Currently, in South Carolina, bats are only protected on state or federal owned lands like heritage preserves.  Several species of bats have been recommended for protection under federal law and the latest South Carolina Bats Conservation Plan produced by SCDNR recommends legal protection by the state. This petition is specifically requesting protection for all species of bats by the City of Columbia, the State of South Carolina, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.  Fourteen species of bats are currently present in South Carolina.

Bats serve an important ecological function as well as natural services to humans like pest control assistance with agriculture crop production while simultaneously protecting human health through disease prevention. They also pollinate plants, disperse seeds over wide areas, and play a huge role in maintaining healthy tree populations . They pollinate fruit trees and spread seeds from one area to another, thereby ensuring the growth of new plant life. They gobble up harmful insects like mosquitoes, which are carriers of diseases such as the Zika virus, West Nile virus, Malaria, and Dengue fever. Additionally, they help to reduce crop damage by eating many types of crop-destroying insects like corn earworm moths, beetles, cucumber beetle larvae, and other pests. The importance of this role can’t be understated when you consider that a single bat can eat up to a third of its weight in insects. This translates to savings for farmers from reduced pesticide use as well as reduced environmental damage. A decline in bat population would certainly mean a huge increase in insect population and extinction to plants and trees that rely on bats for pollination. This will have a significant impact on the environment and the economy.