Brandenbark tm : artificial bark designed for roost use by indiana bats ( myotis sodalis )

The federally endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) is a concern for development projects in nearly half of the United States (N = 23 states, USFWS 2007). The habit of this species to roost and rear young under exfoliating bark of trees has put it at risk for incurring adverse impacts from most projects requiring tree clearing throughout its summer range. Highway development projects often require consideration of Indiana bat impacts because many traverse forested tracts and require swaths of tree clearing. While impact avoidance and minimization are the primary goals when considering impacts to Indiana bat habitat, complete impact avoidance cannot be accomplished in many cases while still meeting the conditions of the project Purpose and Need. Often, impact mitigation tools are needed to offset adverse impacts to this federally protected species. Here we present an artificial roost structure that mimics the natural roosting structure of Indiana bat roosts. Our artificial roost, BrandenBarkTM, has been shown to be used extensively by a maternity colony of Indiana bats in central Kentucky. It has also been accepted as a mitigation option for several linear development corridor projects by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in the Elkins, West Virginia Field Office. We feel that BrandenBarkTM is an ideal mitigation tool for roadway development, as it can be utilized within rights-of-way or external parcels in most cases. In addition, this artificial roost structure does not have the high risk of falling which is problematic when natural roosts (snags) are left standing along roadways posing a potential safety hazard.