Maine now joins every other New England State in harboring Bat killing WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME,,,,,,,,,,,,,As reported on continually, no cure yet in sight for this "punishing and unforgiving" killer of Bats

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Meril, Rick <Rick.Meril@warnerbros.com>
Date: Wed, May 25, 2011 at 8:03 AM
Subject: Fw: White-nose Syndrome Update
To: "rick.meril@gmail.com" <rick.meril@gmail.com>

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From: Bat Conservation International <info@batcon.org>
To: Meril, Rick
Sent: Wed May 25 07:59:26 2011
Subject: White-nose Syndrome Update

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Dear BCI Member, I'm writing today with both good news and bad news about White-nose Syndrome (WNS), the disease that has been decimating North American bat populations for the past five years. We are saddened to report that the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife announced this week that WNS has been confirmed in Oxford County, Maine. This had been the only northeastern state still spared the heart-wrenching impact of this disease. White-nose Syndrome is now confirmed in 17 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces. The fungus that causes WNS is in an additional two states. But there is reason to be hopeful too. I attended the annual White-nose Syndrome Symposium in Little Rock, Arkansas, last week, along with three other BCI staff members. BCI worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to organize this gathering, which brought together more than 150 dedicated biologists, state and federal wildlife managers, and non-profit professionals to discuss the latest research and mitigation efforts on this disease. A variety of research results were reviewed, including some optimistic insights for the conservation and recovery of these battered bat populations. During the conference, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released its final National Plan for Assisting States, Federal Agencies, and Tribes in Managing White-Nose Syndrome in Bats, furthering dialogue among symposium delegates on implementation activities such as additional research, monitoring and conservation actions. BCI supporters can be proud that you made significant contributions to advancing our understanding of WNS. The first national WNS planning meeting in June 2008 was spearheaded by BCI and funded primarily by donations from our members. Your phone calls and letters to Congress have helped secure essential research dollars for the study of the disease. But there is still much work to be done and very limited funding for combating this dire threat to bats. Your donations to BCI's White-nose Syndrome program and other conservation efforts are critical to maintaining this positive momentum. We are so grateful for the endless support of our members. Warm regards, Nina Fascione Executive Director P.S. White-nose Syndrome continues to spread quickly across North America. Please donate to BCI's White-nose Syndrome program and to our other important conservation programs.

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