Removing Dams & More On White Nose

Removing Dams & More On White Nose

Removing Dams & More On White Nose. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

The recent discovery of a small brown bat dying of white-nose syndrome on a trail in western Washington State has set off alarms among experts across the nation due to the possible effects on agriculture and forestry. Losses may also occur in the bigger brown bat species, as well as gray, long-eared, and Indiana bats.

Ryan Yates is with the American Farm Bureau Federation.

YATES: We're very concerned about how the spread of this disease will ultimately affect a number of bat species that provide these important pest control services for American agriculture. Some of the these bats are only 3 to 4 inches in length wingtip-to-wingtip can eat 4 to 8 grams of insects each night which doesn't sound like a lot but that's quite a bit of insects for one single animal and when you multiply that across a broad spectrum that's certainly a lot of pest control services.

Four hydroelectric dams may be on the list for removal without approval from Congress. California, Oregon, the federal government and others have agreed to move forward with the removal in the northwest which would be a major victory for tribes in the northwest who have fought for years to get the rivers restored. It may also help improve water allocation for drought-stricken areas. The plan, which aims to remove the dams in 2020, still needs approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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