Endangered Indiana bat blocks I-69 construction

It’s mating season for endangered Indiana bats, and the local stretch of Interstate 69 that’s under construction is going to have to work around that.

Cher Elliott, Indiana Department of Transportation media relations director for the I-69 project, said the project had factored the mating season into initial schedules for the construction.

“In order to not disrupt the migrating and mating seasons of the Indiana bat, we cannot cut down trees larger than three inches in diameter between April 1 and November the 15th,” Elliott said. “That’s when they leave the caves from the winter and then migrate south to their nesting areas and begin mating.”

During these months, the bats burrow beneath the bark of larger trees in Monroe County and surrounding areas, where they mate, give birth and raise their young.

Scott Pruitt, Indiana field supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said his department worked with the I-69 project leaders to lessen the effect on the bats.

“Everyone’s been very upfront and aware of this,” Pruitt said. “That’s been part of the planning process since day one.”

Elliott said the I-69 workers tried to remove all the trees they needed removed before April 1.

“We identified all (of those trees), and then we worked with the property owners to make sure that we either owned the property or we had some sort of agreement in place where they allowed us to go in and cut the tree down,” Elliott said. “Now, there may be an instance that once we get into the construction part of it, we recognize that we need that tree down. We can’t do that until after November the 15th. But one tree here or one random tree there is not going to impede the project, either.”

The highway will cut through many Indiana bat foraging and mating areas, Pruitt said.

He said that in the short term, the bat population will suffer.

“Short term, the bats that are in the right of way where the trees are being cleared will have less foraging area, so there will be a diminished reproductive rate for those maternity colonies,” Pruitt said. “It’s over a thousand acres for this section of the road. That’s a thousand acres less that’s available for them.”

In the long term, the I-69 project workers are planting more trees for the bats and purchasing already forested territory to preserve it.

“Long term, the plan is that an equal amount, and then, in fact, more is being planted and protected,” Pruitt said. “Once those are trees and become a foraging base for the animals, there won’t be a long-term impact.”

Elliot said that during the next few months, construction will continue in different ways.

“We’ve had a very mild winter and very light rain so far this spring, so they’ve been able to stay on schedule or ahead of schedule and things are going very well, and we look forward to the same success in section four,” Elliott said.