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Misso la's Conser ation Lands Missoula's Conservation Lands: Citizen's working Group Overview Morgan Valliant: Cit C ti L d M City Conservation Lands Manager Missoula Parks and Recreation Department ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- Management Challenges • Balancing conservation with recreation • Balancing conservation with recreation – Adjacent to "large" urban population – Need for regulations but a lack of compliance and enforcement • There is a lot to do! – Properties were purchased with no dollars for management – weeds, natives, trails, wildlife, wildfire, monitoring & education • Getting the most BANG for the $BUCK$ • Getting the most BANG for the $BUCK$ – Need to prioritize expenditures – Strategic planning ---PAGE BREAK--- Habitat ---PAGE BREAK--- Recreation ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- Fig:3 Distribution of Trails between Properties 50.0 60.0 82% of total 30.0 40.0 MILES 10 0 20.0 M 18% of total Total Trails User-made Trails Designated Trails South Hills 2.82 0.30 2.52 0.0 10.0 8 0 30 5 Rattlesnake & Hellgate C. 8.84 0.65 8.19 Tower st. 2.27 1.48 0.79 Mt. Sentinel 7.37 0.82 6.55 North Hills 11.47 1.75 9.72 Mt J b 22 3 9 9 65% 22% Mt. Jumbo 22.73 4.94 17.79 22% ---PAGE BREAK--- Current Trail Maps • Primary trail map y p used by public • Show about 16 mi. of trails (30% of of trails (30% of established) • Multiple dead – ends ---PAGE BREAK--- What Impacts do Users Cause? ---PAGE BREAK--- Minimizing Recreational Impacts on Wildlife Wildlife ---PAGE BREAK--- Minimizing Recreational Impacts on ldl f Wildlife ---PAGE BREAK--- Minimizing Impacts on Wildlife ---PAGE BREAK--- Plant Communities ---PAGE BREAK--- Riparian Areas/Cottonwood Forests ---PAGE BREAK--- Wetlands Wetlands ---PAGE BREAK--- Coniferous forests Coniferous forests ---PAGE BREAK--- Cushion Plant Communities ---PAGE BREAK--- Grasslands ---PAGE BREAK--- Grassland habitats of the North America Grassland habitats of the North America Grassland habitats of the North America Grassland habitats of the North America Palouse Prairie Palouse Prairie Palouse Prairie Palouse Prairie (type of short prairie) (type of short prairie) ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- What are invasive species? What are invasive species? What are invasive species? What are invasive species? ---PAGE BREAK--- Most common Invaders around Missoula Most common Invaders around Missoula Spotted Spotted Houndstongue Houndstongue Spotted Spotted knapweed knapweed Dalmatian Dalmatian toadflax toadflax Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur cinquefoil cinquefoil Leafy spurge Leafy spurge Cheatgrass Cheatgrass ---PAGE BREAK--- Vegetation Management ---PAGE BREAK--- Single Species Management WILL NOT help us meet our conservation goals. ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- Moderately Degraded Plant Communities A BIG BANG FOR YOUR FOR YOUR BUCK$$ ---PAGE BREAK--- Severely Degraded Plant Communities LOTS OF LOTS OF TIME & LABOR & LABOR & SUPPLIES & SUPPLIES & MONEY ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- The Numbers The Numbers ZONE: Pristine = 328 ac ZONE: Pristine = 328 ac. Native Dominant = 934 ac. d i 9 0 Weed Dominant = 970 ac. Inundated = 594 ac. Sensitive = 20.5 ac. ---PAGE BREAK--- So What's the Bottom Line? So What s the Bottom Line? We are Excelling at: We are Deficient in: We are Excelling at: • Vegetation Management We are Deficient in: • Site Specific Research on Restoration • Community Involvement and Education (f f ) Restoration •In the Field Education and Education (face to face) (interpretative signs, TRAIL MAPS, signage) • General Maintenance (fences, trails and trash) • Comprehensive Management Plan Management Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- What's on the horizon for 2009? • Developing a Comprehensive Management Plan for all Properties. • Expanding our Research Program • Developing an New Trails Map. ---PAGE BREAK--- THANK YOU! THANK YOU!