Public comment period extended for proposed listing of northern long-eared bat as threatened
Recently, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service announced a 6-month extension of the final
determination of whether to federally list the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) as endangered (79
Federal Register 36698). The agency
also reopened for 60 days the comment period on the proposed rule to list the
species.
In the proposed rule, the Service indicated that detections of hibernating
northern long-eared bats in many caves and mines have declined due to mortality
from a disease, white-nose syndrome (WNS), caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Although
the proposed rule indicated that the bat was primarily affected by white-nose
syndrome, it expressed concern about potential effects from forest management
and other land uses.
However, the Service
has indicated that there is substantial disagreement regarding the sufficiency
or accuracy of the available data, making it necessary to solicit additional
information through August 29, 2014. The agency will now publish a listing
determination on or before April 2, 2015.
NCASI submitted
technical comments to the Service on the proposed rule, noting that: (1)
availability of forested habitat does not appear to be a limiting factor for
this or other bat species affected by the disease; (2) there is no evidence
that forest management activities limited populations of northern long-eared
bats pre-white-nose syndrome or are affecting or limiting populations
post-white-nose syndrome; and (3) managers will likely need to provide a
diversity of forest structural conditions on the landscape if they are to
accommodate roosting and foraging needs of the entire community of
forest-dwelling bats, including all species susceptible to white-nose syndrome.
Forest management can be an important tool for providing diverse forest
structural conditions and, in some cases, may be essential to providing
appropriate habitat conditions.
Contact information