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Lesser Federal Protections for Threatened Bat Mean Fewer Restrictions for Loggers

Steven Thomas
/
US Fish and Wildlife Service

A declining species of bat will be federally protected throughout its range.  But the US Fish and Wildlife’s decision to list the northern long-eared bat as threatened, is drawing criticism from wildlife advocates who wanted stronger protections. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the northern long-eared bat as threatened due to the impacts of the deadly white nose syndrome.  But the agency withheld the more dire designation of endangered.  It’s also exempting activities like forest management from rules that prohibit incidental killing of the bat. 

Senior Scientist Mollie Matteson of the environmental protection group Center for Biological Diversity…says the rules are too lenient. 

“That is very concerning, and what we’re afraid of is that if there is another rule that goes beyond this one, it will open up exceptions for other industries, such as oil and gas drilling.”

Fish and Wildlife Chief of Endangered Species Tony Sullins says despite major losses in the northeast the bat is still unaffected by white nose syndrome in about 40 percent of its range.  He says it meets the definition of a threatened species…at least for now.

“The spread of white nose syndrome, and the resulting bat mortality, are reasonably foreseeable. And thus the species is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future.”

For now, the less-protective federal listing for the northern long-eared bat is good news for the logging industry.

Thanks to some special rule exemptions for forest management, Henry Schienebeck of Great Lakes Timber Professionals says the listing shouldn’t be too restrictive. 

“We’re going to continue to do what we’ve been doing, which is leaving snag trees and leaving trees with certain characteristics that may be bat habitat. So from that respect I don’t see a lot of change in what we’re doing.”

Loggers won’t be prohibited from accidentally killing a bat, though they are required to leave a buffer zone around known hibernation and summer roost sites. 

“Well it sounds good, but as a practical matter, there’s no requirement that the surveys be done. So there’s no way that they would actually know if there was an occupied roost tree.”

Matteson of the Center for Biological Diversity thinks the protections are too weak. 

The northern long-eared bat is the first bat to be federally protected because of the impact of white nose syndrome.  

The listing takes effect May 4th,  and a public comment period is open until July on the provisions of the 4d rule.  

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