February G, 1996 



MONTANA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM 

 Element Occurrence Record 



Scientific Name: SPHAEROMERIA ARGENTEA 

 Common Name: CHICKEN SAGE 



Global rank: G3 

 State rank: S3 



Forest Service status: 

 Federal Status: 



Element occurrence code: PDAST8S010 . 009 

 Element occurrence type: 



Survey sate name 



EO rank 



EO rank comments 



ERMONT GULCH 



B 



GOOD SIZE, DISSECTED BY ROAD. 



County: BEAVERHEAD 



USGS quadrangle: ARGENTA 



BURNS MOUNTAIN 



Township: Range: Section: TRS comments: 

 007S OlOW 6 SE4; 5 SW4 



Precision 



Survey date 



First observation 



Last observation 



S 



1995-0S-14 

 1995-06-14 

 1995-07-21 



Elevation: 5980 - 6020 

 Slope/aspect: 0-4% / SOUTH 

 Size (acres) : 10 



Location : 



TRAVEL CA. 10 MILES DUE WEST OF DILLON FROM US HYW 91. TAKE BADGER 

 PASS EXIT CA. 6.5 MILES WEST AND GO CA . 3 MILES NORTHWEST ON ERMONT 

 GULCH ROAD. POPULATION IS ON IMMEDIATE SOUTH AND NORTH SIDES OF ROAD 

 IN A BAND OF HABITAT PARALLELING ROAD FOR NEXT 0.3 MILE. 



Element occurrence data: 



OCCASIONAL, OVER 200 VIGOROUS CLUMPS OF PLANTS, MOST 1-2 DM IN 

 DIAMETER. IN EARLY FLOWER 14 JUNE 1995. 



General site description: 



SPANNING 0.3 MILE OF HABITAT ORIENTED IN A SINGLE BAND. STRAIGHT CREST 

 ALONG TOP OF LOW RIDGE IN THE BROAD, OPEN ERMONT GULCH FOOTHILLS 

 HABITAT. IN ARTEMISIA ARBUSCULA/AGROPYRON SPICATUM HABITAT TYPE. ALSO 

 ASSOCIATED WITH ARENARIA KINGII, POA SECUNDA, PENSTEMON ARIDUS, PHLOX 

 BRYOIDES. THE DRY SILTY HABITAT IS DISSECTED BY THE ERMONT GULCH ROAD. 



Land owner/manager: 



BLM: BUTTE DISTRICT, DILLON RESOURCE AREA 



Comments : 



SURVEYED BY B. HEIDEL. SITE HAS NUMEROUS CATTLE HOOF PRINTS BUT IS 

 UNPRODUCTIVE AND FAR ENOUGH FROM ROAD THAT IT IS STILL IN GOOD 

 CONDITION. 



Information source: HEIDEL, BONNIE. [BOTANIST] MONTANA NATURAL 



HERITAGE PROGRAM, 1515 EAST SIXTH AVENUE, P.O. BOX 

 201800, HELENA, MT 59620-1800. WORK: 406/444-3009. 



Specimens: HEIDEL, B. (1344). 1995. MONTU. 



