Recommendations 



- Continue to expand on the ground restoration with support provided through watershed groups 

 including the Big Biackfoot Chapter of Trout Unlimited, the North Powell Conservation District, 

 Northwestern Energy, the Biackfoot Challenge as well as other supporting agencies and 

 organizations. 



- Complete restoration projects in all core areas and current restoration streams. Expand 

 restoration to the upper Biackfoot watershed. 



- Focus restoration and protection on migration corridors, spawning and rearing areas, and 

 tributaries that have a high proportion of their stream length in higher elevations and basin-fed 

 stream with steeper gradients. These habitat types have been found to be less susceptible to T. 

 tubifex and whirling disease infection. 



- Continue to monitor the spread and impacts of whirling disease and the results of restoration on 

 infection rates. Incorporate pertinent results into the restoration program. 



- Assemble an interdisciplinary team to evaluate grazing methods on all restoration project 

 streams. Implement necessary modifications to grazing systems. 



- Increase landscape protection efforts through conservation easements on critical fish and 

 wildlife habitat in cooperation with the Montana Land Reliance, Nature Conservancy, US Fish 

 and Wildlife Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 



- Continue fish populations monitoring at the Jonsrud and Scotty Brown Bridge section of the 

 Biackfoot River, and major tributary restoration projects. 



- Expand fisheries inventories to wilderness areas. 



- Increase FWP enforcement efforts in bull trout spawning and staging areas, and assess angler 

 behavior in critical bull trout recovery areas. 



- Address fish passage and northern pike issues at Milltown Dam and continue to mitigate for 

 Milltown Dam within the geographic range offish population impacts. 



- Complete the cleanup of contaminated sediments at the Mike Horse mine and on Helena 

 National Forest. 



- Adopt a conservative approach to recreational planning in native fish recovery areas. 



- Develop an effective fish identification program directed toward non-resident anglers. 



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