According to the Crawlathon cancellation letter from the Kentucky State Parks Commissioner that was posted on the
Crawlathon web site, the host site, Carter Caves State Resort Park, is home to 65% of the State's hibernating population of federally-listed endangered Indiana bats.
One would expect, if logic were to prevail (yes, I realize that this is a big assumption!), that this fact puts the Crawlathon in a unique position among caving events, in terms of its potential to result in endangered bat species exposure to WNS as a result of visitation by northeastern U.S. cavers. Yes, I know that there's no documented evidence of caver-caused transmission. However, until it's proven that cavers CANNOT be transmission agents, the prudent course, given the high mortality associated with WNS, would seem to be to assume that caver-related transmission is possible, and to take reasonable steps to reduce the likelihood of cavers inadvertently contributing to its geographic spread within already endangered species.
Is the preemptive cancellation of an entire caving event based on a hypothetical risk reasonable? I can't answer that, but consider the position that the Kentucky State Parks Commissioner was in. On one hand, cancelling the event disappoints a few hundred cavers and some vendors, and results in some loss of income to the State Park system and local businesses. But on the other hand, can you imagine the hue and cry that would result within the state (technically, commonwealth) government if, knowing of the risk, he allowed the event to be held, and an "island" of WNS were found to be affecting the endangered Indiana bats at Carter Caves State Resort Park afterward?