herbaria. A relatively large number of specimens of yellow lady's slippers are housed at 

 the University of Montana (MONTU), and annotation of these to variety is needed before 

 further collection priorities are set. 



The priority for conservation of yellow lady's slippers on the KNF should be to insure that 

 all high quality occurrences on the KNF are preserved at their current population levels. 

 This may require perpetuation of existing land uses patterns in which cattle are kept out 

 of the population areas. Currently most large populations are in areas with pristine 

 habitat, but this could change if grazing allotment use patterns change. Especially at risk 

 are the Brimstone Creek (026), Homes Lake Area (028) and Magnesia Creek (029) 

 populations, which are closest to drainages which are currently heavily grazed. At some 

 sites, such as the Homes Lake Area (028), strategically falling a few trees across the draw 

 may be a simple way to restrict cattle access and improve site conditions. Several unique 

 wetlands on the KNF support populations of three Sensitive orchids, Cypripedium 

 calceolus var. parviflorum . & passerinum . and Orchis rotundifolia . and these sites should 

 be considered for designation as Research Natural Areas or Botanical Special Interest 

 Areas. Such areas include Brimstone Creek (026), the Jumbo Lake Basin (023 and 027), 

 Magnesia Creek (029) and Laughing Water Creek (049). These sites, along with 

 occurrences on the Flathead and Lewis and Clark National Forests, represent the largest 

 populations of Q± calceolus var. parviflorum on public lands in Montana. 



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