Cody Field Office
| Contacts: | Sarah Beckwith | |||
| 307-347-5207 |
BLM and Grotto Group Partner to Protect Bats
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Cody Field Office recently partnered with a group of caving enthusiasts to protect a colony of hibernating bats in a cave near Lovell, Wyo.
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A 1999 cooperative project involving the BLM, Wyoming Game and Fish, Bat Conservation International, and regional and local caving group volunteers constructed a restrictive but bat-friendly entrance gate at Spence Cave to protect bat habitat and curb the vandalism of cave resources. The gate allows for seasonal recreational use.
BLM staff and volunteers from Part Time Grotto, a group of spelunking enthusiasts who frequent caves in the area, recently rebuilt and installed modifications to the entrance gate to allow for proper seasonal closures of the cave.
Any disturbance to hibernating bats has the potential to harm them. “If the bats are disturbed while they’re hibernating,” said BLM Cave Specialist Bryan McKenzie, “they expend energy that they wouldn’t normally have to expend during the winter. It weakens them.”
Bart Adolf, who assisted with the project, says that Part Time Grotto volunteers for such projects because of their love for the sport and the resource. “We want the caves to be clean and healthy so we teach cave ethics to others and help with cleanups,” Adolf said.
Part Time Grotto has partnered with the BLM on several projects over the years to help protect and further explore cave resources. Past projects have included cave cleanup, restoration, survey and mapping. “We are happy that Bryan is actively engaged in these activities and cares about the resource and we're always glad to lend a hand,” said Adolf. “We provide input on decisions that are made and feel like we are making a difference.”
Adolf has been caving for 50 years. His dad took him into Horsethief Cave with flashlights and a Coleman lantern in 1960 when he was seven years old. He was involved with a small spelunking group in high school and has been mapping and exploring caves ever since.
“Volunteers from local caving groups are vital to the management and protection of cave resources on public land,” said McKenzie. “They are a valuable partner because they are familiar with and know the local history of the caves in the area.”
The BLM reminds the public to not enter any caves unless all clothing and equipment has been de-contaminated to help prevent the spread of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) to Wyoming. WNS is a recently discovered fungal disease that has killed more than one million bats across the northeast and mid-Atlantic U.S. during the past four years and continues unchecked. Hibernating bats are especially vulnerable because underground caves and mines provide the cool, moist conditions favorable for the fungus to thrive. Do not use any clothing or equipment in Wyoming caves or mines that have been previously used in states where WNS occurs.
For more information, please contact Bryan McKenzie at 307-578-5900. To learn more about WNS, visit http://ww.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Wildlife/wns.html.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. 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.
Cody Field Office 1002 Blackburn Street Cody, WY 82414