DISCUSSION 



Recommendations on U.S. Forest Service Region 1 and 

 Beaverhead National Forest status for the five target species 

 found on the Beaverhead National Forest in the Tendoys are 

 summarized in Table 1. Region 1 sensitive status is 

 recommended for Agastache cusickii, Aquilegia formosa, and 

 Astragalus scaphoides . These are species which are extremely- 

 rare in Montana and/or are imperiled due to other factors. 

 Populations of Aquilegia formosa are potentially impacted by 

 timber harvest, and populations of Astragalus scaphoides may 

 be impacted by livestock grazing. Populations of Agastache 

 cusickii on the Beaverhead National Forest are not threatened 

 by current land uses, but the species is known from only four 

 sites in Montana, is confined to a very specific habitat, and 

 most of its populations are small. Beaverhead National Forest 

 watch status is recommended for Carex vallicola and Lomatium 

 attenuatum. Carex vallicola is a poorly known species in 

 Montana and may be impacted by grazing. Lomatium attenuatum 

 has a limited global distribution and has only recently (1993) 

 been documented in Montana. Designation of watch status would 

 encourage needed additional data collection on these species, 

 and would ensure they are considered in future management 

 plans. 



Table 1. Recommendations on U.S. Forest Service Region 1 

 (sensitive) and Beaverhead National Forest (watch) status for 

 the five target species found in the study area. Columns are 

 also included for the current Montana Natural Heritage Program 

 rank (Heidel 1994) and currently proposed BLM status (USDI 

 Bureau of Land Management 1993). 



The most significant potential human caused impact to 

 sensitive plants and native vegetation in the study area is 

 cattle grazing. Range lands in the Beaverhead National Forest 



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