This annual report is provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to meet the annual reporting requirement as described in HCP Section 6.3.3. The report describes MDC’s Bat Habitat Conservation Plan planning and implementation activities conducted during the second reporting timeframe (July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023), compliance and effectiveness monitoring activities, and the results of the compliance and effectiveness monitoring during the initial reporting timeframe.
The goals of the annual report are to demonstrate to the USFWS and citizens of Missouri that the MDC Bat HCP is being implemented properly, and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the conservation plan. If any implementation problems have occurred, they are disclosed with a description of corrective measures planned or measures that have been taken to address the problems. This report also identifies any responses to changed circumstances and adaptive management during the reporting period.
This report describes progress towards each of the Biological Goals and Objectives outlined in the Bat HCP. Implementation progress updates of particularly note during the FY23 reporting period include:
- Developed and implemented Regional HCP Implementation Workshops (see Staff Implementation Training in Section 1).
- Completion of Priority Bat Management Zone (PBMZ) Management Plan templates specific to each covered tree-roosting species, to facilitate development of PBMZ Management Plans for each PBMZ by June 30, 2024 (see Objective 3.3 in Section 5).
- Initiated PBMZ Monitoring: Acoustic surveys were conducted in 5 of the 6 northern long-eared bat PBMZs during summer 2023 (see Status and Trend Monitoring in Section 5).