Upper Big Hole CCAA
Administering Entity: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP)
Entity Type(s): Federal, State
Water Resource: Rivers, Streams
Primary Data Type(s): Biology, Discharge, Habitat-Instream, Habitat-Riparian
Primary Watershed Monitoring Objective(s): Long Term Fixed Station, Problem identification, Streamgage, Trends
Subbasins: Big Hole
Aquatic Invasive Species Type:
Counties: Beaverhead, Deer Lodge, Silver Bow
Volunteers: no
Contact Name: Matt Norberg
Summary of Monitoring Objectives:
The purpose of this Agreement is to encourage non-Federal landowners to voluntarily implement proactive conservation measures that benefit grayling in the upper Big Hole River Project Area in Beaverhead and Deer Lodge Counties, Montana, (Figures 1-3) by providing them with assurances that their land and water management activities will not be required to change beyond the remedies identified in their site-specific plan should grayling become listed as threatened or endangered. This planning effort will help alleviate private property concerns, as well as generate support from private landowners which will improve habitat conditions for grayling throughout the Project Area. The conservation goal of this Agreement is to secure and enhance populations of grayling within the historic range of the species in the upper reaches of the Big Hole River drainage, and is consistent with the USFWS “Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances Final Policy” (64 FR 32726, June 17, 1999) and the regulations that implement the policy (69 FR 24084, May 3, 2004).