Whooping crane habitat was limited to those migration stopover areas 

 occasionally used in eastern Montana. These areas earned a rating of 1. 

 Similarly, habitats identified for the potential reintroduction of black- 

 footed ferrets received a rating of 1 (Clark et al. 1987). 



Species of Special Concern and 

 Specialized Wildlife Use Areas 



Weights for species of special concern and specialized wildlife use areas 

 depended on the relative uniqueness or rarity of the category. Value 

 assignments were either a (absent) or 1 (present). Weights were assigned as 

 follows (Table 2): 



Table 2. Weights assigned species of special concern and 

 specialized wildlife use areas. 



Species of Special Concern or 



Special Wildlife Use Area Weight 



1. Waterfowl staging areas, 

 low level feeding flight 



paths, "prime wetlands" ; 9 



2. Warm/hot springs open 

 in winter and used by 

 winter/migrating waterfowl species; 9 



3. High gradient streams supporting 



breeding harlequin ducks; 12 



4. Habitats supporting amphibians of 

 special concern (Pacific giant 

 salamander, Coeur d'Alene salamander, 

 rough skinned newt, tailed frog); 12 



5. Habitats supporting reptiles of special 

 concern (spiny softshell, snapping 

 turtle, milk snake, plains hognose 



snake); 12 



6. Colonial bird nesting sites (>5 pairs 

 of double-crested cormorants, great 



blue herons, American white pelicans); 9 



7. Large nesting osprey population area 

 (>1 active nest per river mile; 



minimum 5 river miles); 12 



8. Habitats occupied by nesting golden 

 eagles; 12 



