But beyond that, they are a critical element of a healthy environment. Really.
''As the bat-killing disease known as white-nose
syndrome continues to decimate bats from Quebec to Missouri, the response to the
crisis by scientists and government agencies continues to be hampered by lack of
funding. Bat supporters must speak up now, while there's still a chance for
our actions to make a difference to their survival.
Many more than a
million bats have died from the disease in the last four years, and some of the
largest bat colonies in the world, in the South and Midwest, are now on the
precipice of disaster. This winter, white-nose syndrome was detected fewer than
100 miles from Mammoth Cave National Park, the crown jewel of America's cave
parks. And the disease jumped the Mississippi River earlier this year,
threatening some of the most biologically diverse cave ecosystems in the
country.
Thus far, next year's federal budget has only minimal amounts
allocated for research and response coordination. The Center for Biological
Diversity, along with numerous other organizations and researchers, is calling
on Congress to appropriate $5 million to confronting the bat disease.
We need your help to make sure
that congressional members hear the message that we need to act to save our bats
now, before it's too late.''
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