New Firewood Cutting Rules In PA State Forests To Protect Bats

HARRISBURG, PA — The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has established new regulations around firewood collection, in an effort to protect Pennsylvania’s endangered bat populations.

The new conservation measures will balance traditional firewood collection and cutting of standing dead trees to ensure that common bat habitats remain available to local species. The federally endangered Indiana bat and the federally threatened northern long-eared bat both call state forests home.

“It is critical we work to protect bats because of their importance in maintaining a healthy ecosystem,” said State Forester Ellen Shultzabarger. “DCNR understands that firewood is an important source of fuel for locals. We are providing this guidance to help ensure those who rely on firewood are able to collect it without disturbing the habitats of these bats at critical times during their life cycles.”

To protect the bats during critical points in their life cycles, firewood cutting and harvesting will be limited on designated roads in Bald Eagle, Buchanan, Elk, Forbes, Gallitzin, Loyalsock, Michaux, Moshannon, Pinchot, Rothrock, Sproul, Tiadaghton, Tioga Tuscarora, and William Penn state forests through Aug. 31. Roads in these districts were chosen because they had the highest quality habitat for the bats that were vulnerable to firewood cutting.

Cutting also will be limited on designated roads in Bald Eagle, Pinchot, and Rothrock state forest districts between Sept. 1 and Nov. 1, and between April 1 and May 14 of next year. This is because bats are particularly vulnerable at certain points throughout the year, when they’re waking from hibernation or rearing young bats who can’t yet fly.

Bats are valuable to Pennsylvania’s ecosystem, managing insect pests and contributing to forest health. In Pennsylvania, bats are insectivores, eating at up to 1,000 mosquito-sized insects in an hour and consuming as much as 25 percent of their body mass in a single feeding event. Pregnant or nursing females can consume their body weight in insects each night.

The conservation measures are included in a Bat Habitat Conservation Plan prepared by DCNR and the Pennsylvania Game Commission and have been approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which identifies activities that may negatively impact bats and presents avoidance strategies.

Anyone with questions can contact their local district forest office for specific details on how conservation measures are being applied in their local area, and for detailed maps of areas where firewood harvesting is limited.

Click here to learn more about firewood cutting, and read more about the DCNR’s bat population conservation efforts here.

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