FYI. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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NATIONAL BIOLOGICAL SERVICE
For Release: September 12, 1995
Contact: John Mosesso (202) 482-3842 or Michele Banowetz (970) 226-9301
(Event will take place in Albuquerque; check with Banowetz for details.)
NBS, BUREAU OF MINES, AND BAT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATE ON BAT DATA
National Biological Service Director Ron Pulliam today announced a
collaborative project with the U.S. Bureau of Mines and Bat Conservation
International, a non-profit oranization working to document and promote the
values and conservation needs of bats worldwide. The project will merge
information on the locations of inactive underground mine openings with
national databases containing information on the ranges of fifteen bat species
suspected of having declining populations.
The project is one of 21 chosen competitively nationwide from more than 400
candidates to receive funds in 1995 as part of the NBS Species at Risk
Initiative. The project combines the expertise and databases of two federal
agencies and one private non-profit organization to provide a comprehensive
inventory of mine-dependent bat species.
"Bats play a critical role in controlling agricultural pest insects and in
pollinating crops. For instance, a colony of 100,000 free-tailed bats living
in the inactive Orient Mine in Colorado feeds on more than 50 tons of moths per
month. Just 200 Heliothis moths from this diet could force a farmer to have
to spray more than 100 acres of crops with insecticides, with potentially
significant economic and environmental consequences," Dr. Pulliam said. "This
partnership will give mining companies, farmers and ranchers the accurate
information they need to avoid endangering bats and to protect these extremely
beneficial mammals. NBS is committed to helping citizens and industry by
providing sound, credible scientific information to those who make decisions
affecting management of lands and their associated resources."
Bat Conservation International maps showing the distribution of bat species
will be superimposed on the U.S. Bureau of Mines Minerals Industry Location
System to reveal the relationship between mine-dependent bat species, abandoned
mine habitat, and federal land ownership. Areas of high convergence of mines
and bat habitats can then be prioritized for future evaluation and conservation.
"This project will produce digital (GIS) maps of habitat ranges, potential
locations, and population concentrations for each mine-dependent bat species in
the nation. The information will be invaluable for the American mining
industry as it selects areas for future inventories and habitat improvement
projects," Pulliam said.
In addition to providing technical assistance, NBS will provide $44,000 for
the project through the U.S. Bureau of Mines Intermountain Field Operations
Center in Denver, Colorado.
The National Biological Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior
works with others to provide the scientific understanding and technologies
needed to support the sound management and conservation of the nation's
biological resources.
The NBS Species at Risk Initiative was established to develop scientific
information on the status and trends of declining species and ecosystems. The
initiative provides opportunities and funding for scientists, conservationists,
and land managers to participate with the NBS to produce information to assist
in the stabilization of declining populations. NBS Western Regional Director
Dennis Fenn noted that the projects selected provide immediate benefits to
state and federal resource managers, local land managers and others, in the
form of new and more complete information on species of concern and the
stresses facing them. "The biological information developed will lead to
better understanding of sensitive habitats, how populations can be stabilized,
and what management actions might be appropriate to prevent further decline,"
he added.
All information is shared with the public and appropriate state and federal
land and resource management agencies. About $1 million in funds were
available this year and should be available annually.
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Note: A Fact Sheet on the Project is Available.
