NM Interagency WNS Response Plan

[bigredfoote]

Last night there were concurrent meetings in Carlsbad and Albuquerque to announce the new New Mexico Interagency WNS Response Plan. A WNS Surveillance Plan will be published soon as well. In general, NM is happy that we have been able to continue our strong relationship between cavers and Federal Land Managers. I think this plan will allow people to think we are doing something to help bats while still allowing for recreational use of most caves in the state.


Electronic docs including the NM WNS Response Plan, the news release, FAQ, and BLM's Environmental Assessment for our targeted closures can be found at:

http://www.blm.gov/nm

[PYoungbaer]

Here's the Interagency Press Release for NM in full. The word is that this has been approved in Washington, with an eye toward this approach being the model for the rest of the West. Apparently, BLM did an Environmental Assessment, so their targeted closure order is good for two years, while USFS's is only for one at this time.

INTERAGENCY NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
November 8, 2010

Federal and State Agencies Determine Some Temporary Cave Closures
are Necessary to Protect Bats

Albuquerque, NM (November 8 ) -- Federal and state land management agencies will enact partial closures for some caves and abandoned mines on public lands in New Mexico in response to the spread of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a disease affecting bats. WNS is responsible for the death of more than one million bats in the eastern United States and Canada.

Preventing the potential human transmission of the fungus associated with the disease into New Mexico and containing any occurrences discovered within the state is the focus of public land managers. The closures on New Mexico’s public lands will primarily affect caves and abandoned mines that are known to have significant bat roosts but will not affect developed caves, like Carlsbad Cavern in Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

To help ensure that visitors are not bringing the fungus into the cave, Carlsbad Caverns National Park will follow Mammoth Cave National Park’s lead and develop a process to screen visitors before they enter caves within the park.

“Our ongoing risk assessment has shown that most visitors pose little threat to the park’s bats since their roosts are far from visitor trails, “ said Carlsbad Caverns National Park Superintendent John Benjamin. “By keeping our developed caves open where the risk of this fungus transmission is low, we will be able to continue educating the public about bats and WNS.”

WNS has severely affected bats in the northeastern United States since it was first identified in 2007. Some affected sites have experienced more than 95% mortality of bats, making this one of the worst wildlife health crises in recorded history.

In May 2010, the fungus associated with WNS was confirmed on a western bat species in a cave in northwestern Oklahoma. This is the most western report of the fungus to date, and puts the presumed cause of WNS approximately 250 miles from New Mexico.

“To date, the fungus has not been found in any caves on public lands located in New Mexico; however, biologists suspect that the fungus could appear in southwestern bat populations as early as winter 2010-2011 based on previous patterns and rates of spread,” said Bobbi Barrera, threatened and endangered species program biologist with the U.S. Forest Service, Southwestern Region.

WNS is named for a white fungus that appears on the faces, ears, and wings of hibernating bats. Once a colony is infected, it is believed that the fungus spreads rapidly from bat to bat. Hibernating bats survive the winter by building up fat reserves during the fall that must last through the many months of hibernation. Some scientists believe the fungus irritates, then awakens, hibernating bats causing them to wake up prematurely. During these arousals, the bats use up their fat reserves and either starve or freeze to death during the remainder of the winter.

Bats are thought to be the primary vector for the spread of the fungus. Biologists also believe that people may be inadvertently contributing to the spread because the fungal spores have been found on clothing, packs, and shoes that have been inside affected sites. This cross contamination could also come from tourists who only visit commercial show caves. There have been no reported human illnesses attributed to the fungus.

Bats are a natural and important part of New Mexico and are extremely important to the state’s environment. Insect-eating bats are the primary predators of night-flying insects such as beetles, moths, flies, and mosquitoes.

According to BLM threatened and endangered species program lead, Marikay Ramsey, “Many of these insects are serious crop pests, and others can spread disease. Crop pests can cost American farmers billions of dollars every year. By controlling vast numbers of insects, bats help to ensure our environment’s health. When bat populations are lost, as we are now seeing with WNS, the repercussions may be extremely harmful to humans.”

New Mexico is home to 28 species of bats, two of which are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Federal land management agencies, along with the state and federal Fish and Wildlife agencies in New Mexico are working together to develop a coordinated and consistent approach to prevent and contain the spread of WNS and to inform the public of the actions they can take to assist in this effort. For more information regarding each agency’s approach and next steps, please contact the individuals listed below:
Jim Stuart, NM Game and Fish, (505) 476-8107
Donna Hummel, BLM, (505) 954-2019
Sheila Poole, US Forest Service, (505) 842-3291
Paula Bauer, Carlsbad Caverns NP, (575) 785-3090
Leslie DeLong, El Malpais National Monument, (505) 285-4641 x18

For more information about WNS, go to the following Web sites:
http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_inform ... _syndrome/
http://www.nature.nps.gov/biology/wildl ... ndrome.cfm
http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Wildlife/wns.html



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[self-deleted_user]

Well, at least it seems a lot more reasonable than most reactions. And they mostly blame bat to bat transmission with only possible potential for human part in the spread so facts seem to be pretty straight.

[BrianC]

Well, at least it seems a lot more reasonable than most reactions. And they mostly blame bat to bat transmission with only possible potential for human part in the spread so facts seem to be pretty straight.

They didn't say possible potential, rather they seem to think it is very possible by the very statement which considers the potential the reasoning for their closure orders..They do understand the bat to bat spread somewhat, by stating a time line for the approach. Though I would consider 2012-13 winter/spring the most obvious for most of their areas.The likely hood of WNS showing up in out of the migratory range could easily be explained by the CDC, if they would bother to look. Remember if human transmission of spores had ever taken place, not one or two bats would show signs of WNS, but due to the extremely rapid development of the fungus once established, the entire colony will show signs. This is why any imaginative reach from the finds outside of migratory ranges, are completely wrong and very misleading to be considered science.

[PYoungbaer]

Here's a decent news story that covered the collaboration between NM cavers, state, and federal agencies:

http://hosted2.ap.org/AZMES/EnvironmentandNature/Article_2010-11-09-Bats-Cave%20Closures/id-452a0e16363f4930a36634463d2d23fa

They did not want to do blanket closures, and wanted to avoid the backlash of that approach. So, they worked together. What a novel idea

[ArCaver]

Here's a decent news story that covered the collaboration between NM cavers, state, and federal agencies:

http://hosted2.ap.org/AZMES/EnvironmentandNature/Article_2010-11-09-Bats-Cave%20Closures/id-452a0e16363f4930a36634463d2d23fa

They did not want to do blanket closures, and wanted to avoid the backlash of that approach. So, they worked together. What a novel idea

Not so novel. The USFWS wanted all caves closed in the east a couple of years back and the NSS leadership said, "Sure, why not?"

[PYoungbaer]

The USFWS wanted all caves closed in the east a couple of years back and the NSS leadership said, "Sure, why not?"

Just simply false, ArCaver. We opposed their advisory before it was even issued, as I've written here and elsewhere on numerous occasions. The NSS leadership, nor its Liaison, have said nothing of the sort.

[ArCaver]

The USFWS wanted all caves closed in the east a couple of years back and the NSS leadership said, "Sure, why not?"

Just simply false, ArCaver. We opposed their advisory before it was even issued, as I've written here and elsewhere on numerous occasions. The NSS leadership, nor its Liaison, have said nothing of the sort.

Maybe not in so many words, but in actions. How many NSS preserve caves have been closed?

[NZcaver]

Maybe not in so many words, but in actions. How many NSS preserve caves have been closed?

Good question. According to the NSS Preserves Page, we own 13 preserves. Six are listed as open, including one underwater cave. Some of these require permits/waivers to enter. Three preserves in the northeast are seasonally closed for bat hibernation until spring, but this was standard practice for a number of northeastern caves even before WNS. And unrelated to WNS, two more preserves are listed as permanently closed to entry except for special exemptions.

The remaining two preserves - Guilday and Wells - are listed as specifically closed due to WNS, apparently until further notice.

[DeanWiseman]

Are there significant hibernating bat populations in New Mexico and other southwestern states? This brings up another question: WNS is apparently an irritant, but I have not heard any specific afflictions in non-hibernating bats. Does anyone know if non-hibernating bats are affected adversely by G. Destructans? I know this digresses a tad, but I think the first question is relevant to the topic.


-Dean


Dean Wiseman
NSS#32690 RL, BOG

[PYoungbaer]

Dean,

There is no evidence to date of any effect on non-hibernating (or "tree" or migrating) bats. This is most likely due to the fact that they are either outdoors, where the fungus won't grow, or in maternity and summer roosts where it's also too hot for the fungus.

Some biologists have raised concerns that some of the cave-hibernating species (such as myotis velifer) may be susceptible, and mix with larger colonies of non-hibernating bats (such as the Mexican freetail), which will then potentially spread the fungus throughout its range - i.e. Central America. This is all speculation, as no evidence to date exists that they are affected or have even been exposed. Lot's of ifs.

[wyandottecaver]

Not to diverge too far...

Peter, my understanding was that optimum conditions for GD were cool but that survival temps for the fungus (at reduced growth) actually reached well into summer temps (thus the rationale for decon procedures in summer studies) at least for the upper midwest. In addition, the mostly solitary nature of non-cave dwelling bats also acts as a barrier to the fungus and even if large numbers were dying on the landscape, it would be difficult to assess that quickly.

[PYoungbaer]

wyandottecaver,

You are correct about the solitary nature of some of the non-hibernating bats - making disease spread colonially difficult, as well as finding any possible victims on the landscape almost impossible. Still, there is no evidence to date of any effect. Some of these bats mix with hibernating bats at fall swarm, so folks have been looking.

In terms of the temperatures, this is from the USGS:

This fungus, now widely considered to be the causal agent of WNS, thrives in the darkness, low temperatures (5–10ºC; 40–50ºF), and high levels of humidity (>90%) characteristic of bat hibernacula. Unlike typical fungi, Geomyces destructans cannot grow above 20°C (68ºF), and therefore appears to be exquisitely adapted to persist in caves and mines and to colonize the skin of hibernating bats.

[wyandottecaver]

ahh the volk, blehert, etc paper in mycotaxon in 2009 had 24deg C or about 75F as the "no growth" number, and I thought I had seen somewhere that survival temps for the fungus were as high as the mid 80's. 68F may be the more refined number now available. Interesting in that 68 is the often reported average temp for lechaguilla cave and 56 deg is used for Carlsbad, both in NM......

[PYoungbaer]

Wyandottecaver - one of the talks given at the recent NASBR (North American Symposium on Bat Research) in Denver was about the potential geographic limits of WNS by MAST (Mean Average Surface Temperature) as compared to the optimal conditions for G.destructans.

Basically, it was a primer for biologists, academics and students on cave and mine temperatures, and the morphology that can affect them. In other words, while MAST is a starting point, there is wide variation due to passage size, multiple entrances, heat and cold traps, etc., as most experienced cavers know.

Interestingly the southern reach of WNS now is at the MAST cutoff of optimal temperature for G.d. So, might we see only limited spread south of there? Only time will tell......

I'm working on a full writeup of the papers presented at NASBR for posting on the NSS WNS website - maybe this week, maybe next.....