Completed

• Botanical - 2011 National Wetland Condition Assessment
  Partner(s): USEPA
  Completed: 2012
  Objective: Identify collected plant specimens and QA-QC plant specimen identifications collected at wetland fieldsites in Montana as part of National Wetland Condition Assessment and preserve voucher specimens for long-term storage.
  
• Botanical - Missoula Area Plant Surveys
  Partner(s): BLM
  Completed: 2007
  Objective: Conduct surveys for BLM Sensitive plants and Montana Plant Species of Concern on BLM lands managed by the Missoula Field Office.
  
• Botanical - Predictive Modeling of Rare Plant Species
  Partner(s): BLM
  Completed: 2009
  Objective: Rare species are often restricted to specific habitats, and relatively few environmental parameters (e.g., climatic and soil factors, elevation, geologic substrate). The goal of this project is to develop computerized models to predict suitable habitat for plant Species of Concern, focusing on BLM lands in southwest and south-central Montana.
  
• Botanical - Review and Update Status of Globally Rare Plant Species
  Partner(s): National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
  Completed: 2009
  Objective: Collect data on over 40 plant species of potential global significance that occur on BLM lands in Montana, to ascertain their status and determine more accurate global and state status ranks.
  
• Botanical - Wetland Plant Identification Workshops
  Partner(s): MT-DEQ
  Completed: 2012
  Objective: Conduct wetland plant identification training workshops in several geographic areas of the state during the 2010 fieldseason. Target audience includes; but is not limited to; federal, state and tribal biologists and managers.
  
• Botanical - Wetland Plant Identification Workshops
  Partner(s): MT-DEQ
  Completed: 2010
  Objective: Conduct wetland plant identification training workshops in several geographic areas of the state during the 2010 fieldseason. Target audience includes; but is not limited to; federal, state and tribal biologists and managers.
  
• Ecological - Development of a GIS Tool for Landscape-level Assessment of Wetland Condition
  Partner(s): US EPA, MT-DEQ
  Completed: December 2009
  Objective: Using rapid assessments conducted during Amphibian Inventory, identify landscape-level disturbance factors (e.g., land use/cover, road density, water diversions) that correlate best with wetland condition. Using these factors, create a Landscape Integrity Model that enables planners and land managers to identify areas likely to support high-quality wetland or where management can conserve wetland health.
  
• Ecological - Land Cover Mapping, Assessment & Surveys, Upper Clark Fork Watershed
  Partner(s): MT-FWP
  Completed: December 2009
  Objective: Evaluate the extent and condition of riparian, grassland and shrubland ecological systems in the Upper Clark Fork River Basin and update mapping of the 2009 Land Cover map.
  
• Ecological - Mapping and Analysis of Geographically Isolated Wetlands.
  Partner(s): MT-DEQ
  Completed: January 2009
  Objective: Create a computer model for identifying and analyzing isolated wetlands that appear to be geographically isolated from “navigable waters” and ephemeral and intermittent streams, which recent court decisions have determined are not protected under the Clean Water Act. Products include new digital wetland maps for at least 40 quads sampled, estimates of current acreage, extend and types of geographically isolated wetlands in areas not yet mapped, and summary of wetland types and functions.
  
• Ecological - National Vegetation Classification Training
  Partner(s): USGS
  Completed: December 2009
  Objective: Create outreach and training materials to facilitate adoption of the National Vegetation Classification by federal agency staff, academic researchers and others who collect vegetation data in Montana. We will produce hard copy and web-based materials, including interpretation and implementation guides and keys, and crosswalks between current agency classifications, the NVC, and NatureServe/Heritage ecological systems, as well as templates and data submission protocols to incorporate vegetation data into the statewide Land Cover GIS data layer.
  
• Ecological - National Wetland Inventory Mapping for Flathead and Missoula Counties
  Partner(s): MLIAC & Missoula Co. Rural Initiatives
  Completed: January 2012
  Objective: Map wetlands and riparian areas and develop associated data for 58 USGS 1:24,000 quads in portions of Missoula and Flathead Counties. Maps of completed quads will be available as PDFs through the MTNHP website. The final product will be available for download from the NWI and NRIS as a geodatabase.
  
• Ecological - Northern Cheyenne Wetlands
  Partner(s): Northern Cheyenne Tribe
  Completed: December 2010
  Objective: Complete new digital wetland and riparian mapping for eight USGS 1:24,000 quads covering the Tongue River watershed within the Northern Cheyenne Reservation boundary. We are also conducting an on-site training with Northern Cheyenne Tribe staff on plant identification and established vegetation survey methods. Additionally, we are creating a file geodatabase for mapped wetland and culturally significant plant locations.
  
• Ecological - Range Wetland Enhancement
  Partner(s): NRCS
  Completed: December 2009
  Objective: To demonstrate the use of GIS for identifying spatial patterns in grazing distribution and determining appropriate location for supplements to draw cattle away from vulnerable wetlands.
  
• Ecological - Rocky Mountain REMAP Project
  Partner(s): USEPA ORD
  Completed: April 2012
  Objective: Collaborate with Natural Heritage Ecologists in Colorado and Wyoming to produce a regionally standardized approach to wetland and riparian assessment that includes Level I (GIS-based), Level II (Rapid Field) and Level III (Intensive Field) methods. This initial phase involves defining the range of diversity in fens, marshes, wet meadows and riparian woodlands and shrublands.
  
• Ecological - Rotating Basin Assessments of Montana Wetlands
  Partner(s): USEPA, BLM
  Completed: June 2010
  Objective: Conduct probabilistic assessments of wetland condition throughout Montana. The first basins to be assessed will be the Milk, Marias and St. Mary’s in northern Montana. This phase of the project is being done in collaboration with the Blackfeet Tribal Wetlands Program.
  
• Ecological - Scoping of Statewide Weed Distribution Database
  Partner(s): MT Weed Control Assoc. & MT Dept. of Agriculture
  Completed: December 2009
  Objective: Determine how weed information is managed by federal, state, local and private agencies in Montana, and assess the feasibility, usefulness, technical requirements and costs of creating a statewide information system on invasive species.
  
• Ecological - Southwest Montana Resource Planning and Management Geodatabases
  Partner(s): USEPA, Ruby Valley Conservation District
  Completed: December 2010
  Objective: Build user-friendly GIS tools to help planners and conservation districts visualize, explore and analyze wetland and riparian resources in Southwestern Montana.
  
• Ecological - Wetland and Riparian Mapping of the Yellowstone River Corridor
  Partner(s): ACOE, Custer County Conservation District
  Completed: January 2010
  Objective: Create a new digital wetland and riparian map dataset for the Yellowstone River corridor using 2005 1-meter imagery. The maps will provide a complete and consistent resource, compliant with FGDC standards, to guide environmental decision-making along the river corridor.
  
• Ecological - Wetland and Vegetation Mapping of Manning Lake Refuge
  Partner(s): Fort Peck Tribes
  Completed: December 2009
  Objective: Conduct digital wetland and vegetation classification and mapping of the Manning Lake Wildlife Refuge.
  
• Ecological - Wetland Mapping, Rocky Boy Reservation
  Partner(s): Chippewa Cree Tribe
  Completed: June 2009
  Objective: Create digital mapping of wetland and riparian areas on the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation.
  
• Interdisciplinary & Data Services - Information Services for Natural Resources Conservation Service
  Partner(s): NRCS
  Completed: 2010
  Objective: Provide effective access and training to NRCS state office and field staff in utilizing the MTNHP databases to meet requirements for natural resource planning activities, and coordinate with NRCS in the statewide mapping of vegetation.
  
• Interdisciplinary & Data Services - Montana Land Management Database Update
  Partner(s): US Geological Survey
  Completed: October 2011
  Objective: The purpose of this project is to develop and update a stewardship geodatabase for Montana that contributes directly to the Protected Areas Database-US (PAD-US. Specific project objectives are to: 1) Improve capacity to update and maintain Montana’s stewardship data in order to make it more efficient to transfer into the PAD-US national geodatabase. 2) Translate existing Montana stewardship data into the PAD-US schema following national standards. 3) Update stewardship data into a PAD-US geodatabase.
  
• Interdisciplinary & Data Services - US Forest Service FAUNA Exchange & Data Services
  Partner(s): USFS
  Completed: June 2010
  Objective: MTNHP is working with the USFS Region 1 Office to improve the information base on plant and animal species of concern and other vulnerable or declining species on USFS land by actively assembling and integrating information from forests in Montana. In addition, MTNHP is working with USFS to establish a network of botanists, ecologists and biologists who will regularly provide and exchange observation and survey data on plant and animal species of concern and other vulnerable or declining species on FS lands.
  
• UM Spatial Analysis Lab - Flowering Rush Distribution and Invasion
  Partner(s): Center for Invasives, Flathead Biological Station
  Completed: December 2010
  Objective: Using SPOT, Quickbird, and NAIP imagery as well as wave action models developed by the FLBS researchers, create predictive distribution maps for invasive flowering rush in Flathead Lake. These models will help identify potential invasion pathways for this aquatic nuisance species.
  
• UM Spatial Analysis Lab - Sagebrush Mapping in the Thunder Basin and Powder River Basin
  Partner(s): USFS & BLM
  Completed: December 2012
  Objective: As part of a larger project to model sage grouse winter range habitat, we are using SPOT-5 image classification and analysis to identify sage brush cover types and densities. We are also investigating methods for classifying annual grasses (cheatgrass, Japanese brome) from remotely-sensed imagery.
  
• Zoological - Animal Distribution Modeling for ReGap Project
  Partner(s): USGS
  Completed: May 2011
  Objective: Compile information for developing regional habitat models for 600+ animal species and provide expert review of those models developed by the University of Wyoming.
  
• Zoological - Bat and Bird Surveys in the Upper Clark Fork Watershed
  Partner(s): MT-FWP
  Completed: December 2009
  Objective: Conduct baseline surveys for bats and passerine bird species in grasslands, shrublands, wetlands, and riparian areas in the Upper Clark Fork watershed where this information is currently lacking.
  
• Zoological - Field Guide to the Terrestrial Mollusks of Montana
  Partner(s): USFS
  Completed: February 2012
  Objective: Prepare a draft manuscript for a publication summarizing information on the terrestrial mollusk species known from Montana.
  
• Zoological - Flagged Display Impacted Wetlands
  Partner(s): MT-DEQ
  Completed: May 2010
  Objective: Code greater than 9,000 georeferenced digital photos of wetlands surveyed during the Montana Amphibian Inventory and Monitoring Program as to evidence for level of impact (heavy, light, non-discernible) and display these with color coded symbols and text on the Montana Natural Heritage Program’s Tracker Website to assist natural resource managers with protection of wetlands.
  
• Zoological - Northern Region Bat Status Surveys
  Partner(s): USFS
  Completed: May 2007
  Objective: Conduct surveys for bat species designated Sensitive by USFS within designated Wilderness Areas in Montana to improve understanding of their distribution and status.
  
• Zoological - Review of Bird Observation Records
  Partner(s): MT-FWP
  Completed: June 2009
  Objective: Review pending observation records for colonial nesting waterbirds and recently submitted records for other bird species in order to integrate them into the Montana Bird Distribution database.
  
• Zoological - Riparian Bird Surveys on the Helena National Forest
  Partner(s): USFS
  Completed: 2010
  Objective: Conduct baseline bird point count transect surveys on streams across the Helena National Forest as part of a larger Forest Service led effort to monitor the status of riparian areas.
  
• Zoological - Status of Freshwater Mussels in Montana
  Partner(s): MT-FWP
  Completed: June 2010
  Objective: To comprehensively determine the distribution and population status of all freshwater mussel species occurring in Montana’s rivers and streams. Initial emphasis is on the Western Pearlshell, a Potential Species of Concern.
  
• Zoological - Status of Montana’s Mollusks
  Partner(s): USFS, NPS
  Completed: October 2009
  Objective: Conduct surveys to clarify the status of mollusk species of concern on various federal lands in Montana.
  
• Zoological - Survey Protocols for Bats & Mollusks
  Partner(s): USFS
  Completed: September 2009
  Objective: Develop standardized inventory protocols for bats and for terrestrial mollusks of conservation concern; conduct initial surveys to test the effectiveness of the terrestrial mollusk protocols and begin determining the distribution of priority species.
  
• Zoological - Targeted Surveys of Montana Animal Species
  Partner(s): TNC
  Completed: December 2008
  Objective: Collect baseline data on animal species in the Centennial Sandhills, grasslands of south Phillips County, and in areas of eastern Montana considered as having high potential for wind power generation.