Last week the Ohio Chamber submitted comments to US Fish & Wildlife supporting the comments filed by the Ohio Oil and Gas Association (OOGA) that caution against listing the Northern Long-Eared Bat as a threatened or endangered species.
Why is this important you ask? Currently, anyone who wants to do clear cutting for development, whether it be for housing or a pipeline, must do testing for the already endangered Indiana Bat. The parameters for this testing are extremely short, specific and can only be done by certified bat biologists. If an Indiana Bat is found, it becomes difficult to develop the area because concerns about conserving the bat’s habitat are raised. However, due to white nose syndrome decreasing their populations and a habitat area that is limited to the Eastern United States, very few Indiana Bats are actually found. However, the Northern Long-Eared Bat is much more common, encompassing most of the United States, and white nose syndrome has not caused the same decline in populations that the Indiana Bat as seen.
OOGA asserts in their comments that listing this bat is premature for several reasons: inadequate assessment of the decline in population; the likelihood that disease, not habitat loss that is affecting bat populations; and that development of certain industries, like oil and gas, do not pose a relevant threat. If the Northern Long-Eared Bat were to be listed as an endangered species, it would almost certainly halt development in Ohio because these bats are so commonplace. If a bat were to be discovered, it would mean that no clear cutting could occur, ever (which is how long a finding stays on the books).
