CESU - BLM - WO280, Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Program - Biological Assistance for Abandoned Mine Adit/Shaft Closures in the Western United States.

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The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Network is a national consortium of federal agencies, academic institutions, tribal, state, and local governments, nongovernmental conservation organizations (300 partners). The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) is a cooperative network, transcending political and institutional boundaries, which creates innovative opportunities for research, education, and technical assistance in support of the management and stewardship by partner agencies of the natural, cultural, and social resources. The CESU has a unique collaborative relationship with research scientists, end users of research products, the public, and educators who are trained to bridge the gap between researchers, science users and educators. The AML program is responsible for the closures of thousands physical safety hazards at abandoned mine shafts and adits across the western United States. These hazards need to be controlled to ensure public safety, but abandoned mines provide critically important habitat for more than half of the 46 bat species in the United States. The conservation of bats is extremely important to proper ecosystem function due to their role in pollination, as seed dispersers, and as primary predators of night-flying insects, including many harmful crop pests. BLM-administered lands, particularly in the western U.S., provide essential habitat for more than 80% of the bat species known from the U.S., including endangered species. Oftentimes, the identified physical safety hazard is temporarily closed until biological clearances are completed. The added workload and required expertise for these types of clearances on BLM biologists seriously increases the timeframe from which these public safety hazards can be controlled or closed. Biologists who specialize in bats and underground entry can efficiently assist the AML program with the biological clearances, training, and other tasks for which they are equipped, to support the federal agencies throughout the lifecycle of the AML program. Desired Outcomes may include, but are not limited to, wildlife surveys and reports, research papers, AML and bat education and awareness outreach materials, consultation and assistance in wildlife compatible adit/shaft closures, technical assistance, training, and workshop(s). The BLM�s AML program at the Washington Office and Bat Conservation International were in a successful five-year assistance agreement from September 2009 to 2014. Over 1,493 AML features were surveyed and during that time and no accidents occurred. Of the 1,493 features surveyed, 170 were recommended for bat compatible gates and other management recommendations for those features were provided. BCI also worked closely with State AML programs and external partners to meet the goals of that agreement � public safety and bat conservation. In addition to on-the-ground work, BCI managed the graduate research project focused on bat habitat and radon concentrations at abandoned uranium mines.

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