Thompson Urges Flexibility with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Northern Long-Eared Bat Rule
Washington, D.C. –Today U.S. Congressman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-05) and 15 Members of the House of Representatives called upon the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to provide flexibility with the agency’s proposal to list the Northern Long-Eared Bat (NLEB) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
In December, the Service proposed listing the NLEB as threatened under the ESA through a special 4(d) Rule, which would provide exemptions for certain activities if they meet prescribed conservation activities. The initial rule, however, did not specify which activities would be granted exemptions, apart from forest management. Because this species of bat can be found in 38 states, including all of Pennsylvania, a broad ESA listing would have far-reaching impacts upon the states and permissible land use activities.
“Listing the Northern Long-Eared Bat as endangered has never been warranted," said Thompson. "Since day one, the Fish & Wildlife Service has repeatedly acknowledged the underlying cause of population declines is a disease, White Nose Syndrome, not habitat loss through human activity. Rather than limiting commerce and land use activities, impacting jobs and local economies, the Fish & Wildlife Service should focus their efforts on combatting White Nose Syndrome.”
Thompson has called for activities such as commercial timber harvesting, forest management, oil and gas development, mining, agriculture, and construction of commercial and residential buildings to be given the proper flexibility and exemptions if the Fish & Wildlife Service moves forward with a final 4(d) Rule.
Joining Thompson were 15 other Members of Congress: Bill Shuster (PA-09), Mike Kelly (PA-03), Scott Perry (PA-04), Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Thomas Massie (KY-04), Keith Rothfus (PA-12), Tim Murphy (PA-18), Patrick Tiberi (OH-12), Steve Stivers (OH-15), Tom Marino (PA-10), Lou Barletta (PA-11), Ed Whitfield (KY-01), Hal Rogers (KY-05), Bill Johnson (OH-06) and John Fleming, M.D. (LA-04).
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