site Basic Record 

 CHARCOAL MOUNTAIN 



From Divide (town), proceed west 1 mile on State Highway 43. Take a right on the Fleecer 

 Mountain dirt road. The site is generally defined by the area within 0.3 mile of this road, 

 along the first 2 miles from Highway 43. 



The site is characterized by moderate- rel ief rolling uplands. Elevations range from 5500 to 

 6650 feet, with the summit of Charcoal Mountain forming the highest point on the site. 

 Prominent features include an outcrop ridge of granite in the south half of the southwest 

 quarter of section 6, and Charcoal Mountain in the northeast quarter of section 1. Pseudotsuga 

 menziesii and Juniperus scopulorum/Cercocarpus ledifolius communities (both G3S3) are present; 

 however, Bromus tectorum is wel I -represented to abundant and these occurrences are C- ranked at 

 the best. No rare plants were observed on the site. 



COUNTY : Silver Bow 



USGS QUADRANGLE: DEWEY 



TOWNSHIP-RANGE: 001S009W SECTION: 07 



QUARTER/ADDITIONAL SECTIONS: Portions of 6 and 7 in T1SR9W, and 1 and 12 in T1SR10W. 



BOUNDING RECTANGLE: S: 454520N N: 454700N E: 1124530W W: 1124705W 



BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION: The western boundary generally follows Charcoal Creek and the Big Hole River, 



Charcoal Mountain and spur ridges form the northern boundary, roads and drainage 

 bottoms form the eastern and southern boundaries. 



APPROXIMATE ACREAGE: 1100.00 



GENERAL RATING: 5 



Most of the area has been degraded by heavy grazing in the past, and no areas with EO ranks 

 exceeding C were observed. 



BIODIVERSITY SIGNIFICANCE: B4 



The predominant communities present are G4 or G5 and include Artemisia tridentata/Festuca 

 idahoensis and A. tridentata/Agropyron spicatum, Agropyron spicatum/Poa sandbergii, Festuca 

 idahoensis/Agropyron spicatum, and Pseudotsuga menziesi i/Festuca idahoensis. Degraded examples 

 of the following G3 communities are also present: Pseudotsuga menziesi i/Cercocarpus ledifolius, 

 and Juniperus scopulorum/Cercocarpus ledifolius. 



OTHER VALUES: V2 



The site has high value as wildlife habitat for deer, elk and antelope. 



PROTECTION URGENCY: P3 



Most of the site is contained within the Fleecer Mountain Wildlife Management Area, and 

 receives the protection associated with the designation. 



MANAGEMENT URGENCY: M3 



Bromus tectorum appears to be increasing, particularly on sites characterized by high natural 

 soil disturbance (i.e., the granite ridge in section 6). B. tectorum control may be necessary. 



CONSERVATION INTENT: 



PROTECTION COMMENTS: 



LAND USE: Heavy grazing by livestock appears to have occurred in the past. Present use appears to focus 

 on deer, elk and antelope production. Many old mines occur on Charcoal Mountain, and wood 

 fences subdivide the site into multiple units. An old aqueduct cuts across the northwest 

 portion of the site. 



NATURAL HAZARDS: Mine shafts on Charcoal Mountain are a safety hazard. 



EXOTICS: Bromus tectorum is the most common exotic plant present, and is abundant in some areas of high 

 disturbance (e.g., roadsides, erosive slopes). 



OFF-SITE LAND USES: Surrounding lands are primarily used for domestic stock production. 



14 



