Post by L Roebuck on May 19, 2006 10:38:39 GMT -5
NKU groundbreaking is May 20
The public is invited to a May 20 groundbreaking and picnic to celebrate Northern Kentucky University's $64.2 million Bank of Kentucky Center.
It remains to be seen if Indiana bats will crash the party.
"We left Indiana bats off the invitation list and no flying insects (the favorite food of Indiana bats) are on the picnic menu," quipped NKU President James Votruba.
NKU officials can chuckle about Indiana bats now, but it may turn out to be no laughing matter. The endangered species could delay construction of the 9,000-seat arena by six months.
If Indiana bats are found to be roosting in trees on the construction site, it's possible the trees won't be cut down for six months until the bats, protected by federal law, fly to caves for the winter.
Nets are to be placed in the trees for two nights later this month to find out if the two-inch long, one-fourth of an ounce bats are in residence. By federal regulation, monitoring for bats can't begin until at least May 15 to give the animals time to leave their cold weather homes in caves and fly to their summer homes in trees.
If no bats are found over the two nights of netting, the trees can be chopped down and construction of the sports and entertainment center can begin. If even one bat is found, then NKU officials will have to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine what happens next. The possibilities range from cutting down the trees and proceeding with construction despite the bats or delaying construction a half year until bats fly back to caves.
"If a bat is found, it starts a complex consultation process," said Lee Andrews, state field office supervisor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Frankfort. "We would have to do a more detailed analysis to determine if there's an adverse effect on the species.
"It depends on what the situation is. For instance, you could remove two pieces of habitat and the removal of one would have an effect on the species and the removal of the other wouldn't. It's very complex and very situational."
Votruba said he doesn't know if the status of bats will be determined by the May 20 groundbreaking and picnic.
"We picked the date before we knew about the possibility of bats," he said. "We had to choose a date to accommodate the schedules of a lot of people."
Gov. Ernie Fletcher, members of the Bank of Kentucky board of directors, NKU officials, and local government, business and civic leaders are scheduled to attend the 1 p.m. groundbreaking near the corner of Nunn and University drives on NKU's Highland Heights campus.
"Our decision is to take a chance and have the groundTuesday they were at the firing range breaking now on the assumption we don't have bats," said Votruba. "There is no evidence at this point that we have bats and there's a good likelihood we won't have bats."
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources staffers have told NKU officials they don't believe there are - or will be - Indiana bats on the construction site.
Andrews said he doubts bats will be found.
"Northern Kentucky is in the center of the range for the species, but chances are they will not catch any bats at the university site," he said. "That's because they are widely scattered in warm weather from Alabama to Michigan and from Missouri to New York.
"There are only an estimated 450,000 Indiana bats and they don't appear just anywhere. The probability is that they aren't at the university."
That's the kind of outlook that pleases Votruba.
"So, we're optimistic we don't have a problem," said the NKU president. "My hope is everything is fine and we can go ahead with this project. Right now, I won't permit myself to think otherwise."
If construction is delayed six months, it could cause the cost of the arena to climb because the price of construction materials is steadily increasing. The arena was supposed to cost $60 million, but recent increases in the price of materials added $4.2 million to the cost.
A six-month construction delay also would mean opening the arena late and the loss of anticipated revenue from events. NKU is expecting to have 130 events a year at the arena, including basketball, concerts and exhibitions.
The Cincinnati Post
The public is invited to a May 20 groundbreaking and picnic to celebrate Northern Kentucky University's $64.2 million Bank of Kentucky Center.
It remains to be seen if Indiana bats will crash the party.
"We left Indiana bats off the invitation list and no flying insects (the favorite food of Indiana bats) are on the picnic menu," quipped NKU President James Votruba.
NKU officials can chuckle about Indiana bats now, but it may turn out to be no laughing matter. The endangered species could delay construction of the 9,000-seat arena by six months.
If Indiana bats are found to be roosting in trees on the construction site, it's possible the trees won't be cut down for six months until the bats, protected by federal law, fly to caves for the winter.
Nets are to be placed in the trees for two nights later this month to find out if the two-inch long, one-fourth of an ounce bats are in residence. By federal regulation, monitoring for bats can't begin until at least May 15 to give the animals time to leave their cold weather homes in caves and fly to their summer homes in trees.
If no bats are found over the two nights of netting, the trees can be chopped down and construction of the sports and entertainment center can begin. If even one bat is found, then NKU officials will have to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine what happens next. The possibilities range from cutting down the trees and proceeding with construction despite the bats or delaying construction a half year until bats fly back to caves.
"If a bat is found, it starts a complex consultation process," said Lee Andrews, state field office supervisor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Frankfort. "We would have to do a more detailed analysis to determine if there's an adverse effect on the species.
"It depends on what the situation is. For instance, you could remove two pieces of habitat and the removal of one would have an effect on the species and the removal of the other wouldn't. It's very complex and very situational."
Votruba said he doesn't know if the status of bats will be determined by the May 20 groundbreaking and picnic.
"We picked the date before we knew about the possibility of bats," he said. "We had to choose a date to accommodate the schedules of a lot of people."
Gov. Ernie Fletcher, members of the Bank of Kentucky board of directors, NKU officials, and local government, business and civic leaders are scheduled to attend the 1 p.m. groundbreaking near the corner of Nunn and University drives on NKU's Highland Heights campus.
"Our decision is to take a chance and have the groundTuesday they were at the firing range breaking now on the assumption we don't have bats," said Votruba. "There is no evidence at this point that we have bats and there's a good likelihood we won't have bats."
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources staffers have told NKU officials they don't believe there are - or will be - Indiana bats on the construction site.
Andrews said he doubts bats will be found.
"Northern Kentucky is in the center of the range for the species, but chances are they will not catch any bats at the university site," he said. "That's because they are widely scattered in warm weather from Alabama to Michigan and from Missouri to New York.
"There are only an estimated 450,000 Indiana bats and they don't appear just anywhere. The probability is that they aren't at the university."
That's the kind of outlook that pleases Votruba.
"So, we're optimistic we don't have a problem," said the NKU president. "My hope is everything is fine and we can go ahead with this project. Right now, I won't permit myself to think otherwise."
If construction is delayed six months, it could cause the cost of the arena to climb because the price of construction materials is steadily increasing. The arena was supposed to cost $60 million, but recent increases in the price of materials added $4.2 million to the cost.
A six-month construction delay also would mean opening the arena late and the loss of anticipated revenue from events. NKU is expecting to have 130 events a year at the arena, including basketball, concerts and exhibitions.
The Cincinnati Post