Investigators conducting this survey included Mr. Jason B. Robinson performing acoustic analysis and Tom Wilson and Jacob Riddle as acoustic technicians. Michael Boller, Tom Wilson, and Jacob Riddle performed the habitat assessments.
The habitat assessment was conducted to document potential bat habitat within the project corridor and determine if suitable habitat is present for the identified federally listed species. The assessment included an in-house review of available resources, including USGS topographic and geologic quadrangle maps, karst potential maps, land use maps, digital elevation maps, aerial photographs, and project design plans. Field surveys were also conducted to delineate the extent of each habitat and assess its potential for use by the identified species.
For the acoustic survey, acoustic detectors were deployed for the necessary number of nights at each of the proposed locations. Detectors were placed in habitats where bats were likely to be foraging/traveling and in areas that increase the likelihood of recording high-quality calls (e.g., forest canopy openings, road or stream corridors with open canopies, ponds, or wetlands).
