountain T.2N., R.3W., Sec. 18, SW1⁄4 SE1⁄4 

Limestone Hills T.6N., R.1E., Sec. 20, NE1⁄4 NW1⁄4 

Montana City T.9N., R.3W., Sec. 25, W1⁄2 NW1⁄4 

Mount Belmont T.12N., R.6W., Sec. 34, Lot 9 

Toston T.4N., R.3E., Sec. 8, SE1⁄4 NW1⁄4 

Wickes/Boulder Hill T.7N., R.4E., Sec. 28, Lot 10 

Potential new users are encouraged to locate at the 

existing sites within existing facilities. Communication 

site plans exist for all seven sites. 

The DA is traversed by a number of rights-of-way that 

are authorized for utility uses. In accordance with the 

direction provided in the Headwaters RMP, attempts 

are made to group compatible right-of-way facilities 

where feasible. However, the BFO currently has no 

formally designated right-of way corridors. 

SPECIAL DESIGNATIONS 

Special designations include Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, Areas of Critical Environmental 

Concern, Research Natural Areas, Outstanding Natural 

Areas, National Recreation Areas, Back Country Byways, National Trails, watchable wildlife viewing sites, 

and Wild and Scenic Rivers. 

There are no Research Natural Areas, Outstanding 

Natural Areas), National Recreation Areas, Back CounButte Draft RMP/EIS 293 
Chapter 3 

try Byways, watchable wildlife viewing sites, or known 

caves of significance in the Decision Area. No rivers in 

the PA are currently managed under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. Indicators used to assess change 

to special designation areas are: 

• Changes to administrative designations: consider 

changes to the number and type of areas, access to 

areas, and location of areas. 

• Changes in availability of special areas in surrounding vicinity (outside Decision and PAs). 

AREAS OF CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL 

CONCERN 

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern are unique to 

the BLM. BLM regulations (43 CFR Part 1610) define 

an ACEC as an area “within the public lands where 

special management attention is required (when such 

areas are developed or used or where no development is 

required) to protect and prevent irreparable damage to 

important historic, cultural, or scenic values, fish and 

wildlife resources, or other natural systems or processes, or to protect life and safety from natural hazards.” While an ACEC may emphasize one or more 

unique resources, other existing multiple-use management can continue within an ACEC so long as the uses 

do not impair the values for which the ACEC was designated. 

Laws, Regulations and Policies 

Section 202(c)(3) of FLPMA mandates the BLM to 

give priority to the designation and protection of 

ACECs in the development and revision of land use 

plans. BLM Manual 1613 describes the process followed to nominate ACECs and screen areas for their 

suitability or ACEC designation. The BLM’s planning 

regulations (43 CFR 1610.7-2) establish the process and 

procedural requirements for designating ACECs in 

RMPs and RMP amendments. 

Existing ACECs 

The 11,679-acre Sleeping Giant ACEC is adjacent to 

the Holter Lake Recreation Area complex and is primarily comprised of the Sleeping Giant WSA and 

Sheep Creek WSA (AMS Figure 2-26). The area is 

characterized by the same values discussed in the Wilderness Study Area section above. 

NATIONAL TRAILS 

Portions of the Continental Divide National Scenic 

Trail and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail 

are in the Decision Area. About 226 miles of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail traverse the PA, 

less than three miles of which are located within the 

Decision Area. Approximately 210 miles of the Lewis 

and Clark National Historic Trail traverses the PA 

along the Missouri, Jefferson, Gallatin and Yellowstone 

Rivers, as well as a cross-county segment from Belgrade to Livingston. BLM manages about 34,000 acres 

of public land along this national trail in close cooperation with the public and other federal, state, and local 

agencies under the Missouri/Madison Comprehensive 

Recreation Plan. BLM provides multiple public interpretative services throughout this corridor including 

numerous site location signs, the self-guided Two 

Camp Vista facility on Hauser Lake and partnership 

contributions to the Gates-of-the Mountains kiosks on 

Holter Lake. 

WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS 

No rivers in the Decision Area are currently managed 

under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public 

Law 90-542, as amended; 16 USC 1271-2287). The 

Wild and Scenic River Act was enacted by Congress to 

provide a national policy for preserving and protecting 

selected rivers and river segments in their free-flowing 

condition for the benefit and enjoyment of present and 

future generations. Section 5(d)(1) of the Act directs 

federal agencies to consider potential wild and scenic 

rivers in their land and water planning processes. 

As part of the land use planning process for the Butte 

RMP, the BLM interdisciplinary team analyzed all river 

and stream segments in the PA that might be eligible 

for inclusion in the NWSRS. This included screening 

all PA rivers to identify those with BLM surface 

ownership. In addition, BLM coordinated with other 

federal and state river administering agencies and 

consulted applicable source listings such as the NPS 

Nationwide Rivers Inventory and the American Rivers 

Outstanding Rivers List. These initial screening and 

identification efforts resulted in a list of 164 rivers or 

river segments for further consideration in the inventory 

process. 

Additional review focused on whether these 164 

segments meet free-flowing criteria and contain any 

outstandingly remarkable values, as defined in the Wild 

and Scenic Rivers Act. Of the 164 river segments, four 

segments totaling 12 miles meet the eligibility criteria. 

These include segments on the Big Hole River, Missouri River, Moose Creek, and Muskrat Creek. 

Tentative classifications were assigned to each eligible 

segment as follows: Big Hole River – Recreational; 

Missouri River – Scenic; Moose Creek – Scenic; and 

Muskrat Creek – Scenic. See Map 32 and Appendix I 

– Wild and Scenic Rivers for additional information. 

WILDERNESS AREAS 

No BLM designated Wilderness Areas exist within the 

Decision Area. Portions of five Wilderness Areas administered by the USFS are located within the PA. 

WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS 

There are six existing Wilderness Study Areas in the 

Decision Area (AMS Figure 2-26 and Table 3-30). 

294 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Wilderness Study Areas 

Table 3-30 

Wilderness Study Areas 

Name Number Total Acres Acres Recommended 

for Wilderness 

Humbug Spires MT-ISA-003 11,320 9,648 

Sleeping Giant MT-075-111 6, 666 6,666 

Sheep Creek MT-075-11B 3,801 3,801 

Black Sage MT-075-115 5,917 5,917 

Elkhorn Tack-on MT-075-114 3,575 3,575 

Yellowstone River Island MT-07-133 69 69 

Under FLPMA, Congress directed BLM to inventory, 

study, and recommend public land under its administration for wilderness characteristics. All Decision Area 

lands were inventoried for wilderness characteristics; 

no new lands acquired since the last wilderness review 

contain lands with wilderness characteristics. Section 

603 of FLPMA requires the BLM to provide Congress 

with recommendations as to suitability or unsuitability 

of BLM Wilderness Study Areas (roadless areas greater 

than 5,000 acres and roadless islands) for Wilderness 

designation. Only Congress can ultimately decide 

which areas, if any, will be designated as Wilderness 

and added to the National Wilderness Preservation 

System. 

Sleeping Giant 

The Sleeping Giant WSA consists of 6,666 acres. It was 

originally established in 1981, removed from further 

wilderness consideration in 1982, reinstated as a WSA 

in 1985, and enlarged in 1988 (USDI-BLM 1991a). It 

has steep, irregular topography with elevations ranging 

from 3,600 to 6,800 feet and is adjacent to the Holter 

Lake Recreation Area complex. The Sleeping Giant 

formation is a well-known landmark visible from Helena. About half the area is forested. Seven miles of 

ridgeline hiking routes offer panoramic views of the 

Rocky Mountains. A portion of the Sleeping Giant area 

is part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. 

Several deteriorating structures near the river evoke the 

lifestyles of early settlers (USDI-BLM 1991a). 

The Wilderness suitability study recommended the 

Sleeping Giant for Wilderness designation (USDI-BLM 

1991a); this has been forwarded to Congress. This area 

is managed under the Interim Management Guidelines. 

Sheep Creek 

Sheep Creek, a 3,801-acre WSA established in 1988, is 

immediately west of and adjacent to the Sleeping Giant 

WSA. The two areas are separated by a power line and 

associated maintenance road. Sheep Creek is characterized by steep topography with elevations ranging from 

4,100 to 6,600 feet. About half the area is forested 

(USDI-BLM 1991a). The Wilderness suitability study 

recommended Sheep Creek for Wilderness designation 

(USDI-BLM 1991a). This WSA is being managed 

under the Interim Management Guidelines. 

Black Sage 

Black Sage is a 5,917-acre WSA established in 1981. 

All sides of the area are bordered by private land, and 

there is no legal public access. The area is characterized 

by rolling hills with elevations from 5,000 to 6,000 feet. 

Approximately 40 percent of the area is vegetated with 

juniper, mountain mahogany Douglas-fir and limber 

pine; the remainder is comprised of grasses and sagebrush. No perennial water sources occur in the area, and 

there are no dominant features except for a forested 

ridge face in the central portion of the area. The Wilderness suitability study and EIS recommended the area 

as unsuitable for Wilderness designation (USDI-BLM 

1986); this has been forwarded to Congress. This Wilderness Study Area is managed under the Interim Management Guidelines. 

Elkhorn Tack-on 

The Elkhorn Tack-on WSA was established in 1979. 

This WSA totals about 3,575 acres. The area is characterized by dense forests of lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir 

and ponderosa pine, three perennial streams and mountainous terrain (USDI-BLM et al. 1995). The BLM 

Elkhorn WSA is located immediately adjacent to the 

64,522-acre Elkhorn Inventoried Roadless Area that is 

administered by the USFS. Because the portion located 

on BLM land is less than 5,000 acres, it is considered to 

be a Section 202 (FLPMA) tack-on to the USFS area. A 

Wilderness suitability study has not been completed. 

The Elkhorn WSA is being managed under the Interim 

Management Guidelines. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 295 
Chapter 3 

Yellowstone River Island 

Established in 1981, the Yellowstone River Island 

WSA is comprised of 69 acres. The area is roughly 

circular and about two thirds of a mile in diameter; the 

surrounding river frontage is private. The island is a 

relatively flat sand and gravel bar that varies from zero 

to ten feet above the river’s low-flow level; the average 

elevation is 4,415 feet. The island’s outer portions consist of cut banks and alluvial deposits formed by a very 

active portion of the Yellowstone River and, consequently, are constantly subject to change. The majority 

of the river now flows north of the island, whereas 50 

years ago the majority flowed south. Vegetation is 

diverse and consists of dense pioneer shrubs (primarily 

willows) around the perimeter. The higher and more 

stable interior comprises about half of the island and is 

vegetated with cottonwood stands intermixed with 

open, grassy areas. There are several high-water channels within the WSA, some of which support marshy 

riparian vegetation. The Wilderness suitability study 

and EIS recommended the area as unsuitable for Wilderness designation (USDI-BLM 1986); this has been 

forwarded to Congress. The Yellowstone River Island 

WSA is being managed under the Interim Management 

Guidelines. There are no size requirements for islands. 

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC 

TRIBAL INTERESTS 

Indian Trust Resources are legal interests in assets held 

in trust by the federal government for federally recognized Indian tribes or nations or for individual Indians. 

Tribal treaties are negotiated contracts executed with 

the United States and are on essentially the same legal 

footing as treaties with foreign nations. Since the BLM 

manages portions of the ceded lands that are within the 

traditional use areas of the tribes, the BLM has a trust 

responsibility to provide the conditions necessary for 

Indian tribal members to satisfy their treaty rights and 

consider the potential impacts of BLM plans, projects, 

programs, or activities. Members of the tribes may 

exercise their hunting, fishing, and gathering rights on 

federal lands outside the boundaries of the reservation. 

Tribal members may also access and use places or 

resources that are important for religious or cultural 

reasons. Effective consultation and coordination with 

the tribes is necessary to identify any management 

issues with trust resources, treaty rights, or traditional 

or religious uses. 

PUBLIC SAFETY 

Abandoned Mine Lands 

Mine wastes from historic mine sites now considered to 

be abandoned mine lands are a threat to human health 

and the environment. Abandoned mines also contain 

hazardous mine openings (HMOs) and physical safety 

hazards associated with historic mine operations and 

unstable slopes. Heavy metals associated with mine 

waste may pose a risk to human recreational users and 

to terrestrial and aquatic environments. 

Old mine workings are found throughout Montana on 

land administered by BLM, USFS, and the State of 

Montana as well as on private land patented under the 

General Mining Law. Laws requiring the clean-up and 

proper closure of mines are relatively recent compared 

to this long history of mining law. 

AMLs are inactive or abandoned mines located on or 

near public land where the owner or operator cannot be 

established, have no financial assets, or cannot assist 

with the reclamation of these mine sites. Mine waste 

present at abandoned or inactive mine sites generally 

include waste rock, mill tailings, and chemicals. Mine 

waste produced from the extraction or beneficiation of 

ore is considered exempt from hazardous waste regulations. The reclamation or clean-up of AML sites is 

often the responsibility of public land management 

agencies if an owner or operator of the AML site can 

not be determined. 

The BLM began inventorying AML sites in 1993 and 

continues to inventory, assess, and add to the existing 

AML inventory data as new sites are identified. The 

AML inventory data is used to assist with the prioritization, funding, and continued reclamation of AML sites. 

AML sites identified in the inventory include those on 

or potentially impacting BLM lands and may range 

from small, insignificant sites to larger environmental 

or HMO sites. Some areas have not been inventoried 

and new HMOs are reported every year by BLM employees or the public. The BFO has reclaimed 11 abandoned mine sites considered to be a threat to human 

health and the environment because of water quality 

related issues on BLM lands since the beginning of the 

AML program in 1997. A total of 49 HMOs considered 

to be physical safety hazards have been reclaimed. 

Twenty-seven HMOs are presently being assessed, and 

51 are scheduled for reclamation over the next five 

years. It is expected that up to 100 HMOs with associated physical safety problems may need to be assessed 

and reclaimed in the Decision Area during the next 20 

years. 

Hazardous Materials 

Improper handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous 

material may pose a risk to recreational users and to 

terrestrial and aquatic environments (Table 3-31). Hazardous materials may legitimately be brought onto 

BLM land during weed control or resource development activities. The types of hazardous materials used 

for weed and insect control include herbicides and 

pesticides. The general types of hazardous materials 

that may be present during natural resource management include petroleum products (fuels and lubricants), 

solvents, surfactants, paints, explosives, batteries, acids, 

296 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Social and Economic Environment 

Table 3-31 

Activities and Associated Hazardous Materials 

Potential Hazard Examples 

Hazardous materials associated with historic and 

active mine operations 

Acid rock drainage; Chemicals associated with processing ore 

or used in laboratories (i.e., cyanide); Explosives such as 

dynamite, ammonium nitrate, caps, and boosters; Heavy 

metals; Asbestos 

Military operation Unexploded ordinances; Aircraft wreckage 

Illegal dumping Unauthorized landfills; Dumping of barrels or other containers with hazardous substances on public land 

Illegal activities Drug Labs; Wire burn sites 

Spillage of hazardous materials Materials spilled from overturned trucks or train cars 

Oil and gas activities Hydrogen sulfide gas; Oil spills 

Facilities on public land, either federal or private 

(under a right-of-way) Leaky underground storage tanks; Asbestos 

biocides, gases, antifreeze, and mineral products (mine 

waste, cement, and drilling materials). 

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC 

ENVIRONMENT 

The Butte FO manages lands distributed across eight 

contiguous counties. Potential social and economic 

effects associated with the draft RMP include changes 

in employment, income, and quality of life. These effects are likely to occur primarily in Jefferson, Broadwater, Lewis and Clark, and Silver Bow counties where 

the majority of PA lands are located. Although the 

effects are likely to be relatively small in Beaverhead, 

Deer Lodge, Gallatin, and Park counties, these counties 

are also included in the following discussion. 

The following sections present a general overview of 

the social and economic conditions of the eight study 

area counties and provide a baseline that the potential 

effects of the alternatives may be measured against. The 

discussion is organized into two main sections that 

address social conditions and economic conditions, 

respectively. 

Social Conditions 

Social Trends 

This section provides a brief overview of general social 

trends and changing attitudes toward public land management in western Montana. 

The population in the eight county study area increased 

by 17 percent in the 1990s, compared to a 13 percent 

increase statewide, with net in-migration accounting for 

72 percent of total growth in the study area counties. 

This is generally representative of the broader movement of people from urban areas to rural areas in western Montana that has been going on since the 1980s. In 

scenic areas, particularly those suitable for recreation, 

ranches are being sold for recreation uses or subdivided 

for homes. Some in-migrants buy smaller lots to ranch 

or farm but do not depend on economic return from the 

property as their primary source of income. Sometimes 

this in-migration has resulted in conflict between longtime rural residents and newcomers whose beliefs and 

values may challenge the existing way of life (USDIBLM 2004k). 

Social values associated with land and natural resources 

take many forms including commodity, amenity, environmental, ecological, recreation, spiritual, health, and 

security-related values (Stankey and Clark 1991). In the 

past, natural resource management has tended to emphasize commodity values. This emphasis has come 

into question in recent years and changing public attitudes toward the management of public lands and an 

increased emphasis on environmental protection have 

raised concerns in some parts of the West. Some groups 

have expressed concerns that changes in public land 

management are being driven by government officials 

and environmental advocates who do not have a true 

understanding of these lands or the people living nearby 

who depend on these lands for their livelihood and 

recreation. There is particular concern about the loss of 

traditional uses of the land such as livestock grazing 

and cross-country vehicle use (USDI-BLM 2004k). 

Comments received during the Butte RMP scoping 

process expressed concern over the cumulative loss of 

public land to private ownership and the loss of public 

access to public lands through access closures. Concerns were also expressed that access to public land has 

already been reduced by land exchanges and land pooling processes (USDI-BLM 2004h). 

Demographic Characteristics and Trends 

Population 

The eight-county study area had a total population of 

206,900 in 2000, with county populations ranging from 

4,385 in Broadwater County to 67,831 in Gallatin 

County. Major cities in the study area include Bozeman 

and Helena, with 2000 populations of 27,509 and 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 297 
Chapter 3 

25,780, respectively. Butte is also a major city and 

regional center. 

Montana is one of the least densely populated states in 

the country, with an average population density of 6.2 

persons/mi2

 compared to a national average of 79.6 

persons/mi2

. The eight-county study area had an average population density of 11.1 persons per square mile, 

with county population densities ranging from 1.7 persons per square mile in Beaverhead County to 48.2 

persons per square mile in Silver Bow County. 

Total population increased in seven of the eight study 

area counties in the 1990s, with the largest increases 

occurring in Gallatin (34 percent), Broadwater (32 

percent), and Jefferson (27 percent) counties. The population in Silver Bow County, in contrast, increased by 

just 2 percent over this period, while Deer Lodge 

County experienced a net decrease in population. Much 

of the overall increase in population was due to net inmigration, with increases tending to occur primarily in 

unincorporated areas in most counties (Montana Department of Commerce 2004a). 

Population projections developed by the State of Montana in 1997 anticipate continued population growth 

through 2010 in all of the study area counties, with the 

exception of Deer Lodge and Silver Bow counties 

where population is expected to decrease by about 6.6 

and 6.4 percent, respectively. Population is expected to 

grow particularly rapidly between 2000 and 2010 in 

Jefferson (22 percent), Gallatin (18.6 percent), Broadwater (17.2 percent), and Lewis and Clark (15.2 percent) counties. Population growth is projected for all 

study area counties from 2010 to 2020, with total population in the eight-county area projected to increase by 

11.8 percent (Montana Department of Commerce 

2004b). 

Race and Ethnicity 

Approximately 89.5 percent of Montana’s population 

identified as White in the 2000 census. American Indian and Alaska Natives were the largest minority 

group accounting for 6 percent of the total state population. All eight study area counties had predominantly 

white populations, with more than 94.7 percent of the 

total study area population identifying as White in the 

2000 census. Hispanics/Latinos were the largest minority population accounting for 1.8 percent of the total 

study area population (Table 3-32). 

Income and Poverty 

Per capita income, which is calculated by dividing total 

personal income by population, was lower than the 

statewide average in five of the eight study area counties in 2000, ranging from 83 percent to 99 percent of 

the state average in Broadwater and Silver Bow counties, respectively (Table 3-33). Per capita income in the 

remaining three counties ranged from 109 percent to 

112 percent of the state average in Gallatin and Lewis 

and Clark counties, respectively. 

The percent of the population below the poverty rate in 

1999 was below the state average (14.6 percent) in five 

of the eight study area counties, ranging from 9.0 per 

cent in Jefferson County to 12.8 percent in Gallatin 

County. The percent of the population below the poverty rate in the remaining three counties ranged from 

14.9 percent to 17.1 percent in Silver Bow and Beaverhead Counties, respectively (Table 3-34). 

Table 3-32 

Race and Ethnicity, 2000 

County/State 2000 

Population 

Percent of Total Population 

White 

Black/African 

American 

American Indian/ 

Alaska Native 

Other 

Race1 

Two or More 

Races 

Hispanic/ 

Latino Origin 

Beaverhead 9,202 94.4 0.1 1.4 0.3 1.1 2.7 

Broadwater* 4,385 96.1 0.3 1.1 0.2 1.0 1.3 

Deer Lodge 9,417 94.7 0.2 1.6 0.4 1.5 1.6 

Gallatin 67,831 95.3 0.2 0.8 1.0 1.1 1.5 

Jefferson* 10,049 95.2 0.1 1.2 0.5 1.5 1.5 

Lewis and Clark* 55,716 94.4 0.2 1.9 0.6 1.4 1.5 

Park 15,694 95.5 0.4 0.9 0.4 1.0 1.8 

Silver Bow* 34,606 93.7 0.1 1.8 0.5 1.1 2.7 

County Total 206,900 94.7 0.2 1.4 0.7 1.2 1.8 

Montana 902,195 89.5 0.3 6.0 0.6 1.5 2.0 

*RMP-related effects are most likely to occur in these counties, where the majority of the PA lands are located. 

1

 The “Other Race” category presented here includes census respondents identifying as Asian, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander or Some Other Race. 

Source: Social Science Data Analysis Network, 2004 

298 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Social and Economic Environment 

Table 3-33 

Per Capita Income by County, 1990 and 2000 

County/ State 

Per Capita Income 

Share of Per Capita Income1 

Earnings Transfer Payments Dividends, Interest 

and Rent 

2000 ($) 

Percent of 

State 

Average 

Percent of 

Total 

Change 

1990-2000 

Percent of 

Total 

Change 

1990-2000 

Percent of 

Total 

Change 

1990-2000 

Beaverhead 21,175 92 55 -1 19 1 26 0 

Broadwater* 19,038 83 55 0 21 2 24 -2 

Deer Lodge 19,641 86 51 2 26 -1 22 -1 

Gallatin 25,139 109 66 4 9 -3 25 -2 

Jefferson* 25,476 111 69 -2 12 0 19 2 

Lewis and Clark* 25,623 112 55 -1 19 1 26 0 

Park 20,469 89 53 3 18 -3 29 0 

Silver Bow* 22,760 99 59 3 20 -1 21 -2 

Montana 22,961 100 60 -1 19 1 26 0 

*RMP-related effects are most likely to occur in these counties, where the majority of the PA lands are located.

1 Personal income consists of net earnings by place of residence, transfer payments (including income maintenance payments, unemployment, and retirement benefits), and dividends, interest, and rent. 

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2003a 

Table 3-34 

Percentage of Persons Below Poverty by County, 1999 

County Individuals Below 

Poverty Level 

Beaverhead 17.1% 

Broadwater* 10.8% 

Deer Lodge 15.8% 

Gallatin 12.8% 

Jefferson* 9.0% 

Lewis and Clark* 10.9% 

Park 11.4% 

Silver Bow* 14.9% 

Montana 14.6% 

*RMP-related effects are most likely to occur in these counties, where the majority of PA lands are located. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004a 

Affected Counties 

The following paragraphs provide a brief overview of 

the social and economic conditions in Broadwater, 

Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, and Silver Bow counties 

where the majority of the effects are expected to occur. 

Broadwater County 

Broadwater County has faced substantial growth since 

the 1980s. Growth pressures from Helena in adjacent 

Lewis and Clark County have affected the north end of 

the County, with growth in Three Forks/Gallatin 

County affecting the south portion of the county 

(Broadwater County Planning Board 2003). The population in Broadwater County increased by 32 percent 

between 1990 and 2000 - the third highest increase in 

Montana. Much of this increase occurred in unincorporated areas, primarily on marginally productive agricultural land. Many new residents are attracted to communities with appealing environments and life styles. 

Long-term residents typically want to avoid increasing 

the current cost of building and living in the area 

(Broadwater County Planning Board 2003). 

A scoping meeting for the Butte RMP was held in 

Townsend. Comments made during this meeting were 

largely concerned with weeds. 

Jefferson County 

Although historically important traditional resourcebased industries—mining and ranching—continue to 

play an important role in Jefferson County’s local 

economy, new residents are also attracted to the convenient location and scenic beauty of the area. Jefferson 

County identifies itself as the “undiscovered inbetween”, located between Butte and Bozeman and 

between Butte and Helena (Northern Economics 2003). 

Recent economic trends influencing the county include 

the influx of population and development spilling over 

from Helena into the north part of the county and the 

decrease in employment in the Golden Sunlight Mine in 

the south part of the county (Northern Economics 

2003). 

A scoping meeting for the Butte RMP was held in 

Boulder. Comments made during this meeting were 

concerned with grazing and fire/fuels management. 

Lewis and Clark County 

The economy of Lewis and Clark County is mainly 

based on government employment and services, with 

services emerging as an increasingly important compoButte Draft RMP/EIS 299 
Chapter 3 

nent of the overall employment mix. Lewis and Clark 

County and the Helena/East Helena area, in particular, 

serve as an important regional center, with many workers commuting to work there from Jefferson and 

Broadwater counties. The Helena Valley continues to 

account for much of the total County population and 

growth, with the majority of recent and ongoing growth 

occurring within unincorporated areas in the valley 

(Lewis and Clark County Planning Department 2004). 

A scoping meeting for the Butte RMP was held in Helena. Comments made during this meeting were largely 

focused on issues surrounding access to public lands 

and land ownership adjustments. Weed management 

and fuel management policies were also identified as 

areas of concern. 

Silver Bow County 

The Butte-Silver Bow area is rich in mineral resources 

and the area’s colorful mining history has shaped almost all aspects of life in Butte-Silver Bow County. 

Population in Butte-Silver Bow has declined from a 

high of 60,313 in 1920 to just 34,606 in 2000. The 

social assessment prepared for the BeaverheadDeerlodge National Forest planning process noted that 

Butte is currently in transition from being a onecompany, working class, mining town, but does not 

appear to have identified a clear vision for its future. 

Butte is extremely pro-recreation and has a long history 

of conservation efforts (Northern Economics 2003). 

Scoping meetings for the Butte RMP revision were held 

in Butte and Divide. Comments made during the Butte 

meeting were largely focused on issues surrounding 

access to public lands and land exchanges. Comments 

made in Divide, a small community located on the 

south edge of the county, were primarily concerned 

with potential impacts to grazing and the trade-off between environmental preservation and grazing rights. 

Affected Groups 

There are a number of different groups that could be 

potentially affected by the draft RMP. These groups 

may be generally identified by their shared lifestyles 

and values. Lifestyle, as used here, may be broadly 

described as a combination of the activities, values, 

meanings, preferences, and ways of living in a particular place and time. Potentially affected groups include 

those associated with ranching, timber, and recreation, 

as well as permitted outfitters and guides, groups who 

give a high priority to resource protection, and groups 

who give a high priority to resource use. 

The following brief discussions simplify what are often 

quite complex and unique values and attitudes and the 

groupings presented here are by no means mutually 

exclusive, with many ranchers, for example, also participating in recreation activities. It is also worth noting 

that personal attitudes, interests, and values often 

change over time. 

Ranching 

Ranching is an important part of the history, culture, 

and economy of the eight study area counties. Many 

ranchers in southwest Montana consider their work a 

“way of life”, rather than simply a source of income 

(Northern Economics 2003). The land and their relationship to it is an important part of how they construct 

and evaluate their own identities, as well as those of 

their neighbors. Ranchers face many challenges today, 

including fluctuating cattle prices, increasing equipment 

and operating costs, and changes in federal regulations. 

Additional sources of income are often necessary to 

continue ranching and ranchers or their family members 

may also work as fishing guides or outfitters or elsewhere in town (Northern Economics 2003). There are 

currently 174 ranchers who lease Butte Field Office 

lands for grazing. For 20 of these ranch operations, the 

BLM lands account for more than one-third of their 

total AUMs. 

Comments expressed during scoping for the Butte RMP 

included concerns about current livestock grazing and 

vegetation management programs, with comments 

stating that these programs are poorly managed and 

detrimental to vegetation, wildlife, foliage, and soil 

conditions. Other comments favored livestock grazing 

on public lands and improving forage for livestock, as 

well as wildlife. Others recommended that livestock 

grazing management be aimed at maintaining a sustainable grazing program that protects range and riparian 

resources, water quality, and fisheries (USDI-BLM 

2004h). 

Timber and Logging 

Loggers typically have a strong sense of occupational 

identity that is tied to their lifestyle and the natural 

environment that they work in and believe they understand well. The loss of a job for a logger typically involves a change in a valued way of life, as well as the 

loss of a paycheck. Reductions in timber harvest on 

area national forests have generated considerable controversy between loggers, mill workers, and timber 

industry representatives on the one hand and other 

groups who argue that forests have other economic 

values, such as recreation and amenity values. 

Timber employment is concentrated in only a few areas 

in the eight-county study area and lands managed by 

the Butte FO account for a very small portion of total 

harvest in this area. Timber related issue, raised during 

public scoping for this plan, included concerns regarding noxious weeks, fuel hazard reduction, and deal tree 

salvage. 

Recreationists 

The recreation opportunities available in the eightcounty study area play an important role in the quality 

of life of many local residents, as well as attracting 

visitors from elsewhere in the state and further afield. 

300 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Social and Economic Environment 

Many people have moved to the area or choose to stay 

in the area because of these recreation opportunities. 

Popular recreation activities in the PA include big game 

hunting; upland bird and waterfowl hunting; fishing; 

mountain and road biking; camping, backpacking, and 

horsepacking; river rafting, canoeing and kayaking; 

swimming; lake boating; downhill skiing and snowmobiling, OHV use; picnicking; archery; gathering organic 

materials; organized festivals; and viewing wildlife and 

landscapes. 

These activities involve diverse groups of people and 

changes in recreation management can affect people 

who engage in particular recreation activities very differently. Recreationists tend to organize into interest 

groups. The Capital Trail Vehicle Association, which is 

primarily concerned with OHV use, accounted for approximately 58 percent of the comments received during the public scoping process for the Butte RMP (319 

of 554 comments). As a result, the majority of the 

comments received on recreation were primarily concerned with OHV use. Concerns were expressed that 

demand for motorized recreational access has increased 

in recent years, while motorized access has decreased, 

largely as a result of federal land management action 

and policies that favor non-motorized users. Some 

commenting felt that public lands should be available to 

all users, both motorized and non-motorized, but some 

areas and trails should have limited types of use (hiking 

use only or OHV use only) where different types of use 

tend to be incompatible. 

Others felt that non-motorized uses are presently favored over motorized uses and felt that this balance 

should be changed, with motorized users allowed equal 

access (USDI-BLM 2004h). 

Permitted Outfitters and Guides 

The Butte FO authorized 19 Special Recreation Use 

Permits in Fiscal Year (FY) 2003. The primary activity 

for 13 of the Special Recreation Permits is big game 

hunting, with most big game hunting outfitter/guides 

pursuing bear in the fall and mountain lion in the winter. Special Recreation Use Permits are also issued for 

rock climbing in the Humbug Spires SRMA, with restrictions that typically limit the activity to weekdays, 

so the general public can enjoy the resource on weekends without over-crowding (Rixford 2004). The Pipestone area is available for organized motorized vehicle 

events which require a permit (Rixford 2004). One 

person commenting during scoping requested that outfitters be able to take camping/river trips along the Big 

Hole River. 

Individuals and Groups who give a High 

Priority to Resource Protection 

A number of individuals and groups commenting during scoping for the Butte RMP expressed concern about 

resource protection issues, with particular emphasis 

placed on wildlife, fisheries, water issues, and special 

area designations. Comments included requests that 

habitat corridors for threatened, endangered, and sensitive species and the integrity and un-motorized character of all roadless areas be maintained. One person 

commenting recommended that the BLM identify impaired streams and implement restoration measures to 

support native fisheries. Water-related concerns included maintenance of hydrological and aquatic species 

goals, restoration of watershed health, and protection of 

riparian and wetland habitat and aquatic species. Many 

respondents identified areas for designation as special 

use areas. Areas identified included areas of critical 

environmental concern, wild and scenic river areas, 

recreational river areas, and wilderness study areas 

(USDI-BLM 2004h). 

Individuals and Groups who give a High 

Priority to Resource Use 

A number of individuals and groups expressed concern 

about limitations being placed on the availability of 

public lands for commercial uses such as livestock 

grazing, mineral development, and timber harvest. 

These people believe that local communities depend on 

these industries, which are a primary source of high 

paying jobs to local economies. Comments received 

during scoping for this project requested that the RMP 

revision focus on beneficial economic and social use of 

public lands, not locking them up from development or 

public access. Some commenting indicated that they 

support protection of water, aquatic species, and wildlife, but not to the point that it resulted in detrimental 

effects to the local economy, lifestyle, access to public 

lands, and the development of public lands (USDIBLM 2004h). 

Economic Conditions 

Employment and Income 

There were a total of approximately 135,200 full- and 

part-time jobs in the eight-county study area in 2000 

(Table 3-35). The number of jobs increased by approximately 38 percent in the 1990s, with the largest 

increases occurring in the services, retail trade, and 

construction sectors. Employment increased in all sectors with the exception of the federal government sector, which experienced net job loss (Table 3-35). Employment increased in all eight counties over this period, with the largest increase (61 percent) occurring in 

Gallatin County. Gallatin County had the largest number of jobs in 2000 (51,661), followed by Lewis and 

Clark (38,839) and Silver Bow (18,988) counties (U.S. 

Bureau of Economic Analysis 2003b). 

Annual average unemployment rates in the study area 

in 2003 ranged from 2.8 percent in Gallatin County to 

6.5 percent in Deer Lodge County compared to a statewide average of 4.7 percent. Unemployment rates also 

exceeded the state annual average in Silver Bow (5.1 

percent) and Broadwater (4.9 percent) counties (Montana Department of Labor and Industry 2004a). 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 301 
Chapter 3 

Table 3-35 

Study Area Employment by Sector, 1990 and 2000 

Total Employment Share of Total (Percent) 1990-2000 

1990 2000 1990 2000 Absolute 

Change 

Percent 

Change 

Total full-time and part-time employment1 98,044 135,231 100 100 37,187 38 

By Type 

Wage and salary employment 75,511 102,817 77 76 27,306 36 

Proprietors employment 22,533 32,414 23 24 9,881 44 

By Industry2 

Farm employment 3,755 4,204 4 3 449 12 

Nonfarm employment 94,289 131,027 96 97 36,738 39 

Ag. services, forestry, fishing and other 981 2,103 1 2 1,122 114 

Mining 978 1,097 1 1 119 12 

Construction 3,607 9,520 4 7 5,913 164 

Manufacturing 4,565 6,402 5 5 1,837 40 

Transportation and public utilities 4,579 5,303 5 4 724 16 

Wholesale trade 2,881 3,925 3 3 1,044 36 

Retail trade 18,206 26,399 19 20 8,193 45 

Finance, insurance, and real estate 6,604 9,365 7 7 2,761 42 

Services 28,083 42,115 29 31 14,032 50 

Government and government enterprises 22,172 24,404 23 18 2,232 10 

Federal, civilian 2,857 2,831 3 2 -26 -1 

Military 1,400 1,125 1 1 -275 -20 

State and local 17,915 20,448 18 15 2,533 14 

1 These figures, which are annual averages, include self-employed individuals, and full- and part-time jobs, with each job that a person 

holds counted at full weight. 2 Totals by industry sector do not sum to the nonfarm employment total because actual numbers of jobs are not disclosed in some sectors in some counties to avoid disclosure of confidential information. Estimates for these items are, however, included in the totals. 

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2003b 

Potentially Affected Industries 

The following paragraphs provide an overview of the 

industries that could be affected by the draft RMP: 

forest products, recreation and tourism, agriculture, and 

mining. The land managed by the Butte FO, approximately 311,000 acres, is distributed across eight large 

counties, and comprises just 2.6 percent of the total 

land area in these counties. As a result, the contribution 

of activities on Butte FO land to the economies of these 

counties is relatively small. This contribution may, 

however, be very important at the community level and 

especially for individuals who make all or part of their 

living from activities on or related to this land. 

Forest Products 

Lumber and wood products accounted for approximately 1.7 percent of total covered employment in 

Montana in 2001. Lumber and wood products employment in the six study area counties where data are 

available ranged from 0.1 percent of total covered employment in Silver Bow County to 1.2 percent in Jefferson County (Montana Department of Labor and Industry 2004). Data were withheld for Broadwater and Deer 

Lodge counties. Although data were withheld for 

Broadwater County, wood products play an important 

role in the county economy, employing 260 people in 

2000, approximately 12 percent of total full- and parttime employment (Broadwater County Planning Department 2003). 

The most recent available data, compiled by the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic 

Research (BBER), indicate that there were a total of 44 

forest products facilities in the eight study area counties 

in 1998. 

These facilities included lumber mills, log home and 

log furniture manufacturers, and post and pole facilities, 

with log home facilities and lumber mills accounting 

for 36 percent and 32 percent of the total, respectively 

(BBER 2001). 

Eighteen of these facilities were located in Gallatin 

County. Jefferson and Park counties accounted for six 

facilities each. Beaverhead and Lewis and Clark coun302 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Social and Economic Environment 

ties each accounted for five facilities. Two facilities 

were located in Broadwater County. 

Annual harvest data, available at 5 year intervals, indicate that total timber harvest in the eight-county study 

area has decreased from a high of 113 million board 

feet (MMBF) in 1976 to just 61 MMBF in 1998. Much 

of this decline is a result of reductions in timber harvest 

on area national forests. Lewis and Clark County accounted for nearly half of the total harvest in the eightcounty area in 1998 (BBER 2001). 

Harvest from land managed by the Butte FO has fluctuated from year-to-year over the past two decades, at 

times quite dramatically. Harvest levels ranged from 33 

thousand board feet (MBF) in 1995 to 1,683 MBF in 

2001 (USDI-BLM 2004i). 

Harvest from land managed by the Butte FO comprised 

less than 1 percent of total harvest from the eightcounty area in 1987, 1992, and 1998, the years that total 

harvest data are available. 

The relationship between harvest from BLM lands and 

the local economy is complicated by the fact that in 

1998 eight counties, none of them in the study area, 

received more than 80 percent of all timber harvested in 

Montana. More than half of the total timber harvested 

in Lewis and Clark County in 1998 was, for example, 

processed outside the eight-county study area (BBER 

2001). While the forest products sector accounts for a 

relatively small share of local employment, this employment is, of course, very important for the individuals involved. Employment in the forest products sector 

is relatively well paid. The average annual salary for the 

lumber and wood products sector in Montana was 

$32,797 in 2001, compared to an average annual state 

salary of $25,194 (Montana Department of Labor and 

Industry 2004b). Employment in the forestry and logging sector is, however, often seasonal or part-time and 

workers are often self-employed. 

Recreation and Tourism 

Nonresident visits to Montana increased by approximately 27 percent or 2 million during the 1990s, increasing from about 7.5 million in 1991 to 9.5 million 

in 2001, with an estimated 9.7 million nonresident visits 

to the state in 2003 (The University of Montana, Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research [ITRR], 

2002; 2004). Visitation data are not compiled at the 

county level, but it seems reasonable to assume that 

visitation to the eight counties also increased over this 

period. 

The BLM manages five Special Recreation Management Areas (SRMAs) in the PA. These SRMAs include 

18 designated recreation sites, as well as extensive 

dispersed recreation opportunities. The BLM identified 

a total of 1,644,524 visitors to the Headwaters PA in 

2003, with visitors spending a total of 1,520,238 visitor 

days in the area. The majority of visitors, about 78 

percent, engaged in dispersed recreation activities, 

including hunting, camping, driving for pleasure, and 

hiking. Dispersed use accounted for approximately 66 

percent of recreation visitor days in the area (Table 

3-36). 

Recreation and tourism is not classified or measured as 

a standard industrial category and therefore, employment and income data are not specifically collected for 

this sector. Components of recreation and tourism activities are instead captured in other industrial sectors, 

primarily the retail sales and services sectors. The contribution of travel and tourism to a local economy may, 

however, be estimated by assigning all or a portion of 

employment in other sectors to visitors. Using ratios 

developed for Missoula County (Ellard et al. 1999), 

travel-related, covered employment ranges from approximately 3.2 percent of total covered employment in 

Jefferson County to approximately 14.3 percent in Park 

County, compared to a statewide average of 7.2 percent 

(Table 3-37). 

Table 3-36 

Number of Visitors and Visitor Days by Type of Site, 2003 

Site Type Visitors Visitor Days1 % of Visitors % of Visitor Days 

Boat Launch 2,600 2,708 0.2% 0.2% 

Campground 235,800 428,390 14.3% 28.2% 

Dispersed Use 1,286,099 995,242 78.2% 65.5% 

Picnic Area 1,525 966 0.1% 0.1% 

Trailhead 9,700 9,827 0.6% 0.6% 

Water Access 108,800 83,104 6.6% 5.5% 

Total 1,644,524 1,520,237 100.0% 100.0% 

*RMP-related effects are most likely to occur in these counties, where the majority of the PA lands are located.

1

 A visitor day is equivalent to 12 hours of recreation uses. 

Source: USDI-BLM 2004b. 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 303 
Chapter 3 

Table 3-37 

Travel-Related Employment, 2001 

Estimated 

Travel-Related 

Employment 

Percent of 

Total 

Employment 

Beaverhead 329 9.9 

Broadwater* 55 4.9 

Deer Lodge 298 9.5 

Gallatin 3,422 9.8 

Jefferson* 69 3.2 

Lewis and Clark* 1,550 5.4 

Park 747 14.3 

Silver Bow* 1,117 8.1 

Montana 27,706 7.2 

* RMP-related effects are most likely to occur in these counties, 

where the majority of the PA lands are located. 

1. Travel-related estimates and total employment data are based 

on ES-202 data compiled by the Montana Department of Labor 

and Industry. These data are a count of workers on the payrolls 

of business, nonprofit, and government establishments who are 

subject to Montana’s unemployment insurance laws. Selfemployed workers are included in these totals on a voluntary 

basis only. These data result in lower employment totals than the 

full- and part-time estimates developed by the U.S. Bureau of 

Economic Analysis. 

2. Travel-related employment estimates were developed by 

assigning a portion of total employment in travel-related sectors 

to nonresidents using ratios from Ellard et al. (1999). Ellard et 

al.’s ratios were developed specifically for Missoula County 

based on national ratios and local business data. The application 

of these ratios to the eight study counties and the resulting estimates presented here should, as a result, be treated with caution 

and are provided only to give a general indication of the relative 

importance of travel-related employment to the eight area counties. 

Sources: Ellard et al. 1999; Montana Department of Labor and 

Industry 2004b. 

Employment in the recreation and tourism sector tends 

to be seasonal and relatively low paid, with a high proportion of the labor force self-employed. The travel 

related employment estimates presented in Table 3-37 

are based on shares of four SIC sectors: auto dealers 

and service stations, eating and drinking, hotels and 

lodging, and amusement and recreation services. The 

annual average salaries in these sectors in 2001 were 

$22,833, $9,399, $12,931, and $12,254, respectively, 

compared to an average annual state salary of $25,194 

(Montana Department of Labor and Industry 2004b). 

The general estimates presented in Table 3-37 provide 

some indication of the relative importance of travelrelated employment by county, but it is important to 

note that not all of this employment is directly attributable to recreation use on land in the Butte PA. There are 

a number of other important recreation areas and attractions located within or in close proximity to the eight 

counties. Most of the travel-related employment in Park 

County, for example, where land managed by the Butte 

FO comprises just 0.4 percent of the county land area, 

is likely related to the county’s proximity to Yellowstone National Park. 

Agriculture 

The most recent Census of Agriculture indicated that 

the eight-county study area had 2,801 farms and 

ranches in 1997, with nearly 60 percent of these engaged in cattle production. Beaverhead County is Montana’s largest cattle producer and accounted for approximately 40 percent of total cattle production in the 

eight-county area in 1997. Sheep and lambs are also 

produced in the area with about 416,000 head and 1,981 

farms. Farmland comprised approximately 38 percent 

of the total eight-county area, compared to 63 percent 

statewide. The percent of farmland by county ranged 

from 22 percent of Deer Lodge and Silver Bow counties to 59 percent of Broadwater County (Table 3-38). 

The overall market value of agricultural products sold 

in the eight-county area in 1997 was about $190 million, with crops and livestock accounting for 37 percent 

and 63 percent of this total, respectively. Cattle and 

calves were the main livestock produced in the area, 

accounting for 53 percent of all agricultural products 

sold by value. Cattle and calves ranged from 31 percent 

of agricultural products sold by value in Broadwater 

County to 89 percent in Silver Bow County. 

Farms in the eight-county area provided about 4,000 

jobs in 2001, approximately 3 percent of total employment, compared to 5 percent statewide. Agricultural 

employment was relatively important in Broadwater 

and Beaverhead counties, accounting for approximately 

15 percent and 13 percent of total full- and part-time 

employment in 2001, respectively. Agricultural employment accounted for less than 5 percent of total 

employment in four of the remaining six counties: 

Silver Bow (1 percent), Gallatin (2 percent), Lewis and 

Clark (2 percent), and Deer Lodge (3 percent). Employment in the agricultural sector is often seasonal or 

part-time and workers are often self-employed. 

Grazing fees and BLM allotments are measured in 

terms of animal unit months (AUMs). For a cattle operation, an animal unit (AU) is defined as one cow with 

a nursing calf or its equivalent. An AUM is the amount 

of forage needed to sustain that cow and calf for one 

month. AUMs are authorized by the BLM on an annual 

basis. Data from the Butte FO indicate that the total 

number of cattle grazing in the eight county study area 

has fluctuated over the last decade, ranging from approximately 219,000 in 1996 to about 188,000 in 2003 

and falling below 200,000 for the first time in 2002 

(USDI-BLM 2004c). Total AUMs in the eight county 

study area and AUMs authorized by the Butte FO vary 

from year-to-year. 

304 Butte Draft RMP/EIS 
Affected Environment: Social and Economic Environment 

Table 3-38 

Number of Farms and Average Farm Size by County, 1997 

Number of 

Farms 

Land in Farms 

(acres) 

Percent of Total 

County Area 

Average Farm Size 

(acres) 

Beaverhead 360 1,152,008 32 3,200 

Broadwater* 219 452,744 59 2,067 

Deer Lodge 83 101,657 22 1,225 

Gallatin 835 759,944 46 910 

Jefferson* 266 364,153 34 1,369 

Lewis and Clark* 502 822,066 37 1,638 

Park 420 749,103 42 1,784 

Silver Bow* 116 100,181 22 864 

Study Area Total 2,801 4,501,856 38 1,607 

Montana 24,279 58,607,778 63 2,414 

*RMP-related effects are most likely to occur in these counties, where the majority of the PA lands are located. 

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1999 

Total AUMs over the last decade ranged from 2.25 

million in 2003 to 2.63 million in 1996. Grazing on 

Butte FO-managed land in the eight-county area currently involves 185 livestock operators grazing on 385 

separate allotments. 

In Fiscal Year 2005, livestock grazing on BLM lands 

involved livestock operators who had 101 Section 3 

grazing permits (i.e. grazing on public lands within 

grazing districts, BLM Manual 1373.12) and 84 Section 

15 grazing leases (grazing on public lands outside of 

grazing districts). Fifty percent of revenues from Section 3 grazing fees on public domain lands are distributed to the state and counties; 12.5 percent of grazing 

fees from Section 15 leases are distributed to the state 

and counties. The combined total (Section 3 and Section 15) number of active AUMs in FY05 was 23,585 

AUMs. 

The BLM identified 2,250,000 AUMs in the eightcounty area in 2003, with approximately 13,600 or 0.6 

percent of the total located on land managed by the 

Butte FO (Table 3-39). AUMs on land managed by the 

Butte FO ranged from 0.02 percent of total AUMs in 

Broadwater County to 2.7 percent of the total in Jefferson County. The majority of the AUMs in the PA are 

located in Broadwater (30 percent), Jefferson (30 percent), and Lewis and Clark (12 percent) counties. 

Mining 

Although mining has played a very significant role in 

the past in the PA, mining employment decreased as a 

share of total covered employment during the 1990s in 

all study area counties where data are available. In 

2001, the mining sector accounted for less than one 

percent of total covered employment in four of the eight 

study area counties, compared to 1.4 percent statewide. 

Table 3-39 

Animal Unit Months by County, 2003 

County Total 

Cattle 

Total 

AUMs 

BLM 

AUMs1 

BLM % 

of Total 

AUMs 

Beaverhead 81,000 972,000 426 0.044 

Broadwater* 12,700 152,400 4,151 0.027 

Deer Lodge 5,700 68,400 483 0.71 

Gallatin 22,900 274,800 1,013 0.37 

Jefferson* 12,600 151,200 4,058 2.68 

Lewis and 

Clark* 21,800 261,600 1,689 0.65 

Park 25,300 303,600 723 0.24 

Silver Bow* 5,500 66,000 1,119 1.70 

Total 187,500 2,250,000 13,662 0.61 

*RMP-related effects are most likely to occur in these counties, where the majority of the PA lands are located. 

AUMs – Animal Unit Months 

1

 BLM AUMS in this context refers to those AUMs within 

the Butte Field Office PA. 

Source: USDI-BLM 2004c. 

Mining employment did, however, account for approximately 14 percent of total covered employment in 

Jefferson County and 3.5 percent in Broadwater County 

(Table 3-40). 

The mining sector is typically well paid. The average 

annual salary for the mining sector in Montana was 

$51,787 in 2001, compared to an average annual state 

salary of $25,194. Average annual salaries by mining 

subsector ranged from $41,000 for the mining and 

quarrying of nonmetallic minerals to $57,486 for metal 

mining (Montana Department of Labor and Industry 

2004b). 

Butte Draft RMP/EIS 305 
Chapter 3 

Table 3-40 

Mining Employment by County, 2001 

Mining Percent of Total 

Employment 

Beaverhead (D) (D) 

Broadwater* 40 3.5 

Deer Lodge 26 0.8 

Gallatin 63 0.2 

Jefferson* 303 14.0 

Lewis and Clark* 20 0.1 

Park 5 0.1 

Silver Bow* 145 1.1 

Montana 5,542 1.4 

*RMP-related effects are most likely to occur in these counties, where the majority of the PA lands are located. 

(D) – Disclosure suppression. 

Source: Montana Department of Labor and Industry, 2004b. 

Environmental Justice 

Environmental justice refers to the fair treatment and 

meaningful involvement of people of all races, cultures, 

and incomes with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, 

regulations, programs, and policies. It focuses on the 

consideration of environmental hazards and human 

health to avoid disproportionately high and adverse 

human health or environmental effects on minority 

and/or low-income populations. Black/African American, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander, American 

Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, and other non-white persons are 

defined as minority populations by the Interagency 

Working Group convened under the auspices of the 

Executive Order. Low-income populations are defined 

as persons living below the poverty level based on total 

income of $19,971 for a family household of four based 

on the 2000 census. 

None of the defined minority populations represent 

more than 3 percent of the population in the PA, based 

on 2000 census numbers. There are no Indian Reservations located in or in close proximity to the PA. 

Members of the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes 

of the Flathead Reservation are known to use resources 

on public lands in the PA for cultural (and to a lesser 

extent subsistence) purposes. The Flathead Reservation 

had a 2000 American Indian population of 6,999. 

In 1999, 14.6 percent of the persons living in the state 

of Montana had incomes below the poverty level. In the 

PA, the percent of persons living below the poverty 

level ranges from 9 percent in Silver Bow County to 

17.1 percent in Beaverhead County. The average per 

capita income was $17,151 for the State of Montana. In 

the PA, this compares to a low of $15,580 in Deer 

Lodge County and a high of $19,074 in Gallatin 

County. 

306 Butte Draft RMP/EIS