including water birch (Betula occidentalis) , currants {Ribes 

 spp.), dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) , and chokecherry (Prunus 

 virginiana) . These wetlands have a diverse understory of 

 native grasses, sedges, rushes, and forbs with scattered 

 exotic weeds including Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) , 

 Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) , houndstongue {Cyanoglossum 

 officinale) , licorice {Glycyrrhiza lepidota) , prickly lettuce 

 {Lactuca serriola) and sow thistle {Sonchus uliginosus) . The 

 dry uplands consist of shrublands dominated by sagebrush 

 (Artemesia cana) , snakeweed {Gutierrezia sarothrae) , hawthorn 

 {Crataegus sp.)/ wild plum {Pxrunus americana) , and skunkbrush 

 (Rhus glabra) , grasslands dominated by blue bunchgrass {Elymus 

 spicatus) and blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) with Spanish 

 bayonet (yucca glauca) and prickly pear {Opuntia polycantha) , 

 and rock pavement with common sagewort {Artemesia campestris) , 

 fringed sage (Artemesia frigida) , and creeping juniper 

 {Junipejrus horizontalis) growing in the cracks. Weeds are not 

 well established in these uplands, however, some species were 

 observed including downy brome {Bromus tectorum) and the 

 noxious spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) . 



Considering the park's diverse native flora, a high 

 potential for occurrences of MPSSC (partly due to the 

 proximity of the Pryor Mountains) , and the presence of a 

 spring and gravesites which Native Americans consider 

 spiritual sites, it is recommended that weed control be 

 carefully implemented. The park would benefit from a complete 

 botanical survey of its natural areas both for determining the 

 presence or absence of MPSSC and for its interpretive value; 

 as a beginning, a list of plant taxa identified at the park by 

 this project is provided in Appendix 2 of this report. A few 

 small tree and brush "islands" within the area maintained as 

 turf have severe infestations of Canada thistle and poison 

 hemlock; these spots should be treated. However, it is 

 recommended that the natural and spiritual areas of the park 

 not be treated with chemicals, at least until a more detailed 

 botanical survey can be conducted at an earlier point in the 

 growing season and input from the Crow people is considered. 

 Figure 2 is a map of the park which delineates the areas of 

 concern. 



Cooney State Park 



Although it is one of the largest sites visited during 

 this project, Cooney has relatively little native habitat. 

 This is confined to the sagebrush (Artemesia cana, A. 

 tridentata) /grassland (Bouteloua gracilis, Elymus spicatus, 

 Oryzopsis hymenoides, Stipa comata) slopes on the unroaded 

 north side of the reservoir, and to the narrow corridor of 

 willow (mostly Salix exigua) thickets surrounding the inlet on 

 the south side (see Figure 3) . No MPSSC were located or are 

 suspected in the willow thickets, but the sagebrush grasslands 

 were not thoroughly searched and may have some potential for 

 hosting species of concern; a survey at an earlier date in the 



12 



