White Nose Syndrome Conference
Albany NY, June 9-11

The National Speleological Society has donated $2,500 from the Save the Caves Restricted Fund in support of the White Nose Syndrome Conference to be held in Albany NY, June 9-11. The donation will help underwrite the cost of organizing, facilitating and reporting on this meeting. The event will be a science strategy meeting. WNS was first noted in NSS owned Schoharie Preserve, and first documented on properties in a small regional cluster which include Schoharie, Barton Hill Karst Preserve, and Knox Cave owned by the Northeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc. The NCC has also contributed $250.00 to this conference.

NSS members wishing to assist in funding for this facilties conference may donate directly to help underwrite this meeting through a dedicated fund established by Bat Conservation International.

Contributions for continuing research may also be made to BCI or to a research fund managed by The Indiana State University Bat Center which has matching dollars available.

NSS CAVE PRESERVES REOPENED!

The five NSS Nature Preserves closed due to white Nose Syndrome have been re-opened, effective May 15.  NSS Administrative Vice President, Ray Keeler, authorized the re-opening of Schoharie Caverns, McFail's Cave, and the Barton Hill Preserve (Gage's Cave) in New York, and Tytoona Preserve in Pennsylvania, based on the recommendations of the NSS WNS Liaison (see link for details). 

All cavers are requested to follow the decontamination advisories of the USFWS http://www.fws.gov/northeast/whitenosemessage.html

The preserves will now all operate as usual under their managers, pending new developments.  As an advisory, the New York Caves may all close again with the beginning of hibernation mid-October.

In addition, Dave West, manager of the John Guilday Cave Preserve in West Virginia (Trout, Little Trout, and Hamilton Caves) announced they were also re-opening as of May 15, in collaborationwith state and federal natural resources officials: 

All,

After discussion with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, the John Guilday Caves Nature Preserve will reopen effective May 15, 2008 from the "White Nose Syndrome" closure that has been in effect since January. If you get there and we have not removed the closure signs yet, ignore them for now.

We request that cavers coming to the preserve continue to follow the recommended gear cleaning procedures outlined on the USF&W website: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/white_nose.html

The preserve will remain open at least until Labor Day, when a decision will be made based upon the further advice of the government agencies.

We appreciate the cooperation shown by the vast majority of the caving community during this period.

Thank you,

David West,
Manager
John Guilday Caves Nature Preserve
National Speleological Society