After conducting an in-depth study of the northern long-eared bat’s winter habitat needs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has determined that, “it is not prudent to designate hibernation sites as critical habitat.” As for the bat’s summer habitat, the Service determined that designating critical habitat would also not benefit the species.
The FWS released its report on April 25.
This is a significant change from the way rules were first written to protect critical bat habitat, which restricted activities near roosting trees where bats raise their pups during the summer, and hibernacula caves where they sleep during the winter.
“Given the nature of the primary threats facing the species and the potential harm of publishing its hibernation locations, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that designating critical habitat for the northern long-eared bat under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is not prudent,” the report stated.
The FWS determination does not affect the bat’s threatened status, which it received in 2015 due to white nose syndrome, a deadly fungus disease impacting cave-dwelling bats.
White-nose syndrome was discovered in northern long-eared bats in New York in 2006-2007. Since its discovery it has spread to 32 states and five Canadian provinces and has been responsible for killing more than 5.7 million bats.
As for the bat’s summer habitat, the Service found that northern long-eared bats use a wide variety of forested areas in the summer to find food and raise their young, and they are highly flexible in how they meet those needs.
“As such, there are no specific physical habitat features essential to conservation. In addition, the bat’s summer habitat is not limited or in short supply, habitat loss is not a predominate threat, and there are no areas that meet the definition of critical habitat,” the report stated.
While this new ruling doesn’t change the way loggers operate around the bat’s roosting trees, the fact that more restricted rules aren’t forthcoming is something of a win, said Wayne Brandt, executive vice president of the Minnesota Forest Industries and the Minnesota Timber Association.
Under the current [4D] rules set up between the forest industry and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife, loggers must restrict cutting/skidding within one-quarter mile of a roosting tree in June and July, when the bats are raising their young.
“This will have no impact on the 4D rule now in place,” said Brandt. “Still, we at the Forest Resource Council were pleased with their findings. If their findings had turned out differently, the feds could have imposed a lot more sanctions on the timber industry. I thought their rationale was spot on. It’s not the habitat that is causing the bats to die; it’s the fungus that causes white nose syndrome.
“I also have to say we have had a good working relationship with them. They have listened to our rationale and worked it into their rulings.”
To date scientists have discovered white-nose syndrome affects seven species of bats, but it has been especially hard on the northern long-eared bats and nearly wiped them out in some eastern states.
But some promising news is coming from Georgia State University (and other research centers). Researchers have found that they can use a bacterium used to kill mold on bananas to kill the mold that causes white-nose fungus on bats. While they have proven that it works, they haven’t yet figured out how to apply it to caves where the bats are hibernating.
“Scientists have also found a way to cure bats with the disease, but prevention is the best way to slow or stop this from happening,” said Brandt.
And, while prevention is the main goal, it is important to note that although it was thought that all of the bats subjected to white-nose syndrome died, out east where the disease first came to light, there is strong evidence that some bats are building resistance to the fungus and are adapting to caves that house the mold.
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