State Awards $393,942 to Protect Ripley Bat Colony

The Open Space Conservation Grant will help Buffalo Bat Habitat acquire 62.8 acres of the Ripley Bat Farm on Lake Erie.

Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Environmental

Weathered wooden barn with open vents at the edge of a grassy lakeshore meadow, with pale grey Lake Erie water and a flat horizon behind it. — The state awarded $393,942 to Buffalo Bat Habitat to help acquire 62.8 acres of the Ripley Bat Farm, home to a little brown bat colony on Lake Erie. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has awarded a $393,942 Open Space Conservation Grant to Buffalo Bat Habitat. The funding will support acquisition of 62.8 acres of the Ripley Bat Farm, which is home to a little brown bat maternity colony.

Why it matters

The Ripley colony is one of the region's largest little brown bat maternity colonies, and the population once numbered nearly 2,000 before falling to fewer than 40 by 2016. White-nose Syndrome, a fungal disease that can be fatal to hibernating bats, has been a central threat to the species.

The grant will fund acquisition of 62.8 acres of the 84-acre property, including legal fees, appraisals and surveys. The organization is still raising funds for the remaining 4 acres, and the outcome of that effort has not been reported.

The players

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

The state agency responsible for managing New York's environmental resources and administering its Open Space Conservation grant program.

Buffalo Bat Habitat

A nonprofit organization focused on protecting bat populations, including the little brown bat maternity colony at the Ripley Bat Farm.

The details

The Ripley Bat Farm is a privately owned 84-acre property on Lake Erie that is not open to the public. The grant will cover acquisition costs for 62.8 acres of the land, while a GoFundMe has been set up to cover the remaining expenses.

2016: The bat population declined to fewer than 40 bats.
Since 2024: Buffalo Bat Habitat has pursued its bat protection mission.
November 13, 2026: The NYSDEC grant award was announced.

The Big Picture

The Ripley colony's collapse from nearly 2,000 bats to fewer than 40 tracks the spread of White-nose Syndrome, which is fatal to hibernating bats. Securing habitat land is one of the few local responses available while the disease remains a threat.

Western New York residents may benefit from bat colonies that help control insect populations, which the source estimates supports $10 to $14 million in annual agricultural value per county. The Ripley property itself remains closed to the public, so the direct impact for most readers will be indirect.

The takeaway

Protecting roosting habitat is one practical step toward reversing population losses that White-nose Syndrome has caused across North American bat species. Supporting local conservation funding is one way residents can contribute.