United States Forest Service and Northern Arizona Grotto
 Roles and Responsibilities

Roles

US Forest Service

Northern Arizona Grotto

To develop and maintain a professional relationship with the Northern Arizona Grotto (NAG) with an intent to identify, preserve, protect and enhance cave resources.
To assist in the promotion of speleology and associated anthropogenic findings. To promote cave safety techniques. To provide cave rescue support.

To develop and maintain a professional relationship with the United States Forest Service (USFS) with the intent to identify, preserve, protect and enhance cave resources.
To promote the knowledge of speleology associated anthropogenic resources. To help inform all cave users of proper safety techniques. To provide expertise in cave rescue incidents.

Responsibilities

 US Forest Service

Northern Arizona Grotto

1. To assist in developing cave location maps.            
2. To assist in the development of prioritization program for caves.                                  
3. To accompany when resources are available,            evaluation excursions into selected caves/mines.
4. To maintain files of evaluations on each cave.         
5. To protect this information from public review under the Federal Cave Resource Protection Act
6. To maintain cave rescue plans and provide cave  rescue support with equipment and personnel.
7. To provide assistance (resources availability in  evaluation of caves/mines.)                          
8. The USFS District Office will review and approve all cave management plans and will implement the plans.
9. To provide equipment that will support efforts for exploratory evaluation and rescue that extends beyond the personal equipment of NAG members.
    

1. To locate and identify caves and mines via latitude/longitude coordinates on a map.
2. To develop prioritization of cave resources.
3. To evaluate caves for geological, hydrological, biological and anthropogenic influences.
4. To report evaluation and findings to the USFS.
5. To provide a cave rescue plan for each cave or type of cave.
6. To provide cave rescue personnel and equipment that will report any cave rescues to the USFS district office.
7. To map caves and mines.
8. To monitor cave conditions/habitat and report findings to the USFS District Office.
9. To maintain open and clear communication with the USFS.
10. * To provide cave management plans (generic and individual).
     

* Cave Management plans will be developed by cave category. Sensitive/unique caves will have individual cave management plans. All cave management plans will at a minimum satisfy the requirements of a 401 certification