$50,000 to Help Stop White-Nose Syndome

$50,000 to Help Stop White-Nose Syndrome, an often-fatal disease of hibernating bats, has been confirmed for the first time in Washington east of the Cascade Range. Kittitas County is the fourth county in Washington affected by the disease or the causal fungus, joining King, Pierce, and Lewis counties.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) received four dead bats from a landowner outside of Cle Elum this spring, and sent the bats to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, WI for testing. Scientists confirmed all four bats had white-nose syndrome. 

Abby Tobin, white-nose syndrome coordinator for WDFW stated: “We rely on tips from the public of sick or dead bats, or groups of bats, to monitor bat populations and track the spread of this deadly bat disease.”

White-nose syndrome is harmful to hibernating bats, but does not affect humans, livestock, or other wildlife. Grants starting at $50,000 are available to help stop White-Nose Syndrome an often-fatal disease of hibernating bats. They are available to the U.S. and its territories as well as Canadian nonprofit organizations, tribal entities, institutions, for-profit entities, and government agencies. This is with the goal of creating funding for programs to mitigate the spread of white-nose syndrome disease that affects a number of diverse grouping of North American bat populations. For more information visit here.