Keen's long-eared bat (Myotis keenii) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 10
Existing Protection or Other Status
This species is not listed by the IUCN. It was designated a Species of Special Concern by COSEWIC in 1988 (see Balcombe 1988). The global heritage status rank is G2; national ranks are N1 for the United States and N1N3 for Canada. M. keenii is ranked SH for both Alaska and Washington States. British Columbia has designated the species as S1S3.
In British Columbia, M. keenii is protected from being killed under the provincial Wildlife Act and is the only bat species listed as an Identified Wildlife Species under the BC Provincial Forest and Range Practices Code. Species listed under the Code are considered to be at risk and require special management by establishing Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHA). The Code specifies that WHA's with a 100 m radius and a 200 m buffer will be established to protect known hibernacula, maternity colonies, and roosting sites of M. keenii. Various management prescriptions are recommended relating to forestry road access and silvicultural practices. To date only one WHA has been designated for M. keenii - the Knoll Hill Cave WHA (25.2 ha) designed to protect a maternity site (see Table 1) near Tahsis. Nearby, Weymer Cave Provincial Park protects an area that supports M. keenii hibernacula. Interestingly, the Tahsis Economic Development Society has proposed the construction of a canopy walkway in the Knoll Hill WHA to promote eco-tourism, and one of the features they wish to promote is the occurrence of M. keenii. An environmental assessment was commissioned by the Tahsis Economic Development Society, and the proposal is now before a provincial committee.
Because its area of occupancy is unknown, the proportion of M. keenii 's range that falls within protected areas is unknown. Of the 25 occurrences in Canada, 5 fall within protected areas. Two of seven occurrences on Haida Gwaii are within Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site (147,000 ha). The most significant is the maternity colony at Gandl K'in Gwaayaay. An area plan has been prepared for the island that documents the re-development of the area while taking into consideration the protection of the colony (Stronge, 2001). It directs that no alteration of the surface flow of the hot springs should occur, as this might alter the thermal regime of the roosts. Visitors are allowed to use the hot pools located within 100 m of the roosts during the day, but must leave the island before bats begin to emerge. Haida Gwaii Watchmen are stationed on the island to ensure that no direct disturbance of the roosts occurs and that visitors leave before sunset. Gwaii Haanas staff regularly monitor Gandl K’in Gwaayaay for the presence of introduced species, and emergence counts are periodically carried out to determine the number of bats present.
Three of 15 occurrences on Vancouver Island are in protected areas. Inventories in Weymer Cave Provincial Park (316 ha) near Tahsis demonstrated that the outstanding karst features associated with this park include a number of caves that are used for swarming and hibernation by M. keenii, as well as a number of other species of Myotis (Mather et al., 2000). At least three caves (Slot Canyon, Labyrinth) were used by M. keenii, and it is likely that it roosts in trees in the park as well. A draft management plan (Clover Point Cartographics, 1998) identifies the need to protect the bat roosts in the park, but also identifies recreational caving, hiking, and tourism as acceptable park activities. Specific guidelines on how these conflicting activities, especially recreational caving, will be balanced are not part of the plan.
M. keenii has also been found at Windy Link Cave in White Ridge Provincial Park (1,343 ha). There has been no comprehensive inventory of bat use of the karst features in this park, but the Park is used extensively by recreational cavers. No management plan currently exists for this park.
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