State of the Crown of The Continent Ecosystem: Transboundary Bioregion STATE OF THE CROWN OF THE CONTINENT ECOSYSTEM: Flathead/Castle Transboundary Bioregion - DRAFT - Flathead Transboundary Network January 1999 For additional copies of this report, comments or review, please contact: Miistakis Institute for the Rockies c/o Biological Sciences University of Calgary 2500 University Drive NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Canada Phone: 403/220-8968 Email: [email protected] Also available online at: http://www.rockies.ca Copyright (c) 1998 Flathead Transboundary Network. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, photocopying, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of a copyright holder. State of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem: Transboundary Bioregion I This work is a collaborative effort of members of the Flathead Transboundary Network. Founded in January 1998, the FTN is a network of government agencies, scientists and NGOs seeking innovative ecosystem-based solutions to transboundary issues in the Rocky Mountain region of Montana, B.C. and Alberta Authors: Erica Konrad, Brian Peck, Andrea Stewart, Craig Stewart General Editor: Craig Stewart Maps: Andrew Harries This work has been generously funded by the Kendall Foundation, the Fanwood Foundation and the Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network CITATION: Flathead Transboundary Network. 1999. State of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem: Flathead/ Castle Transboundary Region (Draft). Calgary: Miistakis Institute for the Rockies. State of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem: Transboundary Bioregion II Table of Contents Chapter 1: A transboundary ecosystem...............1 a) Introduction .................................................................................................................1 The political context: .............................................................................................................................. 1 An information-based approach: This State of the Ecosystem Report .............................................. 2 Scope of this report: .............................................................................................................................. 2 b) Geographic Context................................................................................................... 4 Location: ................................................................................................................................................ 4 Landscape and Geology: ..................................................................................................................... 4 Climate .................................................................................................................................................. 6 Ecozones: .............................................................................................................................................. 6 c) Administrative Context: .............................................................................................. 9 Jurisdictions ........................................................................................................................................... 9 Land Use Zones ....................................................................................................................................11 Chapter 2: General Human History....................17 Native Peoples ..............................................................................................................17 Non-native settlement ..................................................................................................18 Part A: North Fork — Flathead ..................... 21 Chapter 3 — Ecological Components of the North Fork of the Flathead ............................... 21 Ecological Processes.....................................................................................................21 Fire ........................................................................................................................................................ 21 Disease ................................................................................................................................................ 23 Vegetation .................................................................................................................... 23 Historic content and distribution ........................................................................................................ 24 Present content, distribution............................................................................................................... 24 Focal species ................................................................................................................ 26 Old growth forest ................................................................................................................................ 28 Trends in Forest Composition and Structure......................................................................................29 State of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem: Transboundary Bioregion III Wildlife ...........................................................................................................................31 Historic content ................................................................................................................................... 31 Present content ................................................................................................................................... 32 Protected status .................................................................................................................................. 34 Habitat hotspots.................................................................................................................................. 35 Focal Species ....................................................................................................................................... 35 Aquatics (quality/species) ........................................................................................... 39 Water Quality — Present Status: ........................................................................................................ 40 Water Quality Monitoring Framework................................................................................................ 43 Indicators of Water Quality ................................................................................................................. 43 Focal Species................................................................................................................ 46 Chapter 4 — One Century of Human Activity in the North Fork...................................................49 Forestry Practices ......................................................................................................... 49 Past (British Columbia) ........................................................................................................................ 49 Past (Montana) .................................................................................................................................... 50 Current (Montana)................................................................................................................................ 51 Current (British Columbia)................................................................................................................... 52 Petroleum Extraction .................................................................................................... 57 Past (British Columbia) ........................................................................................................................ 57 Past (Montana) .................................................................................................................................... 57 Current (BC and Montana) ................................................................................................................. 57 Mining........................................................................................................................... 58 Past (British Columbia) ........................................................................................................................ 58 Past (Montana) .................................................................................................................................... 58 Current (BC and Montana) ................................................................................................................. 58 Recreational Activities ..................................................................................................60 Past Hunting/ Trapping/ Outfitting (B.C. and Montana) ................................................................... 60 Current Hunting/ Trapping/ Fishing/ Outfitting (B.C.)........................................................................ 60 Current Hunting/ Trapping/ Outfitting (Montana) .............................................................................. 61 Current Camping/ Hiking/ General sightseeing (Montana and B.C.): ............................................. 61 Current Commercial River Usage (Montana) ...................................................................................