Management Considerations 



The study area is generally in pristine condition. There 

 are roads only on the periphery, and these are closed or little 

 used with two exceptions. The Beartooth Highway on the north and 

 west periphery is a major thoroughfare between eastern Montana 

 and Yellowstone National Park and is touted as one of the most 

 beautiful highways in America. The Robinson Draw Road along the 

 southeast periphery is used by hunters, recreationists and 

 ranchers with some regularity. The presence of these roads and 

 their associated traffic and maintenance activities have little 

 impact on the main portion of the study area. There was a road 

 from the Beartooth Highway to the Line Creek Plateau along the 

 Wyoming border. This road is still apparent in some places, but 

 mainly in Wyoming. The road on the plateau is no longer visible 

 in most places. 



There are a number of trails in the study area that provide 

 access. These appear to be little used except perhaps during 

 hunting season. There is a hunting camp at the head of corral 

 creek just at the ecotone between forest and tundra. This area 

 has been impacted by trampling and livestock grazing. I observed 

 evidence of a number of mountain bikes on the main trail from the 

 Beartooth Highway to the plateau. Damage to the trail was 

 apparent in places where the trail crossed streams or seep areas. 

 Limited use of the area by mountain bikes probably poses little 

 threat to the biological values, but heavy use could cause 

 degradation of the vegetation and erosion. Line Lake in the 

 southwest corner of the area attracts a small number of people to 

 the fishery. There is some use of the plateau by snowmobiles 

 during winter and early spring months. 



There has been some small-scale mining and associated timber 

 harvest activity at the head of Grove and Gold creeks on the 

 eastern periphery of the study area. There is also a small 

 amount of private land with a couple of old cabins. The Maurice 

 Creek-Sheridan Creek area on the north flank of the plateau was 

 logged for mine timbers many years ago. The Line Creek Plateau 



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