12 



mountain mahogany stands, and did not affect any sword townsendia 

 habitat. Fire is not a natural event in mountain mahogoney 

 habitats, though it may have been "natural" in downslope 

 grasslands under phenology and frequency different from that of 

 National Guard activity. 



C. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MAINTAINING VIABLE POPULATIONS: 



There is not a perceived need for taking concerted action to 

 maintain viable populations of sword townsendia in the Limestone 

 Hills or at any other population site. 



Should there be any signs of large-scale habitat degradation 

 (e.g., mountain mahogoney die-back) or any major alterations in 

 land use (e.g., quarrying on BLM lands), then the species' BLM 

 status should change to sensitive and the need reviewed for 

 preparing a conservation strategy to maintain viable populations. 



D. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER ASSESSMENT: 



The dropping of this species from proposed BLM sensitive status 

 has already been put into effect (USDI Bureau of Land Management 

 1993) . The present report substantiates this decision, with the 

 qualifications noted above. 



Consultation with the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database will be 

 pursued to re-evaluate species' rangewide status. If it is 

 potentially secure in Wyoming, then its global rank will be 

 updated. 



Further review will be given to the policy and implications of 

 retaining species that have a "3C" status under the Endangered 

 Species Act. If the global rank is updated and there is no value 

 in retaining it as a 3C species, then it will be removed from the 

 list of Montana state species of concern. 



E. SUMMARY 



The widespread distribution, low population densities, narrow habitat 

 requirements and potential threats for sword townsendia ( Townsendia 

 spathulata ) in the Limestone Hills were determined in survey work and 

 incorporated in a species status review document. The Limestone Hills 

 represent habitat for a large population having biogeographic 

 significance at the northern end of the species' distribution. 



This study was conducted concurrently with a contracted study by a 

 private consulting firm on adjoining lands administered by State Lands 

 Department, representing almost all of the remaining 25% of potential 

 habitat outside BLM lands. Quarrying activity within State Lands 

 currently affects less than 1% of the existing potential habitat. 

 There were no immediate or perceived threats to sword townsendia 



