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D. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER ASSESSMENT! 



1. Further field surveys in potential habitats in 

 southwestern Montana. Although likely montane 

 grassland habitat was surveyed in the vicinity of 

 Fleecer Mountain, Elk Park, the southeast flank of 

 the Anaconda-Pintlar Range, and along the 

 Continental Divide north of Butte, there are other 

 areas of potential occurrence in southwestern 

 Montana. The areas most likely to contain 

 additional habitat occur in the Gravelly Range; 

 large meadow areas are visible in the southern 

 part of the range from the vicinity of Raynolds 

 Pass. Though less likely to contain large, level 

 meadow areas, potential habitat might also occur 

 in the Tobacco Root, Madison, and Gallatin ranges. 

 Also, it is likely that the taxon could be found 

 in Yellowstone National Park (mainly in Wyoming) ; 

 the area lies between known sites in southwestern 

 Montana and northwestern Wyoming, and contains 

 areas of extensive moist grasslands at high 

 elevations. 



2 . Establishment of monitoring studies on U.S. Forest 

 Service lands. Permanent belt transects, using 

 the methods of Lesica (1987), may be useful in 

 assessing any future impacts that might arise from 

 grazing or mining activities. 



SUMMARY: Claytonia lanceolata var. f lava is a regional 

 endemic currently known from seven sites in the 

 northern Rocky Mountains: five locations in 

 southwestern Montana (Beaverhead, Deer Lodge, Gallatin, 

 Jefferson, and Silver Bow counties) , one location in 

 Idaho (Fremont County) , and one location in Wyoming 

 (Fremont County) . Field surveys in 1988 resulted in 

 the rediscovery of two historical locations (Lockhart 

 Meadows (Champion Pass) and French Creek (Anaconda)), 

 and the discovery of one previously unrecorded site 

 (Burton Park) . Surveys of the two recently discovered 

 sites (Vipond Park (003) and Hebgen Lake (004)) showed 

 them to be more extensive than previously documented. 

 All five populations in Montana occur wholly or 

 partially on U.S. Forest Service lands; it has been 

 found on the Beaverhead, Deerlodge, and Gallatin 

 National Forests. Claytonia lanceolata var. f lava is a 

 Category 2 (federal candidate) taxon, being considered 

 for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act of 

 1973 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 

 addition, it is listed as a sensitive plant in Region 1 

 of the U.S. Forest Service. Systematic studies, which 

 are currently in progress, indicate that C. lanceolata 

 var. flava is very distinct from C. lanceolata var. 

 lanceolata . possibly at the species level. Final 



