Corridors are as vital as the actual core areas set aside

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Kerry R. Hubble      Sept 3,   2017

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    Highway 93’s  2010, this is similar habitat  all the way to Glacier Park, about 17 miles northeast, other than a couple dirt roads, Swift Creek and North Fork of the Flathead River it’s a walk to the park... it’s a  great wildlife corridor.

Above,  map showing flow of wildlife such as Grizzly, moose, elk and deer, wolverine, martin, lion ect.  And seasonally deer and elk  work their way in and out of this wintering area, any way look at Google Earth and see the timber is mostly all gone now except at our crossing and that's why we think the wildlife as increased dramatically at this location in the last 40 years. 

   Its imperative we try to set aside some of this land before its developed. Its sold but not all built on yet or subdivide into building acre lots.  Some day an  animal bridge, fencing, restoration of habitat is going to eventually  be worked into  this area. But for now lets start thinking forward...  21st century not 18 th.

  White space is private land mostly subdivide up for rural and urban sprawl. Blue is state forest. Green is National Forest

  Big game flow out of the mountains,  crossing Swift Creek, around  Whitefish Lake avoiding city sprawl, Suburbia, using Beaver Lake area, then funnel to last of forest canopy to a small mountain pass, cross busy highway and Stillwater River bottom... We are that pass., both sides of highway

    Google Map

  Busy Highway 93 Crossing in front of  barn , it’s a strait shot into the Flathead and Kootenai  National Forests and Stillwater State Forests, or the Cabinet Mountains.  Big problem here is the old migration travel route is crossing the busy deadly highway  93 you cant see the highway in front of the barn.     

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    Blue land is Stillwater State Forest. Green is National Forest, White is Private Land homes, ranches, farms city's ect. A lot white north of Whitefish is Parked out Forests Subdivided. Pink was supposed to be Railroad or Plum Creek but its residential now ? Subdivided.

 Salish Mountains Wildlife Corridor 

  Swift Creek and Stillwater Crossing Wolverine, Lynx, Fisher, Pine Marten, Grizzly crossing 

Above  the Narrow  Funnel  area to get the Migration  to the other side of Highway 93, Flathead Valley and Stillwater River  Bottoms. Stillwater River to the left 2011.  Below is report placing us in the middle  of  High Priority Linkage Area. This foreground is scheduled to be logger 2013, its Flathead national Forest Beaver Lake North

     We are losing the vital ground to development, some day we will wish someone took action  to create an animal friendly passage route between the two Grizzly Core Areas.

           I started this but I now need help.             Kerry R. Hubble

                        Salish Mountains Wildlife Corridor

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  Busy Highway  93 is very deadly here and future Animal Bridge must be considered like the one below possible.

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     Wildlife flow out of Glacier National Park naturally  then move down to wintering range or to cross the valley, wildlife keeping to the cover of timber seam to funnel through our area.  From this place to Missoula is mostly wide valleys  inundated with residents, ranches, industry, busy highways  fences with one animal bridge near Missoula.  The wild roaming, migrating creatures needing or wanting to move east to west many will end up dead because of funneled through here and its hazards.

Corridors are as vital as the actual core areas set aside.

 

     Government closes thousands of logging roads  so to preserve wildlife  but the same animals  are killed  trying to  funnel across this valley through a gauntlet just to get to there.

       Highways, open areas, thinned out  timber, fences,  hunters, and ever growing ever expanding suburbia, rural sprawl pushing wildlife.

     Below,  big arrow  is flow of wildlife from upper whitefish range. Red is our place on Highway 93.  This is only 1/2 mile  open area  to cross to national forest again. See both Google maps.

 

They have to migrate through Tally Lake logged area

North Fork of Flathead River and Glacier Park this Is 15 miles  to our East

Upper Whitefish Range and Swift Creek Basin from Beaver Lake area 2012

Salish Mountains from Beaver Lake area, Stillwater River and Highway 93 in bottom of valley, why the migration cross here?

Flathead –Missoula suburbia is to the left, Libby Dam  runs 90 miles to the right

What we need

Stillwater River  Bottom Northern Western Montana