Friday 29th August, 2014
By Victoria Gaskell
A meeting Thursday at the Wilna Town Hall began discussions between Fort Drum officials and surrounding community members on a possible missile defence site proposed to be in likely endangered bat habitat.
While the placement of the missile defence site is still in its developmental stages, community members have expressed concerns over its placement in the Fort Drum area.
Though there are concerns regarding hazardous material and noise pollution the greatest concern is for the endangered Indiana Bat.
The bat species is thought to have become endangered due to White Nose Syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease named for the distinct white growth around the bat’s mussel appearing during hibernation.
Ms Lynn Davis, an Endangered Bat Researcher at Virginia Tech, has been studying bats in the Fort Drum area for the past seven years and fears that any change in the bat’s habitat could result in an extinction of the local population.
“Since the beginning my research in 2007, the Indiana Bat has reached it’s lowest population levels to-date” said Ms Davis “and the idea of disturbing more wildlife habitat just seems ludicrous”.
While Ms Davis’ concerns and research are valid and were discussed during the Town Hall meeting, it is important to note the efforts undergone by Fort Drum officials in accommodating the Indiana Bat and all wildlife native to the region.
Fort Drum’s Fish and Wildlife Manager, Ms Robyn Niver, has made it clear that Fort Drum has and will continue to uphold the Endangered Species Act.
Ms Niver said “Fort Drum and The Department of Defence have always made it a priority to co-habit in harmony with the regions which our installation are based out of.”
“It is our duty to ensure any adaptation to the current running of the base will not disturb the wildlife to include military training, flight paths and new construction.”
“Should a missile site be approved in the Fort Drum area we will maintain all do diligence in assure that nor the community or the wildlife be affected by its activities.”
Fort Drum plans to assure this through regular surveying of land use, water resources, air quality and socio-economic effects.
At present The Department of Defence is considering three different sites within the North Country region, as well as a number of others in the North-east of the country, two of which are in the town of Wilna.
A missile defence site in the area will attract an increased speciality of military personnel, shrinking the gap that is being created by the national armed forces downsize.
While it is important that discussions take place and Fort Drum as well as surrounding areas be prepared, a decision on the placement of the missile defence site is not expected to be made until 2016.
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