LOCATED IN NORTHWEST MONTANA, the Bull River flows 18 miles from the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area to its confluence with the Clark Fork River. This 88,500-acre watershed is home to elk, moose, bighorn sheep, deer, lynx, osprey, eleven species of waterfowl, neotropical migratory birds, westslope cutthroat trout, grizzly bears, bald eagles and bull trout. Land disturbance, diverting and ditching of floodplain water, road development, and riparian clearing for residential development are all impacting the health of the Bull River ecosystem. Under the auspices of Avista Corporation's Clark Fork Settlement Agreement, over 870 acres of key fish and wildlife habitat have been protected since 2001. Permanent protection of an additional 1,164 acres-the largest privately held parcel in the watershed-was also just completed by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. Combined, these land acquisition and conservation easement efforts are resulting in preservation of over 2,000 acres of high quality fish and wildlife habitat, which includes a large wetland complex and a significant wildlife corridor linking the East and West Cabinet Mountains. The diverse partnership working with Avista on the Bull River protection project includes Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, The Conservation Fund, Sterling Mining Company, Plum Creek Timber Company, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Bull River Watershed Council, and the U.S. Forest Service.
