New Hampshire bat added to federal ‘threatened’ list

Translate: FROM English | TO English

A New Hampshire bat species is now on the threatened list under the Federal Endangered Species Act. The Northern Long-Eared Bat is one of several species that has been devastated by the invasive fungus, white-nose syndrome.

Originally, the federal regulators had announced they would seek endangered status for the Long-Eared bat, but while White Nose Syndrome has all but wiped out this bat in New England, the bat did not merit an endangered listing because the fungus has only reached the Mid-West so far. Currently, white nose has been detected in 28 of the 37 states in the bats range.

“While the species is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future, it is not at the present time on the brink of extinction,” says Tony Sullins, the mid-west chief of endangered species for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, noting there are still millions of the animals in states unaffected by white nose.

Listing a species as threatened means that any trafficking, injuring or killing of that animal becomes prohibited, but unlike endangered species, some exemptions can be carved out.

In the case of the Northern Long-Eared Bat, logging and expansion of rights of way for transportation or utility construction got an exemption, as long as the activities avoided any known caves or trees occupied by the bats. Wind farms did not receive an exemption.

White-nose syndrome was first introduced to the US in New York State in 2007, and in some caves in New Hampshire biologists found that 99 percent of overwintering bats were killed by the disease.

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Contributions

(via Stripe)

(via Paypal)

Share: