PURPOSE
Under this Scope of Work, the cooperator(s) will provide the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with a baseline survey of bats using the Kanawha River from river mile (RM) 0.0 at Point Pleasant, West Virginia to Kanawha Falls at RM 95.5. Comprehensive information on species composition, diversity and habitat usage of bats in the Kanawha River corridor is sought. Field work will consist of accepted bat sampling protocols, including mist netting. Project coordination of schedules and deliverables will be through the Service West Virginia Field Office (WVFO)

STUDY OBJECTIVES:
The cooperator shall acquire and review previous surveys conducted in the area and available literature on the importance of riverine habitats to species of bats potentially occurring in the project area. Effort will be sufficient in scope to assist in directing recommendations for survey needs and overall sampling design. Deliverables will include a list of available literature reviewed and a summary of overall findings within final reporting. Reconnaissance of the project area will be conducted by the contractor cooperator to familiarize the study team with the river mainstem islands, backchannels, tributaries, embayments, riparian and floodplain habitats of the study reach. Effort should be sufficient in scope to select sampling locations. Representative locations should be sampled in each river associated habitat, as appropriate. Sampling locations marked on 7.5 minute topographic maps and Corps of Engineers navigation charts, as appropriate coordinates of sampling locations should also be provided. Contractor Cooperator should record habitat descriptions and take photographs of each site. Site specific information on climatic conditions at time of sampling will also be recorded. Access to study sites will be largely coordinated by the contractor cooperator. Numbers and locations of sites will be as follows:

• One site should be located every 4 5 river miles.
• With exceptions, sites should be located at least 1 mile apart.
• Three sites should be located within uppermost 5 miles of Kanawha corridor.
• The lower Kanawha, approaching the mouth, should receive higher density of study sites. Urbanized reaches (i.e. capital building to, WV) may prove difficult to sample. One site in such reaches may be sufficient. An additional 5-10 sites not subject to above siting specifications will be reserved for placement and sampling at locations deemed particularly important by the contractor cooperator.
• Lateral extent of sampling site location will be the floodplain of the Kanawha River. Contractor cooperator shall conduct bat surveys of study locations using accepted bat netting materials and methods and standardized protocols.
• Sampling will be conducted from 15 May to 15 August, with the optimum period being early to mid June through mid July.

Level of effort per sampling site will be as follows:

• Two calendar nights of netting per sampling site.
• A minimum of 2 net per calendar night should be 100 meters apart.

Bat identification / permitting / banding:

• Bats captured at sampling locations shall be identified to species.
• Sex, age, and reproductive status of each shall be recorded.
• Standard morphological measurements of individuals should be made.
• Standard West Virginia Department of Natural Resources data sheets will be used to record all data.
• Deliverables for this objective will include monthly submission of data sheets and a written summary report.
• Individuals performing bat identifications must be individually permitted by WVDNR.
• Individuals performing bat identifications must be physically present during bat identifications
• Permitting and demonstration of bat ID capabilities must be coordinated between contractor cooperator and Craig Stihler of WVDNR
• Possible banding will be coordinated through Craig Stihler/permitting terms.

Telemetry contingency:

• Contractor Cooperator should be prepared with radio telemetry equipment on standby in the Myotis sodalis female(s) are captured
• Coordination with Service / WVDNR will help determine level of effort for this potential study element.

REPORTS:

A written report will summarize all literature reviews, reconnaissances, study site locations and characteristics, and all bat netting / telemetry data collected. All reports will be submitted in draft and in final forms. Two (2) copies of the draft documentation are required for review by the WVFO. The contractor cooperator will be responsible for revising the report to address review comments. One original and one unbound copy of the revised final report will be required of the Contractor cooperator with an electronic disk copy in WordPerfect or compatible format. All deliverables should be submitted by 1 September 2000.