Excellent News!
The U.S. Forest Service has issued its Environmental Assessment for Region 2,
covering Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Kansas. Caves are re-opened
under certain conditions in this adaptive management plan:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5414178.pdf
Go to the link below and scroll down just a bit to the full Environmental
Assessment, plus links to each of the Forest Unit specific plans.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r2/home/?cid=stelprdb5319926
The current closure order, with exemptions for NSS and CRF members, remains in
effect until its expiration date in July. These exemptions are continued under
the new plan.
In my brief analysis, the Forest Service was very responsive to our formal
comments and the input from the Region 2 caving community, especially Derek
Bristol and folks from the Colorado Cave Survey:
Naturally, the Center for Biological Diversity has already issued a press
release blasting the Forest Service for its decision and insulting cavers, too
- par for the course:
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2013/white-nose-syndrome-03-27-2013.html
Peter Youngbaer
White Nose Syndrome Liaison
National Speleological Society
(802) 272-3802
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