Congressional WNS Hearing Friday, June 24

[PYoungbaer]

Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs Oversight Hearing on "Why We Should Care About Bats: Devastating Impact White-Nose Syndrome is Having on One of Nature’s Best Pest Controllers"
Friday, June 24, 2011 10:00 AM

SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES, WILDLIFE, OCEANS AND INSULAR AFFAIRS
1324 Longworth House Office Building

OVERSIGHT HEARING ON:

"Why We Should Care About Bats: Devastating Impact White-Nose Syndrome is Having on One of Nature’s Best Pest Controllers"

WITNESSES AND TESTIMONY:

Panel I

Witnesses will be by invitation only. A witness list will be posted here once it is confirmed. (Note: tentative list has someone from US Fish and Wildlife, US Forest Service, US Geological Survey, Justin Boyles (lead author of study on impact of bats on agriculture), someone from Bat Conservation International, and Peter Youngbaer, National Speleological Society.)

BACKGROUND:

Bats are one of the most economically important non-domesticated animals in North America. According to Science Magazine, bats contribute $22.9 billion annually to the agricultural industry through insect control and pollination. Since 2006, over one million bats have been killed by a fungus known as the White-Nose Syndrome. This hearing will review the steps that have been taken over the past five years to control White-Nose Syndrome and the amount of money that has been spent on these efforts, assess the efficiency of working groups meant to contain if not stop this disease, and look for new ways of managing this deadly bat fungus.

To Watch/Listen to the Hearing Live, go to: http://naturalresources.house.gov/Live/

Assuming the committee makes testimony available as was done two years ago, we'll post all the links, photos and details on the NSS WNS website.