2. 1
BACKGROUND OF THE TEAM
Pathfinder Renewable Wind Energy, LLC, a
Wyoming company, brings a visionary approach
to green energy production. Pathfinder's
leadership team is revolutionizing green energy
production as it's known in America. The
company's synergistic plan protects cultural
and historic treasures and enhances wildlife
and recreational resources while building local
economies. Pathfinder is an integral component
in reaching the nation's goal to meet 20%
percent of our electrical needs through
renewable resources by 2030. The Pathfinder
vision protects Wyoming's natural resources
and cultural treasures while building the state's
economy and meeting America's renewable
energy needs.
An Introduction to the Contents
The Pathfinder Ranches are a unique reserve for the protection of fish, wildlife and the ecosystems
upon which they depend. Restoration and protection of its resources is a rare privilege.
When compiling a restoration approach
and management plan for Pathfinder Ranches,
we understand the most meaningful plan for
this ecologically-diverse property could not be
based solely on scientific data, when much of
the Ranches’ baseline appreciation is also
composed from observations and working
experience. We understand that our Client’s
goals, the unique ecological factors beyond
the expanse of the property boundaries, and
each feature that makes the Ranches unique,
are intricate parts of the overall restoration
and management plan tailored for the site.
An important aim of this publication was to
produce a comprehensive, yet readable,
document explaining the ecological story of
Pathfinder Ranches. There was a need to
include the findings of the technical data
collected for the Ranches, but placing these in
the main work would have interfered with the
flow of the story. Therefore, this work is divided
into two parts: the main descriptive section,
which covers the ecological assets of the
property, the restoration and conservation
commitments, and the management plan, and
a number of Annexes including:
• A Photographic Journey through Present
Day Pathfinder Ranches
• Pathfinder Ranches Assessment
and Feasibility Study
• Pathfinder Ranches Conceptual
Design Policies
• Threatened and Endangered Species
and Species of Concern Analysis
• Maps and Analysis of Pathfinder Ranches
and Surrounding Area
• Pathfinder Ranches Wildlife Technical Memo
• Pathfinder Ranches Management Plan
• Pathfinder Ranches Contacts
• Additional Bibliography and References
PREFACE
The purpose of this document is to serve as a guide to the Pathfinder Ranches Resource
Conservation Mitigation Bank Project. Its aim is to answer many questions about the project,
and to serve as a baseline and a pointer for future management. Ecologically-sound,
balanced, aquatic systems, rangelands, and forests provide fish, wildlife and plants with the
critical habitat elements needed to thrive. Experience has shown us that owners, too,
benefit from a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when undertaking meaningful
restoration.
Trout Headwaters, Inc (THI) is a private company
specializing in the creation, enhancement,
restoration and proper management of rivers,
streams, lakes and wetlands. Since 1995 THI’s
customer-driven philosophy has made it the
industry leader in natural, sustainable
approaches to aquatic habitat restoration on
more than 400 projects nationwide. THI's
exclusive EcoBlu™ approach has allowed it to
successfully blend the disciplines of engineer-
ing, hydrology, geomorphology, and ecology,
to reliably meet the complex demands
associated with water-resource renewal and
repair.
THI will continue to provide careful
guidance, and groundwork, but many of the
greatest changes will result from the work of
Nature herself. As the negative influences of
misuse and development are removed, the
protections of the bank’s conservation
easement will allow Nature’s propensity for
healing to work in earnest, extending and
securing the processes of renewal and repair.
3. Pathfinder Ranches
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Locations
4. Long known as one of Wyoming’s most
outstanding recreational ranches for fly fishing,
hunting, wildlife, solitude and beauty, the
Ranches are also a haven for sagebrush-depen-
dent Greater Sage Grouse, elk, mule deer,
and antelope.
The deeded property on Bummer Ranch
features over 4 miles of Dry Creek and over 5
acres of wetlands. The Cardwell Ranch has
almost 7 miles of Dry Creek and 38 acres of
wetlands. The Miracle Mile Ranch has over 7
miles of streams and 150 acres of wetlands.
The Pathfinder Ranch has over 83 miles of
streams, including 16 miles of Sand Creek,
and portions of the Sweetwater and North
Platte Rivers. The Pathfinder Ranch also has
1,150 acres of wetlands. The Perkins Parcel
has 2.5 miles of streams and 1 acre of wetlands.
The Two Iron Ranch has over 15 miles of
streams, 3.4 miles of which are Sage Creek,
and 78 acres of wetlands.
On all of the Pathfinder Ranches are a total
of 134.6 miles of streams and 1,423.6 acres of
wetlands. In this arid landscape, these water
resources provide a natural environment for
migratory birds, amphibians and unique plants.
Geographical Location
and General Description
Pathfinder Ranches lie in southeast Wyoming
and are situated at about 5,850 to 9,400 feet
above sea level. The major riverine systems on
the Ranches, the North Platte and Sweetwater
Rivers, flow into the property and supply the
21,000-acre Pathfinder Reservoir.
With some of the most ecologically impor-
tant privately-held land in Wyoming, the
property is an expansive 55,100 deeded acres,
plus an additional 5,000 Bureau of Land
Management leased acres.
An Introduction to Pathfinder Ranches
With a contiguous land area of more than 60,000
acres, Pathfinder Ranches constitute one of the
largest assemblages of working ranches remaining
in the West. Its expansive sagebrush steppe and
low mountains preserves both Wyoming’s ranching
heritage and reputation for wide open spaces.
With some of the most ecologically-important,
privately-held land in Wyoming, the Ranches' long
history of cattle, sheep and horse ranching,
legendary fishing, and trophy hunting, will
increasingly become a legacy of conservation
and restoration.
54
5. 76
No management plan for the present or the
future can ignore the past. Prior to the acqui-
sition of the Ranches, the property had been
operated continuously as a cattle, sheep and
horse ranch for over 100 years. Many areas of
the Ranches show noticeable signs of long–term
use by livestock and its associated disturbances.
Because we are familiar with the traditional
activities of livestock production, the effects of
agriculture on the landscape can change our
perception of how undisturbed, healthy stream
and wetland ecosystems should appear. After
careful assessment, we can definitively say
that returning the Ranches to much of their
former productivity is well within our reach.
Pathfinder Ranches will proceed with
ecological improvements by way of a resource
conservation mitigation bank. The principle
site selection, technical feasibility, the role of
preservation, the inclusion of upland areas, and
the specific watershed needs, can all be met
by the bank. THI is addressing these six plan-
ning considerations in the following manner:
1. Goal Setting - The overall goal of the
Pathfinder Ranches Resource Conservation
Mitigation Bank is to provide economically-
efficient and flexible mitigation opportunities,
while fully compensating for threatened and
endangered species habitat, wetlands, streams,
and other aquatic and upland resource losses
in a manner that contributes to the long-term
ecological functioning of the North Platte River
and Sweetwater watersheds and associated
ecoregions. In order to achieve this, THI’s
stream and wetland restoration plan will seek
to replace those essential aquatic functions
which will likely be lost through future author-
ized activities within the bank's service area.
Restoration goals will be designed to meet
the anticipated mitigation needs.
2. Site Selection – Pathfinder Ranches possess
the unique physical, chemical and biological
characteristics to support the establishment of
desired aquatic resources and functions. The
size and location of the site allow it to provide
ecologically-significant aquatic and upland
resources, significant hydrologic resources,
including sufficient water rights, compatible
adjacent land uses, improved water quality
and diverse aquatic and terrestrial habitat.
3. Technical Feasibility – The proposed mitigation
bank will be designed to be self-sustaining over
time. The aquatic resources for the bank will be
provided through the restoration of existing,
historically-degraded wetlands and streams.
The restoration plan is based on proven, well
understood, and reliable methods for
re-establishing proper stream and wetland
function, flow, water quality and aquatic habitat.
4. Preservation – While restoration of existing
aquatic features will be the main goal of the
project, preservation of both aquatic resources
and adjacent upland habitats will be an impor-
tant component of the proposed bank. All
restored aquatic resources and re-established
riparian and wetland buffer areas will be
protected through deed restrictions and/or
permanent conservation easements.
5. Inclusion of Upland Areas – As indicated above,
upland areas will be included in the bank since
they provide important wildlife habitat, and also
protect and improve water quality through
groundwater storage, erosion control, soil
stabilization, and nutrient uptake.
6. Specific Watershed Needs – The proposed
mitigation bank will be planned and developed
to address the specific resource needs of the
North Platte River and Sweetwater watersheds
and associated ecoregions or habitat types. THI
is currently researching existing watershed plans
for both the upper and lower reaches of the
watersheds in an effort to identify specific
watershed needs and problems. To the maxi-
mum extent possible, the mitigation bank will
be designed to provide aquatic and upland
resources which can serve to offset or improve
existing or anticipated impacts to these
watersheds.
Public education and good public relations
may be added benefits of enhanced wildlife
management efforts where wildlife managers
value the opportunity to demonstrate to the
public successful multiple-use models showing
that livestock, wildlife populations, and healthy
range and forest lands can all coexist.
The Pathfinder Ranches Project
The Pathfinder Ranches Resource Conservation Mitigation Bank Project was conceived in
2007, and implemented by Jeff Meyer and Michael Fraley of Pathfinder Renewable Wind
Energy, LLC. Technical design and consulting assistance is being provided by Trout Headwaters,
Inc. With the distinction of being Wyoming’s largest mitigation bank, Pathfinder Ranches has
a proposed service area of 84,587 square miles. Such an undertaking predictably encounters
political and technical challenges, but the objective has remained the same: This biologically-
distinct resource will provide a refuge and bank for a full assembly of ecological values and
functions of the region. Its protected existence will serve to compensate for anticipated
losses to threatened and endangered species habitat, along with ecologically-critical streams
and wetlands. Stream and wetland restoration, creation, and enhancement will meet the
advance mitigation needs of industrial, agricultural, or residential development within the
proposed service area.
6. 1716
Culturally Significant Sites
Historical establishments serve as reminders of the past and of our cultural beginnings.
Every civilization defines itself in part by its past, and an understanding of its past helps
determine its basic values and future aspirations. Our understanding of the past is strength-
ened and deepened by contact with the buildings, physical places, and artifacts of earlier
times. From the grave of infamous outlaw “Cattle Kate” to portions of four, historic,
emigrant trails, Pathfinder Ranches are rich with culturally-significant sites related to western
expansion. By preserving the past, future generations come to better understand the society
in which they live and to better understand themselves.
PATHFINDER RANCHES
HISTORICAL SITES
The Grave of Ellen Watson, aka “Cattle Kate”
Ellen Watson, dubbed by local newspapers
in the late 1880’s, as “Cattle Kate,” was long
thought of as an outlaw. Watson, and her
husband, Jim Averill were hanged by vigilantes
near the Sweetwater River in Wyoming on
July 20, 1889 for the accused crime of cattle
rustling. However, there is a mystery surround-
ing the hangings and it appears that their deaths
were unjustified, perpetrated by powerful
land and cattle owners of the time.
The two are buried on what is today the
Pathfinder Ranches in the Sweetwater Valley.
When the pair was buried, two oak wagon
wheels were placed side by side over their
graves.
The wood has long rotted away, but the old
iron hub and wheels still remain today. Over
100 years later the descendants of Ellen Watson
rededicated a marker at the site.
Emigrant Trails
Four historic trails crossed within the
Pathfinder Ranches. The Oregon, California,
Mormon Pioneer and Pony Express Trails all
passed through the Ranches’ northern reaches.
These trails have high historical significance to
the westward expansion and development of
the United States.
The Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was one of the primary
routes used by emigrants heading westward
across the American continent in the 1840s.
The Oregon Trail is a 2,000 mile historic
east-west wagon route that connected various
towns on the Missouri River to valleys in
Oregon.
The California Trail
The California Trail was an emigrant trail of
about 2,000 miles across the western half of
the North American continent from Missouri
River towns to what is now the state of
California. The first half of the California Trail
followed the same corridor of networked trails
as the Oregon Trail and the Mormon Trails
that typically follow river valleys.
The Mormon Pioneer Trail
The Mormon Pioneer Trail extends from
Nauvoo, Illinois, which was the principal
settlement of the Latter Day Saints from 1839
to 1846, to Salt Lake City, Utah. From Council
Bluffs, Iowa to Fort Bridger in Wyoming, the
trail follows much the same route as the
Oregon Trail and the California Trail. These
trails are together known as the Emigrant Trail.
The Pony Express Trail
The Pony Express Trail stretched from St.
Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California
and was 1,840 miles in length. Few reminders
are left of the outposts that serviced the
horsemen of the fast mail service. The Pony
Express Trail followed the North Platte to
present-day Casper before making its way
along the Sweetwater River to cross the
Continental Divide to merge with the emigrant
caravans at South Pass. Although thirty-nine
Pony Express stations were established across
Wyoming, little evidence of foundations are
left today along the trail ruts of the Oregon,
California, and Mormon Pioneer Trails.
7. Pathfinder Ranches
Critical Habitats
2120
Sweetwater Cardwell
North Platte Corridor
Lower Sweetwater Watershed
Bates Hole
North Rawlins
Lower Sweetwater River Watershed
Ferris-Seminoe Mountains
Medicine Bow-Shirley Basin
Dry Creek-Rattlesnake Hills
Medicine Bow-Shirley Basin
Dry Creek-Rattlesnake Hills
Medicine Bow-Shirley BasinMedicine Bow
Poison Creek Watershed
Medicine Bow
Property
Enhancement
TERRESTRIAL HABITAT
AQUATIC HABITAT
Enhancement
Crucial
Crucial
Major Streams
Major Lakes
TM
8. 2322
Threatened and Endangered Species
All species are dependent upon certain habitat
features for survival. A resource conservation
bank generally protects threatened and endan-
gered species habitat. Credits are established
for the specific sensitive species that occur on
the site. Endangered black-footed ferrets, and
least terns, threatened Canada Lynx and
candidate species like Greater sage grouse, all
potentially make their home within the bound-
aries of Pathfinder Ranches.
Pathfinder Ranches are dominated by
Rolling Sagebrush Steppe. This biologically-
distinct ecoregion is known range, and
potential range for several threatened and
endangered species. A secondary ecoregion,
the Foothill Shrublands and Low Mountains
ecoregion is located on footslopes, alluvial fans,
hills, ridges and valleys of Pathfinder Ranches.
According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS) documentation, 11 threatened, endan-
gered or candidate species potentially call
Pathfinder Ranches home. This list includes
two mammals, one fish, five birds, and
three plants.
ENDANGERED, THREATENED
AND CANDIDATE MAMMAL SPECIES
Black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes)
Black-footed ferrets have been classified as
an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service since l967, and are considered
the most endangered mammal in North
America. More than 73 percent of Cardwell
and Two Iron Ranches contain crucial habitat
for black-footed ferrets, which are critically
dependent upon healthy, expansive, prairie
dog colonies.
Loss of prairie-dog habitat is the primary
reason black-footed ferrets remain near the
brink of extinction. Conversion of native
grasslands to intensive agricultural uses, wide-
spread prairie dog eradication programs, and
introduced diseases have reduced ferret
habitat to less than two percent of what once
existed. Remaining habitat is now fragmented,
with prairie dog towns separated by expanses
of cropland and human development. Once
an expansive network of colonies reaching
from Texas to Canada, prairie dog towns today
are small and isolated with restricted movement
and connectivity.
Many other sensitive species such as
burrowing owls, mountain plovers, golden
eagles, swift fox, and ferruginous hawks are
strongly linked to this habitat for their survival.
Some of these species could follow the ferret's
fate, and will likely require further conservation
efforts to ensure their survival.
Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
On March 24, 2000, the contiguous United
States population of the Canada lynx was listed
as threatened under the Endangered Species
Act. In the West, the lynx prefers subalpine
coniferous forests of mixed age. They den and
seek protection from severe weather in mature
forests with downed logs but hunt for prey in
young forests with more open space.
Today, while tens of thousands of lynx remain
in Canada and Alaska, the FWS can confirm
the presence of lynx populations below the
border only in Maine, Montana, Washington,
and Colorado.
The lynx’s gradual disappearance from the
contiguous U.S. resulted from human activities
that have compromised both the lynx and its
habitat, including trapping, logging, and road
development.
ENDANGERED, THREATENED
AND CANDIDATE FISH SPECIES
Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus)
Freshwater fishes are the most imperiled
vertebrate group in the United States. In the
United States, about 20 percent of fishes are
extinct or imperiled, as compared with 7
percent of the country's mammals and birds.
The pallid sturgeon is one of the rarest
fishes in North America, and was federally
listed as endangered in 1990. It is currently
on the Carbon County and Natrona County
lists of federally endangered species.
This unusual looking fish evolved from a
group of fishes that were dominant during
the late Cretaceous period 70 million years
ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
Named for its pale coloration, the pallid stur-
geon is closely related to the relatively
common shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhyncus
platorhynchus), but is much larger, averaging
between 30 and 60 inches 85 pounds in
weight at maturity. This unique animal has
managed to survive over the millennia, but
the future for this “living dinosaur” is now
uncertain.
The primary reason for their decline is
believed to be habitat loss. Dams are assumed
responsible for the pallid sturgeon's decline
by isolating pallid sturgeon populations,
altering river flow regimes, and reducing
habitat.
Hybridization with shovelnose sturgeon
may also be a problem. Although the pallid
sturgeon is not known to occur in Wyoming,
it is known to occur in the Platte River of
Nebraska and therefore, with proper protec-
tion, could potentially expand its range.
9. 2524
ENDANGERED, THREATENED
AND CANDIDATE BIRD SPECIES
Five bird species listed in Carbon County
and Natrona County, Wyoming, are bird
species that likely inhabit Pathfinder Ranches.
Two candidate species include the Yellow-
billed Cuckoo and the Greater Sage-grouse.
The proposed species is the Mountain Plover.
And two other species, the Piping Plover,
listed as threatened and the Whooping Crane,
listed as endangered, will benefit from eco-
logical improvements to Pathfinder Ranches.
Yellow-Billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)
and Greater Sage Grouse
(Centrocercus urophasianus)
The Yellow-billed cuckoo is listed as a can-
didate species under the Endangered Species
Act. Candidate species are those petitioned
species that are actively being considered for
listing as endangered or threatened. Habitat
of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo consists of open
woodlands with clearings and dense, scrubby
vegetation, often along water. Suitable habitat
is the dense riparian forests found along the
North Platte River on portions of the Ranches.
A second candidate species is the Greater
sage grouse. While widespread acreages of
sagebrush still occur on the Ranches, the
Greater sage grouse is a bird that occurs in low
densities within the overall habitat. Their
seasonal and annual movements tend to be
widespread and are often unpredictable. They
are referred to as a landscape species, due to
their annual use of very broad areas of non-
homogenous sagebrush-grassland habitat types.
They only thrive where
sagebrush is found domi-
nating the canopy between
15 percent and 25 percent and where there is
a diverse understory of bunchgrasses and forbs.
Understory production begins to decrease
upon the continued increase in brush cover and
leads to reductions in sage grouse numbers.
Vegetation management practices for both
livestock production and Sage-grouse habitat
can be integrated to increase economic and
ecological returns. Controlled grazing for a
sustainable, multi-use livestock and wildlife
ranching operation will involve maintaining
diverse and productive sagebrush rangelands.
Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus)
Proposed species are those candidate
species that were found to warrant listing as
either threatened or endangered and were
officially proposed in a Federal Register notice
after the completion of a status review and
consideration of other protective conservation
measures.
The Mountain plover is listed as a proposed
species. It occurs and breeds throughout most
of Wyoming, and is considered a common
summer resident, with a
statewide population of
approximately 3,400. Trout
Headwaters, Inc. assess-
ment crews observed the
Mountain plover on
Pathfinder Ranches in
2010. It is classified in the
state of Wyoming as a Species of Special
Concern because its population status and
trends are unknown; because its habitat is
vulnerable; and because it is sensitive to
human disturbance.
The Mountain plover inhabits low, open
habitats such as arid shortgrass and mixed-
grass prairies dominated by blue grama and
buffalo grass with scattered clumps of cacti and
forbs, and saltbush habitats of the shrub-steppe
of central and western Wyoming.
It prefers to nest in large, flat grassland
expanses with sparse, short vegetation, and
bare ground, and is especially adapted to areas
that have been disturbed by prairie dogs,
heavy grazing, or fire.
Additional bird species such as the threat-
ened Piping plover, and the endangered
Whooping crane, are not found in Carbon or
Natrona Counties. However, these species rely
on the North Platte River and associated
resources downstream of Pathfinder Ranches.
Restoration and enhancement on the upstream
reaches and its tributaries will benefit these
species and their downstream habitats.
ENDANGERED, THREATENED
AND CANDIDATE PLANT SPECIES
Both plant conservation and protection are
essential to sustain ecological, economic, and
aesthetic values of rangelands. Two threatened
and one endangered plant potentially inhabits
Pathfinder Ranches. Potential threats to these
fragile plant populations include oil, gas,
powerline, and water development, mining,
off-road vehicle use, livestock grazing, wind
farms and plant collection. Herbicides can kill
the plants themselves, and insecticides kill
important pollinators.
Blowout Penstemon (Penstemon haydenii)
One of Wyoming’s rarest native plants,
blowout penstemon, only recently earned its
rightful recognition. This striking perennial
herb was first discovered in Wyoming in 1877
in the prominent sand dunes between Casper
and Rawlins, but soon forgotten. By the time
it was rediscovered in Wyoming in 1996, it had
already been federally listed as endangered
since 1987.
Blowout penstemon is a pioneer species,
one of the first plants to establish itself, on
sand dunes and sandy aprons at the base of
mountains and ridges. It is typically found on
steep slopes at elevations between 5,800 and
7,500 feet. In Wyoming it blooms in June and
awaits pollination by insects.
Today, several thousand individual plants
make up the three Wyoming populations in the
northeastern corner of the Great Divide Basin
in Carbon County, near the Ferris and Seminoe
Mountains.
Western Prairie Fringed Orchid
(Plantanthera praeclara) and Ute Ladies’-
Tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis)
Two threatened orchid species, western
prairie fringed orchid and Ute ladies’- tresses,
also make their home in Carbon and Natrona
Counties.
First documented by the Lewis and Clark
expedition, apparently in what is now Wyoming,
the Western prairie fringed orchid occurs most
often in remnant native prairies and meadows,
but can also inhabit disturbed sites. It was
listed as federally threatened in 1989.
The Western prairie fringed orchid is distin-
guished from other orchids by its large flowers
(up to 1 ½ inches in length), large angular
column, and broadly triangular petals.
Species are listed as a
federally threatened when
faced with possible extinc-
tion throughout its range.
Some of today’s Western
prairie fringed orchid
populations are threatened
by conversion of pastures
and hayfields to cropland.
Other threats are the suppression of dormant
season fires, overgrazing, or any action that
repeatedly removes seed from orchid popula-
tions. Severe drought, flooding and frost are
also known to have an adverse impact of
flowering, and climate change may be the
biggest threat of all.
Of the 30 native orchid species that occur
in Wyoming, Ute ladies’-tresses is the rarest.
Listed as threatened in the U.S. in 1992, it
wasn’t discovered in Wyoming until 1993.
This long-lived, perennial orchid, has
numerous small white flowers, and has an
interdependent relationship with a certain
soil-born fungus. This orchid typically flowers
in August, after most plants have already
flowered. In Wyoming Ute ladies’-tresses
normally occurs in moist valley bottoms where
streams are fed by groundwater.
Protection of all of these sensitive Pathfinder
Ranches species from potential threats is
critical to their survival.
10. 3332
Songbirds
Many populations of
SGCN songbirds are known
to be in decline. Five SGCN
songbirds make their homes
on Pathfinder Ranches
including the Sage Thrasher, Brewer’s Sparrow,
Sage Sparrow, Baird's Sparrow and Yellow-Billed
Cuckoo. Suspected reasons for decline include
habitat destruction, especially riparian vegetation
zones, sagebrush steppe, and forested areas,
along with climate change, and sensitivity to
development. For example the preferred habitat
of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo consists of dense
scrubby vegetation of healthy riparian zones.
Game birds
The Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse and the
Greater Sage-Grouse are both SGCN species that
are known to occur on or near Pathfinder Ranches.
The Greater Sage grouse is ranked as a Level 1
SGCN, due to widespread destruction of biologi-
cally-distinct sagebrush steppe habitat.
Shorebirds, wading birds and waterfowl
The Long-billed curlew, Mountain plover,
Trumpeter swan, and White-faced ibis represent
SGNC shorebirds, wading birds and waterfowl
that will benefit greatly from habitat preservation
and conservation at Pathfinder Ranches. Mountain
plovers and Long-billed curlews prefer habitat cre-
ated by another SGCN, the Black-tailed
prairie dog.
BIRDS FOUND ON THE RANCHES
The Ranches are home to a variety of both
resident and migratory bird life, including, birds of
prey, waterfowl, wading birds, game birds and
songbirds The Ranches' location between two
Level IV Ecoregions, along with its important water
resources, allows for highly diverse, and high-value
habitat for Wyoming birds.
Many birds were photographed and observed
on the Ranches throughout the summer and fall
of 2010, and while current diversity of bird species
observed is relatively modest, there is great
potential for enhancement and expansion of avian
habitats.
Birds are excellent natural indicators of the
health of many ecosystems, and provide critical
ecological services such as seed dispersal, environ-
mental cleaning, insect control, and weed control.
Predatory birds such as hawks eagles and owls are
essential for rodent population control, which
helps prevent damage and losses to valuable
food crops.
11. In the state of Wyoming there are about
4,200 lakes with over 333,000 acres of water
and over 27,000 miles of fishable streams.
FISH
There are 78 fish species in Wyoming, 28 of
which are game fish. Only 9 of those are native
to Wyoming. Fifty species of Wyoming fish are
non-game fish, and 40 of those are native to
the state.
TROUT OF PATHFINDER RANCHES
Rainbow Trout
Trout species inhabiting the waters of
Pathfinder Ranches are rainbow trout, cutthroat
trout, brown trout, brook trout, and lake trout.
Rainbow trout are native to the Pacific coast
and have been widely introduced in Wyoming.
Rainbows are presently the most important fish
used in Wyoming’s hatchery system.
Cutthroat Trout
Cutthroat trout are the only trout native to
Wyoming. There are five subspecies of cutthroat
trout native to the state: the Colorado River cut-
throat, the Yellowstone cutthroat, the Bonneville
cutthroat, the Westslope cutthroat and the Snake
River cutthroat. Greenback cutthroat of the South
Platte Drainage are now extinct in the state.
Brown Trout
The brown trout was introduced to America
from Europe. It is now widely distributed in lakes
and streams throughout Wyoming. In streams
brown trout prefer dense cover, particularly over-
head cover from undercut banks and vegetation.
Brown trout are slightly more tolerant of high
water temperatures than other trout.
Brook Trout
The brook trout is native to the eastern
United States and Canada. This species was
widely introduced in the western United States
from the late 1800s until around 1940.
40
Aquatic Species
In mostly arid Wyoming, water is life. It trickles down from high-mountain glaciers, bubbles
up through underground springs, and collects in wetland marshes. Wyoming is the birthplace
of three of North America’s major river systems: the Colorado, the Columbia and the
Missouri. These waterways flow on to nourish millions of people, wildlife and habitat along
their journey to the ocean. Freshwater ecosystems—rivers, lakes and wetlands—provide
food, water, shelter and migration routes for more than 80% of Wyoming’s native animals.
Pathfinder Ranches’ diversity of water resources supports many of Wyoming’s
aquatic species.
The brook trout prefers clean, cold streams and
has become well established in the mountain
regions throughout most of Wyoming.
Lake Trout
The lake trout is native in Canada and the
Great Lakes from the Yukon to the Atlantic coast.
The lake trout is primarily an inhabitant of large,
deep, cold lakes.
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native
to most of Canada and the northern United
States. Walleyes grow to about 80 cm (31 in) in
length, and weigh up to about 9 kg (20 lb).
Pathfinder Reservoir offers good walleye angling
opportunities.
AMPHIBIANS
As creatures of the water and the land, am-
phibians like the boreal toad and tiger salamander
that inhabit Pathfinder Ranches are important
indicators of the health of aquatic and terrestrial
habitats. Like canaries in coal mines they are
more sensitive to environmental changes, and
can help reveal changes that could prove disas-
trous if left unchecked. They also help control
insect populations, and are important links in the
food chain.
Amphibian numbers around the globe are
declining. A number of causes are believed to be
involved, including habitat destruction and mod-
ification, over-exploitation, pollution, introduced
species, climate change, endocrine-disrupting
pollutants, destruction of the ozone layer
(ultraviolet radiation has shown to be especially
damaging to the skin, eyes, and eggs of
amphibians), and disease.
41
12. 5756
When developing a management plan for
Pathfinder Ranches, selected approaches are
designed to meet its unique management
needs.
MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES
• Create a profitable mitigation bank;
• Allow the water resources to function in a
more natural state;
• Enhance floodplain function;
• Improve sediment transport;
• Improve riparian habitat;
• Increase trout habitat; Improve fishing and
recreational use;
• Enhance fish habitat by creating stable riffle
systems and large woody debris structures;
• Create and enhance stream and wetland
habitat;
• Improve water quality;
• Improve aesthetics;
• Increase biodiversity;
• Protect existing habitat and ecosystem
integrity;
• Create a cost-effective management plan;
• Enhance property resources;
• Restore hydrology and appropriate channel
sinuosity
PRIORITY MANAGEMENT AREAS
Pathfinder Ranches are comprised of
dynamic, living systems that can support unique
and diverse habitats and sustain hundreds of
species, including bacteria, fungi, algae, higher
plants, invertebrates, fish, amphibians, birds,
and mammals. For the Pathfinder Ranches to
grow to be a sanctuary, the following priority
management areas are addressed:
Streams
The ultimate sources of a river often appear
insignificant. They could be a drizzle of
snowmelt running down a mountainside, a
small, spring-fed pond, or a depression in the
ground that fills with water after every rain
and overflows into the creek below. Streams
provide crucial linkages between aquatic and
terrestrial ecosystems and also between
upstream watersheds and tributaries and
downstream rivers and lakes. Healthy streams
and rivers with good water quality can hold
dozens of different fish species and a rich
community of macroinvertebrates, including
mayflies, stoneflies, mussels, and crayfish.
Turtles, frogs, salamanders, and other
amphibians also inhabit natural streams and
adjoining wetlands. In-stream and stream-side
vegetation provide habitat for fish and inver-
tebrates, surfaces for egg deposition, food,
and oxygen production. The numerous
ephemeral, intermittent and perennial streams
on the Ranches, when under a conservation
management strategy, have the capability to
reach their full potential and provide new
homes to species most in need.
Management Strategy
The size, location and natural features of Pathfinder Ranches provide great potential for the
property to serve as an important ecological sanctuary for Wyoming. Simple management
changes, coupled with natural approaches to restoration and monitoring, can serve to lift
ecological values significantly, achieving both financial and biological success
13. 64
Grassland Ecosystem
Grasslands comprise approximately 20
percent of Wyoming's land area. Mixed-grass
prairie and shortgrass prairie are the two
grassland types found in Wyoming. Much of
the historic grassland ecosystem within
Wyoming is still in a healthy condition. As a
result, grassland species such as the swift fox,
burrowing owl and black-tailed prairie dog are
faring well in Wyoming. However, increasing
pressures to recover natural resources and
develop prairie habitat to accommodate an
expanding population poses risks to the
integrity of natural habitats and our natural
systems.
While the grasslands of Wyoming might
appear at first glance to be relatively simple
ecosystems, they support a great diversity of
wildlife. Fifteen of the sixteen mammals and
all nine bird species, considered ecologically
specialized to the grasslands, are found in
Wyoming. Many of Wyoming’s species of
greatest conservation need are also found in
grasslands.
Sand Dune Ecosystem
Sand dune habitats are very rare features
that typically support a unique assemblage of
plants and animals that are found in nowhere
else.
A high priority should be given to protecting
vegetated dunes and active sand dunes,
because their current protection is minimal
and because they are potentially the most
vulnerable to ongoing land management
practices.
The vegetated sand dunes, active sand
dunes, and graminoid-dominated “vernal pond”
wetlands in this area all are rated highest
priority for conservation by the Wyoming Gap
study (USGS 1996). Thus, the conservation of
actively migrating sand dune habitats is an
important issue in Wyoming’s cold deserts.
14. A Community of Wind
TM
5079 Old Yellowstone Trail N.
PO Box 222
Livingston, MT 59047
www.troutheadwaters.com
800-218-8107 • FAX: 406-222-6693
