threatened and endangered species including bald eagle nest sites 

 and forage streams, critical eagle wintering areas, important 

 grizzly bear range or movement corridors and historic peregrine 

 eyrie sites with a high potential for reoccupancy or streams which 

 support river otter population levels of moderate or high 

 densities, Montana riparian species of special concern including 

 amphibians, harlequin ducks and osprey; or essential winter or 

 spring range for outstanding populations of elk, whitetail and 

 mule deer, bighorn sheep, or moose. 



Following an extensive review of the protected area stream 

 list and criteria by MDFWP fish and wildlife biologists, 100 

 reaches in 840 stream miles in western Montana met the fisheries 

 criteria and were recommended for protection by the MDFWP to the 

 Council (Table 14) (Appendix B). Twenty-four percent or 200 miles 

 were recommended for the presence of fish species of special 

 concern, including westslope cutthroat trout, bull trout, native 

 rainbow trout and white sturgeon; 19.2 percent were outstanding 

 sport fisheries including portions of the upper Flathead, Kootenai 

 and Blackfoot rivers, and Rock Creek; and 56.8 percent were 

 essential spawning habitat for outstanding sport fisheries. 



A total of 234 stream reaches in 1,484 miles were recommended 

 for their wildlife values including 65.5 percent or 971 miles for 

 threatened and endangered species; 12.8 percent or 190 miles for 

 species of special concern and 21.7 percent or 322 miles for big 

 game critical winter range (Table 14). Only 31 stream reaches in 

 244 miles met both the fish and wildlife criteria. 



A total of 2,056 miles or 30 percent of the 6,800 stream miles 

 in western Montana were recommended for protection from future 

 hydroelectric development by the MDFWP to the Council in October, 

 1987. Of the 14 proposed hydrosites currently active in western 

 Montana, the protected areas recommendations would close to 

 development only one proposed hydroelectric site located on the 

 Kootenai River 10 miles below Libby Dam. 



The recommended streams constitute irreplaceable resources 

 where hydroelectric development would have significant adverse 

 effects which cannot be adequately mitigated. Aside from insuring 

 that ratepayer's investments in fish and wildlife rehabilitation 

 are not undermined by new development, protected areas designation 

 will give future developers a clearer message on the value of 

 fish and wildlife resources and provide the Federal Energy 

 Regulatory Commission with information to make hydropower 

 decisions that better reflect the environmental protection being 

 encouraged in the Columbia River basin. 



In October, 1987 the Council published an issue paper on the 

 subject of protected areas and took public comment on the overall 

 issue of whether areas should be designated for protection as well 

 as issues concerning in and out of basin and whether protected 

 areas should include more then just essential fish and wildlife 



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