(1) The department shall manage stands containing pileated woodpecker preferred habitat in larger, rather than smaller blocks, whenever practicable.  Where large contiguous tracts of such stands are unavailable, the department shall consider management of smaller stands in close proximity to one another, or close to similar stands on adjacent ownerships.

(a) The department shall consider unsuitable areas of pileated woodpecker preferred habitat of less than 40 acres, unless they are close to other appropriate stands.

(b) Within pileated woodpecker preferred habitat, the department shall manage for snags, snag recruits, and CWD according to ARM 36.11.411, 36.11.413, and 36.11.414 particularly favoring retention of western larch, ponderosa pine and black cottonwood, considering amounts that would historically occur on similar sites.  The department shall consider broken-top snags greater than 20 feet tall priority candidates for retention.

(c) Where appropriate, the department shall manage to encourage retention of black cottonwood, particularly where it can attain large size.