Agriculture & Open Spaces
Bat Habitat Protection
The replacement of this damaged bridge (2005) is a great example of providing habitat protection as part of a major construction project for the Franklin Blvd/Thornton Road Bridge. During project environmental review, it was discovered that the bridge provided habitat for a maternal colony of approximately 40,000 Mexican Free-Tail Bats, an important resource for the farming community as bats devour insects that feed on crops. During construction, “bat condos” were constructed to provide temporary housing. Habitat was constructed into the underside of the structure so the bats would have permanent housing.
