lotstodo
aka "The Jackal"
The Indiana Bat, once thought not to inhabit the State of Georgia since 1966, will cause delays of 9 months or more on many state road projects. The bat was discovered in Gilmer county a year ago, and has since been found in all of Northwest Georgia. The bat is on the endangered species list.
The GDOT has said that on top of the delays while the bats are studied, additional delays and perhaps even rerouting, re-engineering, or cancellation of projects may occur. The initial cost for the studies are estimated to be $6 million. As many as 100 or more projects may be affected, including our own Hwy 92 in South Paulding and Douglas counties which was scheduled to begin construction. The bat has caused the cancellation of many infrastructure projects along the eastern half or the nation, including the scrapping of a wind farm in Virginia.
Environmentalists admit that the habitat and foraging requirements for the Indiana Bat are not well known. For many years since it's placement on the Endangered Species list, it was thought to inhabit only lowland areas with a combination of damp forest and open fields, mostly in the great lakes region. Since then, it has been found in mountainous forests of varying densities, forested swamps, and along streams in some suburban areas as far south as northern Florida. Additional studies indicate that man may not be completely responsible for it's demise at all. It appears that the species is highly susceptible to a recently discovered illness called "white nose syndrome".
Maybe it's just me, but it sounds like the bat isn't as endangered as it is good at hiding from environmentalists.
The GDOT has said that on top of the delays while the bats are studied, additional delays and perhaps even rerouting, re-engineering, or cancellation of projects may occur. The initial cost for the studies are estimated to be $6 million. As many as 100 or more projects may be affected, including our own Hwy 92 in South Paulding and Douglas counties which was scheduled to begin construction. The bat has caused the cancellation of many infrastructure projects along the eastern half or the nation, including the scrapping of a wind farm in Virginia.
Environmentalists admit that the habitat and foraging requirements for the Indiana Bat are not well known. For many years since it's placement on the Endangered Species list, it was thought to inhabit only lowland areas with a combination of damp forest and open fields, mostly in the great lakes region. Since then, it has been found in mountainous forests of varying densities, forested swamps, and along streams in some suburban areas as far south as northern Florida. Additional studies indicate that man may not be completely responsible for it's demise at all. It appears that the species is highly susceptible to a recently discovered illness called "white nose syndrome".
Maybe it's just me, but it sounds like the bat isn't as endangered as it is good at hiding from environmentalists.
