1) minimize umiecessary human activity along Harlequin Duck nesting streams during late April 



through August; ■' .r' .; - - ,. -:--), vo'U ;niu;^N;. 



2) a stream buffer of > 50 m should be maintained for most activities; roads and trails should be 



> 100 m from streams and preferably not visible from the streams; 



3) major activities (road building, timber harvest, fisheries enhancements, restoration projects, 



etc.) that are to be undertaken within 300 m of a stream should be done during the period 

 15 August -1 April; r- ;..■■' :. ■ ^ j.i- .-. ,;y. >.,.♦ ^v^i. v^^ i'rb >, • 



4) minor activities within stream buffers (e.g. trail maintenance or reconstruction) should not be 



preformed during 1 May - 1 5 July; •''"•' ' • ' ' ' - " '■ ' " ' " ' '• '' ' " 



5) avoid activities which will change stream runoff patterns or decrease water quality; 



6) in any area where major management activities are to take place in potential Harlequin habitat, 



survey for the preceding two years both for pairs (May) and broods (mid- July to mid- 

 August). If Harlequins are present, develop a monitoring plan for Harlequins during and 

 after the activity is to take place. • •' ' - ,i,- ; 



Long term research and management needs involve: ""^ ' ■ '" • ' 



1) develop a baseline status report of current and historic Harlequin populations in Montana 



(currently in preparation); ' ' • • = : -^ 



2) investigate site fidelity, inter-stream movement, reproduction and mortality to allow 



estimations and modeling of what constitutes a viable Harlequin population (began in 

 1992); ,/ ; ^, • ■• < - . ''"i ^^ - •'' ' ■•■ ^ 



17 



