WNS is considered one of the worst wildlife diseases of modern times and threatens to decimate populations of many hibernating bat species. WNS has caused an overall estimated 90% decline in hibernating bat populations within the WNS-affected area and threatens regional or range-wide extinction in multiple species. Currently, 13 bat species, including two endangered species and one threatened species, have been confirmed with white-nose syndrome in North America. Due to the effects of WNS, the northern long-eared bat is listed as threatened and is being reconsidered for endangered status. WNS's effects reversed hard-fought gains in the recovery of the endangered Indiana bat. The tricolored bat is on the USFWS listing workplan for FY21. Little brown bats, which are found in Utah, have been listed as endangered by the IUCN and Canada and is on the USFWS workplan for FY23. Not all bat species are affected by WNS syndrome to the same degree. Some bat species show some resistance to WNS and some individuals of highly susceptible species (e.g., little brown bats, Myotis lucifugus) are persisting (Cheng et al. 2019, Dobony and Johnson 2018). There is no effective method available to treat bats in the wild or to fully control the spread and persistence of the pathogen in the environment, but many efforts to develop treatments and controls are being researched. Past management actions for reducing impacts of WNS on bat populations have primarily focused on reducing disturbance of bats through protection of hibernacula, and minimizing risks of human-assisted spread. Current WNS treatment/control efforts are focused on integrated approaches that combat the causative fungus directly or reduce infection and mortality in bats, as well as promoting overall health of bat populations to support resistance to and recovery from WNS. UDWR has a WNS response protocol which outlines goals, objectives, and strategies first designed to prevent the disease from establishing in Utah and secondly to provide management and surveillance strategies should WNS be detected in the state (Roug et al. 2017). To date, WNS has not been documented in Utah, but given past rates of spread, is expected to be confirmed in the coming years. WNS was confirmed in Wyoming in 2018 and the causative fungus was potentially detected within Grand Canyon National Park in 2019. WNS has now been confirmed in six of eighteen species known from Utah, four of which are only found in the western US. However, it is unknown how WNS will manifest in these newly impacted species and western populations of little brown bats. Utah bat species identified with diagnostic symptoms of white-nose syndrome: * Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) * Fringed bat (Myotis thysanodes) * Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) * Long-legged bat (Myotis volans) * Western long-eared bat (Myotis evotis) * Yuma bat (Myotis yumanensis) In addition to WNS, wind power is considered a growing threat to bat population, particularly migratory tree-roosting species. A widely publicized 2019 study reported that hoary bats populations in the Pacific Northwest are declining 2% a year (Rodhouse et al. 2019) which is consistent with a previous study that estimated the species could decline 90% in North America in the next 50 years (Frick et al. 2017). These two relatively novel threats are added to a background of roost disturbance and destruction, habitat alteration, among many other threats. Because of that, conservation of bat populations will require a holistic approach. To address the multiple threats to bats we developed a conservation plan and WNS protocol. Both plans call for monitoring that guides conservation actions. Since 2009, Utah has been conducting routine monitoring of bat populations that has informed a wide variety of conservation actions. That research has shown stable occupancy of bat species thus far. We now have among the most robust pre-WNS pictures of bat populations and are uniquely poised to determine the impacts of WNS on bat occupancy and distribution as it affects western species. As the little brown bat has been particularly hard-hit by WNS some additional information is needed on this species. The little brown bat is under review for federal listing but cannot be reliably distinguished from some other species based on external morphological characters. This has made it impossible to determine accurately its distribution and its relative abundance and where to focus surveillance for WNS in Utah. Recently, bat researchers have developed a highly reliable technique for discrimination of the little brown bat from other species. The new technique employs swabbing of the wings for the collection of DNA and relatively simple sequencing of the collected DNA to yield unequivocal differentiation. We propose to use this method to improve UDWR's mapping of the distributions and its estimation of relative abundances of the little brown bat and confusingly similar species in the state. We will compare DNA results with the morphological data that UDWR has been collecting in order to assess the value of previously collected Utah data concerning presumptive or tentatively identified little brown bats.

Objectives: Our overall goal is to promote healthy, resilient, and diverse bat population across Utah. The objective of this project is to implement a biologically and statistically sound statewide bat inventory and monitoring protocol that will provide information crucial for proactive management - a key component of the Utah Bat Conservation Plan and WNS protocol. Specific tasks are to: 1. Use acoustic monitoring and capture efforts to generate estimates of species occupancy. 2. Apply targeted mist-netting and acoustic surveys to identify roosting and breeding habitat and assess body condition and reproduction. 3. Conduct surveillance monitoring in the winter and spring to detect WNS fungal and/or disease spread. 4. Collect and use DNA swabs to resolve identification issues surrounding little brown bats. 5. Collect samples to aid in research to understanding the genetics for the pathogenesis and susceptibility of WNS with Dr. Zhongde Wang at Utah State University (contingent upon his funding) 6. Collect and curate data to guide management of bats in Utah.

Utah Bat Conservation Plan -identifies population monitoring as the most important tool for guiding, evaluating, and adapting bat management Utah white-nose syndrome protocol - Prior to the detection of WNS in Utah- conduct activities to prevent or delay WNS spread and prepare Utah for the arrival of WNS through communication, bat population monitoring, disease surveillance, disease prevention, and public education. Obtain and compile baseline information on bat species distribution, relative abundance, and hibernacula counts. Identify and protect sites used by bats for hibernation or maternity colonies. Collect and curate existing data to help guide WNS management. White-nose syndrome national plan- this project's objectives support the Communication and Outreach (Actions A.2.1.4, A.2.3.1 and 2), Disease Surveillance (Actions F.2.1.b and c) and Conservation and Recovery (Actions G.2.1.1, 2 and 3, G.3.3.1, 4, and 7) goals outlined in the National Response Plan. North American Bat Conservation Partnership Strategic Plan - supports priority research actions. Wildlife Action Plan- directly addresses threats to the Allen's big-eared bat, big free-tailed bat, fringed bat, Townsend's big-eared bat, western red bat, and Yuma bat identified in the Wildlife Action Plan and executes conservation actions for those species including: population research and monitoring; habitat research and monitoring; evaluating population response to change; and protecting significant areas Species Conservation Assessment and Conservation Strategy for the Townsend's Big-eared Bat - WAFWA MOU "to identify, protect, and restore important habitats and viable Corynorhinus townsendii populations throughout the species' range in the western United States" Also supports actions identified in DoD INRMPs, BLM RMPs, and USFS plan.

No specific federal compliance is required. All cooperating agencies working with bats will need a Certificate of Registration issued by the UDWR. Bat workers will also comply with the UDWR's rabies policy, WNS protocol, and aquatic invasive decontamination protocol. Monitoring will occur on tribal lands, and all needed permits and permissions will be obtained.

Community monitoring- Population level monitoring focused on sampling at large spatial scales is capable of detecting highly mobile, low density species such as bats. The ecology and biology of bats dictates that broad scale monitoring should be based in a presence/absence framework. Presence/absence data can be used to make unbiased ecological inferences within occupancy modeling. Rather than estimating changes in absolute abundance, occupancy models track the proportion of area occupied and allows for the inclusion covariates that may affect detection and occupancy (McKenzie et al. 2006). Additionally, when sampling multiple species concurrently, occupancy data can be analyzed both by individual species and at the community level where changes in species richness can be modeled over the study area (McKenzie et al. 2006). Occupancy models have been used across a wide variety of taxa to provide an estimate of population status. By sampling bat populations as fixed spatial and temporal events we can use occupancy data to create an estimate of bat species occurrence, diversity, abundance, and ecological associations. We sampled 63 randomly selected sited stratified by ecoregion in 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2018. Those surveys have provided us with robust estimates of occupancy and broadened our knowledge of species distribution and habitat affinities of all bat species known from Utah. Sites will be revisited four times between May and August 2021 to enable comparisons to previous years. Three visits will consist of acoustic sampling and one will be a mist-net capture. Bat calls will be identified to species using Sonobat software with biologist inspection and verification. Occupancy analysis will be completed using program Presence. Additional information on project design and field protocols are compiled in the Utah Bat Monitoring Protocol (Diamond et al. 2009). Species capture work: Information including definitive species identification, age, gender, reproductive condition, and body condition cannot be ascertained through acoustic surveys. To gain that data, we will conduct mist-net surveys in areas of biological interest. For example, in areas of suspected maternity roosts that would be high priority for protection. Monitoring visits will consist of setting mist nets from sunset to 0100h. At least two workers will attend to the nets, and captured bats will be quickly handled and released after recording biological information. Because of the risk of rabies, all field personnel handling bats will be required to have an up-to-date rabies vaccination and wear thin leather gloves. Disease surveillance WNS is a disease of hibernating bats, thus work to detect the disease-causing fungus in cave and mine environments and monitoring bat populations therein has been widely used to identify the presence of Pd and WNS. Our plan will be to continue collecting bat swabs in conjunction with bat counts at 5 winter hibernacula primarily inhabited by Townsend's big-eared bats. As very few hibernacula have been found in Utah for the species most susceptible to WNS it has become apparent that additional efforts are needed to detect Pd and WNS in the west. We will conduct early spring mist-netting in areas of potential hibernacula and/or concentrated activity. All captured bats will be swabbed for Pd as well as inspected for any external signs or symptoms of WNS. We began using this surveillance method in 2017 and have since greatly expanded our sampling of WNS-susceptible bat species. We will continue to work with the USGS-National Wildlife Health Center to coordinate sample submission and analysis. Little brown bat DNA identification Method include: (1) capture of bats as part of statewide monitoring, (2) collection of samples, using wing swabs, from bats of the genus Myotis, especially the little brown bat and its "look-alike" species, (3) DNA sequence analyses of wing swabs to determine species, (4) mapping of accurate distributions of the little brown bat and similar bat species in Utah, (5) comparison of morphological data with DNA identifications of species, and (6) assessment of conservation and management needs of the little brown batand other Myotis species in Utah with respect to the spread of WNS elsewhere in western North America. Data from all efforts will be entered into "BatBase" where information can be accessed by partners for planning purposes.

Bat monitoring has been incorporated into the UDWR Wildlife Conservation Biologists' work plans and batmonitoring protocol implementation will be a priority every three years. Additionally, UBCC members have made commitments to continue bat monitoring. If population declines are detected, additional investigationwill occur to determine causes and implement appropriate conservation measures. If WNS is detected,measures outlined in the Utah WNS protocol would be implemented.

The Utah Bat Conservation Cooperative has representatives from the Department of Defense, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service, UT Division of Wildlife Resources, UT Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining, UT Division of Parks and Recreation, Utah State University, Brigham Young University, Southern Utah State University, The Nature Conservancy, Rocky Mountain Power, Kennecott Utah Copper, Volunteers, caving grottos, and SWCA Environmental Consultants. Through that partnership, all parties have been involved in project planning and have made commitments to long-term implementation of the bat monitoring protocol and bat conservation in general. The group has biannual business meetings.

Management activities stemming from this project implementation could include, but are not limited to: restricting access to roosting habitat during critical time periods; implementing restrictions outlined in the WNS protocol if any signs of the disease are detected; and improving habitat through artificial roost structures or other on-the-ground actions. Data will be made available to partners in bat conservation though the "BatBase" web-enabled database. This database will enable biologists land managers to easily enter and search for bat data in-line with data sharing regulations.

07/01/2020

06/30/2021

2021

The goal of this project was to promote healthy and diverse bat populations through implementation of the Utah Bat Conservation Plan. Key components implemented included inventory, monitoring, disease surveillance, roost identification and protection, habitat improvement, data management, and coordination. We also worked closely with other western states to raise concern regarding the analysis and conclusions reached in the little brown bat Species Status Assessment.

By task: 1. Use acoustic monitoring and capture efforts to generate estimates of species occupancy. Beginning in May 2021, we began implementation of the Utah bat monitoring protocol. This survey is repeated every 3rd year and this is our 5th round of surveys since 2009. The protocol requires 3 surveys to monitoring sites throughout the summer, thus the work has continued into FY22. Data collection is wrapping up and will be followed by acoustic call analysis, and finally occupancy and trend analysis. 2. Apply targeted mist-netting and acoustic surveys to identify roosting and breeding habitat and assess body condition and reproduction. In tandem with the acoustic monitoring work, we have been conducting capture surveys throughout the state. Overall, biologist have reported lower capture success than previous years. Full results will be reported for FY22. 3. Conduct surveillance monitoring in the winter and spring to detect WNS fungal and/or disease spread. Surveillance monitoring for the fungus that causes WNS (pd) was conducted at 10 sites including caves, mines, maternity colonies, and at foraging sites. No pd or signs of WNS was detected. While the disease was not detected in Utah, WNS spread was documented in Wyoming, Montana, California, and Arizona. 4. Collect and use DNA swabs to resolve identification issues surrounding little brown bats. Swabs from previous years were collected and sent for genetic analysis. Additional samples were collected this summer to be added to the analysis. 5. Collect samples to aid in research to understanding the genetics for the pathogenesis and susceptibility of WNS with Dr. Zhongde Wang at Utah State University (contingent upon his funding) Dr. Wang's expertise was needed in the COVID response and he did not pursue bat work this year. 6. Collect and curate data to guide management of bats in Utah. Updates and fixes were made to the BatBase online platform. Past datasets and new data is being entered into the database. The USFWS is completing a SSA on the little brown bat, and we compiled data and monitoring results for that effort. Unfortunately, much of the information from Utah and other western states was not adequately incorporated into the SSA. We submitted substantial comments pointing out flawed assumptions and analyses and do not feel that the SSA represents the best available science on the species.

The draft little brown bat SSA affirms the importance of both engaging with national monitoring efforts, yet keeping statistically valid state-driven efforts running. The SSA assumes little brown bat declines will be consistent with what has been documented in eastern states with 90% declines and lays out testable and refutable predictions. Continued data collection will be vital to refute or affirm those predictions. Given the advance of WNS into western states and bat species, we need to keep continued focus on bat population monitoring. Monitoring data collection continued through the summer of 2021 under a continuation of this ESMF grant and other funding sources. With the FY22 ESMF grant and federal WNS funding we will conducted a more in-depth analysis of data collected since 2009. Using the knowledge we have gained through inventory and monitoring work, we continue to incorporate habitat improvements for bats into WRI proposals, roost protection work with DOGM, and other opportunities as encountered.