| Contacts: | David Boyd, Public Affairs Specialist, 970 876-9008 |
BLM hosts open house on White-nose Syndrome in bats Tuesday in Silt (07-30-10)
SILT, Colo. — The Bureau of Land Management is hosting an open house Tuesday at its office in Silt to discuss White-nose Syndrome in bats and possible management actions BLM might take to protect bats from this decimating disease.
The open house will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Colorado River Valley Field Office, 2300 River Frontage Road in Silt.
The public will have an opportunity to discuss the disease and share information with BLM specialists.
“BLM’s goal is to protect bats from the spread of this disease,” said Colorado River Valley Field Manager Steve Bennett. “We are working with other agencies and user groups to develop a policy on how best to do this, including what protective measures are appropriate.”
White-nose Syndrome is a fungal disease that has killed more than one million bats across the northeast and mid-Atlantic United States during the past four years and continues unchecked. Cave-hibernating bats are especially vulnerable because underground caves and mines provide the cool, moist conditions favorable for the fungus to thrive.
There are no reported cases of the disease affecting humans, but evidence suggests that long-distance dispersal of the disease is likely the result of a human vector – meaning humans are likely contributing to the spread of the disease to caves and mines bats use.
The fungus associated with the disease is new to science. The best available science shows that this fungus thrives in the cold and humid conditions common to caves and mines. It’s transmitted through bat-to-bat interaction inside caves and mines, but evidence suggests the fungus can be transported inadvertently from site to site on footwear, clothing, and gear of cave visitors.
White-nose Syndrome has not been confirmed in Colorado; however, researchers have recently reported this fungus nearly 300 miles away in northwest Oklahoma.
BLM is committed to take appropriate action to address the risk of White-nose Syndrome and hopes to have a course of action in the next several weeks.
“Whatever our final action is, it will be improved by having these discussions with user groups and the public,” Bennett said.
For more information, contact Outdoor Recreation Planner Kim Miller (970) 876-9075.
The Colorado River Valley Field Office in Silt manages 567,000 acres of BLM lands in Eagle, Garfield, Mesa, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, and Routt counties. It’s part of the 5 million-acre Northwest Colorado District.
The BLM manages more land - over 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
2300 River Frontage Road Silt, CO 81652