Disease-threatened SC bats proposed for federal protection. But is it too late to save them?
An increasingly rare type of bat that is native to South Carolina and 36 other states is being proposed for federal endangered species protection because a nasty disease is wiping out chunks of the population.
The northern long-eared bat would become a federally protected endangered species if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal becomes final. The tiny bat already was listed as threatened, a designation without the same level of protection as endangered.
But the federal government says the impact of a disease called white-nose syndrome has imperiled northern long-eared bats, and more needs to be done to save the tiny bat from extinction.
White-nose syndrome has spread across nearly 80% of the species’ range since the flying mammal was listed as threatened in 2015, the Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday. The service said the proposal to increase protections follows a study that found the bat is continuing to decline in population.
“White-nose syndrome is devastating northern long-eared bats at unprecedented rates,’’ Charlie Wooley, a Fish and Wildlife Service regional director, said in a news release. “The service is deeply committed to continuing our vital research with partners on reducing the impacts of white-nose syndrome, while working with diverse stakeholders to conserve the northern long-eared bat and reduce impacts to landowners.”
The proposed listing is intended to save a species that the service says is vital to controlling insects. Northern long-eared bats weigh about the same as a dollar coin and have 10-inch wing spans, but these small animals have voracious appetites for bugs that are considered pests, including mosquitoes.
“Bats are critical to healthy, functioning ecosystems and contribute at least $3 billion annually to the U.S. agriculture economy through pest control and pollination,’’ the service news release said.
The decision to seek endangered species status follows a federal court ruling in 2021 that told the Fish and Wildlife Service to decide if that status was warranted.
Changing the status from threatened to endangered, however, removes some flexibility in how property owners manage land frequented by northern long-eared bats. In some cases, endangered species status can mean greater restrictions on private land where bats are found — and often, people don’t like that.
Cam Crawford, president of the S.C. Forestry Association, said he’s concerned that the proposal, if it goes final, will reduce timber harvesting in the Palmetto State, which will have a big impact on South Carolina’s $21 billion forest industry, a cornerstone of the state’s economy.
“You definitely want to help, but my problem with the federal government is they come in with a once size fits all kind of regulation,’’ Crawford said. “And it’s just like you can’t do X, Y and Z. Basically it means you can’t harvest. ‘’
Officials with the Fish and Wildlife Service said some property already being managed for northern long-eared bats under the more flexible threatened status can continue to be managed that way, even if the more rigid endangered species designation goes final later this year.
Northern long-eared bats, named for their characteristic long ears, have been found mostly in the eastern and north-central United States, as well as in some Canadian provinces, federal officials say.
In South Carolina, they have historically been associated with the mountains, but their numbers have dwindled there and, in recent years, they have been found along the coast.
White-nose syndrome can cause bats to awake from hibernation early, leave caves or rocky outcrops where they are sheltering and fly during daylight hours. That can cause them to lose fat reserves and die, The State reported in 2014.
Whether endangered species status is enough to save northern long-eared bats is a big question.
In South Carolina, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources has not found one of them in the Upstate and mountains in at least eight years, state bat biologist Jennifer Kindel said. While Kindel said the bats are still hanging on along the coast, they have “basically disappeared from the mountains.’’
The DNR does not have a population reduction estimate for northern long-eared bats, but if the impact on other bats is an indication, the decline is steep. A handful of other bats native to South Carolina also are susceptible to white-nose syndrome.
Tri-colored bats, which also have been afflicted by the disease, have declined 90 percent since 2012 in areas where they are known to hibernate, Kindel said. In 2012, the DNR recorded more than 400 tri-colored bats, but by 2022, the number was down to 17, she said.
“These bats are in so much trouble because they have been hit so hard by white-nose syndrome,’’ she said.. “It’s pretty tragic.’’
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
