Iowa Senator Pushes DNR to Reopen Maquoketa Caves

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Iowa Senator Pushes DNR to Reopen Maquoketa Caves

Postby PYoungbaer » Feb 2, 2012 4:58 pm

After three years of closure hoping to prevent WNS, and a drop in park visitors from 200,000 to 40,000, costing the state of Iowa revenue and impacting the area tourist economy, an Iowa State Senator is pushing his state's Department of Natural Resources to re-open the caves.

http://www.kwqc.com/Global/story.asp?S=16655854

When they first closed the caves, they said they considered guides, but couldn't afford them. I suggested local grottos seek cavers to serve as guides - perhaps on weekends so as to offer at least some access for the public, creating a partnership that would be a win/win. Might be time to resurrect that idea.
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Re: Iowa Senator Pushes DNR to Reopen Maquoketa Caves

Postby David Grimes » Feb 2, 2012 5:18 pm

Its amazing how they agree with the cavers when it comes to making them money. Hopefully they will get the caves open and maybe that will help influence other states.
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Re: Iowa Senator Pushes DNR to Reopen Maquoketa Caves

Postby Roppelcaver » Feb 2, 2012 6:17 pm

Ugh. Seems like the wrong reason to reopen it. Follows the pattern of setting aside environmental considerations for financial, which is the centerpiece of the republican platform. Not sure if this serves the overall cause well -- would rather science settle the issue ultimately, rather than short term politics (yes, I know that politics permeates much of this). Economics should not be the lead issue here.
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Re: Iowa Senator Pushes DNR to Reopen Maquoketa Caves

Postby David Grimes » Feb 2, 2012 6:27 pm

Economics is what has lead the issue all along. The FWS has been simply following the money trail.
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Re: Iowa Senator Pushes DNR to Reopen Maquoketa Caves

Postby BrianC » Feb 3, 2012 10:40 am

Roppelcaver wrote:Ugh. Seems like the wrong reason to reopen it. Follows the pattern of setting aside environmental considerations for financial, which is the centerpiece of the republican platform. Not sure if this serves the overall cause well -- would rather science settle the issue ultimately, rather than short term politics (yes, I know that politics permeates much of this). Economics should not be the lead issue here.


You have definitely reversed what has happened, but that is what you are told I'm sure. Environmental concerns are at the top of any conservatives objectives, but also the people that use those environmental facilities. The real problem at this time, is that the money has been the only motivating reality when it comes to closing caves. That gives the system (federal recipients) the ability to coerce funding for projects that would not have been approved unless a potential major catastrophe had been projected. Claiming that people are causing the spread of this catastrophe gives incredible fallout for the feds., unless they create a response with their pocketbooks.


A very good saying, "dumb people just don't have the facts, stupid people just don't know what to do with the facts" I am often dumb until I probe for the information needed to realize a fruitful outcome, but When the information has been hidden by greed, I must follow the money trail until the solution can be wrung out from the bureaucratic dam, and the spill can be cleaned and spotless. :roll:
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Re: Iowa Senator Pushes DNR to Reopen Maquoketa Caves

Postby JR-Orion » Feb 3, 2012 11:37 am

Well that's an interesting development...
Letting the days go by / water flowing underground
Into the blue again / in the silent water
Under the rocks and stones / there is water underground.
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Re: Iowa Senator Pushes DNR to Reopen Maquoketa Caves

Postby BrianC » Feb 3, 2012 12:45 pm

"It's just a shame not to be using it if there's no definite answer and it's inevitable that these bats are going to be exposed to it," said Bowman.

Park Ranger Scott Dykstra says the D.N.R. is reviewing options that could allow restricted use of the caves possibly later this year. He says that a complete return to public use could still be months or years down the road.


Being inevitable by Bat To Bat and no good reason to keep caves closed, because the Human vector has no factual reasoning, Bowman has the correct approach. Scott Dykstra doesn't have good information yet, I'm sure!
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Re: Iowa Senator Pushes DNR to Reopen Maquoketa Caves

Postby cavergirl » Feb 3, 2012 12:51 pm

Roppelcaver wrote:Ugh. Seems like the wrong reason to reopen it. Follows the pattern of setting aside environmental considerations for financial, which is the centerpiece of the republican platform. Not sure if this serves the overall cause well -- would rather science settle the issue ultimately, rather than short term politics (yes, I know that politics permeates much of this). Economics should not be the lead issue here.


if you actually read further down the article, Sen. Bowman is "using the science" to lead the issue.
"Bowman notes there have been no confirmed cases of "white nose syndrome" in Iowa and that research shows the fungus is transmitted mostly by bat-to-bat contact. "It's just a shame not to be using it if there's no definite answer and it's inevitable that these bats are going to be exposed to it," said Bowman."
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Re: Iowa Senator Pushes DNR to Reopen Maquoketa Caves

Postby Teresa » Feb 5, 2012 12:30 am

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Re: Iowa Senator Pushes DNR to Reopen Maquoketa Caves

Postby BrianC » Feb 5, 2012 3:29 pm

Teresa wrote:http://rhtrav.com/wordpress/iowa-state-senator-asks-to-open-maquoketa-caves-st-park-caves/

I stirred the pot a wee bit more.


Thanks Teresa! This is what we need to inherently begin getting the caves back open, and rightly so!

The National Speleological Society , the nationwide wild caving association, disputes these figures, and has challenged USFWS to provide the basis for their estimated calculations.


That wild bunch of cavers needs some new descriptive names other than wild.
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Re: Iowa Senator Pushes DNR to Reopen Maquoketa Caves

Postby Batgirl » Feb 8, 2012 1:12 pm

This is exactly what needs to happen all across the country. The NSS needs a lobbyist!
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Re: Iowa Senator Pushes DNR to Reopen Maquoketa Caves

Postby PYoungbaer » Feb 8, 2012 1:51 pm

That wild bunch of cavers needs some new descriptive names other than wild.


Absolutely. For all the complaining about journalists' use of the words "wild" or "recreational," they are only looking for a quick and dirty descriptor. I don't believe they are trying to demean or diminish, they just aren't familiar enough with the range of our Society's activities. And, they don't have the space to print our entire mission statement, for example.

The best I could come up with was, "the NSS, whose members explore, study, and conserve caves," as a brief phrase to capture who we are. Any other suggestions? All are welcome.
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Re: Iowa Senator Pushes DNR to Reopen Maquoketa Caves

Postby BrianC » Feb 8, 2012 2:15 pm

PYoungbaer wrote:
That wild bunch of cavers needs some new descriptive names other than wild.


Absolutely. For all the complaining about journalists' use of the words "wild" or "recreational," they are only looking for a quick and dirty descriptor. I don't believe they are trying to demean or diminish, they just aren't familiar enough with the range of our Society's activities. And, they don't have the space to print our entire mission statement, for example.

The best I could come up with was, "the NSS, whose members explore, study, and conserve caves," as a brief phrase to capture who we are. Any other suggestions? All are welcome.


Peter, you have been on top of things with real vigor! We could not ask for a better description of the society. Journalists seem to see us though, as as bunch of wild people, grunges so to say.They are probably only stating what the scientific community has called us. I can add some descriptions of them if I would.
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Re: Iowa Senator Pushes DNR to Reopen Maquoketa Caves

Postby BrianC » Feb 8, 2012 2:18 pm

Batgirl wrote:This is exactly what needs to happen all across the country. The NSS needs a lobbyist!


We already have those in large numbers, They are lobbying for money for research. :rofl: They are willing to remove cave access to the masses in order to show their sincerity.
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Re: Iowa Senator/DNR Reopen Maquoketa Caves

Postby PYoungbaer » Feb 18, 2012 12:21 pm

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