2. If.iportant scientific or educational value. This cateyory includes type 

 localities for other plant species, for forest habitat types, or near-pri sti nd 

 vecjetation sites (Ross et al, 1973); other areas with important educational value, 

 includincj areas frequently visited by scnool groups; study areas for Icncj-terKi 

 botanical or nydrol ocjical studies 



3. iioderate scientific or educational value. This study was limited at this 

 phase to identify sites v;ith only exemplary or important scientific or eoucational 

 val ue. 



4. Limited scientific or educational value 

 U. Unknown scientific or eoucational value 



STUDY METHODS 



Approach 



This stucy was designed to produce: (a) a map showing the location of 

 identified natural features or river segment nearest these features; (b) a tabular 

 suiiimary of tne features identified, by river basin; and (c) aocumentaticn of the 

 value classes assigned to each feature. Unlike some of the otner resource 

 inventories concucted as part of the ..ontana Ixivers Study (e..^., fisheries), this 

 study Gia not initially attumpt to assign a value class to e long reach or segmetit 

 of river. Individual sites were plotted on the map ond osiignea to a value class, 

 so that the occurrence of sites within any arbitrarily aesignotoQ river reach or 

 sogdient may be determined. Individual sites were plottea on working maps. Tne 

 final maps snow the location of river segments nearest a site or show the extent of 

 a I t.rge site encof.ipassi ng several stream segments. A value class is ossigned to the 

 site or stream segment adjacent to the site on the final maps. 



The stuay rel ieo almost entirely on oata and expertise available within the 

 cooperating agencies. Existing data buses were searched (see bibliography) and 

 acknowledged experts were interviewee, i'o fielc inspection of sites was conoucted. 



Fcr purposes of This study, ^ river or streair. was def i neo as any flowin;,, water 

 shown on the BLii 1:100,000 i.-K^ps. A "major river" is aefinoc as any stream shown on 

 the "Official Montana 1 983-ij4 Highway iiap" published by the I'.ontana Department of 

 Highways. 



Inventory effort was concentrated on sites meeting the criteria for value 

 classes 1 ana 2. Study participants attempted to catalogue 90-100 percent of these 

 features. The study probably identified less than half of tne value class 3 and 10 

 percent or less of the value class 4 features. 



An advisory committee was assembled to guide the study. .'-'eMbers and 

 affiliations are listed in the section of this report entitled "Participants." 



As the study progressed, the critt:ria t.na standards were refinea somewhat. 



