Montana Animal Species of Concern Report

The Montana Natural Heritage Program (MTNHP) serves as the state's information source for animals, plants, and plant communities with a focus on species and communities that are rare, threatened, and/or have declining trends and as a result are at risk or potentially at risk of extirpation in Montana. This report on Montana Animal Species of Concern is produced jointly by the Montana Natural Heritage Program (MTNHP) and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (MFWP). Montana Animal Species of Concern are native Montana animals that are considered to be "at risk" due to declining population trends, threats to their habitats, and/or restricted distribution. Also included in this report are Potential Animal Species of Concern -- animals for which current, often limited, information suggests potential vulnerability or for which additional data are needed before an accurate status assessment can be made. We also include Special Status Species which are species that have some legal protections in place, but are otherwise not Montana Species of Concern. Bald Eagle is a Special Status Species because, although it is no longer protected under the Endangered Species Act and is also no longer a Montana Species of Concern, it is still protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 (16 U.S.C. 668-668c). Red Knot is not a Montana Species of Concern, having a state rank of SNA because of a lack of information on its migratory stopover use of Montana's wetlands. However it is a Special Status Species because it is listed as Threatened in Montana under the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531-1544). Over the last 200 years, 5 species with historic breeding ranges in Montana have been extirpated from the state; Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus), Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), Pilose Crayfish (Pacifastacus gambelii), and Rocky Mountain Locust (Melanoplus spretus). Designation as a Montana Animal Species of Concern or Potential Animal Species of Concern is not a statutory or regulatory classification. Instead, these designations provide a basis for resource managers and decision-makers to make proactive decisions regarding species conservation and data collection priorities in order to avoid additional extirpations. Status determinations are made by MTNHP and MFWP biologists in consultation with representatives of the Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society, the Montana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, and other experts. The process for evaluating and assigning status designations uses the Natural Heritage Program ranking system, described below, which forms the basis for identifying Montana Species of Concern.