Collaborative Bat Monitoring across the Western US

Project ID: P19AC00823

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Partner Institution: Oregon State University

Fiscal Year: 2019

Initial Funding: $360,998

Total Funding: $832,310

Project Type: Research

Project Disciplines: Biological

National Park: North Cascades National Park

Principal Investigator: Sanchez, Dana

Principal Investigator: Shinderman, Matt

Agreement Technical Representative: Dicus, Gordon

Abstract: The scientific information produced from this project will improve understanding and knowledge of bat populations at a number of protected areas across the western United States. The multi-year conservation assessment of bat populations will be a publicly available report. This project will also provide opportunities for OSU students and faculty to gain hands-on educational experiences working on parks and public lands, generally, and to create entry level career development opportunities for students and interns in natural resources, visitor outreach, and interpretation. This project also creates opportunities for interagency collaboration, leverages human and financial resources, and promotes a cost-effective and efficient management of natural resources on public lands. The scientific information produced from this project will contribute to proactive management of natural resources and species, mitigating the need for endangered species legal protections and other costly reactive measures.
B. Investigators from the OSU and NPS staff will collaborate to accomplish the following specific objectives.

Phase 1:
1. Coordinate and conduct collaborative acoustic bat surveys following NABat protocol across UCBN, NCCN, and KLMN.
2. Use a relational database (NPS Acoustic Survey Database v 1.7 or other, compatible relational database) and manage all acoustic survey data collected by the Bat Hub and partners for purposes of regional NABat monitoring for long-term quality control, storage, retrieval, analysis, and dissemination.
3. Conduct a multi-year conservation assessment of bat populations across the Pacific Northwest using occupancy modeling methods developed for this project to provide NPS and partners a regional perspective on bat welfare and regional context for local conservation decisions in NPS and partner management units. From the assessment, develop a manuscript suitable for submission to the NPS Natural Resources Report publication series or to a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
4. Develop a protocol implementation plan (PIP) for UCBN, NCCN, and KLMN to contribute to long-term NABat monitoring.
5. Provide methodological training, bat call processing, and related bat monitoring technical support to NPS and partners