Table of Contents (Ctrl+Click to Jump to a Section) Parcel History
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Missoula Parks and Rec Conservation Lands Management New Parcel Inventory: “South Hills Spur” Summary In order to meet goals and objectives set forth in the 2010 Conservation Lands Management Plan (CLMP, Chapter 3), Conservation Lands Management (CLM) staff documents historic and current conditions on newly acquired parcels. This “New Parcel” inventory is used whenever CLM adopts management of a new parcel either through purchase, transfer, or easement. The need and scope of this process is governed by the size and location of a new parcel and the resource conservation values on site. For some new parcels additional management plans may also be developed in addition to this inventory. By taking stock of newly acquired parcels, we hope to identify critical habitats, existing resources, historic influences and potential threats before agency management or public use of the land occurs. One advantage of this approach is that we can establish baseline assessments of resources before management occurs, allowing us to more directly track the results of management actions. The CLMP directs that Conservation Lands be managed depending on the resource values of the parcel. The existing, and potential recreational, ecological, and cultural uses and values of the land are taken into consideration when deciding management strategies for a specific parcel. The information gathered from a New Parcel Inventory provides land managers and policy makers with factual information to aid in the development of management plans for new parcels. A New Parcel Inventory is often conducted in conjunction with a public scoring process of natural, cultural and recreational resource values by the Conservation Lands Advisory Committee (CLAC). Table of Contents (ctrl+click to jump to a section) Parcel history ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 2 Natural history .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 a. General Summary: .................................................................................................................................................................... 4 b. Sensitive or threatened organisms ........................................................................................................................................... 4 c. Riparian / Wetland Habitats ..................................................................................................................................................... 4 d. Wildlife: .................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 e. Vegetation ................................................................................................................................................................................ 9 f. Forest ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Human infrastructure .............................................................................................................................................................................. 16 a. Recreation, Roads and Trails ................................................................................................................................................. 16 b. Other infrastructure ............................................................................................................................................................... 16 Future Monitoring recommendations ................................................................................................................................................. 18 References / Works Cited ........................................................................................................................................................................ 18 Appendix. Maps and Figures .................................................................................................................................................................. 19 Map A: Existing trails and Roads .......................................................................................................................................................... 19 Map B: Vegetation and Weeds ............................................................................................................................................................ 20 Map C forest stands and stocking ........................................................................................................................................................ 21 Map E Geology ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Map F,G,H: Historic aerial photos ........................................................................................................................................................ 23 Page 1 Missoula Parks and Rec Conservation Lands Management New Parcel Inventory: “South Hills Spur” Name of Parcel(s) : Currently referred to as the “South Hills Spur”, comprised of five parcels purchased from three private landowners: the Barmeyer family ( ~87 acres), Davis Clapp (~53 acres) and Mike Sousa (~34 acres) Acres: Total of ~164 acres Date Acquired: 2016 Date(s) Surveyed: 3/8/16 to 10/1/2016 Report contributors:_Chris Carlson and Morgan Valliant (Missoula Parks), Five Valleys Audobon Society Parcel history a. First Peoples information search: Gather any available historical details that suggest names, or uses for the parcels by First Nations, before or during early European settlement. The Missoula area was originally home to the Sélis (Salish or “Flathead”) and Qlispé (Pend d’Oreille or Kalispel) peoples, both speakers of languages in the Salish language family. The Bitterroot band of Salish remained in the Bitterroot valley until 1891. According to the Salish-Pend d’Orielle Culture Committee for the CKST tribes, one of Pattee Canyon’s place names was Sĺoʔté1 (“valley where two ravines meet”). Other sources say that there was a trail running through the valley Es nin paks (Crooked trail), a travel route from the Bitterroot to the upper Clark fork that avoided Hellgate canyon, but this trail did no pass through the South Hills Spur. b. Government Land Office (GLO) records search: Search BLM records to obtain information about the first mapping and land subdivision efforts, as well as for records of early homestead claims made in the areas of interest. The properties in question are located in Township 12N, 19W of the Principal Meridian of Montana, sections 3 and 4. The township was first platted August 26-29, 1889 by Surveyor Charles W. Mead. In this first survey, only the portions of the township with “arable” land were mapped. A second survey in fall of 1901 by Edgar Ford finished the subdivision of this township (and S. Hills Spur properties, Figure 2). Earliest GLO records show that Christopher Shreiber (sic) was issued a Homestead claim on 12/17/1900 for the SW ¼ of section 4, followed on 2/9/1901 by a likely relative (John AB Schreiber), for the SE ¼ of Section 4. This second 160 acre homestead claim contains the Sousa and Clapp parcels. Christopher Schreiber (died 8/21/1909) is buried in the Missoula Cemetery, according to City records. Records indicate that most of section 3 was deeded to the FIGURE 1. PATTEE CANYON FIRE, 1975. PHOTO NUMBER: Northern Pacific Railway on two dates, 4/4/1896 (SW ¼; S ½ of 88.0076 UM DIGITIZED COLLECTIONS NW ¼; N½ SE¼; SW¼ NE¼ ; S ¼ SE¼) and again in 6/1/1903 (SE¼ NE¼; SW¼ SE¼). c. UM Archives search: search digitized photographs, and likely sources of information about early parcel history in the UM Special Archives Collection. A quick search of UM online archives turned up a few images of the 1977 fire. Jim Habeck contributed aerial photos taken just after the fire occurred which are scanned and geo-referenced. d. Landowner interview/questionnaire: Interview with former landowner will include specific questions about management history, disturbance history, presence and type of wildlife, presence and type of cultural artifacts, stories of special places, memories & people. Interview will include a request for copies of historical photos, documents. Landowner interview not completed at this point. 1 The Salish (or Séliš) language is a member of the Salishan language family, and is fluently spoken by about 120 elders in Montana, Idaho and Washington. The language is considered ‘critically endangered’ by UNESCO. See a Wikipedia page for more information on the Salish language spoken in our area. Page 2 Missoula Parks and Rec Conservation Lands Management New Parcel Inventory: “South Hills Spur” Figure 2 (above). Portion of 1890 plat map of township 12N19W. The “South Hills Spur” property (and other Missoula Conservation lands) are shown in blue in section 3+4 (with other nearby parks also visible). Julius H Angst received the earliest homestead claim in the township, obtaining the S ½ of the NE1/4 of section 4 in 1894. The Schrieber family