Save the Indigo Tunnel - Maryland’s Largest Bat Hibernaculum

[LauraHohman]

The abandoned Indigo Railroad Tunnel near Hancock, MD, houses the state's largest known bat hibernaculum. Five species of bat are known to use the tunnel. Of primary concern is the tunnel's precious population of Eastern Small-Footed bats, Myotis leibii. Rare across their range, these tiny 5 gram bats are listed as endangered in Maryland, threatened in Pennsylvania, and rare in West Virginia. Before the advent of White Nose syndrome in the Northeastern US, Indigo Tunnel could boast being the 3rd largest known hibernaculum in the US. Unfortunately, the 1st and 2nd largest are in New York, in the heart of White Nose Syndrome, and the small footed bats there are doomed. Now Indigo Tunnel may well be the largest remaining hibernaculum.

What could possibly threaten such a rare animal? Bicycles. Bicycling, tourism, and rail-trail advocates propose paving and lighting the tunnel to allow 24-hour access. Normally, we fully support bicycling as one of the least invasive and damaging ways to explore wild areas, but in this case making the tunnel safe for bicyclists would make it inhospitable for bats. Proponents claim that opening the tunnel to bicyclists will bring in much-needed tourism dollars, and that there must be some way that lights and noise and bats can coexist.

This is too precious a resource to give up. The trail can easily be routed around the tunnel and there are five other open tunnels along the length of the trail. Can't the bats have just one to call home for the winter?

Maryland has a strong and progressive record on environmental issues and bat protection. Please don't let them blow it now. To find out how you can help, please visit http://www.batworld.org/main/action_ale ... unnel.html