Everyone going to the 2009 Convention, please read and pass along.
thanks,
Ray
----- Original Message -----
From: "ICS 2009 eList" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 12:22 AM
Subject: 15th ICS - Critically important news on ICS trips and WNS!!!
Dear Friends,
If you are planning to attend any trip during the 15th International
Congress of Speleology (ICS), it is critical and urgent that you read this
message. I am sorry that it is long, but it is necessary. I have recently
sent you messages about White Nose Syndrome (WNS), a mysterious condition
that has started killing hundreds of thousands of bats in the U.S. I wrote
that some ICS trips may need to be modified or cancelled. Below is our
policy and news about trips that have been canceled. More information will
be sent by 5 May 2009. At
http://ics2009mail.nfshost.com/attachments/15TH_ICS-WNS_Policy-041409.pdf is
a file with the same policy, but it includes a map showing the area
currently affected by WNS. Our Translation Committee is working to translate
and distribute this policy as quickly as possible in other languages.
This is a major ecological and cave crisis no one has ever seen. It started
after ICS planning had begun. We appreciate your understanding, support, and
cooperation.
George
George Veni, Ph.D.
Chairman, 15th International Congress of Speleology
Adjunct Secretary, International Union of Speleology
Executive Director, U.S. National Cave and Karst Research Institute
*****************************
15th ICS FIELD TRIPS POLICY ANNOUNCEMENT
REGARDING WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME
14 April 2009
White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a deadly ailment that has recently killed more
than 500,000 bats in the northeastern United States. Biologists are working
hard to study WNS, but no one yet fully understands the cause of the deaths,
how to stop them, or how to stop them from spreading. What is known is that
WNS is spreading. There is evidence that people may carry WNS from cave to
cave. To prevent or reduce the risk of people distributing WNS throughout
the United States and other parts of the world, the 15th International
Congress of Speleology (ICS) is announcing the following policies and
actions. These are in accord with the U.S. National Speleological Society's
policy on WNS and supported by the Bureau of the International Union of
Speleology
1) All ICS caving trips in WNS-affected areas are cancelled immediately. The
"affected areas" are those U.S. states known to have caves with WNS and
their neighboring states, as recommended by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service Advisory at http://www.fws.gov/northeast/wnscaveadvisory.html.
"Caving trips" do not include trips into show caves, which are exempt from
the Advisory. As of 13 April 2009, the affected states are (shown in red in
the file at
http://ics2009mail.nfshost.com/attachments/15TH_ICS-WNS_Policy-041409.pdf):
Connecticut
Delaware
Kentucky
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Vermont
Virginia
West Virginia
2) Caving trips outside the WNS-affected areas may also be cancelled or
modified as required by land owner or government policy, or other special
needs. No caving trips will occur in caves that have an active or
seasonally-active bat colony, unless the cave is extensive and active or
seasonally-active bat occupied areas are not entered.
3) All ICS trips will follow the regulations and policies established by the
land management entity, owner, and/or relevant government agency.
4) Decontamination will be required for all caving trips outside of the
WNS-affected areas. A decontamination system will be set up at Schreiner
University and all camp and excursion sites that will visit wild caves.
5) The Congress asked that any caving equipment, including but not limited
to clothes, boots, packs, ascenders, gloves, bottles, lights, helmets, etc.,
used in a cave or bat roost site in any state covered by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Advisory, not be used on any ICS caving trip.
6) The following trips are now cancelled because of WNS or other factors:
Pre-ICS excursion 04: Endangered Species/Endangered Caves
Pre-ICS excursion 82: Caves of the Bahamas
Pre-ICS field camp 33: Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee, Alabama, and
Georgia
Pre-ICS field camp 34: Tectonic Pseudokarst of Western North Carolina
Pre-ICS field camp 37: Caves of Virginia
Pre-ICS field camp 56: Caves of the Sierra Nevada, California
Post-ICS excursion 81: Caving with the Maya, Belize
Wednesday trip WD-108: Land and Bat Habitat Restoration
Wednesday trip WD-109: Powell's Cave
Wednesday trip WD-120: Fredericksburg, Peaches, and History
Wednesday trip WD-122: River Walk and Shopping in San Antonio
Wednesday trip WD-123: San Marcos Prime Shopping Center
Wednesday trip WD-124: Schlitterbahn Waterpark
Wednesday trip WD-126: YO Ranch
If you are registered for one of the above trips, you will automatically be
given your 2nd or 3rd choice trip. If you did not give a 2nd or 3rd choice,
please go to
https://secure.concentric.com/ics2009.us/register/regform.php?addInfo=true
and add your choices. If you do not wish to join another trip, please write
that in the comment section of the above registration webpage and your trip
fee will be refunded.
7) If you are registered for an ICS trip that is not listed above, do not do
anything at this time except to add 2nd and 3rd choices if you have not
already done so. Please do not contact the ICS for more information about
how WNS will affect ICS trips at this time. This message has all of the
information currently available and we will send you more as soon as
possible. Any modified trips or additional cancelled trips will be announced
via the e-mail list by 5 May 2009. The 15th ICS understands that many of you
have already made travel arrangements that cannot be changed. Our staff is
working hard to quickly provide interesting and fun alternative things to
dofor trips where cave entry is not possible. Refunds for trips will be
available and you can also request alternate trips, but wait until the 5 May
announcement to see if your trips will still be offered or changed. We
expect to still offer many excellent trips. Deadlines for refunds, how to
make changes in your ICS trips, and other information will be included in
the e-mail message sent by 5 May 2009.
The Organizing Committee of the 15th ICS apologizes for the inconveniences
caused by WNS and we thank you for your understanding and support to prevent
this national emergency from becoming a worldwide crisis. Be aware that the
list of affected areas and caves may change as more information and
government advisories become available. For more information on WNS, see
http://caves.org/WNS/WNS%20Info.htm
Please distribute this message to any people, websites, e-mails lists, or
newsletters you think are affected or interested.
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