Both sites: Construct barrier wall, build small gate on top of barrier. Build gate for entrance.Ībandoned mine, 30 x 40 ft entrances. Remove existing gate, remove concrete wall, build new plywood wall for air control, renovate and reinstall gate.Ībandoned mine. Build gate with horizontal barsĪbandoned mine. Relocate gate out of water/ice areaĪqueduct entrance. Build arched gate.Ībandoned mine with existing gate. A list of the projects is below, links to the individual reports and more information can be found at. These on-the-ground efforts included many stakeholders and matching funds through in-kind services. Project funds supported construction or improvements of gates to the openings in caves and mines, structural enhancements to the sites to create better habitats, installation of a sign template for consistent messaging and the placement of remote sight surveillance if needed. In 2016, the Regional Conservation Needs Grants Program (RCN) awarded funding to project leaders in Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island to increase the suitability of identified bat winter hibernation sites by reducing human disturbance.
The combination of site protections, habitat enhancements and improved messaging/signage at the sites should help enhance survivorship of bats in these over-wintering habitats.
Therefore, reducing additional threats to the bats might allow rebounding populations to respond more quickly, and ensures that sites receiving future fungal treatment or WNS management efforts will be secure and safe habitats for hibernating bats.Īnother major step to keeping these winter habitats safe for bats is raising awareness of these conservation actions through consistent messaging. Monitoring of survivorship of WNS infected bats in the Northeast has suggested bats may be showing increased resistance to fungal exposure. Protection of winter habitats for bats, even those infected with WNS, is an important component of long-term conservation actions for the species. Bats in the Northeast have suffered steep population declines since 2006-2007 due to WNS.