BAT ASSESS - WILL PROPERTY.pdf

APPENDIX A. Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest – Bat Assessment Form – Buildings, Bridges, and Culverts

Ranger District: Washburn Structure Name/Location: Will Property (N 46.304997, W -91.189815)

Surveyor: Brian Heeringa and Alex Lehner Date of Inventory: 01/22/2021 Time: 10:30 AM

Bat Indicators Check all that apply. Presence of one or more indicators is sufficient evidence that bats may be using the structure.

Structure ID Visual Sound Guano Staining Other Photos Notes: (e.g., number & species of bats, if known) House N 46.304997 W -91.189815

No apparent evidence of bats utilizing building. Attic space was partially accessible by closets in each of the upstairs bedrooms, but the central attic space above the hallway ceiling was not accessible.

Fairly abundant evidence of use by rodents throughout the house.

Garage N 46.304937 W -91.189500

Collapsed – no concerns

Other Structure N 46.304361 W -91.188614

Collapsed – no concerns

Notes: The house was unlocked and easily accessed. A walk-around visual inspection of the outside of the house revealed no signs of entry or use by bats.

Numerous hornet and wasp nests were visible. The snow present on the roof made visual inspection of the roof peak and gable junctures impossible. The siding appeared in relatively good condition with minimal to no access points for bats. Same for the soffits and eaves, with only a handful of locations with damage likely caused by rodents or the elements. My assessment did not reveal the presence of bats or indicate that bats have recently used the house.

However, not all spaces that bats could potentially use were able to be checked. There is a possibility that a small number of bats could be encountered during building removal. If so, please contact the District Biologist if more than 5 bats are encountered. Additionally, if bats and other wildlife are encountered, all attempts at humanely and safely removing them or allowing them to leave the work site should be made. If needed, please contact District Wildlife Staff for assistance. At this time, deconstruction and removal of the buildings may move forward.

Areas Inspected for Bridges & Culverts (Check all that apply)

Bridges Culverts/Other Structures Summary Info (circle all that apply)

All vertical crevices sealed at the top and 0.5-1.25” wide & ≥4” deep Crevices, rough surfaces or imperfections in concrete Human disturbance or traffic under bridge/in culvert or at the structure

High Low None

All crevices >12” deep & not sealed Spaces between walls, ceiling joists Possible corridors for netting Excellent Marginal None/Poor

All guardrails Evidence of bats using bird nests, if present? Yes No

All expansion joints Spaces between concrete end walls and the bridge deck

Vertical surfaces on concrete I-beams Instructions on reverse

Instructions:

1. Assessments must be completed prior to conducting any work on the structure(s), regardless of whether inventories have been conducted in the past. Due to the transitory/seasonal nature of bat use, a negative result one year does not guarantee bats will not use the structure(s) in subsequent years.

2. Submit completed forms to the responsible Wildlife Staff, Facility Engineer or Property Management Specialist, and project lead within 5 days of the date of inventory. Assessments should be completed with enough lead time to allow for follow-up surveys, completion of any potential exclusion measures, and to prevent unnecessary project delays.

3. Estimates of number of bats observed should be placed in the Notes column.

4. Guano should be roughly quantified, using the descriptors outlined in the “Preliminary Bat Assessment Guidelines for Buildings, Bridges, and Culverts” (Page 4). Enter abbreviations (S, M, L) in Guano column on form.

5. Any questions should be directed to the responsible Wildlife Staff. NOTE: Additional studies may be undertaken by wildlife staff to determine what species may be utilizing structures prior to allowing work to proceed.