,,iii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #hcj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november 
#ad1 #bjbb,mr4 ,leahy 7for himself and  
,mr4 ,markey7 submitted the following   
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,environment and ,public  
,works  ,,resolution  ,expressing       
support for the designation of the week 
of ,october #bd1 #bjbb1 to ,october #ca1
 #bjbb1 as ,bat ,week4  ,whereas bats   
are vital to the sustainability of      
natural ecosystems1 national economies1 
and human health by controlling damaging
 insect pests1 pollinating plants that  
produce fruits and vegetables1          
dispersing seeds to ensure healthy      
functioning forests and fields1 and     
saving farmers in the ,united ,states   
more than #c1jjj1jjj1jjj in pest control
 every year2 ,whereas bats have captured
 the human imagination through backyard 
sightings1 folklore1 art1 myths1 and    
legends1 making outreach and education  
about the importance of bats            

instrumental2 ,whereas bats are present 
throughout the world1 except in         
extremely cold regions1 and are the     
second-largest order of mammals with    
over #a1djj species2 ,whereas white-nose
 syndrome1 a fungal disease that has    
killed millions of bats in ,north       
,america1 has now spread to #ch ,states 
and #ab species of hibernating bats2    
,whereas the disease has caused         
significant declines in populations of  
the tricolored bat1 the little brown    
bat1 and the northern long-eared bat1   
which are listed as threatened under the
 ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af
 ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq472 ,whereas the 
,department of the ,interior1 through   
the ,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife 
,service1 ,united ,states ,geological   
,survey1 ,national ,park ,service1 and  
,bureau of ,land ,management is leading 
the international response to the       
disease in partnership with the ,united 
,states ,forest ,service and more than  
#aej ,federal and ,state agencies1      

,tribes1 nongovernmental organizations1 
and universities2 ,whereas the ,united  
,states ,geological ,survey and the     
,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife     
,service co-lead the multinational1     
multiagency ,north ,american ,bat       
,monitoring ,program 7,n,a,bat7 which   
since #bjae has consolidated nearly     
#fh1jjj1jjj records from partners in #di
 ,states1 #h ,canadian provinces1 and   
#aj ,tribal organizations1 demonstrating
 the power of collaborative conservation
 science to monitor changes in ,north   
,american bat populations2 ,whereas the 
,united ,states ,geological ,survey     
conducts scientific research on bats1   
which helps resource managers and       
policymakers make informed decisions    
regarding the conservation of bats      
across ,north ,america2 and ,whereas1 in
 the past decade1 the international     
partnership of ,states1 ,tribes1        
,federal agencies1 nongovernmental      
organizations1 and institutions has made
 extraordinary progress to understand   

white-nose syndrome1 slow the spread1   
and develop treatments that hold promise
 for ending this epidemic3 ,now1        
therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate--    
7#a7 expresses support for the          
designation of ,bat ,week2  7#b7        
encourages the observance of ,bat ,week 
with appropriate events and activities2 
7#c7 acknowledges the important role    
bats play as pollinators and pest       
control for agriculture2 and  7#d7      
intends to-- 7,a7 continue working to   
conserve bat species and habitat2 and   
7,b7 work to defeat the disease known as
 white-nose syndrome4