Day Two Brief (Note from Peter Youngbaer)White Nose Syndrome Meeting
Albany, New York
June 9-11
Managers Meeting Agenda
Science Strategies Meeting Agenda (Split session)
Day Two Brief (Note from Peter Youngbaer)
Note: In order to facilitate discussions of addressing future needs, an overview of state and federal agency activities to date should be provided in a one-page narrative to be distributed at the meeting. Template for narratives will be provided in advance. Presenters are asked to bring 100 copies of their summaries to the meeting.
June 10 Managers Meeting DAY 2
Goal for the day: To develop a coordinated strategic response among state and federal wildlife agencies to White-Nose Syndrome
Morning Background
8:00 am Brief discussion of key ideas and research questions of concern to all that we have not considered (Facilitator)
8:15 am Overview of the CCD issue and the lessons learned (Dennis vanEngelsdorp)
Strategies for Responding to WNS
Goal for the Session: To evaluate the various strategies to address the need and develop the most appropriate strategies for agencies to consider Note: A "parking lot" will be maintained for such purposes as funding needs/ideas.
9:00 am Determining the population effects of WNS (Carl Herzog, NYDEC, Craig Stihler, WVDNR)
*Survey objectives and approaches
*Estimated staff and equipment needs and costs
*Facilitated Discussion
*Committee formation
10:00 am BREAK
10:15 am Conducting surveillance for WNS (Greg Turner, PAGC, Scott Darling, VFWD, Lori Pruitt, USFWS)
*Surveillance objectives and approaches
*Estimated staff and equipment needs and costs
*Facilitated Discussion
*Committee formation
11:30 am Containment Strategies for WNS (Jenny Dickson, CTDEP, Robyn Niver, USFWS)
*Exposure and decontamination (research and recreation) protocols
*Estimated staff and equipment needs and costs
*Facilitated Discussion
*Committee formation
12:30 pm LUNCH
1:30 pm The role of rehabilitation in response to WNS (Chris Ray, NYDEC, Leslie Sturges, Bat World NOVA)
*Planned rehabilitation (genetics, population recovery vs. Responsive rehabilitation (public)
*Facilitated Discussion
*Committee formation
2:30 pm BREAK
Coordination of Outreach and Data Collection
Goal for the Session: To identify the key areas needing coordination and establish a process, organizational structure, and identify key individuals to enhance coordination
2:45 pm WNS program coordination (Craig Stihler, WVDNR, Lisa Williams, PAGC, Jeremy Coleman, USFWS)
*Coordination and standardization of agency activities
*Coordination of data collection and housing
*Facilitated Discussion
*Committee formation
3:45 pm Coordination of public information and outreach (Susi von Oettingen, USFWS, Diana Weaver, USFWS, Yancey Roy, NYDEC)
*Talking points for meeting
*Long term regional media efforts and talking points
*Information clearinghouse
*Facilitated Discussion
*Committee formation
5:00 pm ADJOURN
Evening Meeting
Core group of Managers and Science reps will meet to review outcomes of each session and develop the components of an agenda for Day 3. Both facilitators should be present. Science reps should include Beth Buckles, Kim Miller, and Paul Cryan. Manager reps could include Al Hicks, Robyn Niver or Jeremy Coleman, and Scott Darling.
White Nose Syndrome
Science Strategy Conference
Albany, NY, June 9-11
Day Two Brief
The second day of the conference was very different than day one. The group was split into researchers and managers. I spent the first quarter of the day with the managers, then the balance of the day with the scientists. They are very different in many ways, and while not totally fair, the words "theoretical" and "practical" broadly define the camps.
The scientists/researchers were charged with developing the primary hypotheses, and then action plans for each of them. The large bullets that evolved from the day are:
Hypothesis One: Change is body condition (starvation/dehydration)
1a. Inadequate quantity/quality of body fats
1b. Early depletion of fat store
1c. Water balance
Hypothesis Two: Direct mortality from pathogen (virus/parasites low priority; bacteria/fungi high priority)
Hypotheses Three: Effects of contaminants (looking at sublethal effects, such as changes in immune functions, arousal patterns, behavior, effects of pesticides on food supply)
Hypotheses Four: Multifactorial causation.
A detailed chart was developed for each of these, which we plan to post once it is available.
The managers group goal for Day Two was to develop a coordinated strategic response among state and federal fish and wildlife agencies. They began with a "lessons learned" presentation from the two bee Colony Collapse Disorder leaders.
Their discussions then focused on three areas:
1. Determining bat population effects
2. Geographic distribution and spread of WNS
3. Public outreach and information
There was a defined immediate need for a field diagnostic; meaning a clear set of indicators by which someone can determine that WNS is present. It is important to know that there is not yet a clear definition of just what WNS is; just a set of observations (fungus, weight loss, starvation, behaviors).
There was also a lot of discussion (in both groups) about decontamination protocols; for field researchers, licensed bat professionals, cavers, and lab researchers. More on this will come in the detailed report.
At the end of the day, several of us were dining and discussing our impressions, and we uniformly expressed frustration with the seeming lack of progress on determining the cause of WNS, and the difference of approaches between the field and lab folks.
The goal for day three is to blend these two groups' work together and form a strategic plan and coordination model.
Peter Youngbaer
Session B
