Westslope cutthroat trout and Yellowstone cutthroat trout received a conservation boost recently that officials say will benefit Montana’s state-fish for years to come.
Earlier this month, the last of 18 groups signed on to an agreement to help carry out conservation and restoration efforts throughout the cutthroat trout’s historical ranges in Montana. The 34-page agreement essentially seeks to aggressively safeguard and restore Montana’s two cutthroat trout subspecies and their habitats.
"We’re pleased with the support of the organizations, and we’re ready to capitalize on this agreement to get on-the-ground conservation actions in place to benefit Montana’s state fish,” said Travis Horton, native species coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
Montana’s westlope cutthroat trout, typically found in western Montana streams, and the Yellowstone cutthroat trout, typically found in the Yellowstone River system in southwest and south-central Montana, together currently inhabit approximately 20,000 stream miles in Montana. The fish, named for the distinctive red slash on their lower jaw, once inhabited more than 50,000 stream miles.
The agreement was signed by three state agencies, five federal agencies, two professional fisheries organizations, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe, and seven private groups, including American Wildlands, Montana Farm Bureau Federation, Federation of Fly-Fishers, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Montana Stockgrowers Association, Montana Trout Unlimited, and the Montana Wildlife Federation.
The groups agreed to a variety of "mileposts" to show progress under the new agreement, Horton said. The mileposts include:
regional watershed plans for cutthroat trout 40 conservation projects for westslope cutthroat trout and 10 for Yellowstone cutthroat trout per year annual updates on cutthroat trout distribution and genetic status maintaining more than 4,800 stream miles currently inhabited by cutthroat trout "conservation populations" —those that show no or little evidence of hybridization reducing risks to cutthroat trout conservation populations "These mileposts are by far the most aggressive commitment to cutthroat trout conservation in Montana to date," said Brad Shepard, FWP’s cutthroat trout coordinator and chairman of the Montana Cutthroat Trout Technical Committee. " FWP and our collaborators will be soliciting ideas and assistance from the public as we develop conservation projects for cutthroat trout and we encourage others to get involved."
Agencies that signed the agreement include, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Yellowstone National Park.
The westslope cutthroat trout is bright yellow, orange, and red, with the characteristic red slash marks on its lower jaw. It is generally distinguishable from other cutthroat trout by the tight pattern of black spots that appear on the body. Historically, Montana’s westslope cutthroat were found in east of the Continental Divide in the Missouri River upstream of Fort Benton and the headwaters of a few of its tributaries below Fort Benton, as well as most waters west of the Continental Divide.
Yellowstone cutthroat trout have a golden coloration and large spots more widely distributed on their sides than the westslope cutthroat trout. The fish originally inhabited Montana throughout the upper Yellowstone River drainage above the confluence with the Bighorn River. In general, Yellowstone cutthroat are larger than westslope cutthroat and more prone to eat fish as part of their diet.
The
cutthroat trout conservation agreement can be found on FWP’s website at
fwp.mt.gov. Click "Wild Things," then click "Species of Concern." Look for the link to westslope cutthroat trout or Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
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