[Texascavers] More WNS Support

[Minton, Mark]

Sixty conservation groups recently sent a letter to Congress asking for support for White Nose Syndrome research.  Here's the press release from the Center for Biological Diversity.  <http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/publications/earthonline/endangered-earth-online-no461.html>   Mark Minton   60 Groups Tell Congress to Work Harder for Bats   This Wednesday, the Center for Biological Diversity and a long list of other national and regional organizations sent a letter to members of Congress requesting increased funding for research on white-nose syndrome, a mysterious, fast-spreading, and fatal disease that has been affecting bats across the eastern United States. Since the disease first popped up two years ago near Albany, New York, an estimated million-plus bats have fallen victim, including the federally protected Indiana bat. Biologists are concerned the disease may next strike endangered Virginia big-eared and gray bats, both of which have very limited ranges and can't afford any more losses. Thankfully, after the Center for Biological Diversity and Heartwood petitioned to close off bat hibernation sites to help prevent the disease's spread, this spring the U.S. Forest Service announced it would close thousands of caves and abandoned mines on agency lands in 33 states in New England, the Midwest, and its southern region.   But much more needs doing, and bats are dying every day. Federal and state agencies must have more dollars to fund research, coordination, and management to understand, fight, and hopefully overcome white-nose syndrome so endangered bats don't die out forever.   Learn details in our press release <http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2009/bats-05-20-2009.html>, where you can also read the letter, and take action <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27148> yourself before the end of the month. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com