Expressing support for the designation of the week of October 24, 2022, to October 31, 2022, as Bat Week.

Expressing support for the designation of the week of October 24, 2022, to October 31, 2022, as Bat Week Whereas bats are vital to the sustainability of natural ecosystems, national economies, and human health by controlling damaging insect pests, pollinating plants that produce fruits and vegetables, dispersing seeds to ensure healthy functioning forests and fields, and saving farmers in the United States more than $3,000,000,000 in pest control every year; Whereas bats have captured the human imagination through backyard sightings, folklore, art, myths, and legends, making outreach and education about the importance of bats instrumental; Whereas bats are present throughout the world, except in extremely cold regions, and are the second-largest order of mammals with over 1,400 species; Whereas white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has killed millions of bats in North America, has now spread to 38 States and 12 species of hibernating bats; Whereas the disease has caused significant declines in populations of the tricolored bat, the little brown bat, and the northern long-eared bat, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. Whereas the Department of the Interior, through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Geological Survey, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management is leading the international response to the disease in partnership with the United States Forest Service and more than 150 Federal and State agencies, Tribes, nongovernmental organizations, and universities; Whereas the United States Geological Survey and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service co-lead the multinational, multiagency North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) which since 2015 has consolidated nearly 68,000,000 records from partners in 49 States, 8 Canadian provinces, and 10 Tribal organizations, demonstrating the power of collaborative conservation science to monitor changes in North American bat populations; Whereas the United States Geological Survey conducts scientific research on bats, which helps resource managers and policymakers make informed decisions regarding the conservation of bats across North America; and Whereas, in the past decade, the international partnership of States, Tribes, Federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and institutions has made extraordinary progress to understand white-nose syndrome, slow the spread, and develop treatments that hold promise for ending this epidemic: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate (1) expresses support for the designation of Bat Week (2) encourages the observance of Bat Week with appropriate events and activities; (3) acknowledges the important role bats play as pollinators and pest control for agriculture; and (4) intends to (A) continue working to conserve bat species and habitat; and (B) work to defeat the disease known as white-nose syndrome.

Summary: This resolution expresses support for the designation of Bat Week and acknowledges the important role bats play as pollinators and pest control for agriculture.