A new case alleging that the U.S. Forest Service did not adequately determine if logging in the Shawnee National Forest would affect the habitat of the Indiana bat was filed Tuesday in federal court, but no action has yet been taken on the case.

Also, four more protesters were arrested Tuesday for allegedly violating a closure order at the logging site, a U.S. attorney said.

Bill Cronin, a local environmentalist, filed a case claiming the Forest Service had not done enough research to determine if the Indiana bat, an endangered species, inhabits the Cripps Bend area of the Shawnee National Forest before cutting the trees.

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Cronin filed a similar case in July. A federal judge ruled in this case on Sept. 12, claiming Cronin had not provided enough evidence, and logging began.

Carbondale Veneer, the company hired to perform the cut, has been cutting the trees since Sept. 19.

Along with the new case being filed, a motion for a temporary restraining order was filed yesterday in an attempt to halt the logging. No action has been taken on the restraining order, a court spokesperson said.

Four protesters were arrested and released Tuesday, Chuck Grace, U.S. attorney at Benton, said. They were charged with violation of a closure order. Those arrested are Deborah Bouton, Makanda; Kristen Kordecki, an SIUC student; Jan Wilder-Thomas, Brookport and Alisa M. Fritz, Grace said.

Five other demonstrators have been arrested since the logging began.

One unidentified protester continued to sit in one of the trees designated to be logged Tuesday. The tree-sitter goes by the name Bat Boy.

Bat Boy has been in the tree since Monday and said he will remain there as long as it takes. He said he will eventually come down voluntarily, even though he will probably be arrested.

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This is our land. We should be allowed to use it. It shouldn’t be exploited by private industry.

Becky Banker, a Forest Service spokesperson, said Carbondale Veneer continued to log on Tuesday.

Aside from the protesters at Cripps Bend, a lone demonstrator gave a presentation this morning near the SIUC Student Center.

Gary Wolf, a former reporter, spoke to bystanders about the lack of media coverage on important issues in Cripps Bend.