station has been established at the Badger Pass 

 site (BLM land) , and may provide some insights 

 regarding possibly influential climate patterns. 



Additional demographic monitoring studies were 

 established in 1991, for two populations on Bureau 

 of Land Management lands in southwestern Montana 

 (Achuf f 1992) . These additional monitoring data 

 should further advance an understanding of the 

 overall population trends. 



2. POPULATION NOMITORIHO 



Two previously documented populations were 

 revisited in 1991. The Red Butte population 

 (012), which contained 142 plants when it was 

 first documented in 1986, consisted of fewer than 

 five living plants in 1991. Similarly, the Kearns 

 Creek population, which consisted of 52 plants 

 when it was documented in 1987, contained only 

 three living plants in 1991. These results, along 

 with the observations from the monitoring 

 transects, indicate that numerous populations of 

 £. lemhiensis in Montana are experiencing severe 

 declines. 



III. ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS 



A. MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS t The drastic declines in 

 population numbers and fecundity over the last three 

 years indicate that £. lemhiensis populations are 

 experiencing a severe "bottleneck" in southwestern 

 Montana. These declines are undoubtedly placing many 

 populations in increased jeopardy, and rendering then 

 even more vulnerable to management activities that nay 

 disturb occupied habitats. For this reason, extreme 

 caution should be exercised in the vicinity of all 

 known populations. It will be especially inportant to 

 maintain the larger populations occurring in natural 

 habitats, as these will provide the most likely sources 

 for future population reestablishment and recovery. 



The recent, severe population declines, coupled with a 

 vulnerability to management activities, indicate that 

 Penstenon lemhiensis should remain on the sensitive 

 species list for Region 1 of the U.S. Forest Service. 



Preparation of a U.S. Forest Service species 

 conservation strategy has been initiated. This 

 strategy will provide detailed, population-specific 

 nanagenent and conservation guidelines for £. 

 lemhiensis . 



