IMPLICATIONS OF THE OCCURRENCE AND SPREAD OF THE WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME TO PROTECTION OF ENDANGERED BATS UNDER SMCRA

摘要

Protection of threatened and endangered species is an important component of every surface coal mining permit and every abandoned mine land (AML) project under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA). Protection of endangered bats has the potential to impact surface coal mining permits and AML projects in most of the states in the eastern and Midwestern U.S. During the winter of 2006/2007, an affliction called "White-Nose Syndrome" (WNS) began devastating colonies of hibernating bats around Albany, New York. Colonies of hibernating bats were reduced 81-97% at affected caves and mines. Since then, WNS has been detected more than 450 miles away from the original site, and has infected bats in nine surrounding states, including four coal mining states, and possibly one Canadian province. No one knows for certain how quickly or how far WNS will ultimately spread. The extent to which WNS results in the listing of more bat species as threatened and endangered would be expected to negatively impact permitting and operation of coal mines in the eastern and Midwestern U.S.