As most of you know by now, 6counties in north Texas were recently confirmed positive for the presence of Pd(Pseudogymnoascus destructans), the fungus that is the base cause of WNS. 30states, including the recent inclusion of Minnesota and Nebraska, are nowconfirmed positive for the presence of WNS in the bat population, and 3additional states, including Texas, have now tested positive for the presenceof the fungus on bats or in the near environment. The reports are certainlydisheartening, but not unexpected, as WNS has been progressively spreadingwestward since its first detection in 2006. There was some hope that theperceived rate of progression was slowing, and that it might not make a jumpinto the western portion of the US. This hope faded when a bat was confirmedpositive for WNS in Washington State early last year, and the recent detectionof the fungus in northern Texas certainly does not bode well for New Mexico. The detectionof Pd in Texas is also of great concern as north Texas represents a regionwhere bat species that have widely different ranges overlap, presenting thepossibility that WNS could rapidly migrate to areas to the west and south.There's still hope for the western bats as it's not known if the species thatinhabit these regions will be as susceptible to Pd as in the eastern US, andmany bat species in Texas do not hibernate during the colder, winter monthswhen conditions for the spread of WNS are increased.
Regardless of the possible future impact of Pd on the westernbat population, WNS has reared its ugly head in Texas, and by proximity, to NewMexico. Scurry County, one of the counties recently confirmed for Pd, is only125 miles from the New Mexico border, and approximately 200 miles from thenearest significant bat cave in New Mexico. Things won't be the same from now on, and we in the cavingcommunity will need to make some adjustments if we have not already done so. Istrongly encourage grottos to review the standard WNS decon protocols withtheir membership, and to strictly adhere to them. Folks in Texas have toreconcile with the fact that they are now living and caving in a state withconfirmed Pd, and that they should not bring their caving gear to other statesthat have no confirmed Pd or WNS (that means this year's NSS Convention). Folksin New Mexico that cave in Texas (or nearly anywhere back east for thatmatter), need to purchase a set of caving gear to be used exclusively in thosestates or areas with confirmed Pd or WNS if they have not done so already. This is notjust hyper-sensitive political correctness. Federal protocols for caving onBLM, NFS, and NPS lands stipulate these decon procedures and gear restrictionswhether we agree with them or not. Non-compliance can result in fines,penalties, and/or cave closures. Over 85% of the caves in New Mexico arelocated on federally managed lands. Cavers in New Mexico have been partneringwith various federal agencies for decades addressing the cave conservation,exploration, and management issues in the state, and have an excellent workingrelationship at the moment. Given the increased sensitivity and scrutiny thatthe recent Pd announcement in Texas will undoubtedly bring to caving in Texas andNew Mexico, let’s all agree that WNS is on our doorstep, and that we should alldo our part to deal with the issue responsibly. JerryAtkinson Chairman –Southwest Region of the NSS Past Chairman– Texas Speleological Association
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