The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is thrilled to be awarded U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funding to conserve habitat for the federally listed Indiana and Northern long-eared bats in Vermont.
With the acquisition of approximately 200 acres in Addison County supported by this grant, the department is seeking to conserve summer roosting, foraging, and commuting habitat for these federally endangered bat species.
Through site visits and monitoring the department identified a parcel with southern exposure and other habitat features that benefit both Indiana and Northern long-eared bats. Indiana bats in particular are concentrated and vulnerable in Vermont’s Champlain Valley, which is the eastern edge of their known range. Conserving existing habitat for these species is critical to their populations, as bat species return to the same locations annually to raise their young.
This award from the nationally competitive Recovery Land Acquisition Grant (RLAG) and the resulting land conservation will help to reach state and federal goals for recovering both species. The full U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service award announcement and details can be viewed here: