Project Overview

Trout Unlimited will develop a spatially explicit habitat assessment and identify priority actions to guide conservation and recovery efforts for Yellowstone cuttroat trout (YCT) and Snake River fine spotted cutthroat trout (SRCT) in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. Over the next five years, the project will track the representation, resilience and redundancy of these two fish populations. Given that YCT and SRCT are listed as “species of concern” in the intermountain west states since their populations have steadily declined in the past several years, the development of this strategic plan will guide the grant making in the future and assure that investments address the most critical limiting factors. The strategic plan will compile information and build on current knowledge of where instream and riparian habitat areas need to be restored, where streamflows need to be increased during critical low flows, and where fish passage barriers have prevented access to spawning areas. In addition, hybridization with non-native trout will also need to be addressed. Once the plan is completed and approved by agencies, future grants made through the Jackson Hole One Fly Conservation Partnership program will focus on developing measurable population targets and monitoring population response as the limiting factors are addressed in the next five years.