Viewing entries by
Nicholas P. Connor, MS
Unstable streambanks threaten infrastructure, water quality, and community safety, making resilient engineering solutions essential. Ruekert & Mielke’s expertise in natural channel design provides sustainable, cost-effective strategies that restore stability while enhancing ecological resilience.
Bats play a crucial role in ecosystems by consuming agricultural and forest pests and acting as predators of biting insects. They also help reduce the spread of insect-borne diseases like the West Nile Virus. However, since 2014, bat populations in Wisconsin have been rapidly declining due to a fungal disease that causes high mortality rates among cave-dwelling bats.
This disease, known as White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), was first identified in New York in 2006 and has since spread across the U.S., reaching Wisconsin in 2014. WNS has led to the most significant decline in North American wildlife ever recorded, impacting many species of cave-hibernating bats. Some populations have experienced nearly 100% declines. In Wisconsin, WNS poses a severe threat to all four cave bat species: the Big Brown Bat, Little Brown Bat, Northern Long-Eared Bat (NLEB), and Tricolored Bat.
Due to the significant decline in Wisconsin’s cave-dwelling bat populations, all municipal projects must undergo a review to assess potential impacts on bats. This review is required before proceeding with later phases of the project. Identifying whether your project area contains suitable habitat for NLEBs can help expedite the permitting process.
Private development, agriculture, and utility projects do not require approval, but municipal projects do. Approval from both the state and federal governments is required before the project can begin.
Federal Approval: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (via the Information for Planning and Consultation Determination Key; IPaC DKey)
State Approval: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (via the Natural Heritage Inventory; NHI)
To avoid delays, aim to get approval from the IPaC DKey and NHI early in the project design phase (around 30% completion).
Trees and snags with a diameter of 3 inches or greater at breast height (dbh) that feature exfoliating bark, cracks, crevices, and/or cavities provide suitable habitat. Bats typically roost singly or in maternity colonies under bark or more often in cavities or crevices of live trees and snags. Suitable roosting habitats must be within 1,000 feet of a forest.
Other potential roosting sites include:
Bridges
Covered bridges
Culverts taller than 4 feet and longer than 130 feet
Old structures
Trees located more than 1,000 feet from forested areas
Trees in predominantly urban, developed areas
Pure stands of trees less than 3 inches in dbh that lack larger trees
Contact Your Environmental Consultant: They can provide options, such as performing field surveys, to determine whether bat habitat is present in the project area.
Potential Roost/Habitat Survey: A trained biologist can assess the project area to confirm the presence of suitable habitat. Additional coordination with the USFWS/WDNR may be required for a final determination.
Conservation Measures: If habitat is present, measures such as tree clearing during the winter (August 16 to May 31) may allow the project to proceed without further conditions.
Habitat Conservation Plan: If impacts on bat habitat cannot be avoided, the existing habitat must be replaced or mitigated, typically at a 2:1 ratio. A mitigation plan must be submitted to the USFWS, and incidental take permits may be pursued through the WDNR.
Do you need a review to assess the potential impact on bats on your future project site? Contact one of our experts today!
Senior Biologist
Nick is a Senior Biologist with more than 10 years of experience managing and completing complex ecological-related projects from both public and private sector clients. He conducts or evaluates projects involving wetland delineations, potential wetland mitigation needs, cultural resource screens, archaeological reports, threatened and endangered (T&E) species reports, and storm water/erosion control plans.
The Honey Creek Headwaters and Stream Restoration Project is the revitalization of the City of Greenfield’s most commonly used park – Konkel Park. The project area included a 0.92-mile segment of Honey Creek that had been overgrown with buckthorn, filled with sediment, and had no natural inputs. Using natural channel design, the streams are now operating hydraulically like a normal stream.
Natural Channel Design was introduced as an alternative to rock-lined channels and utilizes natural material (rock and woody material) in the channel to achieve reductions in TSS, phosphorous, and sediment to downstream tributaries.
Stream restoration is a technique that stabilizes channels in the current environment while working to accomplish common goals like reducing erosion of the channel beds and banks, improving water quality, and improving in-stream habitats. Learn what to look for, funding sources, and how your community can fund from a stream restoration.
Are bats haunting your upcoming development project? Here’s what you need to know to comply with threatened bat species guidelines and avoid costly delays to your project.
If you’re planning a development project, state and federal regulations require you to know the current boundaries of wetlands on your property in order to avoid and/or minimize wetland loss. Failure to comply with these guidelines can cause lengthy and expensive project delays due to unexpected permit requirements. Our environmental experts have put together a few important FAQ’s on wetland assessments and delineations to help you keep your project moving smoothly.
Any project that has the potential to disturb wetlands, waterways, woodlands, or other resources that may impact endangered resources should undergo an Endangered Resources Review. Learn about WDNR requirements and the steps your team can take to maintain compliance and avoid costly project delays.
