INTRODUCTION 



Sensiti\'e species surveys were conducted at the landscape level in three areas on the Butte District of the 

 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Beaverhead, Madison and Silver Bow counties, Montana. A 

 fourth area of the Dillon Resource Area was surveyed in concert with this study but reported separately 

 (Lesica and Vanderhorst 1995). 



The primary purpose of the study was to fill critical gaps in the Dillon Resource Area botanical baseline 

 by targeting key landscape areas and sensitive species targets that had not yet been systematically 

 addressed. This study should provide a framework for determining which species are truly sensitive, the 

 habitat requirements of those species, and initial management considerations. Priority w-as placed on 

 locating and evaluating those vascular plant species considered for designation as sensitive by the 

 Montana State Office of the Bureau of Land Management (Bureau of Land Management 1995). An 

 ancillary purpose was to collect information on and to review the status of other Montana State Plant 

 Species of Special Concern that may warrant consideration by the BLM as being sensitive (Heidel 

 1995). 



Sensitive species provide potential pharmaceutical, agricultural and genetic resources. They are also 

 indicators of special habitats and habitat conditions, thereby augmenting the understanding and capacity 

 to manage the landscape and its processes. Safeguarding vulnerable members of the flora and fauna is 

 instrumental in maintaining the complement of native species that are adapted to southwestern Montaiia, 

 as well as in maintaining the ecosystems to which they belong. 



This work does not represent exhaustive documentation of all sensitive plant locations, but does consist 

 of systematic searches to document the full complement of sensitive species in the study areas. It builds 

 upon the body of information garnered from botanical surveys for the BLM to detemiine the status of 

 rare plant species in the Butte District, to identify conservation priorities, to integrate the practices and 

 benefits of sensitive species management in Bureau planning and operations (Willoughby et al. 1992), 

 and to provide a baseline for reference at all levels of District planning and operations, from that of the 

 individual project to those which span the District or Resource Area. 



