J .

Scott A l t e n b a c h

Abandoned Mines as Bat Habitat

O
ver the last decade, an increasing destruction of natural roost sites or human distur-
concern about liability by private bance at roost sites. Species such as Townsend’s
and public land owners, as well big-eared bat are notorious for establishing mater-
as federal and state agencies, has nity colonies in relatively exposed parts of caves
prompted an exponential increase in the efforts to and rock shelters. Equally notorious is their habit
safeguard abandoned mines. Abandoned mines of abandoning a roost site, and their newborn
have long been recognized as habitat for a large young as well, because of a relatively slight distur-
number of bat species as well as other kinds of bance. Recreational activities, although perhaps
wildlife. Since safeguarding typically involves inadvertent, have had a strong negative impact on
destruction by blasting or backfilling, this has a number of bat species. Roost habitat destruction
stimulated growing interest in their potential for because of encroaching development, logging of
wildlife habitat. Although a systematic program of old growth forests, and renewed mining have also
evaluation of abandoned mines prior to closure taken a toll. Oddly enough, the micro-habitat pre-
has been slow to implement, enough mines have sented by concavities in “snag” trees is duplicated
been surveyed to illustrate that they are a signifi- by the micro-habitat provided in some abandoned
cant habitat resource for bats of several species. mines.
Of the thousands of abandoned mines in the West Twenty-eight of the 45 species of bats found
which have been surveyed over the last ten years, in the continental United States are known to roost
roughly half have in underground mines.
Townsend’s big- shown some type of use In California, the only
eared bat, by bats and about 10% known colonies of the
Corynorninus have shown some form Cave myotis, all of the
townsendii, is the of significant use. The winter and most of the
most common resi-
difficult question of summer roosts of the
dent in abandoned
mines in many what constitutes signifi- California leaf-nosed bat,
regions of the west. cant use has been and roughly one third of
It uses mines for addressed by Altenbach all Townsend’s big eared
maternity activity, and Milford (1995), bat roosts are in aban-
bachelor colonies,
Altenbach and Pierson doned mines (Altenbach
mating, and hiber-
nation. (l995), Tuttle and and Pierson 1995). All of
Taylor (1994), and oth- the known maternity
ers. Use by maternity colonies of the endan-
colonies of any kind, gered Lesser long-nosed
use for large hibernat- bat in the United States
ing colonies, use as a migratory stopover, and use are in abandoned mines (V. M. Dalton, pers.
for colonial reproductive behavior are relatively comm.), as are the majority of maternity and hiber-
clear examples. Prudence dictates that any kind nating colonies of Townsend’s big-eared bats in
of use that is previously undocumented qualifies New Mexico. Abandoned mines provide a refugium
as well. Significance of use varies regionally and in the face of loss of natural habitat. They can be
is generally best determined by the best judgment likened to “Noah’s Arks” which may allow some
of bat biologists familiar with the region. bat species to survive in the face of continuing dis-
Large numbers of underground mines were turbance at natural roost sites. Simultaneous safe-
not a common feature of the environment in the guarding and protection of a small number of
western United States until a few decades before abandoned mines with bat-compatible closures or
the dawn of the 20th century. Why should any “bat gates” promises to buy some time and allow
e ff o rt be made to protect a habitat, especially one more informed decisions to be made about their
that presents a potential hazard to humans, that long term survival. Hopefully, natural roost sites
did not exist until recent times? By the same rea- can be protected although it seems quite possible
soning, we should not need wildlife preserves or that protected abandoned mines could easily be
national parks. Many bat species are in decline as the primary roost habitat for some of these species.
a direct or indirect result of human activity. A sig- Nevada’s mine closure program illustrates
nificant part of this decline can be attributed to the potential for impact that abandoned mine clo-

46 CRM No 7—1998
sure can have on bat populations. Before state per- Although bat biologists continue to learn
sonnel were aware of the bat habitat potential of more about the diverse factors which make aban-
abandoned mines, the Nevada Abandoned Mine doned mines suitable for bat habitat, we have not
Lands Bureau closed or facilitated the closure of yet reached a level of understanding that allows
roughly 3,000 mine features without any type of evaluation of specific bat use, or even the potential
wildlife survey. If we conservatively estimate that for use, without a careful examination of the actual
5% of Nevada’s abandoned mines had significant mine in question.
bat use, then roughly 150 mines with significant Bat surveys of abandoned mines can be
bat use, and probably in some cases with the bats internal (underground), external, or a combination
in them, were destroyed by backfilling. Even of both. External surveys are time consuming,
though abandoned mines are a patchy feature of labor intensive, require specialized equipment and
the environment, hundreds of thousands of them training, and require considerable knowledge of
are scattered over the western states. When the abandoned mines and especially the bats that use
impact of the Nevada mine closure program is them. Although this approach can detect warm sea-
extrapolated regionally, the potential for extreme son use, it is useless for detecting hibernation,
negative impact to bat populations is easily seen. especially if small numbers are bats are present. If
Evaluation of the Resource a mine cannot be fully evaluated because portions
Bat surveys in anticipation of abandoned of its workings are inaccessible or because entry
mine closures vary from thorough to non-existent. presents unacceptable risks, an external evaluation
They depend upon whether the entities doing the is the only option. In practice, a combination of
closure are public or private, whether the person- underground and external evaluation is generally
nel involved have even heard that mines are used necessary.
by bats and that bats may be worthy creatures to Internal surveys are the least labor intensive
protect, whether money is available to do surveys and most effective means to survey abandoned
and construct bat-compatible closures, as well as mines for bat use. However, this procedure
the general vagaries of human nature. Although requires personnel who are underground-trained
mine closure programs using federal monies are and experienced, properly equipped, and experi-
mandated by National Environmental Policy Act enced in bat biology. Unfortunately, there are
regulations to evaluate mine features for wildlife many individuals attempting to do internal aban-
habitat, those using state or private dollars gener- doned mine surveys, who fail to meet the qualifica-
ally are not. For example, a state-based tions for underground survey and who pose safety
Abandoned Mine Lands Program funded by the risks to themselves and others.
mining industry is not subject to federal guidelines. It is essential, therefore, to continue efforts to
At a 1994 public meeting, representatives from a increase awareness about both the potential short-
mining company stated with some pride and comings of current mine evaluations and the actual
enthusiasm that they would backfill every aban- complexity of historic mining operations. Training
doned mine on their property without considering for external evaluation has been part of the ongo-
possible wildlife use and there was nothing anyone ing bat habitat-abandoned mine workshops, but
could do about it. In contrast, other mining compa- that training is very generalized. Underground
nies have gone out of their way trying to do the training has been nonexistent, partially because of
right thing. liability-related concerns on the part of those who
A program to evaluate abandoned mines for would do the training. Although Mine Safety and
significant bat use first requires the education of Health Administration training and certification is
the private and governmental entities involved a prerequisite for anyone doing underground sur-
with mine closure. The bat habitat-abandoned veys, it is primarily intended for individuals work-
mine workshops organized by Bat Conservation ing in active mines. As such, the program does not
International, in partnership with corporate, state include information concerning some of the most
and federal agencies, have informed numerous common hazards associated with inactive mines,
individuals and companies about the problem and e.g., the kinds of pertinent gas detection apparatus
some of the solutions to it. Some of the best suc- and their limitations, or how to recognize old
cess stories, i.e., mines with significant bat popula- explosives. Implementing comprehensive training
tions safeguarded with bat-compatible closures, programs would ensure competent researchers who
have occurred because informed people were were able to effectively evaluate bat use in aban-
aware of the importance of the issue and took doned mines. Correcting these education-related
appropriate actions. Since there are not unlimited deficiencies would go a long way to ensuring that
funds to protect abandoned mines as bat historic mines would be properly evaluated prior to
resources, protection first requires careful evalua- proposed closure programs.
tion of the resource.

CRM No 7—1998 47
 Bat-Compatible Closures mines for bat use and we have a good idea what
If survey data reveal that a mine is used by constitutes significant use. We have considerable
bats and if the use is significant, the mine would experience with designing bat-compatible closures,
be an ideal candidate for protection with a bat- we know how bats deal with them, and we know
compatible closure that precludes public access, their installation can result in increased bat use
but allows bats to use the site. However, the deci- within protected mines. We know that bat-compat-
sion to install a bat-compatible closure depends ible closures can be defeated by vandals, but this
upon a variety of other factors. Appropriate ques- becomes less likely as designs improve. We know
tions to consider include: Are alternative features, that bat-compatible closures have to be monitored
used in the same way, nearby? How feasible is a just like any other mine closure. If we can continue
bat-compatible closure for a particular mine entry? to learn and apply what we know, several bat
Will preservation of an abandoned roost provide species, currently in serious jeopardy, will have an
habitat or mitigate habitat destruction elsewhere? improved chance of survival well into the next cen-
The bat-compatible closures used by the New tury.
_______________
Mexico Abandoned Mined Lands Program are
designed by staff engineers and are similar to the References
designs preferred by the American Cave Altenbach, J.S. and H. E. Milford, 1995 Evaluation and
Conservation management of bats in abandoned Mines in New
Association. Current Mexico. In: D. Pate, ed. Proceedings of the 1993
designs, generally con- Cave Management Symposium, Carlsbad, New
structed with crossbars Mexico, pp. 326-330.
of heavy angle iron Altenbach, J.S. and E.D. Pierson, 1995 The importance
reinforced with stiffen- of mines to bats: an overview. In: Riddle, B.R., ed.
ers, are difficult for Inactive mines as bat habitat: guidelines of research,
vandals to breach. survey, monitoring and mine management in
Tuttle and Taylor Nevada. Biological Resources Research Center,
(1994) and Dalton University of Nevada, Reno.
and Dalton (1995) Altenbach, J.S., 1995 Entering mines to survey bats
summarize design effectively and safely. In: Riddle, B.R., ed. Inactive
details; the American mines as bat habitat: guidelines of research, survey,
Cave Conservation monitoring and mine management in Nevada.
Association is a fur- Biological Resources Research Center, University of
ther source for gate Nevada, Reno.
designs. Of the many Dalton, V.M. and D.C. Dalton, 1995, Mine closure
hundreds of bat-com- methods including a recommended gate design. In:
patible gates installed Riddle, B.R., ed., Inactive mines as bat habitat:
A bat-compatible in the United States, relatively few have been guidelines of research, survey, monitoring and mine
closure or “bat breached by vandals. In New Mexico, the percent- management in Nevada. Biological Resources
gate” at one of the age of breached gates is lower than the percentage Research Center, University of Nevada, Reno.
adit entrances of
of failures for non-bat-compatible closures. All Tuttle, M.D. and D.A.R. Taylor, 1994 Bats and Mines.
an abandoned
manganese mine types of mine closures must be monitored for pos- Bat Conservation International, Austin, TX.
_______________
in New Mexico. sible failure. A mine cannot be closed and then for-
The gate blocks gotten. Scott Altenbach is a Professor of Biology at the
human entry but Timing of Mine Closure University of New Mexico. Since 1991, he has under-
lets the three
The selection of an appropriate “time win- taken bat surveys of abandoned mines for the New
species of bats
that use the mine dow” for permanent sealing or safely installing a Mexico Abandoned Mined Lands Program as well as
come and go non-bat-compatible closure must minimize the for public and private concerns, including the
freely. possibility that known or unknown resident bat National Park Service, in other states. He worked
species will be trapped inside. Installation of bat- briefly as a miner in his undergraduate days, has
compatible closures must likewise be timed to min- logged over 6,000 underground hours, and has exam-
imize disturbance of residents. Timing will vary ined over 1,800 abandoned mines.
with the type of use, the species present and the
region. Closure activities need to be explicitly coor-
dinated with local bat biologists. Anyone wanting to learn more about the
Conclusion bat habitat-mines program should contact the
We know that abandoned mines are impor- Bats and Abandoned Mine Project, Bat
tant habitat, in some cases vital habitat, for a large Conservation International, P.O. Box 162603,
number of bat species. We know how to survey Austin, Texas 78716, (telephone 512-327-9721).

48 CRM No 7—1998