WNS closes Tennessee

[Scott McCrea]

Though it was already implied by the recent USFWS recommendation, the TN FWS has echoed the moratorium request.

The presence of white-nose syndrome (WNS) within caves occupied by bats in
Virginia was verified last week. Because Tennessee is now adjacent to a WNS
state, the implications are significant relative to the purposes of the cave
visitation advisory that the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issued on March
26.

The FWS recommends that all cave visitation be suspended in Tennessee unless
being conducted as part of an agency-sanctioned research or monitoring
project. Any research or monitoring activity will be carefully scrutinized
to weigh the value of information gained versus the risk for spreading WNS.
We will appreciate coordination of plans for these activities with the FWS
and other appropriate entities, including adherence to standard disinfection
protocol.

An important goal of the FWS in conserving bats and their habitats is to get
this message out to entities in an effort to minimize the spread of
white-nose syndrome. Please assist us by forwarding this message as
appropriate. I welcome questions and discussion of concerns about WNS.

David Pelren
Fish and Wildlife Biologist
Ecological Services
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
446 Neal Street
Cookeville, TN 38501
931/528-6481, ext. 204

[graveleye]

I have an idea... put a big net along the Tn/Va border.

[Carl Amundson]

I have an idea... put a big net along the Tn/Va border.

To stop bats or cavers...

[graveleye]

the bats of course.

[Ralph E. Powers]

I have an idea... put a big net along the Tn/Va border.

That's a great idea... we could ask Obama for the bail out money to pay for it.

[ek]

I guess that would create jobs...

[wyandottecaver]

Lets hope Tennessee proves to be model for other states. They are simply parroting the USFWS statement and recommending abstinance though getting a research permit for cave work will likely be much more difficult.

[cavergirl]

Lets hope Tennessee proves to be model for other states. They are simply parroting the USFWS statement and recommending abstinance though getting a research permit for cave work will likely be much more difficult.

actually the statement posted by Scott did not come from the "State of Tennessee" it came from the TN office of USFWS

David Pelren
Fish and Wildlife Biologist
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
446 Neal Street
Cookeville, TN 38501

so of course it is parroting the parent org. stance. Official statements from the "State of Tennessee" would come from the TN Dept Of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) who would have authority to close caves on State land such as TN State Parks (there are a LOT of caves on state park land.) so far TDEC has not weighed in on this issue.

I suspect though, it won't be long in coming. Especially since the following aired yesterday on WPLN (Nashville Public Radio):

WPLN News Staff
White Nose Threatens Tennessee Bats
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A mysterious fungus that’s killing endangered Indiana Bats by the thousands now threatens Tennessee caves.

To prevent the spread of White Nose Syndrome, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency could restrict cave access on its managed lands as early as this week.
Already Great Smokey Mountain National Park has closed its caves to the public. The White Nose outbreak has spread south after being discovered in Upstate New York three years ago.
Biologists fear traveling cavers could be passive carriers, spreading White Nose with their contaminated gear. The Nature Conservancy’s Cory Holliday says Tennessee attracts spelunkers from all over the country, with more caves than any other state.
“This last weekend, there were New York state license plates parked outside some popular recreation caves here in Tennessee, and the site they were at is an Indiana bat hibernacula.”Holliday says he’s concerned. Though White Nose has not been found in Tennessee, the hibernation sites that have been infected elsewhere see a 90-percent death rate. Holliday says those kind of losses could threaten the stability of the ecosystem, such as insect populations.
WEB EXTRA:
The closest case of WNS, as biologists have termed the disease, was confirmed at two sites in Virginia last week.
Earlier this year, researchers tracked the disease into Vermont, New Hampshire and West Virginia.
Biologists still don’t know how WNS is moving and it isn’t isolated to the Indiana bat. WNS has killed an estimated 400,000 bats. Most have been the more common brown bat. Tennessee conservation experts say the disease could find its way into hibernation sites of Gray Bats - an endangered species that has made great gains in recent years.

By Blake Farmer

why are NY cavers coming to Tennessee to go caving?

[ek]

If the cavers from New York are using gear and clothing (including footwear) that has NEVER been used in any site affected or possibly affected by WNS (i.e. nowhere in the northeast or WV or VA anytime recently), and their vehicles are also not contaminated (e.g. they only cave in unaffected areas or they are using different vehicles than those used for caving in affected areas), then I see no problem with people from NY, with NY license places, caving anywhere where people who are not "WNS pariahs" cave.

[BrianC]

NY tags makes me wonder? At a Tennessee bat cave!

[Carl Amundson]

Has it come to this, looking at license plates.
I'm going to Huntsville later this year to visit my brother and do a little caving.
Will I be looked down upon because I'm from Virginia?
It's tough to be a leper...

[tncaver]

The Nature Conservancy's Cory Holiday said, “This last weekend, there were New York state license plates parked outside some popular recreation caves here in Tennessee, and the site they were at is an Indiana bat hibernacula.”

Maybe they were New York bat biologists.

[wyandottecaver]

Good catch Cavegirl! Thats what I get for skimming :)


LOL I had the EXACT same thought TNCaver though they probably were just regular ole' cavers :)

[BrianC]

Hey Carl! If you didn't have signs of WNS in Virginia and someone from NY was sighted @ a bat cave in your state, would you frown?

[NZcaver]

Wait for it... cavers will start carrying around multiple sets of plates from different states and switching them out when they cross state lines.

Just like a bunch of fugitives on the run.

And of course they'll be no more bats stickers on vehicles. Everything will be undercover from now on... ...and all evidence of caving activities will be bleached over and buried.



[FYI - just to be perfectly clear, I do not condone illegal activity. I was only joking, so try not to read too much into what I just said.]