Bull Trout Draft Recovery Plan and Proposed Critical Habitat St

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Bull Trout Draft Recovery Plan and proposed Critical Habitat St. Mary/Belly River Recovery Unit (CHAPTER 25)

What areas are included in the St. Mary and Belly Rivers Recovery Unit? The Saint Mary and Belly Rivers are tributaries of the South Saskatchewan River drainage in Canada, which eventually enters Hudson Bay. The Saint Mary and Belly Rivers flow northward from U.S. headwaters that include the northeastern portion of Glacier contain migratory populations of State, and Provincial National Park and the north- bull trout that have become governments in the U.S. and western portion of the Blackfeet isolated, with restricted upstream Canada, working with Tribal Indian Nation, in northwest spawning and rearing habitat. representatives from the Montana. The Saint Mary and Blackfeet Nation. Belly Rivers Recovery Unit is How much of the area is unique, as the only bull trout proposed as critical habitat? Who would be affected by recovery unit east of the conti- At this time, only the Recovery recovery efforts? nental divide. It is a small Plan for the Saint Mary and Belly A recovery plan is advisory recovery unit, encompassing only Rivers Recovery Unit is being only and carries no regulatory about 600 square miles in the U.S. released for public comment. The authority. It is the Fish and critical habitat designation is under Wildlife Service’s estimation of The recovery unit includes two development and is scheduled to the actions necessary for the separate primary core areas found be proposed in the fall of 2003. recovery of the species. in the interconnected portions of Agencies, communities or the Saint Mary River and Belly Who developed the draft individuals are encouraged to River watersheds, respectively. recovery plan? take voluntary actions Four secondary core area popul- The draft recovery plan for bull described in the recovery plan ations are located in the Saint trout in the Saint Mary and Belly to benefit bull trout. Mary River drainage in isolated Rivers Recovery Unit was headwaters of Red Eagle Lake, developed through the Federal agencies are required to Slide Lake, Cracker Lake, and Lee collaboration of biologists consult with the Fish and Creek. Secondary core areas are representing various Federal, Wildlife Service on actions they based in smaller watersheds and carry out, fund, or authorize within the range of bull trout. Non-Federal entities, including private landowners,

1 that may also be affected could Belly Rivers Recovery Unit is in include, for example, those U.S. waters, but substantial seeking a U.S. Army Corps of portions of the foraging, Engineers 404 permit under the migrating, and overwintering Clean Water Act to build an in- habitat is located downstream in water structure, those seeking the Canadian province of Alberta. Federal approval to discharge main-stem migratory corridors, effluent into the aquatic What is the status of bull trout are the primary factors environment, or those seeking in the St. Mary and Belly Rivers negatively impacting bull trout Federal funding to implement Recovery Unit? in both the Saint Mary and private property improvements, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Belly Rivers. Secondary effects where such actions affect the issued a final rule, listing bull trout from the diversions are the aquatic environment. In most (Salvelinus confluentus) in the direct loss of bull trout due to cases where this link between United States across their entire entrainment in the canals, as activities on private lands and range as a threatened species on well as altera-tions to stream Federal funding, permitting, or November 1, 1999 (64 FR 58910). flow and water temperatures in authorization exists, consultation Bull trout remain widely downstream reaches. Much of under section 7 of the Endangered distributed throughout the Saint the spawning and rearing Species Act is already occurring. Mary and Belly River basins. habitat for bull trout in this They are found in most portions of recovery unit is in relatively How was the draft recovery U.S. drainage where they remote locations in Glacier plan for each unit developed? historically occurred, but were National Park or on the Recovery units were delineated naturally excluded by waterfalls Blackfeet Indian Reservation based on the biology of the species from many headwaters basins and where human impacts and and considerations for paralleling lakes. The extent of bull trout development have been limited. existing state conservation and range in downstream portions of Localized impacts to habitat fisheries management frameworks the basin in much of Alberta has occur in some the lower wherever possible. Recovery been diminished. Abundance of elevation watersheds due to teams incorporated existing state bull trout in the Saint Mary and forestry, livestock grazing, conservation processes to the Belly Rivers Recovery Unit is agriculture, mining, and degree possible, depending on the believed to be reduced from transportation corridors. But degree to which they had been historical levels, though limited these impacts are generally site- developed (for example, the documentation exists. Most local specific and less pervasive than Montana Bull Trout Restoration populations lack a sufficient the effects of irrigation Plan). history or intensity of monitoring diversions. A half-century of to accurately determine a current fish introductions, particularly Because the Saint Mary and Belly population trend. the widespread stocking and Rivers Recovery Unit contains establishment of brook trout, only Federal, Tribal, and private What are the threats to bull has negatively impacted bull lands, the involvement of the State trout in the St. Mary and Belly trout in portions of several of Montana was not extensive in Rivers Recovery Unit? the development of this recovery Construction of major irrigation unit chapter. Due to the projects in the U.S. and Canada, international configuration of this dating as far back as 1902, drainage, close cooperation with disrupted much of the historical Canadian authorities is crucial to connectivity for migratory bull bull trout recovery. Most of the trout within the Saint Mary and spawning and rearing habitat for Belly Rivers. Diversion dams, bull trout in the Saint Mary and which seasonally interrupt the

2 drainages. Illegal harvest of bull identified in the Saint Mary and the overall bull trout population trout has been well documented in Belly Rivers Recovery Unit. in the Saint Mary and Belly the Saint Mary and Belly Rivers Rivers Recovery Unit is Recovery Unit, and in the past has What are the criteria for accepted, under contemporary been a major mortality factor due measuring recovery? standards of the time, as stable to a traditional focus on well Recovery will be measured or increasing; based on at least known and limited spawning according to four criteria: 10 years of monitoring data. areas. Angler misidentification of distribution, abundance, Connectivity criteria will be species resulting in illegal harvest, population trends and connectivity met when Shelburne Dam and and incidental take by anglers due in the watershed. The recovery Saint Mary Diversion to hooking mortality are plan includes specific, quantifiable operational and maintenance continuing concerns. standards for each of these issues, including flow, fish criteria. passage, and entrainment What are the recovery goals and Distribution criteria will be met concerns, are satisfactorily objectives? when the total number of stable addressed. The goal for recovery of bull trout local populations of bull trout in in this Saint Mary and Belly Rivers United States waters of the Saint What actions will be Recovery Unit is to ensure the Mary and Belly Rivers Recovery necessary to recover bull long-term persistence of self- Unit is nine or more, and local trout in the St. Mary and sustaining, complex, interacting populations remain broadly Belly Rivers Recovery Unit? groups of bull trout distributed distributed in each core area. The primary recovery strategy throughout the Saint Mary and Abundance criteria will be met in this recovery unit involves Belly Rivers Recovery Unit such when each of the six core areas in alleviating detrimental effects of that the species can be delisted. To the Saint Mary and Belly Rivers the extensive diversion and achieve this goal a net increase in Recovery Unit is documented to canal systems operated on the bull trout abundance in the Saint support at least one local Saint Mary and Belly Rivers in Mary and Belly Rivers Recovery population with an average of 100 the U.S. and Canada. Unit (as measured by standards or more adult bull trout annually Localized impacts to habitat the recovery team develops), with (in United States tributaries). In due to forestry, livestock restored distribution of any the interconnected Saint Mary grazing, agriculture, mining, populations identified by the River core area the local and transportation corridors recovery unit team as necessary populations must support an must also be addressed and for recovery. At this time, no annual average of 500 or more some fishery management extirpated populations have been adult bull trout. concerns must be dealt with.

Trend criteria will be met when Over most of the last decade significant planning efforts to restore and recover bull trout have been initiated in Montana and Alberta Canada, and some on-the-ground activities have been implemented that were specifically designed to benefit bull trout and other native salmonids within the Saint Mary and Belly Rivers Recovery Unit. Ultimately, the measure by which these efforts

3 should be judged is the degree to www.species.fws.gov/bulltrout. KwaTaqNuk Resort; 303 U.S. which they have produced positive Hwy 93. response in the numbers and How can I comment? security of local bull trout The Service will be accepting January 9, 2003 in Spokane, populations. More details are comments, beginning November WA; West Coast Grand Hotel; available in the full text of the St. 29, 2002, on its draft recovery 303 West North River Drive. Mary and Belly Rivers Recovery plan for bull trout in the Columbia Unit chapter in the draft Bull and Klamath river basins and in Four additional public infor- Trout Recovery Plan. the St. Mary-Belly River Basin in mation meetings and open Montana. Comments on the draft houses are scheduled. Written How long will recovery take? recovery plan will be accepted for comments may be submitted at The amount of time necessary to 90 days, until February 27, 2003. any of these: achieve recovery will vary among Comments on the draft recovery recovery units due to differences plan may be mailed to the U.S. January 8, 2003 in Missoula in bull trout status, threats Fish and Wildlife Service, Snake MT; Montana Fish, Wildlife, affecting bull trout, implemen- River Basin Office, 1387 S. and Parks office; 3201 Spurgin tation and effectiveness of Vinnell Way, Room 368, Boise, Road. recovery tasks, and responses to ID 83709; faxed to 208-378-5262, recovery tasks. In the Saint Mary or sent via e-mail to: January 14, 2003 in Kalispell and Belly Rivers Recovery Unit [email protected] MT; Montana Fish, Wildlife, the current status of bull trout is and Parks office; 490 N. better than in some other portions Beginning November 29, 2002, Meridian Rd. of the range. However, a signifi- the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cant amount of work remains to will accept comments from the January 15, 2003 in Sandpoint be done to reconnect and restore public on the agency’s proposal to ID; City Forum; 418 N. 3rd impaired habitat. At a minimum, 3 designate critical habitat for the Ave. to 5 bull trout generations (15 to Columbia River and Klamath 25 years) are expected to pass River distinct population segments January 16, 2003 in Libby MT; before recovery can occur and we of bull trout. Comments will be Kootenai National Forest are able to demonstrate that bull accepted for 60 days, until January Headquarters, 1101 Highway 2 trout populations in the Saint 28, 2003. Comments on the West. Mary and Belly Rivers Recovery critical habitat proposal may be Unit meet standards necessary to submitted to the U.S. Fish and Public information will be contribute to delisting. Wildlife Service, Regional Office, disseminated in the Saint Mary attn: John Young, Bull Trout and Belly Rivers Recovery Unit How much will recovery cost? Coordinator, 911 N.E. 11th and public informational Total estimated cost of bull trout Avenue, Portland Oregon 97232; meetings may be scheduled as recovery in the Saint Mary and faxed to 503.231.6243 or e-mailed requested. Belly Rivers Recovery Unit is to: [email protected] about $27 million, spread over a This is only a brief summary. 25-year recovery time frame, or Two public information meetings about $1.1 million per year. and formal hearings to take Please see full draft recovery testimony are scheduled. The plan for complete details. How can I obtain copies of the information meetings will be from documents? 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The formal public The documents, along with maps, hearing will be from 6 p.m. to 8 fact sheets, photographs and other p.m as follows: materials may be found on the Pacific Region’s website at January 7, 2003 in Polson, MT;