Conduct research, technical assistance and education to protect bats in Acadia National Park, Maine

Project Description: A biologist with certifications in handling bats will work with a crew of five Acadia National Park youth biological science technicians to safely capture bats during three weeks in each of 2019, 2020 and 2021. The goals are to assess health,
population numbers and behavior. The information will contribute to park efforts to protect bats and habitat and plan operations such as trail and road maintenance. Information on location and seasonality of threatened bats will be used to plan maintenance projects to avoid the active season and to avoid locations that have been identified as bat roosting sites. Data will be shared between BRI, NPS and other federal and state land agencies. Information derived from project results will be shared with NPS interpretation and education staff at Acadia National Park to develop public programs about bats.

The NPS will be able to use these studies to make management decisions to protect natural resources. The park’s legislated mission is to conserve the natural resources including wildlife. The information will also be used to address compliance with the Endangered Species Act. The northern long-eared bat was listed to the Endangered Species Act as threated in 2016; at least two other resident bat species have been identified as. species of management concern because of precipitous population declines from disease. The park will use information about the presence, health and behavior of bat populations to plan park operations. Park deferred maintenance projects, including road and trail maintenance, will be planned to avoid areas and times of the year when bats are active.

Lead Principal Investigator: David Yates, Biodiversity Research Institute

Partner Institution: Biodiversity Research Institute

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Rebecca Cole-Will

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Natural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Biological (Ecology, Fish, Wildlife, Vegetation, T&E)

Start Year: 2019

End Year: 2023

Initial Funding Amount: $45,000.00

Federal Grant Number: P19AC00373

National Park or Protected Area: Acadia (FWS)

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