WNS Liaison Report
to the
NSS President and BOG
March 15, 2010

Introduction:

A tremendous amount has occurred on the WNS front since the October 1 report.  So far this winter, WNS has spread to two new states, Tennessee and Maryland, and a host of new sites in previously affected states.  The USFWS issued a Structured Decision Making document intended to help guide federal and state agency mangers with WNS strategies.  The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned several federal agencies to close all caves in the lower 48 states, expand the definition of “take” under the Endangered Species Act, and call for federally listing two new bat species.  Many more cavers are engaged with state and federal agencies on WNS research and cave access issues within their states.  The media and public continue to hear the message that cavers are to blame.  We strove to address this perception on several fronts over the past months.

Progress:

• Made a presentation at the Fall MAR on NSS and caver involvement in WNS and the future of caving.
• Attended the North American Symposium on Bat Research, Nov. 4-7, Portland, Oregon, to hear the latest research presentations related to WNS, network with NSS WNS grantees, and other scientists and wildlife managers. 
• Issued four new WNS Rapid Response Fund grants.  As of 3/12/10, we have received over $87,000 in donations and awarded over $68,000 in grants. One additional proposal is pending as of this writing. Thanks to all who have helped!
• Thanks in part to our lobbying effort, Congress came through and appropriated $1.9 million earmarked for WNS. 
• We commissioned a 1500 word article on the NSS’ involvement in WNS, featuring several NSS members and their work on WNS.  This is intended to help educate the public on the conservation work of the NSS and the caving community.  This has been completed and the Marketing and Advertising Committee are seeking publication venues in conjunction with membership outreach efforts.
• Organized the NSS response to the Center for Biological Diversity’s petitions regarding WNS and cave closures.  This was by design done in two phases:  issuing immediate letters to the CBD from the Liaison and organizing grassroots responses to both the CBD and the federal agencies named in their petitions.  Alerts were sent through the IO network to all grottos, and through the Conservation Network list serve.  Thanks to Keith Wheeland, Val Hildreth-Werker, and Steve Smith for their assistance, and for other cavers forwarding materials on various list serves. We also provided material on Cave Chat that many used in whole or in part.  Phase two was the formal response, which  I drafted and was coordinated and researched in conjunction with Gordon Birkhimer, Jay Jorden, Joel Stephenson, and the BOG, with input from many others, and filed within 35 days of the original petitions.
• A subsequent press release calling for a Public/Private Partnership between various federal agencies and the NSS was issued, intended to stress the long-standing conservation ethic of the NSS and its engagement in WNS activities.
• Prepared a revised draft NSS Policy on WNS for the BOG to review and adopt.  Our current policy reads more like a press release, and has time-dated items that are more action steps than policy.  WNS Liaison Committee members and others provided input, including a general solicitation on the NSS Cave Chat.
• Wrote a WNS year-in-review article for the March NSS News Conservation issue.
• Prepared and posted a new WNS Brochure on the WNS website.  This is a public education and outreach tool, and available to anyone for downloading and printing, especially local grottos.
• At the request of West Virginia Department of Environmental Conservation, organized the photographic piece of a photography and bat survey project in Hellhole Cave.  The purpose was to document what is going on in WVA’s largest and most significant bat hibernaculum, before there may be anything left to document.  Sought and received official NSS Project designation.  This was a joint NSS/WVDNR/USFWS project.
• Gave a PowerPoint presentation on WNS and the NSS and caver involvement at the Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, Mass., as part of a community science program organized by Berkshire Caver, Mike Telladira.
• Continually update entries on the NSS WNS website, including details of NSS grants, other research – both published and unpublished, maps, links, media accounts, cave closures, and related information.  Alex Sproul, the webmaster who makes all the content we feed him look good, tell us: “Once again, for the month of February, the WNS page was tops in popularity on caves.org, with a total of 2,941 page views.  The second highest was the Search page, with 727 views; third was the Join/Renew applications page, with 689 page views.
• Handle countless media inquiries on an almost daily basis.
• Am in daily contact with cavers, researchers, state and federal agency personnel, and other non-governmental partners, such as Bat Conservation International, on the host of activities ongoing with WNS.  With new reports of WNS in new states, and many states and federal agencies reviewing or developing their WNS plans, I am constantly contacted for advice, information, or requests to become directly involved.

Problems:

• The biggest problem is that WNS continues to spread with no apparent stopping or cure in sight.  More and more, I hear comments from the casual member of the public, to an involved caver, to a research scientist, to a wildlife manager suggesting that there really may not be anything we can do about this.  Staying motivated to keep trying to find a solution, identify resistance in bat species, or discover a natural barrier is tough, and the situation is taking its toll on the people involved.
• Attempting to bring common sense practicality and focus to WNS management approaches.  Having cave access policies that are scientifically based, reflect regional and site-specific differences regarding WNS, and that acknowledge broader conservation needs of cave resource management, remains a challenge.
• While USFWS and USFS are reviewing their cave advisory and cave closure orders, staying engaged in the development of those policies at the local level and upper levels of the agencies will be critical.
• Once again attempting to gain significant research funding from Congress in the face of budget constraints. While Congress did appropriate $1.9 million for the 2010 Federal Fiscal Year (Oct. 1, 2009 – Sept. 30, 2010), the bureaucracy has moved slowly, just recently putting $450,000 out for states to apply for by March 30.  USFWS says it will use another $450,000 internally on WNS surveillance and management, including funding WNS communications and coordinator positions.  We’re told a Request For Proposals (RFP) will be put out to the scientific community for the remaining $1 million, but haven’t seen that yet.  Due to the delay, none of the funding will be able to affect any research during the 2009-2010 hibernation season.
• Continuing to sustain and grow contributions to the NSS Rapid Response Fund, which has proven critical in plugging funding gaps and timely research needs.
• Continuing to address the issues facing cavers at the front lines of WNS, where previously open caves may face closure as managers attempt to do what they can to help contain the spread of WNS.  We need to continually remind ourselves that the Alabama or Kentucky or Missouri or Indiana caving community has not yet felt the full blow of WNS and its ramifications, where New England and NY cavers have lived with this now for several years.
• Continuing to address the frustrations of cavers who feel continually blamed in the media, attacked by members of the public who think we are selfish hobbyists, or left out of discussions at the state or regional level. 

Plans:

• We have requested that the BOG vote to provide $2,500 to help underwrite the 3rd  WNS Science Strategy and Management Conference upcoming the last week of May, in Pittsburgh, PA.  We believe it is critical that the NSS be a visible and significant partner in the event, and hope you will support this funding request.
• We have requested $4,000 in the President’s budget for support for the WNS Liaison activities.  This funding is essential to be able to physically attend critical science and management meetings, and to respond to regional caving event requests for presenting information to the caving community.  Funds also provide for office supplies and materials related to public education and presentations.
• Attend and actively participate in the May Science Strategy meeting.
• Help plan and participate in a U.S. Forest Service film being made relating to how invasive species are affecting various outdoor activities.  A caving/WNS segment is planned for a couple minutes of a half-hour program. We see this as another opportunity for the NSS and cavers to be seen in a positive light.
• Continue working with collaborating partners in the non-governmental community to lobby Congress for additional funding.
• Monitor any federal response to the CBD petitions.
• Work with the 2010 NSS Convention staff and USFWS to provide appropriate WNS information and decontamination and gear loaning functions in Vermont.
• Continue regular activities regarding the updating of the website, managing the WNS grants, responding to the media, and being the go-between for the caving and science and management communities.

Conclusion: 

WNS is going to be with us for the foreseeable future. Our challenge will be to remain engaged and playing a significant and contributory role, while fulfilling the rest of the broader NSS mission.  I am extremely grateful for the moral and real support given by quite a few people, including especially Gordon Birkhimer, Alex Sproul, Mike Warner, Cheryl Jones, Jennifer Foote, Carol Zokaites,  “Theresa,” Don McFarlane, and Eliah Kagan – all directly involved in facets of the Liaison Committee’s work. Thanks also to many other individuals who have provided assistance, input, constructive criticism, suggestions, donations, and most importantly, picked up the ball and ran with it lobbying Congress, contacting state and federal officials, writing the CBD, engaging reporters, speaking to the public about caving and WNS, and helping directly with field work.

Peter Youngbaer, NSS 16161
WNS Liaison
3606 E. Hill Road
Plainfield, VT 05667-9547
802-272-3802 (cell)
wnsliaison@caves.org