Site Basic Record 

 GOAT MOUNTAIN 



From the Moose Creek Road exit on Interstate 15 (exit #99) south of Divide (town), proceed 

 north and west on the frontage road 0.5 mile to a junction with a gravel road. Take this gravel 

 road south 1.2 miles to a Y intersection. Go right to the Big Hole River and park (0.4 mile). 

 Site is the mountain immediately to the north. 



Goat Mountain is more-or-less conical butte ca. 1 mile in diameter and over 1000 feet in 

 relief. The mountain's summit area is of quartzite parent material while the southeast ridge is 

 predominantly limestone. Relatively dry southern and western exposures feature Cercocarpus 

 ledifolius and Artemisia tridentata shrublands and Juniperus scopulorum woodlands (with 

 abundant Cercocarpus). The summit area is predominantly of the Juniperus scopulorum/Cercocarpus 

 ledifolius contnunity type. More mesic sites feature the Pseudotsuga menziesi i/Festuca 

 idahoensis type. 



COUNTY: Silver Bow 



uses QUADRANGLE: MELROSE 



CATTLE GULCH 



TOWNSHIP-RANGE: 001S009U SECTION: 32 

 QUARTER/ADDITIONAL SECTIONS: Portions of 29, 32 and 33. 



BOUNDING RECTANGLE: S: 454210N N: 454312N E: 1124345U W: 1124508U 



BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION: The western and southern boundaries follow the railroad tracks just above the 

 Big Hole River. The eastern and northern boundaries follow the first major 

 drainages encountered along radii extending from the summit of Goat Mountain. 



APPROXIMATE ACREAGE: 600.00 



GENERAL RATING: 2 



G3 communities present. 



BIODIVERSITY SIGNIFICANCE: B3 



Good quality occurrences of G3 communities and a historic peregrine falcon eyrie (G3S1) with a 

 high potential for re-occupancy are present. 



OTHER VALUES: V2 



Goat Mountain is a prominent and highly aesthetic landscape feature. 



PROTECTION URGENCY: P3 



A major mine is present just south of Goat Mountain. Expansion of this (or other mines) may 

 threaten the site. Livestock grazing is impacting the lower portions of the site. 



MANAGEMENT URGENCY: M4 



Most of the rare community occurrence area lies above the zone of heavy livestock use. 



CONSERVATION INTENT: Recommend establishment of a BLM ACEC. 



PROTECTION COMMENTS: The upper portions of the Goat Mountain are by coincidence protected from most 

 use by domestic stock by very steep and rocky slopes. 



LAND USE: The site is primarily used for wildlife habitat. Domestic grazing occurs on the lower portions 

 of the site, but most of the site is too steep, rocky and removed from water, and as a result 

 receives little or no livestock use. 



NATURAL HAZARDS: Steep cliffs and large boulders present dangers. Rattlesnakes likely inhabit much of 

 the site. 



EXOTICS: Exotic plants do not appear to pose an immediate threat to this site. 



OFF-SITE LAND USES: Cattle from adjacent heavily grazed lands will occasionally enter the site and 

 cause some degradation. The soils are highly erosive in many parts of the site 

 and additional trampling would increase soil movement. Noise pollution from the 

 nearby mine may interfere with wildlife values. 



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