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FRG's News Feed
The newsfeed is updated with the latest information about grotto announcements, cave closures and WNS.
Go here for a list of links for more WNS info.
March 10, 2010
WNS now reported in Maryland by the Cumberland newspaper, the Times-News.
March 5, 2010
The Virginia cave entrance monitoring for signs of WNS has been going on for several weeks. Here's the results so far from Wil Orndorff:
- Perkins and Cribb in Washington County, no anomalous activity.
- Starnes and Pighole in Giles County, both appear positive.
- Newcastle Murderhole and Shires Saltpetre in Craig County, both appear positive.
- Rufe Caldwell Cave in Craig County, no anomalous activity.
Feb. 27, 2010
The Board of Directors of the Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc., (SCCi) today approved a revised Cave Visitation Policy, effective immediately. The Board adopted this policy in order to help reduce the potential inadvertent introduction of foreign substances, including the fungus associated with White Nose Syndrome (WNS), that could harm bats and other forms of cave life.
Feb. 24, 2010
Wil Orndorff reported:
"Chris Hobson, Bill Balfour, and I visited Stonley Cave in Tazewell County to perform an entrance survey last Wednesday night (2/17). We did not visit the hibernaculum area, which is home to several hundred Little browns, some pips and a few Virginia big-eared bats.
Some 15-20 tricolored bats (pips) were observed roosting in the twilight zone, the majority but not all in a ceiling fissure. In addition, two groups of Little brown bats (5-6 and 3) were observed. Upon closer investigation, the group of three were discovered to be dead. The were bagged and will be sent off for autopsy. They'd been hanging for a while, so I'm not sure they may not yield a false negative even if they were infected with WNS. We'll be visiting the entrance again over the next few weeks and will report back.
In addition, at least one bat was observed flying in the entrance area, and appeared to be a Little brown.
No fungus was observed, but the presence of bats in the entrance area combined with the dead cluster and active bats make me very suspicious that WNS has arrived to Tazewell County and East River Mountain.
There are several more significant hibernacula caves nearby in both the Virginias.
Feb. 23, 2010
WNS confirmed in Hellhole!
Biologists from the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) report that white-nose syndrome (WNS) has been confirmed in a bat in Hellhole, Pendleton County, West Virginia, by the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study in Athens, Ga. If the effects of WNS on the bats in Hellhole are similar to those seen elsewhere, biologists expect that WNS will devastate the bat population in this cave, including endangered species.
A trip report by the cavers can be read here.
Feb. 16, 2010
A confirmed case of WNS has been found in Tennessee. Three Tri-Colored Bats in Worley's Cave, which is in Sullivan County, have tested positive for the disease according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
This makes North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri "buffer states" according to the WNS plan. Worleys cave is over 200 miles from the nearest Georgia cave and others are even further away.
Feb. 10, 2010
An updated WNS infection map has been made.
Feb. 9, 2010
DGIF received reports today of significant bat activity and the discovery of dead bats on the landscape in Skydusky Hollow, Bland County, Va. Specimens are being collected and set to appropriate labs for verification of pathology. This is the area where Newberry-Bane Cave is located, which was discovered to be positive for WNS last April. It should be noted that a year ago at this time bats in Newberry-Bane showed no signs of WNS, which did not become evident until late April.
Please report any sightings of bats on the landscape this winter (day or night, alive or dead) to either Wil Orndorff (Wil.Orndorff@dcr.virginia.gov) or Rick Reynolds of VA-DGIF (Rick.Reynolds@dgif.virginia.gov). Note that the later in the year, especially in newly affected caves, the more likely you are to observe anomalous behavior at WNS positive sites. Last year in Virginia, the entrance queuing behavior was only observed at Clover Hollow Cave, not in the other WNS positive Virginia Caves. Clover Hollow was also the only place where bats had been reported on the landscape in Virginia last year. Of course, please also report and photograph any anomalous bat behavior or signs of WNS you observe if you are caving. So far we have seen no evidence of further southern expansion of the WNS range this winter. Please keep observing the protocols for decontamination and regionalization of caving.
Feb. 5, 2010
The NCRC Eastern Region has just announced an NCRC Orientation to Cave Rescue course on March 26-28, 2010, in Harrisonburg and Grottoes Va. This is the first Eastern Region training course in quite a while — due to WNS — and these courses fill up quickly. Registration fee is $40, which includes a lunch and camping at Grand Caverns. Please note class starts at 7 p.m. Friday evening.
Jan. 27, 2010
The Mid-Atlantic Karst Conservancy (MAKC) regrets to announce that the hibernating bats at its Hall Cave Preserve in Huntingdon County, Pa., have become the latest population to be infected by WNS. White Nose Syndrome is a fungus first noted in 2006 in upstate New York, and has been associated with the deaths of over 1,000,000 bats in the northeastern United States.
Three members of the Board of Directors of the MAKC, which owns the 9.45 acre Hall Cave Preserve, entered the cave on January 23, 2010 to conduct an annual bat survey. The three geologists counted 1,820 bats in the cave, (1,800 little brown bats, 18 pipistrelles and two big brown bats). Previous bat counts have documented 486 bats on March 13, 2009, 62 on January 12, 2008, 75 on January 22, 2003, 143 on February 21, 2000, and 35 on March 20, 1985.
For information specifically on Hall Cave contact Mark Lancaster, preserve manager, at hallcave@karst.org or mlancaster@karst.org.
Jan. 16, 2010
An updated WNS infection map has been published.
Jan. 11, 2010
Pay your FRG dues with this online form. Simply fill out, print and mail.
Jan. 10, 2010
WNS found in another Virginia cave.
State Scientist Wil Orndorff was in Tawneys Cave, which is Giles County, on Friday, Jan. 8, 2010. He observed 6, out of 650-700 total, bats with clear signs of WNS — fungus on wings, arms, muzzle and tail. Of these bats 4 pipistrelles and 2 little browns has signs of WNS.
Tawneys has been added to the list of closed caves until the policy is revisited, which will probably be late spring after the hibernation season is over. Specimens were not taken since this is not a range extension for WNS. Clover Hollow Cave, which is only a couple miles away, was confirmed with WNS last winter.
Jan. 9, 2010
Georgia WNS Response Plan
The Georgia DNR, in cooperation with several state and local agencies, will be hosting a meeting about their response to WNS. This response includes closing of all caves on state and federal land within 250 miles of the last known WNS infected site. This will include western Ohio, western Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, western Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia and Alabama.
This proposal also includes working with private landowners to convince them to close their caves as well.
The meeting will be Thursday, January 21st, 2010, 7:00 p.m. at the Georgia Wildlife Federation Alcovy Conservation Center in Covington, Ga.
Dec. 30, 2009
WNS has been found in France.
Dec. 3, 2009
The SCCi has adopted a Cave Visitation Policy to address WNS concerns. This new policy includes applying for access permits and following certain decon procedures.
Nov. 24, 2009
The Buffalo National River in Arkansas has temporary closed some, but not all, caves on its lands due to WNS. There is a list of open caves on their website.
Nov. 11, 2009
The Tennessee Valley Authority asks the public to avoid caves on TVA-managed land until further notice.
Sept. 28, 2009
WNS Decontamination and Stress Test Results on Sterling Ropes and Webbing were just released by Dr. Hazel Barton. This research was funded by the NSS through the WNS Rapid Response Fund.
Sept. 27, 2009
The USFS releases a draft of a national plan for WNS for Assisting States, Federal Agencies and Tribes.
Sept. 25, 2009
The Northeastern Cave Conservancy (NCC) announced it will close three of its caves again for the winter, effective October 1, to protect hibernating bats in response to the continuing WNS crisis.
The affected caves are Knox Cave, Crossbones Cave and Ella Armstrong Cave, all in New York state. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the caves will re-open in the spring.
Sept. 18, 2009
Crossroads Cave is now open. The owner, the Virginia Speleological Survey, closed the cave awaiting the results of soil samples. These soil samples were taken when WNS was discovered in Breathing Cave, out of concern that cavers may have visited Crossroads Cave after visiting Breathing Cave, therefore contaminating Crossroads Cave.
Testing has not shown that the WNS (Geomyces destructans) is present in the soil samples. Even more extensive testing was preformed by the Denver lab and still the Geomyces destructans was not identified in the soil samples.
It is required that all persons entering this cave must abide by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's procedures, including decontamination.
Sept. 15, 2009
Another statement concerning Virginia's voluntary moratorium has been released. The document is titled: Recommended measures to reduce the spread of White Nose Syndrome in Virginia and is a revision of the March 6, 2009 and April 15, 2009 statements from the same coalition.
Main points:
— lists caves that were surveyed for WNS
— lists WNS positive caves
— lists closed caves in Virginia
July 13, 2009
Check out a new page on the NSS WNS site. It lists all the cave closures, by date, and state and has a link to the announcement!
July 12, 2009
A Web page for the July 8th Senate joint subcommittee hearing has been created. Visit to listen to and read testimonies, hear answers to questions and see the players.
July 10, 2009
Virginia DCR's Karst Protection Coordinator Wil Orndorff has shared the following on the VAR listserve:
WNS is now confirmed in Smyth County's Hancock Cave.
The lab results from the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisc.:
Case 22580 - Eastern Pipistrelle Bats_Hancock Cave (VA)
Acc 001 - Geomyces destructans was identified by PCR
Acc 002 - Geomyces destructans was identified by PCR
Acc 003 - Geomyces destructans was identified by PCR
July 6, 2009
Caves located on state lands in Tennessee and the The Tennessee Nature Conservancy have been closed for a year in an effort to prevent the spread of WNS among the state’s bat population. Read the press release here.
June 2009
The USFS issued updated WNS decontamination procedures. Please read and keep for your records.
June 15, 2009
The WNS fungus has been officially named: Geomyces destructans.
June 9, 2009
On May 22 the SCCi Board voted to reopen non-bat caves that were previously closed in April. Please refer to the management plan for access to each cave.
The following Tennessee caves are now reOPENed:
Gourdneck Cave
Sinking Cove Cave(s)
South Pittsburg
Snail Shell Cave
Swirl Canyon Cave.
The following Kentucky caves are now reOPENed:
Logsdon Cave
The following caves in Tennessee and Kentucky will remain CLOSED: Hardins/Junkyard Cave
Holly Creek Cave
Rattling Pit
Wolf River Cave,
Frenchman Knob Cave
June 4, 2009
The NSS has created a webpage on the Joint House Subcommittee Hearing on WNS. There's a lot of infomation, so check it out here.
June 4, 2009
Look at the new WNS decontamination procedures released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Please note the following:
The USFWS description on page 3 of their publication is WRONG! Both Craig Stihler of West Virginia and Greg Turner of Pennsylvania that Formula 409 with a 0.3 concentration works. That is the concentration on the over-the-counter supermarket product. Moreover, it is what the USFWS recommendations list on page 5 of these very same procedures.
The ">3%" description is incorrect, and should be changed to "0.3%.
June 3, 2009
On June 4 there will be a Joint House Subcommittee Hearing on WNS. Speaking will be BCI's Merlin Tuttle, NSS WNS Liaison Peter Youngbaer, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Scientist Scott Darling and WNS researcher at Boston University Tom Kunz will present testimony at a joint House subcommittee hearing on WNS. Also scheduled are Department of the Interior Secretary Salazar and Department of Agriculture's Secretary Vilsack.
Read the weekly newsletter from the Committee on Natural Resources here.
Watch a live podcast of the hearing on the committee's Website.
Read the witness testimony following the conclusion of the hearing here.
May 28, 2009
Ravenswood Media, US Forest Service and US Fish & Wildlife have produced a short video on White Nose Syndrome, "The Battle For Bats." It can be viewed and downloaded.
May 22, 2009
US FOREST SERVICE CLOSES CAVES AND MINES TO PROTECT BATS IN SOUTHEAST
ATLANTA –
Under the 12-month closure order signed by Agpaoa on May 21, 2009, all caves and abandoned mines on national forests and units in 13 Southeastern states from Oklahoma to Virginia and Florida will be closed unless posted as open. All uses would be prohibited except organized rescue efforts and other actions specifically authorized by the agency.
The states in Region 8 include:
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.
May 22, 2009
Here are four brief reports on WNS in Virginia sent to VARList by Wil Orndorff. The most interesting thing to me is that some of the affected bats DO NOT show Geomyces infestation. This supports the hypothesis that the underlying cause of WNS is something else, and the fungal infection is secondary.
1) WNS Confirmed in Newberry-Banes
Results were received last week about the Newberry-Bane Cave bats. Three male Little browns were necropsied. Geomyces sp. fungus was cultured from one of the three, while "mixed fungal growth not consistent with Geomyces" was cultured from the other two. All three bats were in good body condition.
Note that over 10% of the bats in areas the collecting team visited exhibited fungus on their wings and muzzles consistent in appearance with WNS.
National Wildlife Health Center advises to proceed assuming the cave is infected with WNS.
2) WNS is NOT in Endless Caverns
From National Wildlife Health Center communique:
"Three bats were examined and all appeared in fair to good body conditions. No significant internal lesions were observed. All had mixed fungal growth on either their muzzle, wings or both but none appeared Geomyces-like. PCR results and histopathology are also pending on these three bats."
So WNS, as defined by the presence of Geomyces sp. fungus, is NOT confirmed at Endless Caverns. PCR and histopathology will tell us more.
3) WNS not in Cumberland County
The one bat submitted to date from the Virginia Piedmont for possible WNS did not turn up positive for Geomyces sp. It was in poor body condition, however, and did have a mixed fungal growth.
4) Possible WNS in Smyth County
DGIF and DCR staff visited Hancock Cave on Thursday (May 21, 2009) in response to caver reports of WNS-like fungal growth on bats in the cave. A few pipistrelles with significant fungal growth on wings and muzzles were collected fairly close to the entrance and shipped to the National Wildlife Health Center for necropsy and other analyses.
If this site turns out to indeed be WNS, and all indications are that it is, the disease is now in the Upper Tennessee River Basin, no more than 6 miles from the nearest Gray Bat summer colony in Marion, Va.
May 15, 2009
Some Northern caves have been reopened. All cave visitors are asked to follow the cleaning and decontamination procedures of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In the USFWS advisory, they urged “agencies and partners who manage cave resources to strongly consider limiting access to caves and mines to slow the spread of WNS,” and encouraged “national and local caving organizations to continue their outreach and education efforts to spread the word about WNS and about responsible resource stewardship.”
The NCC cave openings are — Clarksville, Ladder, Onesquethaw, Knox, Crossbones, Ella Armstrong, Selleck’s, Levy’s and 545. Information on visitation conditions can be found here.
May 1, 2009
The Indiana DNR has closed its caves, sinkholes, tunnels and abandoned mines on DNR-owned land from May 1, 2009 through April 30, 2010.
The exception is Twin Caves at Spring Mill State Park. Read the official notice here.
May 1, 2009
The WVCC is abiding by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's voluntary caving moratorium and has closed its caves.
The WVCC owned or managed caves that are now closed are:
Island Ford Cave in Alleghany County, VA
Donaldson Cave in Berkeley County, WV
Maxwelton Sink Cave in Greenbrier County, WV
Lightner Entrance to McClung Cave in Greenbrier County, WV
Persinger Entrance to Benedict Cave in Greenbrier County, WV
Haynes Cave in Monroe County, WV
Lobelia Saltpeter Cave in Pocahontas County, WV
Rapps Cave in Greenbrier County, WV
Until further notice please do not enter any WVCC caves.
The WVCC Board.
May 1, 2009
A long-awaited brochure about WNS is now available the NSS Web site. You can download and distribute.
April 30, 2009
Watch a CBS video on WNS filmed in Vermont.
Run time is 2:33.
Download the video considered too gruesome to play on prime time here. It is on the bottom of the page, on the left, titled "Aeolus in February 2009."
April 29, 2009
The US Forest Service Eastern Region (No. 9) has posted an official closure notice for all caves and mines located within their national forest lands.
View the signed closure order, additional information and frequently asked questions.
This area includes the states of:
Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
April 27, 2009
WNS and the Monongahela Forest
In response to the uncontrolled spread of White-Nose Syndrome affecting bat species, all caves and mines on the National Forests in the Eastern Region of the Monongehela Forest have been closed by Forest Service managers for one year, from April 24th, 2009 to April 24th, 2010. The closures will allow scientist time to study the syndrome and learn more about how it is spread.
At this time, all caves and mines on the Monongahela National Forest are closed; however, we recognize that our caves are an important resource for cavers, and, we would like to consider the possibility of opening a few caves for recreational use in the near future.
We will consider the nomination of caves that do not contain bats, have little habitat for bats, or that would not contribute to the spread of White-Nose Syndrome near important bat caves. To nominate a cave, please submit information about why the cave should be opened, as well as any known bat activity in the cave to cmsandeno@fs.fed.us by June 30, 2009.
All nominations will be reviewed by a Forest Service team. The decision as to which caves will be open, if any, will be made by mid-July.
Thanks!
Cynthia Sandeno, Ecologist
Monongahela National Forest
200 Sycamore Street
Elkins, WV 26241
April 24, 2009
There is new research developemets in the lab about ways to kill WNS on our cave gear from Hazel Barton. Hot water and drying does not decontaminate!
"While the active fungal growth disappears quickly at elevated temperatures, and only thrives at 40-52 degrees Fahrenheit, the spores are a different story. Heat alone at dryer temperatures not only doesn't kill the spores, but actually causes increased germination."
April 24, 2009
WNS Suspected in Bats in Three More Counties in Virginia
Rick Reynolds (VA-DGIF) has released the following information on WNS in Virginia:
I'm sad to report that we have 3 new counties where WNS is suspect.
They are as follows:
1. Cumberland County: photographs of a bat on the side of a building were sent to the DGIF web site with a request to ID the species. The photos were sent to me for ID and to my surprise the wings of the bat appeared to have the fungus. I sent these photos to several of you and everyone returned basically the same comment "doesn't look good." I was able to collect the specimen and send it to Madison. Results are pending. This is a county that does not have karst and I am still trying to determine the origin of the bat. There are a couple mineral mines that we need to look into.
2. Bland County: this county is adjacent to the Giles County site and thus should not be of to great a surprise. This cave is Newberry-Bane and is one of our larger little brown sites and contains both Indiana (about 250 individuals) and VA big-eared bats (small numbers, 6-10 individuals). We surveyed this site back in January and we were happy to NOT see signs of WNS. Over this past weekend the site was visited to see if bats had left the cave or not. Upon reviewing photos of little browns we spotted the classic white muzzle on an individual in the middle of a cluster. Specimens will be collected this Friday and sent to Madison.
3. Rockingham County: this site is on the west side of the Blue Ridge and is a commercial cave (Endless Caverns). Members of the VA Cave Board held a meeting at the conference center and were given a tour of the cave after the meeting. There are a couple of small clusters of little browns (60-80 individuals) along one of the passages and Wil Orndorff noted the fungus on the wings of some of the bats. I went to the site yesterday and collected several specimens and sent them to Madison. We are working with the owners to incorporate a WNS education component and decontamination procedures.
April 21, 2009
There is another suspected site for WNS in Virginia. It is Newberry-Banes caves in Bland County.
April 21, 2009
The combined NSS Convention and the 15th International Congress of Speleology in Kerrville, Texas, has cancelled all eastern cave trips. Read the news here.
April 20, 2009
Federal Money for WNS research!
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today the award of more than $9 million to 12 state wildlife agencies to help conserve and recover imperiled fish and wildlife species through the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) Competitive Program. The federal funding will be matched by more than $7 million in non-Federal funds provided by states and their partners for projects helping imperiled fish, wildlife and plant species. Read more here.
April 15, 2009
All Virginia caves are now OPEN.
People are urged to decontaminate all gear after each trip. Some encourage you pick a certain area to cave in and just cave there for the time being.
A statement concerning Virginia's voluntary moratorium has been released. Certain bat caves are now closed, see the "Recommended measures to reduce the spread of White Nose Syndrome (WNS) in Virginia."
From the recommendations:
"While the best way to reduce the risk of human transmission of WNS is to observe the US Fish and Wildlife Service moratorium, the policies on the following page, if strictly observed, are sufficient to minimize this risk. Please see the pages titled Actions to reduce the risk of transmission of WNS by humans."
These actions include:
At the request of the bat biologists, 62 caves have been added to the closed list - a list of these caves is included in the web link.
The State of Virginia has been divided by county groups for the "Geographic isolation of caving activity and/or gear." A map of these areas is included in the web link.
Strict adherence to decontamination procedures when moving between caves (even within the same geographically designated area) is required.
Caves where White Nose Syndrome is found in bats will be closed.
April 15, 2009
The NSS Board of Governors issued a statement on WNS following its spring meeting last weekend in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
April 10, 2009
The SCCi has recently taken precautionary action to help protect bats from WNS by temporarily closing several SCCi caves. We are working closely with specialists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other partner organizations to make sure we are aware of all current WNS information. We will reopen our caves as soon as the Board determines that it is safe to do so. As of April 10, 2009, the following caves have been closed:
• Anderson Cave and Fern Cave (Fern Sink Entrance and Surprise Pit) in Alabama
• Fricks Cave in Georgia
• Frenchman Knob Cave and Logsdon Cave in Kentucky
• Gourdneck Cave, Hardins Cave, Holly Creek Cave, Rattling Cave, Sinking Cove Cave Preserve caves, Snail Shell Cave, South Pittsburg Pit, Swirl Canyon Cave and Wolf River Cave, in Tennessee.
April 9, 2009
After much debate about the decon procedures for rope, PMI has finally spoken.
The situation with WNS introduces the concept of frequent decontamination, a situation that has not previously been common. With this in mind PMI would like to take this opportunity to remind cavers and other rope users that bleaching a rope does weaken the fiber structure, and repeated bleaching will weaken the fiber structure even more.
Specifically, although PMI’s testing suggests that a single disinfection using the recommended method will not cause appreciable harm to nylon or polyester ropes, if this process is repeated multiple times the damage will inevitably become appreciable, and this damage is not necessarily detectable through visual inspection.
Therefore, at this time PMI does NOT recommend bleaching repeatedly disinfect ropes.
April 8, 2009
The NSS Board of Governors issued a statement on WNS following its spring meeting last weekend in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
April 6, 2009
WNS has been CONFIRMED in Breathing and Clover Hollow caves. Read more here.
March 26, 2009
The Northeast Region U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has issued a statement that recommends suspending caving to protect bats from WNS, among other guidelines:
" This is a "VOLUNTARY moratorium, effective immediately, on all caving activities in states known to have hibernacula affected by WNS, and all adjoining states, unless conducted as part of an agency-sanctioned research or monitoring project."
The government agency has not placed a time frame for this advisory and it seems to be until further notice. However, they state that they "intend to review the cave advisory frequently – at least quarterly."
From this statement, it would seem to include the states of:
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Quebec (Canada), Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina.
Read the full Cave Advisory here.
Also, frequently asked questions are answered by the Northeast Region U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
March 23, 2009
The ER-NCRC Weeklong Training this year in Virginia has been cancelled due to the threat of WNS that has affected several VA and WV caves. You can check the link to the NCRC National site as they are still planning to do a weeklong seminar class in Bedford, Indiana, June 13-20, 2009.
March 23, 2009
At the Northeastern Cave Conservancy Board Meeting, which is Sunday March 29, Peter Youngbaer (the NSS WNS Liaison) will move for the following motion on the agenda:
"That the NCC immediately CLOSE all its caves to any visitation, and that they remain closed until the threat of the spread of White Nose Syndrome has passed. Implicit in this motion is that the NCC immediately notify all known groups and organizations that typically visit its caves about the closure, and issue a press release informing the media and public, taking the opportunity to educate about why this measure is being taken, and that we encourage all cavers, recreational or otherwise, to adhere to a moratorium on all caving activity within the northeast during this period.
Also implicit in this motion is that the NCC caves may be visited for the purpose of White Nose Syndrome research under conditions to be determined by the Executive Committee, which may include consultation with the NCC Science Chair, the NCC Conservation Chair, and the appropriate NCC Cave Managers."
March 23, 2009
WNS is constantly updated on the NSS page. Go here for more info and to bookmark the page.
March 22, 2009
Peter Youngbaer, the NSS WNS liaison, has produced a detailed report describing several completed and ongoing WNS research efforts. The report has information has what is actually being done to find out about WNS.
March 15, 2009
Read the NSS White Nose Syndrome Liaison Report from March 15, 2009.
March 14, 2009
The rumor mill has been working overtime concerning the 2009 Spring VAR. It has not been cancelled, moved to another location or changed dates! The only difference is the host.
March 13, 2009
Want to know more about this WNS and how to kill it? Look at the newly adopted protocols that Pennsylvania scientist are going to follow for the summer.
Geomyces is a “cold loving fungus that is killed after 20 days at 37 C.” It is therefore unable to grow on humans, birds, other mammals or even bats when they are not in hibernation. Moreover, if one does some simple cleaning and drying of one’s gear, it is probably impossible for it to survive the transfer from cave to cave. However. . . read more here.
Thanks to Bob Zimmerman for the info!
March 11, 2009
NPR broadcast about WNS on "All Things Considered".
Running time is 3 minutes, 50 seconds.
March 11, 2009
Updated WNS information posted on the Virginia DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation) website.
March 9, 2009
An official Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) press release concerning WNS in Breathing and Clover Hollow Caves. Specimens were collected and sent to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin, for analysis. It will take from two to three weeks for results to be available. Read more here.
Find more WNS information on the VDGIF's investigation page.
March 6, 2009
All Virginia caves are closed until April 15, 2009.
Read the final copy of the Virginia caving moratorium put together by Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Natural Heritage Program in consultation with members of the caving community and staff from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF).
The moratorium is supported by the Virginia Cave Board, the Virginia Speleological Survey (VSS), the Cave Conservancy of the Virginias (CCV), the Board of the Virginia Region of the National Speleological Society (VAR) and the Butler Cave Conservation Society (BCCS).
See the updated Virginia Closed Caves List.
March 4, 2009
More bad breaking news from Virginia. Last night (March 3) VADNH personnel visited Clover Hollow Cave in Giles County, and found numerous dead bats, approximately 200 individuals staged near the entrance of the cave, and evidence of fungus on individual bats, following reports of a bat flying daytime outside in the snow. Read more about this on the NSS CaveChat board.
Look under Everything Bats > White Nose Syndrome (WNS) > Fungus serious threat to NE bats > page 32 > second posting from the bottom.
Peter Youngbaer
NSS 16161
WNS Liaison
The Commonwealth of VA has a conference call with the VSS, DCR, Cave Board, etc. scheduled for tomorrow — a proposed moratorium on all caving in Virginia until April 15 will be discussed.
March 4, 2009
The owner of Clarke's Cave in Bath County, Va., has closed the cave after talking to Virginia's Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
March 2, 2009
WNS report by Linda Moulton Howe. "Unprecedented Northeast Bat Die-off Spreading Rapidly," on EarthFiles.
February 26, 2009
WNS has possibly been found in Breathing Cave. The landowners have closed the cave. Please report your visits to the cave. Read more here.
February 23, 2009
WNS has been CONFIRMED in Hamilton and Trout caves. Read more here.
February 21, 2009
Keep up to date the latest news on the NSS Liaison on White Nose Syndrome page.
February 19, 2009
Scholarships for NCRC National Seminar
Just as last year the NCRC will be offering two $200 scholarships for
the 2009 National Seminar. The seminar will be in Bedford, Indiana,
June 13-20, 2009. For more infomation go here.
February 13, 2009
WNS has possibly been found in Pendleton County!
The four possible caves are:
Hamilton Cave
Trout Cave
Kee Cave
Cave Mountain Cave
DNR and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists, along with cavers with the National Speleological Society, the owner of the cave preserve, visited three caves on the preserve to conduct winter bat counts and to look for evidence of white-nose syndrome. Even before reaching the caves, dead bats were found on the trail leading to the caves. Bats suspected of having WNS were seen in Hamilton and Trout caves, and specimens were collected for analysis. On February 5th, DNR biologists discovered signs of WNS in Cave Mountain Cave near Upper Tract. About the same time, cavers reported possible WNS-affected bats in Kee Cave near Franklin. The four suspected sites are in Pendleton County, but this condition may be present, but so far undetected, in other counties of the state.
Read more here.
February 11, 2009
WNS In Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
Stricken bats die in and around their hibernation quarters at two abandoned mines.
Several hundred little brown bats are dead from White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) in Lackawanna County, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission is looking to residents for help uncovering other sites where this deadly disorder may have surfaced. Read the article here.
February 7, 2009
The Southeastern Cave Conservancy Acts to Protect Endangered Bat Populations
On February 7, 2009, the Board of the Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc. (SCCi) took precautionary action to protect tens of thousands of endangered bats from deadly White Nose Syndrome (WNS) by closing several SCCi-owned or managed caves in the southeastern U.S. All of the caves being closed are home to significant populations of endangered bats.
The selected caves — Frenchman Knob Cave in Kentucky; Wolf River Cave, Holly Creek Cave and Rattling Cave in Tennessee; Fricks Cave in Georgia; and Anderson Cave in Alabama — will remain closed until the board determines that it is appropriate to reopen them.
February 1, 2009
WNS has now been CONFIRMED in rural central Pennsylvania's Shindle Iron Mine.
January 24, 2009
The John Guilday Caves Nature Preserve is now CLOSED.
Hamilton, New Trout and Trout caves are closed until further notice. Read the following information released Saturday:
Two bats have been observed in Hamilton Cave in Pendleton County, W.Va., that display a fungal presence on their nose area and wings. The bats are not located near the entrance, and in fact are relatively deep into the cave. This has not been confirmed as White Nose Syndrome, but photographs provided show a strong resemblance. Until proven otherwise we will proceed as though it is. We sincerely hope it is not.
In a compilation of trip reports from cavers that had visited affected caves in New York assembled by the Northeast Cave Conservancy, Hamilton Cave was among the caves subsequently visited by one of the groups reporting.
If you have visited Hamilton or New Trout Caves, both of which are located on the NSS owned John Guilday Caves Nature Preserve, please ensure you thoroughly disinfect your caving gear before caving elsewhere. Please refrain from visiting either cave until more information can be obtained in the coming weeks.
The Preserve will need to be closed until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience, and beg your understanding of the situation.
If you can forward this to a list serve not included above, please do so.
Thank you,
Dave West, Manager
John Guilday Caves Nature Preserve
National Speleological Society
January 22, 2009
The Pennsylvania Game Commission says White-Nose Syndrome is likely present in a mine in Mifflin County. Read the full news release here.
January 20, 2009
The 28th Annual Carter Caves State Resort Park's Crawlathon in Kentucky has been CANCELLED.
January 13, 2009
Update your 2009 FRG membership with an online form! Simply go to the member's section, fill out the form, print and send in your renewal.
December 29, 2008
Trout Cave (West Virginia) is now gated and closed from after Labor Day weekend through May 15. View a photo of the entrance here.
December 9, 2008
The pre-registration form for the Spring 2009 VAR is now available on the Tri-State Grotto website.
June 29, 2008
Front Royal Caverns Update
by Janet Tinkam
Another successful project completed this weekend! Over 20 people were able to participate and yet er done. Front Royal Caverns has a new entrance gate with a very natural looking railing and stone steps going in. It's very exciting that the county would like our guidance in establishing an outdoor classroom that will help to reinforce what the students will be learning through their environmental science classes. Thank you to those who endured the heat and humidity and more details will follow in a trip report for the newsletter.
GREAT JOB !!
June 18, 2008
An updated VAR Closed Caves Listing.
June 17, 2008
The WVDNR and USFWS have issued an updated “Notice to Cavers” with the latest White Nose Syndrome information. The full notice is available (as a PDF file) here. For a pdf file on the current W.V. closed caves list click here.
May 14, 2008
The John Guilday Cave Preserve is NOW OPEN from WNS closures in West Virginia.
May 9, 2008
The newly created National Speleological Society's Liaison on White Nose Syndrome webpage.
April 30, 2008
NCC CAVES CLOSED UNTIL MAY 15TH, 2008
The NCC board met on Feb. 10, 2008 to discuss the white-nosed bat issue and have decided to close all the caves owned by the NCC until at least May 15, 2008 to prevent potential spread and cross contamination of caves.
The nine New York caves owned and managed by the Northeastern Cave Conservancy will open for summer visitation include the Clarksville Cave, Knox Cave, Onesquethaw Cave, Crossbones Cave, Ella Armstrong Cave, Ladder Cave, Selleck’s Cave, Cave 575 and Levy’s Cave.
Caves are open according to the normal conditions, which may be found on the NCC website.
April 15, 2008
Keep up to date with The White Nose Syndrome Facts.
March 11, 2008
Know which local Caves Are Now Closed on the VAR Limited Access List due to WNS.
March 3, 2008
A plea for Information and Openness about WNS.
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