A 2017 field survey for Sacajawea’s bitterroot (Lewisia sacajaweana) in the Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho

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Sacajawea’s bitterroot (Lewisia sacajaweana) is a Forest Service Sensitive plant species endemic to the mountains of central Idaho. It has a NatureServe conservation rank of G2/S2, indicating imperilment due to rarity or because other factors demonstrably make the species at high risk of extinction. Beginning in 2016, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s Idaho Natural Heritage Program and Mancuso Botanical Services collaborated on a project to survey for Sacajawea’s bitterroot in the Sawtooth Range of central Idaho. The Sawtooths were purposefully targeted because much of the range is designated as the Sawtooth Wilderness Area and/or the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. These special management designations confer added protection from most human-related disturbance activities. Survey results for 2016 included the discovery of nine new Sacajawea’s bitterroot occurrences, plus the relocation of one previously reported occurrence. One area not included in the 2016 survey was the southwestern portion of the Sawtooth Range, located north of the town of Atlanta. In 2017, we conducted a survey for Sacajawea’s bitterroot in the southwestern portion of the Sawtooth Range based around the Mt. Everly area. The 2017 field survey discovered one new Sacajawea’s bitterroot occurrence during searches in three main survey areas. The new occurrence consisted of 13 Sacajawea’s bitterroot plants in an area of approximately 6 m (20 ft) radius. This report summarizes results from the 2017 survey. Sacajawea’s bitterroot is known from 43 occurrences rangewide, with approximately 30% of them located in the Sawtooth Range. This highlights the importance of the area for the long-term conservation of Sacajawea’s bitterroot.

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Reference Code: U18MAN02IDUS <br>

Full Citation: Mancuso, Michael and Jacob Powell. 2018. A 2017 field survey for Sacajawea’s bitterroot (Lewisia sacajaweana) in the Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho. Report prepared by Mancuso Botanical Services and Idaho Natural Heritage Program, Boise, Idaho for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office, Boise, Idaho. 11 pp. plus appendices <br>

Location: ELECTRONIC FILE - BOTANY: PLANT SPECIES: {Lewisia sacajaweana} <br>

Keywords: Sacajawea’s bitterroot, Lewisia sacajaweana, Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho <br>