BLM WY Special Status Species Distribution and Habitat Data Collection

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A.Project Background Information: Little is known about the distribution and status of bats in Wyoming. Wind energy development is projected to increase significantly in coming years with high numbers of wind turbines anticipated on BLM land in central and southwestern Wyoming. Several studies have shown that Wind turbines associated with wind energy development can negatively impact bats through direct collisions and barotrauma (GAO 2005, Kunz et al. 2007, Young et al. 2003). A lack of information about the distribution and habits of breeding and migratory bats currently hamper the BLM's ability to assess, prevent, and mitigate impacts to bats from proposed wind development projects. Basic information is needed regarding distribution, habitat use areas and relative abundance of various bat species for central and southwest Wyoming in order to be able to assess the potential impacts that energy development activities and in particular, wind energy development could have on bats and bat habitat on BLM public lands. The purpose of this proposal would be to use existing methods to acquire this basic biological information for bats throughout the proposed study area. This agreement may also be utilized to conduct additional monitoring and research to gain knowledge about other special status species occurring on BLM public lands as future funding allows. B. Project Objectives: Objective 1. Produce a bat observation database with geographic locations and species information from passive and active bat surveys throughout the study area. Objective 2. Generate a 'bat activity' model that incorporates point observations, landscape features, vegetation types, and bat foraging and migrating behavior. This predictive map will highlight areas of high bat use and p

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