Lesser Long-Nosed and Mexican Long-Nosed Bats Receiving Support from Bat Conservation Internationals New Program Supported by XTO Energy
01.30.19
Lesser Long-Nosed and Mexican Long-Nosed Bats Receiving Support from Bat Conservation Internationals New Program Supported by XTO Energy
leaf at the tip, uses their long tongue to feed on flower nectar. The states of
Texas and New Mexico listed this species as endangered in 1988 and 1990,
respectively. Winifred Frick / Bat Conservation International
CARLSBAD, NM (January 30, 2019) Bat Conservation International (BCI) announced today a new partnership with XTO Energy to protect the roosting sites and food sources of the lesser long-nosed bat and the federally endangered Mexican long-nosed bat. The program is supported by a generous donation from XTO Energy.
BCI will monitor roosting sites, propose enhanced protections at roosts, conduct surveys to gauge population health and size, and restore foraging areas throughout the bats ranges. These efforts will include agave planting and habitat restoration in several southern New Mexico counties.
BCIs efforts intend to stabilize the populations of these two species, especially the Mexican long-nosed bat which is susceptible to roost disturbance and habitat destruction.
Mexican long-nosed bat estimated population size has plummeted by fifty percent in the last decade. Both species are important pollinators. Their activities are vital for several species of agave and cactus throughout their range which extends from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras in the winter to summer roosts in southwest New Mexico and southern Arizona.
Thanks to XTO Energy we have additional resources to protect two at-risk bat species through a proven strategy of roost and food source protection, said Kevin Pierson, BCIs Chief Conservation Officer. Were working hard to ensure the survival of these species and to continue to develop private industry partners that share our commitment to saving important species.
XTO is proud to support BCI and their efforts to protect these two important bat species, said Wes McSpadden, Superintendent of Production for the Delaware Basin at XTO Energy. XTO supports BCIs mission of preserving biodiversity in the Carlsbad area and throughout the world.
About Bat Conservation International
The mission of Bat Conservation International is to conserve the worlds bats and their ecosystems to ensure a healthy planet. For more information visit batcon.org.
Media Contact: Javier Folgar
Bat Conservation International
Tel: 512.327.9721 ext. 410
Email: jfolgar@batcon.org
About XTO Energy
XTO is a leading oil and natural gas producer in the United States with expertise in developing tight gas, shale gas and unconventional oil resources. XTO or its affiliates operate in all major U.S. unconventional producing regions and Western Canada. XTO also provides support and technical services to ExxonMobils operations in Argentina. The company manages 11 million acres with a total resource base of about 33 billion oil-equivalent barrels. In New Mexico, XTO holds 887,000 acres, operates in two counties and employs about 150 people. In 2017, XTO and ExxonMobil invested $354,000 in higher education, medical care, environmental research, and arts and civic organizations in New Mexico.
Media Contact: Missi Currier
XTO Energy
Tel: 575.988.1666
Email: missi_currier@xtoenergy.com
###