I will bring this info. to the meeting tonight but this is the easiest way
to make sure everyone PBSS sees the latest from NSS even if you don't make
the meeting. Jacqui
----- Original Message -----
From: "Keith D. Wheeland" <[email protected]>
To: <undisclosed-recipients:>
Sent: Saturday, December 05, 2009 9:01 AM
Subject: NSS IO INFO December 2009
Hi IO Contacts and Reps,
There are three topics in this issue of IO INFO.
1) IO Annual Report is due during the month of January 2010
2) WNS Update - Peter Youngbaer
3) Consider hosting an NSS Convention - Carol Tiderman
****IO Annual Report due during the month of January 2010 - Read
carefully. ***
Each NSS IO (Internal Organization - Grotto, Region, Section, and Survey)
is required to submit an Annual IO Report. You do that online by going to
www.nssio.org and logging in with your IO Serial Number and password.
Verify that the information is correct then click on SUBMIT.
Please verify that your officers are NSS members by using the Member
Search on the NSS website at www.caves.org. Click on Search then Member
Search and follow instructions. (All IO officers and board members MUST be
NSS members.)
Please double check email addresses. I generally get a lot of bounced
emails.
If you have misplaced your IO serial number it is available on the IO
Website. If you have misplaced your IO password, please email me. I tell
persons to print them out and place the printout in the grotto folder. It
makes sense to me since you MUST make changes to the online record as
changes occur in your IO throughout the year.
---Please help me out: You can save me a lot of extra work if you submit
the Report before the deadline of January 31.
****Breaking News - USFWS issues Report on WNS Management and Cave Closure
Strategies ****
This report, a Q& A, and related documents were just posted on the USFWS
WNS website:
For immediate release News media: for further information, contact
Dec. 4, 2009 Jeremy Coleman 607-753-9334 x131
Martin Miller 413-253-8615
Diana Weaver 413-253-8329
Kyla Hastie 413-253-8325
Cave closures likely key to slowing deadly white-nose syndrome spread
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has completed a report recommending
closing human access to caves and mines where bats with white-nose
syndrome are hibernating in an area more than 250 miles from other
WNS-affected caves and mines. The report also recommends limiting human
access to unaffected caves and mines. These recommendations presume that
WNS spreads not only from bat-to-bat, but also is spread by human
activity.
The recommendation is aimed at controlling the spread of WNS while
scientists work to better understand the cause and find a way to stop the
mysterious disease. WNS has devastated bat populations in the Northeast
and appears poised to continue its rapid spread south and west in coming
months.
An update of the Service’s March 2009 cave advisory will reflect
recommendations in the report. Additional planning efforts are under way,
with a national plan anticipated later this winter.
National White-Nose Syndrome Coordinator Jeremy Coleman, Ph.D.: “Our
recommendations are based on a thorough analysis of the best available
science and the need to provide guidance to natural resource managers.
Until we learn more, the best recommendation we can make is to control
human access to caves and mines and do all we can to prevent
human-assisted transmission of the disease. The success of our efforts
will depend on the support of our partners and the public.”
See http://www.fws.gov/northeast/white_nose.html for questions and answers
the report (White-Nose Syndrome Management: Report on Structured Decision
Making Initiative) and the user guide
links to photos (also on Flickr) and videos more about white-nose syndrome
****Consider Hosting an NSS Convention ****
The NSS needs host groups for Convention 2013 and beyond. While 2013 seems
like a long time away, we really need volunteers to offer to host it and
to start the ball rolling.
I have been asked when we are going to have a convention in Arkansas,
Arizona, Wisconsin, Iowa & another one in Pennsylvania - its been 40 years
since the last one.
Some concerns you may have are:
*Some of our caves are sensitive. *
All caves are sensitive in some manner. You have total control over what
caves you allow access to before, during and after convention.
*We are not a big grotto.*
With E-communications and on-line registration, many conventions are now
being run by people from all over the country.
You would be amazed at the number of people who show up at convention and
offer to help or just do what needs to be done. Not to mention, you can
usually get the help you need by posting it in the daily newsletter or by
just going up to a crowd of folks and ask if they can help out for about
10 minutes.
*We don't have a lot of cavers where we want to host it.*
Camden Maine had 1 caver in town who did a lot of the local work.
You only need a few folks to make arrangements with the school, campground
and who the local cave owners know.
*We have never done this before.*
The Convention Manual is on-line on the NSS business pages. The NSS
Division Chief will come to check out your proposed site before you submit
a bid to the NSS. Then suggestions and recommendations will be made.
You will have the Division Chief available to answer your questions and
guide you through the process, from the time the site is looked at until
the convention you are hosting is well over.
There are people in place to mentor you with such items as budgeting,
sessions and publications. Also, those who have been involved with past
conventions are always willing to give advice and guidance.
Approximately 10 to 12% of the membership comes to convention. Some come
just to cave a new area. Many others come for the sessions, salons,
workshops and to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Some never
go underground all week, unless they happen to go in a cave on the geology
field trip.
Please give hosting a convention some serious consideration.
If you are considering hosting, have questions, or want more information,
please contact me at [email protected] or Carol Tiderman 7600 Pindell
School Rd. Fulton, MD. 20759 or 410-792-0742 (I am on eastern time).
----------------------------------------------------
Keith
--
Keith D. Wheeland, NSS 2878
NSS Board Member and Chair of NSS IO Committee
2191 Mt. View Ave.
State College, PA 16801-7214
814-238-2057
[email protected] (Use this forwarding address in your address book)
IO Website - www.caves.org/committee/i-o/
Annual Report & Updates- www.nssio.org
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