PYoungbaer wrote:Just putting the bats on state lists won't do anything in and of itself. What it will permit, depending on each state's laws and regulations, is the use of funding for activities related to surveillance, monitoring, and PROTECTION (aka closing and gating). Specific language varies from state to state. It could also lead to a state's ability to influence what happens on PRIVATE LAND.
Then I hope the states get NO funding. Fortunately, the Republicans that are now in office just might reduce funding for illegitimate scientific
research and protection efforts by overzealous projects that quite frankly have NOT BEEN PROVEN to accomplish anything, other than the loss of
access by the public to public land. The public also includes cavers, btw.
However, I do not object to temporarily closing bat caves. I do
object to gating bat caves which are not directly in harms way from vandals, (which can mean permanent loss of access to caves by the public
on public land. And I also object to closing NON bat caves, PERIOD. Quite frankly this has been my objection from day one and still is.