ra. ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS 



The continuing declines in population numbers ind/or fecundity, including the nearly complete loss of 

 established plants in the Badger Pass North transect, indicate an ongoing demographic 'bottleneck' in 

 these, and probably many other, £. lemhiawis populations in southwestern Montana. As the declines 

 have continued, the viability of these reduced populations, and that of the species' meUpopulation as a 

 whole, has undoubtedly been compromised. As noted earlier (Shelly and Achuff 1992), this raises the 

 importance of conserving all populatioos that occui in native habitats, and especially the larger ones; 

 the latter, 'core' populatiooa will be those that provide seed sources for establishment or 

 reestablishment of populations in the future (<■ the 'rescue effect* of the metapopulation as a whole). 

 Similar nranitohng studies simultaneously being conducted on BLM lands in southwestern Montana 

 have shown much more stable population numben at the two study sites involved (Heidel and Shelly 

 1993). This suggests that in other parts of the species' range populations will persist and hopefully 

 provide such seed sotirces in the future. 



The ongoing declines in the Forest Service transects indicate that Peostemon Ifntfli'^^Fit should remain 

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



Preparation of a rangewide conservation strategy for this species is planned for federal fiscal year 

 1994. This strategy will include management and cooservatioo guidelines for all extant populations of 

 £. lemhiensis . 



The three Forest Service transects should be read for at least one more year (1993). If population 

 recovery begins, future readings at intervals to be determined should take place. If little or no recovery 

 is noted in 1993, the transects could be read at longer intervals in the future (i.e.. every 3-5 years), in 

 order to periodically assess whether recovery ever begins. It would be appropriate to analyze dau 

 from the Forest Service transects and the Bureau of Land Management transects in a single document 

 in the upcoming report to syntbestxe all Montana monitoring results for the £. Ismhifilfiil- 



