Cave Access Management(grating)

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Townsend\'s big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii)
Family:Vespertilionidae

Sherwin et al. (2003) suggest that use of caves by this bat is more static than that of mines.  High site fidelity of caves were exhibited by this species in Utah which may make such roosts particularly susceptible to disturbance (Sherwin et al. 2000).  Modest numbers of this bat have been identified using surveyed caves in CO that recieve recreational use (Siemers 2002).  Gating caves needs to be done with care to avoid discouraging their continued use (Richter et al. 1993; Pugh & Altringham 2005).  The scope of this threat is based on minimal information about caves that actually have gates in CO (Siemers 2002) and gating of mines.  Due to this species' sensitivity to disturbance, improper gating could have serious impacts and is likely occurring regularly through well intentioned but improperly designed efforts.