PEREGRINE FALCONS 



The peregrine falcon, classified as endangered 

 in Montana, is protected under the Endan- 

 gered Species Act. Strategies to protect and 

 recover populations are outlined in the Ameri- 

 can Peregrine Falcon Recovery Plan (USFWS 

 1984). 



Peregrine falcons nest on dominant cliffs that 

 usually exceed 200 feet in height, most nests 

 overlook hunting habitat. Peregrines feed 

 almost exclusively on birds; hunting habitats 

 include river bottoms, lakes, meadows, 

 marshes, and cropland. The only potentially 

 suitable nesting areas within the project area 

 are some cliffs on Lion Mountain. These cliffs 

 are surrounded by forest and are about a mile 

 away from Beaver and Skyles lakes, the closest 

 potential foraging habitats, jmii^x-- 



SENSITIVE SPECIES 

 CONSIDERED THROUGHOUT 

 THE ANALYSIS ^^naki\ 



Sensitive species include those in which 

 further population declines may warrant 

 listing them as threatened or endangered or 

 whose habitats may be particularly sensitive to 

 disturbance by land-management activities. 

 DNRC maintains a sensitive species list for 

 each land office area. 



The following sensitive species, as listed by 

 the Northwestern Land Office, are considered 

 to either occur in or near the project area or 

 have habitats that are represented within the 

 project area; they are, therefore, considered 

 throughout the document. 



TOWNSEND'S BIG-EARED BAT 

 (PLECOTUS TOWNSENDII) 



Townsend's big-eared bat is a widely distrib- 

 uted species that, evidently, exists in low 

 densities wherever it is found. It has a low 

 rate of reproduction, making population 

 recovery following a reduction slow and 

 difficult. Townsend's big-eared bats are very 

 susceptible to disturbance and may perma- 

 nently abandon hibernating sites and roosts if 

 disturbed. 



In western Montana, Townsend's big-eared 

 bats are most-closely associated with cavern- 

 ous habitat and rocky outcrops of sedimentary 

 or limestone origin, which are used for roost- 

 ing. In old-growth forests, large-diameter 

 hollow trees may be used for roosting. Mater- 

 nity colonies are found in warm areas of caves, 

 mines, and, occasionally, buildings. Hiberna- 

 tion typically occurs in caves or mines with 

 winter temperatures 2 to 7 degrees centigrade 

 and a relative humidity of more than 50°/o. ,, : i 



There are no documented records of this bat 

 from the project area and no caves or aban- 

 doned mine tunnels are identified in or near 

 Stillwater State Forest. However, Thompson 

 (1982) indicates a verified specimen taken 

 from this latilong. The status of roosting 

 habitat closely follows the availability of large 

 snags. Currently, there are only modest 

 numbers of snags in most stands. 



PILEATED WOODPECKERS 



Pileated woodpeckers excavate the largest 

 cavittes of any woodpecker. Preferred nest 

 trees are larch, ponderosa pine, cottonwood, 

 and aspen, usually 25 inches dbh and larger. 

 The pileated woodpecker plays an important 

 ecological role because the cavities they exca- 

 vate are used in subsequent years by many 

 other species of birds and mammals. Pileated 

 woodpeckers primarily eat carpenter ants, 

 which inhabit large downed logs, stumps, and 

 snags. Habitat requirements, including large 

 snags or decayed trees for nesting and large 

 down wood for feeding, closely tie these 

 woodpeckers to mature forests with old- 

 growth characteristics (Bull and Jackson 1995). 



Most of the accessible acres in the Beaver Lake 

 Project area were harvested in the past (see 

 vegetahon analysis). Harvesting removed, 

 primarily, large western larch and Douglas-fir. 

 Although a few scattered large snags and 

 remnant trees remain, especially in the old 

 western larch/Douglas-fir stands, generally 

 the area has few large live trees, snags, and 

 large downed wood. The larch snags that exist 

 are receiving heavy use from pileated wood- 

 peckers and other cavity nesters. The larger 

 grand fir are also being used for nesting and 



Chapter III: Affected Environment 



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