PYoungbaer wrote:Rick,
The large sediment sampling project of last winter is not being replicated. I'd be curious to know what Wyoming is doing - e.g. what sampling protocol was followed, where were the samples sent for analysis, and what were the results? I'm not aware of who is doing this work. Evan says the results for Horsethief-Bighorn were negative, but what tests were performed?
Peter
Peter Febb. did the sample testing & analysis so you would have to ask him, I collected the samples in 2004.
The original samples where take not because of WNS but where apart of the Horsethief Project which we where documenting radioactivity (alpha, beta, and Gamma), micro and marco biology of the cave, unique geology; such as ash from the Island Park and Huckleberry eruptions from Yellowstone, and the Paleo finds in the cave such as Pleistocene camel, horse bones, and maybe short faced cave bear. Which the project is still ongoing mainly because I went over my radiation dosage limit. The eventual outcome of environmental assessment is to create a management plan for the cave. The cave area is now consider a "mine withdrawal area", which for as long as the cave exists no mining (mainly uranium) is allowed in the area and this area was expanded to include most of Little Mountain a couple of years ago.
I have been asked by the BLM and Park Service to return and collect this years samples to double check any and all results.