WNS U.S. Senate Briefing March 22

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WNS U.S. Senate Briefing March 22

Postby PYoungbaer » Mar 15, 2012 3:52 pm

Briefing at the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee:

What's Killing All of the Bats? And Why Should We Be Worried?

Thursday, March 22, 2012
1:30 pm
Russell Senate Office Building 328a

Senator Leahy, Senator Cardin, and Senator Lautenberg are hosting a briefing and discussion of White-Nose Syndrome in bats, an emerging ecological and animal welfare crisis that poses a threat to agriculture, the environment, and economic activity that is spreading across the country.

White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is estimated to have killed well over five million bats since its discovery in 2006. Since then, it has caused the most precipitous decline of North American wildlife in the past century. With the announcement yesterday of the discovery of WNS in Alabama, a total of 17 states http://www.fws.gov/whitenosesyndrome/maps/WNSMAP_03-15-12_300dpi.jpg and four Canadian Provinces have been confirmed with the disease. This finding in Alabama represents the southern-most occurrence of WNS in North America.

The loss of bats will likely have serious consequences, costing our nation?s farmers billions of dollars:
http://www.fort.usgs.gov/Products/Publications/23069a/23069a.pdf

Since bats eat many insects, including pests that damage crops such as corn, cotton, and potatoes, and that carry diseases such as West Nile Virus. Mining, energy development, tourism, and other industries will be affected if more bat species are declared threatened or endangered. And the absence of this keystone predator may have profound impacts on the environment.

You are invited to attend this briefing to hear from leading experts who will address these topics and more, including what can be done to stop WNS.

Speakers:

· Jeremy Coleman, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - National White-nose Syndrome Coordinator

· Paul Phifer, Assistant Regional Director for Ecological Services - USFWS Northeast Region

· David Blehert, Microbiologist for the USGS National Wildlife Health Center
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Re: WNS U.S. Senate Briefing March 22

Postby wyandottecaver » Mar 15, 2012 7:18 pm

At least 1 of the speakers might actually present facts based on hard science instead of policy statements based on a perception they have fostered through deception. Any hope the Senators will actually ask them to use math to show HOW they got to 5.5 million dead bats?
I'm not scared of the dark, it's the things IN the dark that make me nervous. :)
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Re: WNS U.S. Senate Briefing March 22

Postby PYoungbaer » Mar 20, 2012 2:56 pm

Briefing location changed and speakers added:

Briefing: What's Killing All of the Bats? And Why Should We Be Worried?

Thursday, March 22, 2012 1:30 pm

Dirksen Senate Office Building 226 (previously at Russell Senate Office Building 328a)

Senator Leahy, Senator Cardin, and Senator Lautenberg are hosting a briefing and discussion of White-Nose Syndrome in bats, an emerging ecological and animal welfare crisis that poses a threat to agriculture, the environment, and economic activity that is spreading across the country.

White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is estimated to have killed well over five million bats since its discovery in 2006. Since then, it has caused the most precipitous decline of North American wildlife in the past century. With the announcement on March 14, 2012, of the discovery of WNS in Alabama, a total of 17 states and four Canadian Provinces have been confirmed with the disease. This finding in Alabama represents the southern-most occurrence of WNS in North America.

The loss of bats will likely have serious consequences, costing our nation?s farmers billions of dollars . Since bats eat many insects, including pests that damage crops such as corn, cotton, and potatoes, and that carry diseases such as West Nile Virus. Mining, energy development, tourism, and other industries will be affected if more bat species are declared threatened or endangered. And the absence of this keystone predator may have profound impacts on the environment.

You are invited to attend this briefing to hear from leading experts who will address these topics and more, including what can be done to stop WNS.

Speakers:

· Paul Phifer, USFWS Northeast Assistant Regional Director for Ecological Services

· Jeremy Coleman, USFWS National White-nose Syndrome Coordinator

· David Blehert, Microbiologist, USGS National Wildlife Health Center

· Anne Zimmerman, USFS Director of Wildlife, Fish, Soil, Air and Rare Plants

· Jennifer Lee, Biologist, NPS Biological Resource Management Division
PYoungbaer
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Posts: 1365
Joined: Apr 30, 2008 4:04 pm
Location: Plainfield, VT
NSS #: 16161 CM FE
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Vermont Cavers Association
  


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