Title
WCS Canada Comments - Ontario's Draft White-nose Syndrome Response Plan - January 2015
Author(s)
Justina Ray, Cori Lausen, and Cheryl Chetkiewicz
Published
2015
Publisher
[Correspondence]
Abstract
We are supportive of this initiative as Ontario is the first jurisdiction in Canada to devise a White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) Response Plan of this nature; our comments are intended to maximize its effectiveness. We recommend including context about the role of this strategy for bat conservation and population recovery efforts to combat WNS. We point out that although we recognize the WNS Plan differs from a Recovery Strategy, the ultimate success of the WNS Plan will require recovery efforts like reducing hibernation disturbance, securing significant hibernation habitat, and protecting and enhancing habitats to provide optimal conditions for maximal reproduction or ideal hibernation conditions. We suggest the WNS Plan should also include efforts to locate and monitor undiscovered bat hibernacula in Ontario, further detail on "communication strategies and dissemination of information" to the public, and explicit mention of the techniques planned to be used for the proposed surveillance and surveys.
Full Citation
[Correspondence] Ray, Justina, Lausen, Cori and Chetkiewicz, Cheryl (2015). Ontario’s White-nose Syndrome Response Plan (Ontario EBR Registry Number: 012-1474)
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