08-02-2007, 10:10 PM
CHEYENNE - The Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Interagency Coordination Group - comprising state and federal biologists from Montana, Idaho and Wyoming - released the 2006 status assessment for Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
The updated assessment refines a series of reports produced since 1994 that document the status of Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
As expected, the assessment shows that the Yellowstone cutthroat trout tend to inhabit higher elevation mountain waters in the central core of its historic range in portions of Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.
Managers, however, were pleased to learn that healthy populations remain within many lower elevation watersheds on the perimeter of its historic range. In Wyoming, the Yellowstone cutthroat, which includes the Snake River cutthroat trout, currently occupies more than 4,000 stream miles, or about 60 percent of its historic range in the state. Fifty-four percent of all the currently occupied habitat is in Wyoming.
"The hard work is paying off," said Mitch King, regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Denver. "The ongoing commitment among the management agencies is responsible for our better understanding of this subspecies, and that understanding serves to ensure the fish's long-term prosperity."
The service was petitioned in 1998 to list Yellowstone cutthroat trout under the Endangered Species Act, but determined in 2006 that listing was not warranted. In its decision, however, the service described several environmental impacts to Yellowstone cutthroat trout and indicated that a regularly updated technical assessment was needed to show a commitment among management agencies to protect and restore the native fish.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department was a member of the coordination group, assisting with data entry and management.
The latest assessment contains elaborate geographic information system and mapping information. This assessment updated population data throughout the range and provides genetic data, gathered from 4,052 miles of stream habitat, more than double the miles tested in 2001.
"The assessment is important because it provides our fisheries managers much more information about Yellowstone cutthroats, their habitat and possible threats to populations," said Mike Stone, Fish Division chief for the Game and Fish. "This will allow us to more accurately pinpoint areas where problems exist, but also where there are opportunities to help this important, keystone species.
"Wyoming has some of the remaining strongholds for the Yellowstone cutthroat, including a significant amount of habitat outside Yellowstone National Park."
In addition, the assessment offers some promising information on the number and status of the Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations. Researchers located 383 separate Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations, and found that 66 percent of indigenous stream populations occupy habitat that is in good to excellent condition.
"The Game and Fish and our partners can use this assessment to help identify areas where more data are needed," said Stone. "We will use this to update our management plan and identify additional areas where suitable habitat can be restored."
Wyoming has several projects underway aimed at helping the Yellowstone cutthroat, explained Steve Yekel, Cody Region fisheries supervisor. In 2006, the Game and Fish began studying the effects of water diversion structures, such as ditches and canals, to better understand the timing and magnitude of fish straying into canals in the Big Horn Basin.
"We have also been working with private landowners and the Natural Resources Conservation Service on identifying opportunities for resting riparian areas from livestock grazing to provide more stability to Yellowstone cutthroat streams," Yekel said.
Fisheries biologists also chemically treated the lower portions of Dry Medicine Lodge Creek to remove brook trout from the stream prior to restocking with Yellowstone cutthroats.
The status assessment is available on the Internet at http://fwp.mt.gov/content/getItem.aspx?id=28552
The updated assessment refines a series of reports produced since 1994 that document the status of Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
As expected, the assessment shows that the Yellowstone cutthroat trout tend to inhabit higher elevation mountain waters in the central core of its historic range in portions of Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.
Managers, however, were pleased to learn that healthy populations remain within many lower elevation watersheds on the perimeter of its historic range. In Wyoming, the Yellowstone cutthroat, which includes the Snake River cutthroat trout, currently occupies more than 4,000 stream miles, or about 60 percent of its historic range in the state. Fifty-four percent of all the currently occupied habitat is in Wyoming.
"The hard work is paying off," said Mitch King, regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Denver. "The ongoing commitment among the management agencies is responsible for our better understanding of this subspecies, and that understanding serves to ensure the fish's long-term prosperity."
The service was petitioned in 1998 to list Yellowstone cutthroat trout under the Endangered Species Act, but determined in 2006 that listing was not warranted. In its decision, however, the service described several environmental impacts to Yellowstone cutthroat trout and indicated that a regularly updated technical assessment was needed to show a commitment among management agencies to protect and restore the native fish.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department was a member of the coordination group, assisting with data entry and management.
The latest assessment contains elaborate geographic information system and mapping information. This assessment updated population data throughout the range and provides genetic data, gathered from 4,052 miles of stream habitat, more than double the miles tested in 2001.
"The assessment is important because it provides our fisheries managers much more information about Yellowstone cutthroats, their habitat and possible threats to populations," said Mike Stone, Fish Division chief for the Game and Fish. "This will allow us to more accurately pinpoint areas where problems exist, but also where there are opportunities to help this important, keystone species.
"Wyoming has some of the remaining strongholds for the Yellowstone cutthroat, including a significant amount of habitat outside Yellowstone National Park."
In addition, the assessment offers some promising information on the number and status of the Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations. Researchers located 383 separate Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations, and found that 66 percent of indigenous stream populations occupy habitat that is in good to excellent condition.
"The Game and Fish and our partners can use this assessment to help identify areas where more data are needed," said Stone. "We will use this to update our management plan and identify additional areas where suitable habitat can be restored."
Wyoming has several projects underway aimed at helping the Yellowstone cutthroat, explained Steve Yekel, Cody Region fisheries supervisor. In 2006, the Game and Fish began studying the effects of water diversion structures, such as ditches and canals, to better understand the timing and magnitude of fish straying into canals in the Big Horn Basin.
"We have also been working with private landowners and the Natural Resources Conservation Service on identifying opportunities for resting riparian areas from livestock grazing to provide more stability to Yellowstone cutthroat streams," Yekel said.
Fisheries biologists also chemically treated the lower portions of Dry Medicine Lodge Creek to remove brook trout from the stream prior to restocking with Yellowstone cutthroats.
The status assessment is available on the Internet at http://fwp.mt.gov/content/getItem.aspx?id=28552