[Texascavers] Lesotho Cave History

2016-06-09 Thread Mark Minton via Texascavers 
  CNN story about burial caves in Lesotho, southern Africa:


Mark Minton
mmin...@caver.net

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[Texascavers] Fw: Victory for Endangered Golden-cheeked Warblers

2016-06-09 Thread PRESTON FORSYTHE via Texascavers 
Some Texas Cavers may be interest as the home range of the Golden-cheeked 
Warbler is the Edwards Plateau and cave country.
The Audubon Club and the Nature Conservancy are great organizations to join and 
support. Both get real things done.

Preston 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android 
 
  On Thu, Jun 9, 2016 at 11:59 AM, Audubon Advisory 
wrote:
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JUNE 2016
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Golden-cheeked Warblers have lost nearly one-third of their nesting habitat to 
subdivision development since 1999. (Photo: Steve Maslowski/FWS)
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|  | Victory! Efforts to Remove Golden-cheeked Warblers from the Endangered 
Species List Rejected |  |
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In 2014, developer-backed groups petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(USFWS) to delist the Golden-cheeked Warbler, part of a systematic attempt to 
undermine the Endangered Species Act species-by-species. Audubon chapters in 
Texas fought back to defend the birds, which have lost nearly one-third of 
their nesting habitat to subdivision development since 1999. Last week their 
efforts paid off when the USFWS published its decision to keep the 
Golden-cheeked Warbler on the endangered species list. Read more  →
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The Varied Thrush nests in old-growth forest. (Photo: Glenn Bartley/Audubon 
Photography Awards)
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Bad News for Ancient Trees in the Tongass National Forest
 
The Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska is part of the world’s largest 
remaining stretch of temperate rainforest, and is also the only National Forest 
where large-scale old-growth logging still occurs. The U.S. Forest Service is 
finalizing a plan to transition away from this outdated practice, but a 
provision in a draft Senate bill would extend old-growth logging even longer. 
Read more  →
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Audubon's Board of Directors asked Members of Congress to support two critical 
bird conservation bills, including the Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act, which 
would help birds like this Scarlet Tanager avoid collisions with buildings. 
(Photo: Linda Steele/Audubon Photography Awards)
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Audubon’s National Board Goes to Washington
 
Audubon’s Board of Directors visited Washington, D.C., last month, joining 
Audubon staff to ask Members of Congress to support two critical bird 
conservation bills: the Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act and the Federal 
Bird-Safe Buildings Act. Audubon also presented awards to officials in the U.S. 
Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture for their leadership in 
conserving the Greater Sage-Grouse. Read more  →
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News from the Flyways
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   - In California, ballot measure victory will create a healthier San 
Francisco Bay for people and birds.

   - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designates New Haven, Connecticut an Urban 
Bird Treaty City.
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Arizona's governor vetoes bad water bills. (Photo: Office of Governor Doug 
Ducey)
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Wildflowers at the Westmill Solar Park in the UK. (Photo: Guy Parker)
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Your Actions at Work
 
Victories in State Capitals
As legislative sessions across the country were winding down last month, we 
sent out a flurry of alerts from New England to the Southwest. Never doubt that 
your letters do have an impact. In Arizona, the governor vetoed two incredibly 
bad water bills. In Colorado, also faced with bad water legislation, the state 
legislature responded to letters by removing objectionable provisions from the 
bill. Meanwhile, in Connecticut, the legislature voted on a constitutional 
amendment to protect state public lands. The resolution received the required 
3/4 majority in the Senate, but only a simple majority in the House. 
Nonetheless, the votes lay the groundwork to pass the amendment in the future. 
Finally, in Vermont, the state legislature passed two Audubon-backed bills to 
protect endangered species and forests. We can't thank you enough for taking 
the time to contact your elected officials about issues affecting birds from 
coast to coast.
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Climate Corner
 
Victory: Minnesota Approves Standards for Native Plants at Solar Gardens
 Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has signed a bill setting voluntary standards 
for native plant habitat at solar energy facilities, with the goal of offering 
food and shelter for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife, as well as 
reducing stormwater runoff. The bill passed with nearly unanimous bipartisan 
support in both houses. With about 4,500 acres of new solar installations 
planned in Minnesota over the next year, this could make a big difference for 
birds. The

Re: [Texascavers] Powell’s Cave Gate Project Needs Your Help :

2016-06-09 Thread Diana Tomchick via Texascavers 
Is there a mechanism for ensuring that the money that is donated is 
tax-deductible for the donors? Perhaps by collecting the money through the 
auspices of one of the Texas caving organizations that is a 501(c)(3), such as 
TCMA or TSS?

Diana

**
Diana R. Tomchick
Professor
Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Rm. ND10.214A
Dallas, TX 75390-8816
diana.tomch...@utsouthwestern.edu
(214) 645-6383 (phone)
(214) 645-6353 (fax)

> On Jun 9, 2016, at 4:21 AM, texascavers@texascavers.com wrote:
>
> Powell’s Cave Gate Project Needs Your Help
>
>  Powell’s Cave is the second longest cave in Texas, with 26.1 km of surveyed 
> passage. Treasure hunters dug the historic entrance open in the early 1900s 
> and it is now stabilized with a concrete culvert installed by volunteer 
> cavers in the late 1990s. The cave is used as a roost by a large colony of 
> Cave Myotis (Myotis velifer). Recently, during a scheduled visit to the cave, 
> it was discovered that trespassers had entered the cave and vandalized it, 
> leaving cans, bottles, and other miscellaneous trash in the cave. 
> Unfortunately, this also included spray-painting graffiti on the cave walls 
> in the Crevice Passage (see attached photos).
>
> Concerns about protecting the integrity of the cave as well as the vulnerable 
> bat colony (estimated at about 10,000 individuals) have led to the decision 
> to install an above ground, bat-friendly, cupola-style gate, similar to the 
> one recently built for Ezell’s Cave in Hays County. Jim Kennedy of Kennedy 
> Above/Under Ground LLC has been contracted to build the gate and it is hoped 
> that it will be completed sometime in the next month or so.
>
> As part of the agreement with the landowner, cavers will be paying for the 
> labor and ancillary costs of the gate construction, while the landowner will 
> pay for the materials. This was done to support continuing landowner 
> relations and demonstrate our commitment to the protection and stewardship of 
> the cave. We need to raise approximately $3300 to cover our end of the deal.
>
> If you are interested in helping the project, please consider a cash pledge 
> to help in alleviating the costs. Powell’s Cave has been an important part of 
> Texas caving for more than 50 years, and hopefully will be open to 
> recreational caving and research for many years to come. If all goes well, 
> there will be clean up and restoration trips in the future that folks can 
> volunteer for. Any and all donations of time and money are greatly 
> appreciated.
>
> Pledges can be sent to:
>
> Gerald Atkinson – Powell’s Cave Liaison
> jerryat...@aol.com
>
> If you have any questions, please email me. Thanks !
>
> Photos courtesy of Arron Wertheim (May 2016)
> <05140019.JPG><05140026.JPG>___
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UT Southwestern


Medical Center



The future of medicine, today.

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