---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Cheryl Jones <[email protected]> List-Post: [email protected] Date: Sun, Jan 24, 2010 at 11:00 AM Subject: CBD Petition to close caves - Msg from NSS WNS Liaison To: [email protected]
Received: Sat, 23 Jan 2010 From: Peter Youngbaer ALERT A national organization, the Center for Biological Diversity, has filed emergency petitions that would radically affect access to caves in the continental United States, and more. In the press release are links to their formal petitions. Please take the time to fully read the petitions, especially the first, which deals most directly with cave access. In brief, they have petitioned the federal government to close all caves and mines on federal lands within the continental U.S., designating all caves and mines on federal land within the continental United States as "significant", promulgate a new rule defining "taking" under the Endangered Species Act that would ban traveling between any caves on public or private land, making both cavers and landowners legally liable; and adding two bat species - Eastern Small-footed, and Northern Long-eared - to the federal Endangered Species list. They cite White Nose Syndrome (WNS) as the reason for doing all of this. http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2010/bats-01-21-2010.html As the WNS Liaison for the NSS, I believe this is an extremely serious threat from a well-funded and litigious organization, and should be responded to at all levels, including by cave conservancies as organizations. I shudder to think of the possible conservation ramifications: sealing of caves by blasting, bulldozing, refilling sinkholes with rubbish that we worked so hard to pull out, groundwater pollution, vandalism, long-established collaborative relationships with landowners and agencies, and ironically, the destruction of cave habitat. I strongly suggest a prompt and professional response, sending any correspondence to pertinent parties at the Center for Biological Diversity and IMPORTANTLY to the federal officials to whom they sent petitions. Those federal officials are listed within the petitions. The key CBD personnel are: Mollie Matteson, Conservation Advocate, author of the material: [email protected]_ Kieran Suckling, Executive Director and founder: [email protected]_ Thank you for your attention to this matter. Peter Youngbaer NSS WNS Liaison [email protected]
