Just outside of San Antonio, Texas, resides the world’s largest bat colony. Approximately 20 million migrating Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) roost in Bracken Cave every summer, but urban sprawl and accompanying light pollution threatened their habitat, until now.

Last month, the Nature Conservancy of Texas and Bat Conservation International—with help from other groups including the city of San Antonio and the Department of Defense—purchased a swath of undeveloped and unprotected land adjacent to the cave for $20.5 million, ending a developer’s plans to construct 3,500 homes on the property and ensuring the skies around the cave remain dark.

Bracken Cave’s Mexican free-tailed bats comprise nearly one-fifth of the species and play an important ecological role. At summer’s peak, the colony consumes 140 tons of insects each night, saving farmers $23 billion in reduced crop damage and pesticide use, according to the Nature Conservancy. “The emergence of these millions of bats, as they spiral out of the cave at dusk for their nightly insect hunt, is an unforgettable sight,” said Andrew Walker, executive director of Bat Conservation International in a press release. “The protection of [this land] helps ensure this centuries-old wildlife habitat will continue to provide a safe home for one of the region’s most unique and important inhabitants.”

The 1,521 acre plot—called Crescent Hills—will serve as a buffer between the cave, which sits on the edge of a nature preserve, and surrounding suburbs. Protecting the land also has added conservation benefits: Crescent Hills serves as a habitat for federally endangered golden-cheeked warblers (Dendroica chrysoparia) that only nest in the Texas Hills Country, and lies within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, which provides drinking water for nearly two million Texans, including the entire city of San Antonio. “Our collective efforts have resulted in a trifecta of conservation success for the entire region by safeguarding Bracken Bat Cave, preserving important habitat for warblers, and safeguarding Texas’ most valuable resource—clean, fresh water,” said Laura Huffman, Texas state director of The Nature Conservancy.

The Nature Conservancy will manage the newly-acquired land and plans to create hiking trails and public bat-watching events.

A newly developed tool from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows how the habitat ranges for select species of North American birds might look in 2075 and could eventually help wildlife biologists make their own local predictions. USGS scientist Terry Sohl looked 50 species of birds in a study published in PLOS ONE and found the results varied by species — some birds could have expanding ranges, while others might see theirs shrink.

The study is not the first to cast light on how bird ranges will shift in the future. The Audubon Society released a comprehensive report detailing how 588 bird species in North America will react to the changing climate. A forecast map illustrates how species’ ranges may shrink, expand, or shift over the next 65 years. Climate change is only one of many challenges that birds will face according to Sohl.

How humans use the land within a bird’s given range can be just as important as climate shifts. The spread of urban areas, land development, and deforestation are a few things that can cut into vital bird habitat and impact bird ranges locally. “Climate gives you the big brush picture of what will happen over all, but if you have the land use data you can see the fine detail,” said Sohl. “It can really change the picture.”

For some birds the picture looks good. By 2075, climate change will increase temperatures by three to seven degrees Fahrenheit, making larger swaths of area in the southwest suitable for species such as the Gambel’s quail and the cactus wren that breed there. The study predicts the ranges of both species will increase by more than 50 percent.

Other birds may not be so lucky. The model projected that the Baird’s sparrow could lose up to 90.8 percent of its range in the U.S. as warming temperatures drive it out of its summer breeding grounds in the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Montana northward further into Canada. Similarly, the forest-dwelling hooded warblers may move north into upstate New York, northern New England, and Michigan as the climate warms, but its northern range may become fragmented as agricultural lands in the east expand and replace forested areas.

While Sohl looked at large range changes over North America, he believes the approach — taking into account both climate change and future land use — can be useful on a smaller scale. He and other USGS researchers are working on a tool that would allow land and wildlife managers to make their own projections about how the landscape will change locally. Researchers could then plug their projections into climate change prediction models and achieve similar results but on a local scale.

“What we are trying to say is ‘hey, all you guys using climate modeling, land use data is interesting too,’” said Sohl. “You are only telling part of the story if you are just looking at climate going out into the future.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) reopened the comment period on its critical habitat designation proposal Wednesday for the western population of the yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus). FWS originally announced their proposal for the bird’s critical habitat in August and closed the public comment period on October 14th. However, the agency decided to extend the comment period three more months to January 12, 2015 in response to criticism from House Republicans who called for more time to carry out public hearings in the affected areas.

The yellow-billed cuckoo is an elusive but distinctive bird that breeds in North America during the summer and spends its winters in South America. The species relies on cottonwood trees and willows along rivers and streams for habitat. Land use changes brought on by agriculture and water diversions by dams have resulted in dramatic declines in these trees and therefore the cuckoo.

The controversial critical habitat proposal spans nine western states, covering 546,335 acres with 242,000 of them on private property. House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash) and 17 other members of Congress communicated dismay over the proposal in a letter to FWS director Dan Ashe, noting that the agency underestimated “the true economic impact of the listing and habitat designation” of the species. They state that the $3.2 million per year in incremental cost estimated by FWS does not take into account impacts to grazing, development, and irrigation.

Comments may be submitted online at the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. The docket number for the proposed rule is FWS–R8–ES–2013-0011. Comments can also be sent by U.S. Mail or Hand Delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–ES–R8–2013–0011; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Headquarters, MS: BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

Sources: Greenwire (October 2, 2014), Environment and Energy News (October 7, 2014), Greenwire (October 15, 2014), Federal Register (August 15, 2014), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (November 10, 2014), Federal Register (November 12, 2014)

Four states voted on ballot measures related to wildlife management last week – primarily in regards to how hunting is managed and treated within the state. Alabama and Mississippi each approved constitutional amendments to ensure hunting and fishing rights for its citizens, a relatively common trend over the past several election cycles. Maine and Michigan each rejected their proposed initiatives related to hunting specific species.

Alabama: Amendment 5, Alabama Right to Hunt and Fish

The “Sportperson’s Bill of Rights” was passed by Alabama voters on Tuesday, preserving the future of hunting and fishing in the state. The constitutional amendment ensures that citizens have the right to hunt and fish subject to reasonable regulations that promote sound conservation and management.

Source: ABC 3340 (November 4, 2014)

Maine: Question 1, Citizen Initiative on Bear Hunting Practices

Maine voters rejected a proposed ban on hunting bears with bait, dogs, and traps last Tuesday. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife along with the Maine Chapter of The Wildlife Society endorsed opposition to the proposed ban.

Source: WCSH6 (November 5, 2014)

Michigan: Proposal 1, Michigan Wolf Hunting Referendum and Proposal 2, Michigan Natural Resources Commission Referendum

Michigan voters rejected two proposals on November 4 regarding hunting. Proposal 1 would have allowed the establishment of wolf hunting seasons and designated wolves as game animals in the state. Proposal 2 would have allowed the Natural Resources Commission to directly designate game species and determine hunting seasons, rather than game animals being designated through legislation. The failure of the two proposals suggests that a 2015 wolf hunting season will not occur in Michigan.

Source: Detroit News (November 5, 2014)

Mississippi: Mississippi Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment

Mississippi voters approved a constitutional amendment that citizens have the right to hunt, fish, and harvest game species throughout the state. This establishes that hunting and fishing through regulations is a right, rather than merely a privilege. Mississippi lawmakers will work with state game wardens to regulate hunting and fishing seasons.

Source: Hattiesburg American (November 4, 2014)

Sources: Ballotpedia