Stream segments identified as priority areas for aquatic conservation efforts within the Montana State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP).
Purpose:
To assist in the delineation of priority aquatic habitats for the Montana SWAP.
Supplemental information:
Focal areas were identified and refined by a Technical Team and by area biologists over the course of several months and numerous meetings. Associated supporting documentation can be found within the State Wildlife Action Plan and on the FWP web pages for the Plan at http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/conservationInAction/
Time period of content:
Calendar date: 04/01/2014
Currentness reference: publication date
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance and update frequency: None planned
Access constraints: None
Use constraints:
Users must assume responsibility to determine the usability of this data for their purposes. This data set is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) makes no representations or warranties whatsoever with respect to the accuracy or completeness of this data set and assumes no responsibility for the suitability of this data set for a particular purpose. FWP will not be liable for any damages incurred as a result of errors in this data set.
Meetings in each of the seven FWP regions were convened to identify regional Focal Areas to guide attention to specific geographical areas of Montana that are in greatest need of conservation and to help focus conservation efforts in an increasingly inadequate funding environment. Invited experts (e.g., species, habitat, threats) were asked to delineate Focal Areas by considering several factors including species presence, abundance, habitat quality and distribution and threats to those habitats. Using large-format maps, biologists identified stream segments as priority areas for conservation and those delineations were replicated in ArcGIS by selecting, identifying and attributing stream segments from the FWP Montana Streams layer, to a resolution of 0.1 mile. Unique stream segments selected as priority areas were merged for the entire state to create a single layer of stream segements for Aquatic Focal Areas - Stream Segments.