[OHIOBWG] FW: Northern Long-eared Bat Virtual Public Meetings Notification

[Titchenell, Marne]

Dear Interested Party,

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold three public information webcasts in August to provide information and answer questions about its proposal to list the northern long-eared bat as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.  Webcasts will be held Tuesday, August 19, at 1 p.m. Eastern; Wednesday, August 20, at 4 p.m. Eastern; and Thursday, August 21, at 7 p.m. Eastern.

We invite you to join the 1-hour webcast by calling a toll-free number and joining a web conference to view a presentation and participate in a facilitated question-and-answer session.

To participate:
·  Log on to http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=741848583&p=&t=c to view a Service presentation about the northern long-eared bat.
·  To listen to the presentation and ask questions, call toll-free 1-800-369-1692. Enter passcode  2549152# to join the call.  An operator will request your name, affiliation (if any) and state.

We are holding these sessions to provide information about the northern long-eared bat, its biology, status and our proposal to list the species. We would also like for interested participants to be able to engage directly with Service experts, so the majority of the hour will be devoted to the facilitated question-and-answer session. While official comments can not be submitted through the sessions, people can submit comments online or through mail through August 29, 2014. Learn more at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/news/734.html.

In October 2013, the Service proposed to list the northern long-eared bat as endangered, citing sharp declines in the species’ population due to white-nose syndrome.  White-nose syndrome has killed millions of cave-dwelling bats in the Northeast and is spreading west and south.  The disease is confirmed or suspected in 28 states and several Canadian provinces.

For more information on the northern long-eared bat and the Service’s proposal, visit http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/mammals/nlba/index.html or contact our office at [Field Office contact info]

Please forward this notification to anyone or any group you know who is interested in the proposal to the list the northern long-eared bat as endangered.
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