ACT SECTION 26 — REAL PROPERTY

The McFails Cave Committee is composed of the Chairman; the Caretaker, if there is one; one representative elected or appointed from each of the Internal Organizations in the Northeastern Region (NRO); and three members-at-large. The members-at-large shall be selected annually by a majority vote of the remaining committee members and active, independent cavers should be given preference. The chairman will solicit representatives from each Internal Organization in the NRO on an annual basis. Each Internal Organization must designate their representative or proxy in writing to the chairman in order for him to be considered as a voting committee member that year. Each Internal Organization must be in good standing with the NSS and have its annual report up to date and on file with the NSS Internal Organizations Committee. Each member has one vote. All members must belong to the NSS. This committee reports to the Cave Ownership and Management Committee.

Shelta Cave will be purchased and a Shelta Cave Committee is established to oversee and handle the administration of the project, which is approved as an official function of the Society. The committee will present a report of its activities at each regular meeting of the Board of Governors until further notice. [Notice officially given 3-12-83.] The chairman of this committee is urged to work in close conjunction with the Nature Conservancy and the Huntsville Chapter, which is approved as Custodian of Shelta Cave. The primary purpose for acquiring Shelta Cave is to save its unique fauna, the only one of its kind in the world, from destruction or depredation. The cave shall be perpetually available to scientific researchers, educational organizations, general members of the NSS and Nature Conservancy and their guests subject to the provisions of the Policy Statement for the Use of Shelta Cave. (See Appendix F)

Shelta Cave is designated a Nature Preserve of the National Speleological Society.

McFails Cave is designated a Nature Preserve of the National Speleological Society.

The NSS Trout Rock property shall be designated the John Guilday Caves Nature Preserve.

An outline for writing Cave Management Plans is approved. (See Appendix Z)

Guidelines for acquisition of cave properties are approved. (See Appendix L)

The Administrative Vice-President shall monitor the use of NSS owned caves by using cave registers supplied by the Contemporary Cave Use Study or other appropriate means.

The Warren Nature Preserve Committee in the Department of the Administrative Vice-President shall manage the NSS’s Warren Nature Preserve, Alachua County, Florida.

The NSS Mill Creek Sink Nature Preserve, Alachua County, Florida, shall be managed by the Cave Diving Section of the NSS, reporting to the Administrative Vice-President through the Cave Ownership and Management Committee.

The Schoharie Caverns Preserve Committee shall consist of the Chairman, one representative eleceted or appointed from each grotto in the Northeastern Regional Organization (NRO) and a NSS member representative elected or appointed from any of the Canadian caving groups that the committee may deem appropriate. The committee will function in accordance with the Schoharie Caverns Preserve Management Plan (See Appendix F). This Committee reports to the Cave Ownership and Management Committee.

Any caving group conducted under the auspices of the Boy Scout of America using NSS-owned or managed properties is required to adhere to guidelines published in the BSA Leader's Handbook, the BSA Venture Caving Handbook, and the NSS Youth Caving brochure.

The NSS Nature Preserves Committee is established in the department of the Administrative Vice President. This committee shall manage all caves and karst lands owned by the NSS. All cave management committees established to manage NSS-owned and managed cave and karst properties and NSS Nature Preserves shall report to this committee. Caves owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by the NSS may be designated Cave Preserves of the NSS by the Administrative Vice President.

All Society cave properties shall be managed in such a way as to minimize the Society's liability in case of accident. Specifically, all properties shall be managed in such ways as to qualify under state or local landowner liability exemption laws; to legally define unauthorized visitors as trespassers under local law; and to inform authorized visitors of the hazardous nature of the cave by requiring them to sign a liability release.

The NSS Cave and Karst Acquisition Committee is established in the department of the Administrative Vice President. This committee shall develop criteria for determining if a cave or karst land is suitable for ownership by the NSS, or deserving of NSS support for acquisition by an NSS internal organization or other responsible cave-interested group. Cave acquisition is defined as acquiring control of a cave or karst land by purchase, lease, easement, donation, or other contractual means. This committee shall study and make recommendations to the Board on proposals to acquire or manage new cave or karst properties and shall encourage Conservancies and other cave-interested groups to actively seek to identify caves suitable for acquisition.

Criteria for evaluating a property for ownership is approved. (See Appendix L)

The Cave Acquisition Criteria Policy is adopted (See Appendix L)

The NSS agrees to acquire the Tytoona Cave property in Pennsylvania from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy for $3,000.00, subject to the terms of a Conservation Easement that the NSS will sell to Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. The $3,000.00 will come from the Cave Acqusition Fund. the Cave Management Plan will be subject to NSS Board approval.

The NSS shall donate up to $5,000.00 from the Cave Acqusition Fund towards the purchase of Paulter Cave, Monroe County, Illinois by the Karst Conservancy of Illinois.

NSS Internal Organizations, Conservancies, or Institutional Members that apply to the NSS forloans or grants to buy or lease property containing caves shall submit a draft Management Plan for the proposed cave property in accordance with Board of Governors Manual Appendix L: Cave Acquisition Criteria Policy and Appendix Z: Outline for Writing a Cave Management Plan.

The NSS shall provide a grant of up to $5,000 from the Cave Acqusition Restricted Fund to the MidAtlantic Karst Conservancy towards the purchase of Billy Clay Pit and associated property, Pocahontas County, West Virginia.

The Tytoona Nature Preserve Management Committee is esstablished in the department of the Administrative Vice President. This committee is responsible for enforcing both the NSS and Tytoona Cave Preserve access guidelines per Appendix F (Management Plan for Tytoona Cave Preserve).

The NSS shall provide a grant of $5,000 from the Cave Acquisition Restricted Fund to the West Virginia Cave Conservancy toward the purchase of the Lightners Entrance of McClungs Cave and associated property, Greenbrier County, West Virginia.

The NSS shall provide a grant of $5,000 from the Cave Acquisition Restricted Fund to the Northeastern Cave Conservancy Inc. toward the purchase of the Sellecks Karst Preseve in Schoharie County, New York.

Up to $1,000 is allocated from the current year's income from the Cave Preserve Fund to resurvey the Warren Cave Preserve and place monuments as needed.

Geo-Caches are not permitted in or near caves owned by the NSS. Preserve managers finding geo-chaches in NSS caves are directed to remove them. Placement of geo-cheches on NSS preserves, excluding the caves, is left to the discretion of the preserve manager.

The Wells Nature Preserve Management Plan is approved and the NS Administrative Vice President is authorized to accept the property as an NSS Preserve.

The NSS President is authorized to take those actions necessary to acquire the upper entrance to Great Expectations Cave (Great EX) in Wyoming provided the purchase price does not exceed $220,000. The NSS requests the NSF provide a loan of up to $220.000 from the NSS-NSF Trust Fund Attachment A, Life Membership Fund. The Secretary-Treasurer is authorized to enter into a loan agreement on behalf of the NSS as required to finance the purchase. The President will employ a local attorney to review all documents and provide other services as required. It is the resolution of the Board that if the NSS acquires Great EX Cave that the cave not be transfered to any other entity.

The Great Expectations Cave Management Plan is approved.

The Great Expectations Nature Preserve Management Committee is established in the Department of the Administrative Vice President. The committee is responsible for effectively managing the preserve according to the Great Expectations Cave Management Plan.

The Administrative Vice President is authorized to accept the Potter Unit donation as an NSS Nature Preserve following his approval of the donation documents. The proposed cave preserve is located in Cherokee County, Oklahoma. Mr. Dennis Potter and Mr. Kenneth D. Potter are made Life Members of the NSS in consideration of this generous donation.

The NSS shall provide a grant of $5,000 from the Cave Acquisition Restricted Fund to the Cve Conservancy of Hawaii for the purchase of Kuna Kai Estates Subdivision lot #63 overlying Kipuka Kanohina Cave.

The June 2007 Millcreek Nature Preserve Management Plan is approved.

The NSS shall provide a grant of $5,000 from the Cave Acquisitions Restricted Fund to the Indiana Karst Conservancy to support their purchase of Wayne Cave, Monroe County, Indiana.

The Potter Brothers Unit Management Agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the NSS and the Potter Brothers Unit Management Plan is approved.

The Geocashing Committee is established in the Department of the Administrative Vice President, Conservation Division. The purpose of the committee is to address the potential and recurring situation of placing geochaches in sensitive and potentially dangerous caves in addition to preventing cave locations being posted on the Internet.

All NSS properties are renamed substituting “Nature Preserve” for “Cave Preserve” or “Caverns Preserve.” All Acts, Appendicies, and committees are amended replacing “Cave Preserve” or “Caverns Preserve” with “Nature Preserve.” The NSS requests the NSF amend Appendix G of the NSS Trust Funds contract to substitute “Nature Preserve” for “Cave Preserve.”

The revised management plan for the John Guilday Caves Nature Preserve, dated November 2, 2004, is adopted.

The NSS grants $5,000.00 from the Cave Acqusition Fund to the Indiana Karst Conservancy, Inc., to support their purchase of Robinson Ladder Cave Preserve, Crawford County, Indiana.

The $18,298.83 bequest received from the Dorothy D. Pruett Trust shall be used to fund a matching grant to help retire the Great X mortgage.

The Richard J. Blenz Buckner Cave property donation is accepted as a NSS Nature Preserve following the approval of the donation documents by the Administrative Vice President. The cave property shall be designated the Richard J. Blenz Nature Preserve. The Richard J. Blenz Cave Conservancy is appointed manager of the Richard J. Blenz Nature Preserve. Buckner Cave is located in Monroe County, Indiana.

Cross References

18-270 Repair Funds
86-159 Boy Scouts

9-15-07

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