INTRODUCTION 



The Endangered Species Act of 1973, Section 7 (a)(2) 

 mandates that any federal agency assure that any of its 

 actions "(are) not likely to jeopardize the continued 

 existence of any endangered or threatened species or result 

 in the destruction or adverse modification of (its) habitat" 

 (Finch 1992). In addition, the National Forest Management 

 Act of 1976 and United States Forest Service (USFS) policy 

 require that the Forest Service must maintain viable 

 populations of native vertebrates in national forests (Sec. 

 219 (12)(g) and "where appropriate and to the extent 

 practicable, ...preserve and enhance the diversity of plant 

 and animal communities" (Finch 1992). 



There are presently 14 species of bats in Montana (Thompson 

 1982). Five species are listed by the Montana Natural 

 Heritage Program as species of special concern. These are 

 the Pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus) , the Spotted bat 

 (Euderma maculatum) , Townsend ' s big-eared bat (Plecotus 

 townsendii) , the Fringed myotis (Myotis thysanodes) , and the 

 Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrional is) ( Genter 

 1993). The first three are listed as sensitive by the 

 Northern Region (R 1) of the USFS ( Mumma 1991). Sensitive 

 species are "those plant and animal species identified by 

 the Regional Forester for which population viability is a 

 concern as evidenced by: 



a) Significant current or predicted downward trends in 



