Forest Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1988; Reel et al . 

 1989), and the sensitive list in Region 5 (Shelly and Moseley 

 1988) . In addition, it is a Category 2 (candidate) species, 

 being considered for listing under the federal Endangered Species 

 Act of 1973 (U.S. Department of Interior 1985). However, it was 

 recently recommended for inclusion in Category 1 (Shelly and 

 Moseley 1988); as of March, 1990, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

 Service has not made a decision regarding this recommendation. 



III. UPDATE OF GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION 



Upon conclusion of the 1989 field season, Howell ia aguatilis 

 was documented from a total of 74 extant populations worldwide: 

 1 in Idaho, 57 in Montana, and 16 in Washington. All known 

 Montana populations are located in the Swan River drainage (Lake 

 and Missoula counties) . Within this drainage a total of 420 

 wetlands have been surveyed; H. aguatilis has been found in 57 

 (13.6%) of them. The Montana populations constitute 77% of those 

 known globally for the species. Thirty-seven populations (50.0% 

 of those known globally) occur wholly or partially on Flathead 

 National Forest lands. The land ownership status of the Montana 

 populations is summarized in Table 1. 



One pond that had been surveyed in 1987, but was not 

 observed to support H. aguatilis . contained the species in 1989 

 (occurrence number 056) . One new population was discovered in a 

 previously unsurveyed pond (occurrence number 057) . Twenty 

 apparently suitable ponds that were previously found not to 

 support the species yielded negative results again. Five 

 previously unsurveyed ponds were studied, but did not contain H. 

 aguatilis . Additionally, through the use of aerial photographs, 

 five previously recorded populations were more accurately mapped 

 (008, 014, 015, 016, 017). 



Element occurrence print-outs and location maps for the two 

 new and five remapped populations are included in Section VII, 

 pp. 12-49. The locations of the ponds that were surveyed (either 

 initially in 1989 or for the second time) , but apparently do not 

 support Howell ia aguatilis . are indicated on the maps in Section 

 VII, pp. 42-49. 



IV. MONITORING STUDIES 



Details regarding population size and condition for the two newly 

 discovered occurrences are summarized in Table 2, p. 4. 



During 1989, 26 previously documented populations were re- 

 surveyed, and estimates of population size were made. 

 Quantitative monitoring studies of five populations (008, 009, 

 013, 020, and 027) were continued. The locations of all of these 

 study sites are shown in an earlier status review (Shelly 1988) . 



