Sometimes the do gooders in America really surprise me with their theories about "protecting" things.
It has been mentioned that using any kind of fungicide in a cave to treat White Nose Syndrome is a no no because
it might inadvertently harm other fungi or critters in the cave environment.
This logic may be flawed because: #1. endangered bat species are in immediate danger of being wiped out, they should be a priority, #2. most hibernaculum house a limited number of bats who reside in a very limited portion of most caves, #3. fungi may be present by the millions and/or may reside throughout an entire cave system as opposed to one small area of a cave (although some may reside only in the vicinity of bats).
I understand the intent to use caution to prevent contamination of any cave environment however I also understand the immediate need to find a cure or
treatment for WNS. The Nature Conservancy is currently attempting to avoid this issue by building an artificial cave. I hope it will be successful. It will
avoid contaminating an actual cave. However, I can not help but wonder...if The Nature Conservancy finds a cure or treatment that is effective at killing
WNS spores, etc., will they be allowed to use it in an actual cave?
I hope so. Rebuttal both pro or con is welcome.