The yurok tribe wildlife department (ytwd) monitors wildlife populations and conducts management to conserve wildlife and their habitats on tribal lands

Monitoring wildlife populations is necessary for managing invasive disease agents, such as pseudogymnoascus destructans (PD), the cause of white nose syndrome (WNS) in north american bats. The U.S. Fish and wildlife service (USFWS) identified the need for monitoring BAT populations to assess statuses and trends through the nabat partnership to combat WNS. Ytwd proposes to continue monitoring BAT populations on yurok lands while building and maintaining the long-term staff capacity needed to conduct BAT monitoring and management in support of WNS monitoring and management. The proposed project will support and build upon prior efforts to identify BAT species composition of the area, establish a baseline for long-term monitoring, and monitor for changes in BAT populations over time. This includes continued strengthening of the mobile survey dataset to assess changes in BAT density and relative abundance in the klamath river region. The ytwd is currently monitoring one high priority nabat cell as well as four additional cells encompassing a large segment of tribal lands. Ytwd will plan and conduct acoustic monitoring surveys in the five cells in 2026 per the nabat protocols and coordinate the submission of acoustic monitoring data to nabat through the pacwest nabat hub. This project would facilitate continued monitoring of five nabat cells, and support staff expertise, partnership building and maintenance, and engagement with the WNS national response team. The project is designed to provide the tribe, USFWS, nabat, and the pacwest nabat hub with important baseline information on BAT populations in the region, which is necessary to prepare for the advance of WNS and ultimately implement strategies to protect BAT populations.