Cave and Karst
Acquisition Committee
Conservancies Committee
Contemporary Cave Use Study
Committee
NSS Cave Preserves Committee
Conservation Committee
Volunteer Value
Online Database
Discovering Caves Brochure
Series
Conservation Division Web Site
GIS/ESRI Liaison to NSS Conservation
NSS Liaison for The
Nature Conservancy
NSS Liaison for KEEP
NSS Liaison for Virtual
Cave Trip Production
Ozark Extreme Family
Caving Event
Conservation Task Forces
Resource Preservation Committee
Mammoth Cave Restoration
Committee
Bat Conservation Liaison
Geo-caching AD HOC Committee
Conservation Grants Committee
NSS Liaison for
International Speleothem Protection
NSS Cave Vandalism Deterrence
Reward Commission
Education Grants
and Scholarship Committee
Environmental Education
Committee
Safety and Techniques Committee
Television/Video Production Committee
Youth Groups Liaison Committee
AGI Environmental
Science Textbook Ad-hoc Committee
Associated Projects
and Societies
National Cave Rescue
Commission
NSS Convention Division
Convention Development
Committee
2003 NSS Convention
2004 NSS Convention
Junior Speleological
Society
Salons Committee
Congress of Grottos
Attachment C-1 – Management
Agreement NSS and FWS for Potter
Attachment C-2 – Potter Brothers
Unit Management Plan
Attachment C-3 – NSS Cave Preserve
Detailed Reports
Attachment C-4 – Project
Underground MOU
The Department of the Administrative Vice President consists of 16 Committees, two Commissions, and two NSS Convention Host Committees; within these are nine Conservation Task Forces, twelve Cave Preserves, twelve NSS Conservancies, and several sub-committees.
The current name and contact information for the chair of each organizational entity may be found at in the table of Current Personnel. If the complete name and address or email address is listed, please notify me.
2004 Spring Report
Philip Moss, Chairman
Members: Lee Florea, David Taylor, Pat Kambesis, Kim Metzgar, and
Mark Lancaster.
Progress:
Potter Unit (Oklahoma) – This is a 189-acre parcel
with two caves on it in Oklahoma. The previous owners, Dennis and
Kenneth Potter, donated the property to the NSS. The caves
provide habitat for Ozark big-eared bats, which are federally
listed as endangered. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has
agreed to continue to manage the property under terms provided in
the attached Management Agreement. The Tulsa Regional Oklahoma
Grotto (TROG) volunteered to cover transfer costs and property
taxes (they believe that it is advantageous to pay the taxes,
rather than to apply for relief from them). TROG paid the cost of
the appraisal.
There are two documents yet to be approved: the preserve management plan and the management agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the NSS. The management agreement (Attachment C-1) and the preserve management plan (Attachment C-2) are attached for the Board’s consideration.
Limrock Blowing Cave (Alabama) and Wolf River Cave (Tennessee) – The Southeastern Cave Conservancy (SCCi) expressed an interest in two $5,000 grants from the NSS to help with the purchase of these caves. These preserves were mentioned in the last report as pending. However, there has been no follow up by SCCi. We consider these grant requests withdrawn until SCCi makes further contact.
Clarksville Cave (New York) – The Northeast Cave Conservancy initially requested a grant to help purchase Clarksville Cave. They have asked for a delay in bringing the request to the Board while Cave and Karst Acquisition Committee (CKAC) concerns are resolved. The grant request is expected at the summer meeting.
CKAC has two new members; Mark Lancaster and Kim Metzger. They have already made significant contributions to our deliberations.
Plans:
To continue to review cave and karst properties identified
for acquisition by the NSS, offered as donations to the NSS, and
those applications for NSS acquisition grants.
To create a form to be completed by people requesting a grant through this committee. It would serve to streamline the application process and transfer more of the work to those requesting a grant.
To make the form and other relevant information available in the grants section of the NSS Web Page.
The committee has volunteered to take on a new task. The NSS has been offered the donation of land as an appreciated asset (there are no caves or karst associated with the property) to be sold by the NSS for fundraising. The Fundraising Committee does not appear to be able to deal with these donations. The donation of non-cave/karst land has many of the same issues as cave and karst lands. We are willing accept this responsibility, provided that funds raised by this process are dedicated to the Cave Acquisition Fund, if the donor does not specify another use.
If this added responsibility is to be included in the CKAC’s job description, then we will create a procedure for dealing with accepting land donated for liquidation. The Board may wish to consider renaming the CKAC the Real Property Acquisition Committee or something similar to reflect its larger role.
Problems:
Wayne Cave (Indiana) – The Indiana Karst Conservancy (IKC)
has rejected the funds granted to them by the NSS because of
"right of first refusal" concerns. The CKAC drafted a
letter to support Tom Lera’s response to their rejection.
The CKAC does not believe that IKC’s concerns are justified.
It is important for conservation organizations to realize that
the NSS holding a "right of first refusal" to buy the
property if the grant recipient chooses to sell the property is
protective of caves and is not onerous.
John M. Wilson, Chairman
Home e-mail: john@wilsonj.org
Plans:
The NSS Cave Conservancies Committee will meet at meet at the
2004 National Cave Conservancies Forum, April 15 through 17, 2004
in Lewisburg, West Virginia. Details are available at www.wvcc.net/newsitem.asp?ID=17.
An agenda of the committee meeting will be available at the committee website www.caves.org/committee/ccc
The Seventh Annual Cave Conservancy Round-table will be held at the 2004 NSS Convention in Marquette, Michigan on a day to be announced sometime between 12 July and 16 July 2004. A NSS CCC meeting will also be held at the NSS Convention.
The role of the committee has expanded somewhat in the last year. The details are explained on the committee website or directly at the following web page: www.caves.org/committee/ccc/memosept2003.htm
Progress:
Another cave conservancy is considering adopting the NSS Cave
Conservancy Designation. If it does, it would be number 17.
One Conservancy has changed its name, PerCCAMS is now known as the Appalachian Cave Conservancy. Details are at: www.caves.org/conservancy/perccams
Problems:
No know problems at this time.
Garrett Czmor, NSS 22709(R)(FE), Chairman.
Nothing new to report at this time.
Gary Bush, Chairman
E-mail: gary@wgbush.com
I. GENERAL:
Reports were received from ten of the twelve NSS Preserves this period. The Preserve Managers reports I've received are attached, for the record. As is my custom, I've also summarized the status of each Preserve report in Appendix C-3 of this report. Details can be obtained from the original reports. Overall, the properties continue to be in good condition.
1) Progress:
Maintenance and cleanup projects have been conducted at
Kingston Saltpeter, Barton Hill, Mill Creek Sinks, Tytoona, and
Wells Cave Preserves. Similar projects are planned for this
Spring at most of the other Preserves. Visitation at most
Preserves has been low due to the Winter conditions.
2) Plans:
A meeting was delayed until Spring with the adjacent
landowner to McFails Cave to discuss Wickes Hole. The presumed
connection of Wickes Hole to McFails Cave is still blocked by
debris. Bat activity will continue to be monitored at Shelta to
determine if recent bat flights are due to permanent residents.
The management plans for all the older Preserves are being
examined for updates to make them compliant with the current
format.
3) Problems:
No serious problems have been reported. The recent
increase in NSS insurance premiums has prompted discussions
concerning the ownership of caves and the liability associated
with the presence of caves on our properties. Changes to property
names and web site documentation are being considered to mitigate
concerns.
II. PROPERTY STATUS:
* McFails Cave (NY): The cave has been closed for the Winter, since October. The meeting with the owner of the adjacent property still hasn't happened. Wickes Hole, a new cave entrance just off our property, still hasn't been connected to McFails, due to continual collapse and debris. The Halls Hole gate still needs to be repaired. The Management Plan is being reviewed and revised. No problems reported.
* Shelta Cave (AL): Bat counts will resume in March using night vision scopes. A Winter in-cave bat count found only one eastern pipistrelle, consistent with prior years, as the cave isn't a wintering site. A party was held on February 1st to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the gate removal. No problems reported.
* John Guilday Cave Preserve (WV): A February bat count found typical overall numbers, but an increase in pipistrelles. A dig is underway to find a "lost saltpeter passage." If found, an airflow and temperature study is planned to determine potential effects on bat habitation. A possible problem had been reported: A not-for-profit group was using the caves for group trips. Poor wording on their Web site gave the appearance of a cave-for-pay operation. Dave West has suggested rewording on their web site and literature to avoid the problem.
* Kingston Saltpeter Cave Preserve (GA): Several trips and a lecture last year provided more good "press" for the KSCP property. Good cooperation is still in place with our neighbors at Anheuser-Busch. Clean-ups and maintenance repairs we done last October. No problems reported.
* Barton Hill Karst Preserve (NY): With the help of Neil Baumann and a local scout troop the ATVers abusing the property have been stopped. The scouts also helped replace the gate across the access road. Additional work clearing fallen trees from the road and a bat count in the cave are planned for this Spring. Long-term work on the road will require a permit from the state. The management plan is being updated and should be ready for Board scrutiny at the Convention meeting. The only problem reported was a disgruntled visiting NSS caver, who took offense at being denied approval to drive back the road to the cave. Wet conditions this past year have forced the no-drive rule to be enforced.
* Warrens Cave (FL): The past quarter has been very quiet. Low visitation. The adjacent property was recently sold. No contact yet with the new owners. The only problem reported is a corroded lock on the entrance gate. Repair or replacement is planned shortly.
* Donald R. Russell Preserve (OK): (No Report received this period)
* Schoharie Caverns (NY): Very little activity this winter due to bad weather. The cabin rules and regulations are now available in electronic form. Bob Addis wants to know if the NSS letterheads are available electronically.
* Mill Creek Sink Preserve (FL): The new management committee met this quarter to implement plans and practices. The transition to the new committee has been very smooth, with no disruption to dive activity. Many improvement projects are planned for this Spring, including installation of a sign to inform the public of the ownership and significance of the Mill Creek Preserve. No problems reported.
* Tytoona Cave Preserve (PA): A resurvey of the property was completed this period. Regular maintenance projects have continued throughout the past year, with good participation by area cavers. More projects are planned for the Spring. The only problem reported was minor graffiti on wooden structures. It will be sanded off after the weather improves.
* Wells Cave Preserve (KY): Normal maintenance has continued since last Summer. A local caver has undertaken monitoring of the property. The Nature Conservancy plans to add the Wells Cave property to a replanting project to replace invasive plants with native wildflowers and grasses. The project will be free to the NSS. The management team is waiting for the boundary markers to install along the plot lines. No problems reported.
* Great X Cave Preserve (WY): Nothing new to report as far as Great X Preserve. We have been concentrating our efforts on trading parcels of land so as to include the entrance and a buffer zone to its south per our contract with the original owner. I have an individual lined up to do an archeology survey of the surface as soon as all the snow goes away in June. (AVP – Recent reports from Scott Fee are not included.)
* Potter Unit (OK): Management is being written and enclosed for approval.
W. Gary Bush
Chairman, NSS Cave Preserves Committee
Jim C. Werker & Val Hildreth-Werker, Division Chiefs
Jim C. Werker & Val Hildreth-Werker, Co-Chairmen werks@zianet.com
NSS News--The 2004 Conservation Issue (April issue this year) will focus on GIS in cave conservation. Bernie Szukalski of ESRI is partnering with us on this year’s issue.
Book—The manuscript of Cave Conservation and Restoration has been submitted for layout and the book is slated for press during the spring/summer of 2004.
Convention—Call for Conservation papers will go out in the April issue of the NSS News.
Seminars & Workshops—Conducted a restoration workshop with Jerry and Sandy Trout, USDA-FS; Jim Goodbar, BLM; and Dale Pate, NPS – held at the BLM office in Carlsbad, New Mexico, on January 10, 2004. Planning seminars in Arizona/Utah, California, Oregon, and New Mexico. The Conservancy Forum is scheduled for April 15-17, 2004, in Lewisburg, West Virginia.
Ozarks Family Caving Event—Made several contacts over the past months with Krysta Davis, Ozark Extreme in Branson, Missouri, to offer support and information for the conservation presentations planned for the family outdoor event. The NSS Grotto in the area is actively involved and conservation presenters are attending from the surrounding area. See report provided by Krysta below.
Interaction with Oregon Caves National Monument— After traveling to Oregon Caves National Monument in May 2003, again in August 2003, Jim and Val continue to stay in touch with ORCA and cavers in the region. Some caver projects have been initiated and planning for others is progressing.
Biennial Report—Jim and Val request the opportunity to review the final manuscript for the Biennial Report before publication. Several items collected from our Conservation reports were reworded in the first Biennial Report, which resulted in the distribution of misleading and inaccurate information. Please contact Jim & Val with materials for final review: werks@zianet.com phone 505-895-5050.
Bern Szukalski, Co-Coordinator
bszukalski@esri.com
Jennifer Foote, Co-Coordinator
bigredfoote@yahoo.com
Jennifer.Foote@Merrick.com
We are pleased to announce that Bern Szukalski and Jennifer Foote have taken on leadership roles to create and the NSS Volunteer Value Interactive Online Database. The Volunteer Value database is an exciting, long-awaited project that, ultimately, will serve the NSS in a variety of ways and its time has arrived—thanks to both of them for their commitment to this important project. Volunteer Value forms and information will continue to be available on the NSS Conservation Division website. The Volunteer Value program started in 1998 when Jim Werker and Jim Miller (USDA-FS, Washington Office) cooperated in writing an agreement to describe and calculate the monetary value of volunteer service.
Cheryl Jones, Coordinator
Mike Dale, Graphic Design
Background info from Fall 2003 Report submitted but inadvertently not included.
Progress:
-Have taken initial steps with the NSS Grants Committee to
search for grants for NSS brochures. Have found an additional
volunteer for the committee who will focus on this project.
- 20,000 copies of A Guide to Responsible Caving were printed in July with financial assistance from PMI, and within the OVP Departmental budget. The printer has since accepted responsibility for margin errors and Colin Gatland and Stephanie Searles worked with the printer to rectify this.
Web site downloads
Between June 14 and September 14, NSS brochures were
downloaded from the NSS web sites 1,249 times—a rate of
about 416 per month.
Breakdown by Title:
Bats: 124, Youth Groups: 182, GRC (New): 407, NSS: 187,
Fragile Underground: 174, Lava Tubes: 79, Biennial Report: 96
Brochure Requests
Between June 14 and Sept 14, 134 people have requested
3,387 hard copies of brochures using the e-form.
Breakdown of total copies requested:
Bats: 1,094, Fragile Underground: 705, NSS Membership: 553,
GRC: 654, Lava: 381
(Youth Groups and the Biennial Report are available as PDF files
only.)
Spring 2004 Brochure Report
Plans:
-Continue to work with Pat Bingham on the revision of the
Youth Group Caving brochure and information.
-Explore possibility of producing a new title in the Discovering Caves series, pending funding in FY04-05.
-Work with the NSS Grants Committee to obtain outside funding to produce NSS brochures, when the Committee is able to proceed.
Progress:
- Youth Group Caving is nearly completed.
- Black and white versions of the brochures have been loaded on the NSS Brochures Web page to encourage visitors to print copies.
Problems:
-Out of stock situation continues, which began last summer.
Limited funding available for reprints.
-Grant application progress by Grant Committee stalled until FY02-03 Financial Report is complete and audited.
Elizabeth Rousseau Bunnell, Coordinator
inspiratrice@hotmail.com
Elizabeth has graciously accepted the position of Conservation Web site Coordinator again. Please send any updates or notices to her. Simon Hughes is no longer working with us.
Bern Szukalski
bszukalski@esri.com
Met with GIS specialists at the Pohakuloa Training Area (military bombing and training range) in Hawaii to go over aspects of their GIS database and implementation. Volunteers from the Hawaii Speleological Survey are providing volunteer mapping, inventory, and GPS help. The goal is to incorporate this information into PTA's GIS.
Have several in-progress articles solicited from one of the contributors to the NSS News conservation issue and one of the contributors to the JOCKS GIS issue, which will appear in ESRI's ArcUser publication. Ongoing.
Corresponded with Joel Despain regarding ESRI publication on cave and karst GIS. Ongoing.
Heather Garland
hgarland@tnc.org
As the Cave and Karst Program Manager for the Tennessee Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, I have the opportunity to meet and work with cavers from across the state. It is difficult to imagine the success of cave conservation without the support and dedication of so many people in the NSS community. No new comments.
Hilary Lambert
Hilary@KWAlliance.org
Communicates to the NSS Conservation Committee the status of cave conservation efforts concerning the Kentucky Trimodal Transpark (proposed to be built near Mammoth Cave National Park) and other issues facing the Karst Environmental Education and Protection (KEEP).
The Transpark, I-66, Thoroughbred Power Plant, and Mammoth Cave
Karst Environmental Education & Protection (KEEP, Inc.) has focused over this past year on getting the Environmental Impact Study process under way for the proposed Kentucky (Trimodal) Transpark, a 4,000- to 6,000-acre industrial park with truck and rail nodes and airport that threatens farmland and communities on the sinkhole plain less than ten miles from Mammoth Cave National Park. Many cavers worldwide have assisted by sending letters requesting that they be included in the EIS process. The local powers that be have responded by digging in their heels to try and prevent an EIS.
How is this done? By ignoring public opinion, by obeying local and national political fat cats instead of the law, by ignoring and evading the local planning and zoning process, by breaking promises to collect baseline environmental data (well drilling, cave mapping, groundwater flow studies, subterranean biota studies, etc), by hiding a publicly–funded marketing study that says there is no market for a Transpark here, by relying on outdated dye trace research, and by commencing the demolition of homes and farmland in the dark, while a rezoning appeal hangs fire in court.
Despite flagrant disregard for the National Environmental Policy Act, the ITA (Intermodal Transportation Authority) lumbers grimly forward to welcome heavy industry as the first step toward devastation of this beautiful region.
The Transpark is only one element of the wholesale landscape transformation ‘planned’ for this heartland of karst: A new coast-to-coast interstate highway, I-66, is slated to go through here, and the most likely route would cross the plain and go up onto the sandstone cap directly outside of the park boundaries. Mix that interstate with the Transpark, associated ‘development,’ and the foul air coming from the proposed mega-coal burning Thoroughbred power plant 70 miles west of the park, and you have a tragedy in the making – for Mammoth Cave and for all of us.
KEEP and its partners in the Sierra Club, local community organizations, and cavers worldwide continue to strive simply to see the laws of the land enforced, before this unthinking destruction, called ‘progress’ by some, goes further.
For information about the Transpark situation and about KEEP, please visit www.stoptranspark.org or go to www.rogerbrucker.com and click on Issues. For information about saying ‘No’ to bad roads, visit www.kick66.org and for information about the Thoroughbred power plant, visit the Sierra Club Web site and go to the Kentucky chapter’s page.
Bill Frantz
frantz@pwpconsult.com
Provides advice and encouragement for people wanting to build virtual cave trips.
Virtual caves may allow many people to visit a cave and create no new impact.
Virtual cave CDs were produced for the 2003 NSS Convention and included with the Guidebooks. Check it out. Wonderful trip!
Krysta Davis
Savycaver@wmconnect.com
Seems I've had to explain myself all over the nation on the Ozarks Extreme event. There are many misconceptions about this event.
I started this family caving event because caving is something that I, my husband, and children all enjoy. My husband was one of the founding members of Branson Area Tri-Lakes Grotto. People became NSS members and then started the grotto because they wanted to learn more about caving from informed people. More members joined, and more members become NSS members every year. Our grotto enjoys MVOR and ORC every year. I personally would have been interested in hosting an MVOR, but as a young grotto, many of our members did not wish to "stick their neck out" when we have virtually no funds, and are still learning ourselves. I was born and raised in Branson, and enjoy all that the Ozarks has to offer. I have worked at Branson Ticket & Travel for 13 years and realized that I could host a caving event in the off-season in Branson, and the grotto could help out, but it would be money from my company and other sponsors that would foot the initial bill. Also, I do not feel comfortable taking my children to MVOR or ORC, but could make O.E. a family event too. Branson has a lot to offer families. This event will offer wild and commercial cave tours. I have seen only a small portion of the people that attend MVOR's and ORC's actually go caving at these events. They seem to be there more for the camaraderie of other cavers. The event offers wild cave trips (with Grotto guides), but we will also offer a lot of on-site programming, so that people will be tempted to stay on property and enjoy activities offered there.
Free activities offered with registration are: Speleo Box, Climbing Wall, Speleo Spa and Sauna, Lost Highway Band Saturday Night, and most importantly, people can gain crucial knowledge about caves because we are offering several special presentations.
Guest Speakers include: Jonathan Beard - who will present on cave restoration, graffiti removal, speleothem repair and more...
Matt Forir - Paleontologist who made great archaeological discoveries in Riverbluff Cave, Greene County, MO. (See Cave Vandalism Deterrence Commission Report)
Bo Brown - Biologist for the state - will be giving 2-hour Wilderness Survival Hikes for a fee and classes on primitive weaponry and tool making for no fee.
Still working on a speaker for an introduction to cave rescue...No luck...Need help!
I hope that I and my children learn something, but most importantly, the soon to be adults, in this area that in my opinion do not cave conscientiously and do not have a clue about cave conservation and preservation. Let's educate them before they start partying in caves. Because they will be the next generation exploring...Lets get them to explore with good ethics in the first place. Ozarks Extreme is intended as a fun, educational event that you can bring your family to.
I would love to have enough of the NSS guides to responsible caving and the LNT guides to put in the registration packets. We will be glad to make a donation to the Save the Caves Fund—the amount will have to be determined after Ozarks Extreme. I will also gladly put a donation jar at registration for the NSS Save the Caves Fund. Can't hurt!
Robert J. (Bob) Hall, Coordinator
rj.hall7@verizon.net
Sloans Valley Conservation Task Force Looks Back and Ahead
For over six years during the 1990s, the Sloans Valley CTF worked with local community groups and cavers nationwide to protect the Sloan’s Valley Cave system (Pulaski County, KY) from a proposed landfill expansion, and helped bring a conservation message to the many who use and love this sprawling and varied cave system. The SVCTF was awarded the group conservation award by the NSS Conservation Section in 1996, and received several NSS Conservation Grants to support its efforts to protect this rural but rapidly developing karst valley.
Sloans was explored and mapped during the 1970s and 1980s by cavers from across the region, especially central Ohio cavers led by Lou Simpson, Bill Walden, and with the wild power contributed by the late, great Kentucky caver Dave Beiter. The Sloan’s map lists many more who contributed to this effort.
Following a three-year hiatus, in October 2003 the Sloans Valley CTF held its third Sloans Kerosene Lantern Symposium atop the cistern on the Crocketts’ land, not far from the Garbage Pit and Scowling Toms Cave entrances. Past activities were re-examined, and future possibilities discussed.
Robin Cooper and daughter Anne Cooper discussed their ongoing cave crayfish research; Chris Reynolds summarized his thrice-annual water quality testing as a member of Kentucky’s Underground Watershed Watch, and said that he hoped that more sampling points in Sloan’s cave streams could be added in ’04. Bill Walden is converting the old Sloan’s slide show to Power Point. A Web site is under development, and John Cole and others discussed how the wide-ranging research and exploration history of Sloans Valley – and contributions to the creative arts – would be eventually archived at this site.
Hilary Lambert said that an Environmental Assessment for the Cathy Crockett Memorial Bike Trail had finally been completed. The trail, named in honor of dear friend Cathy, runs along the old rail bed that passes several Sloan’s entrances, and there is concern that the cave might be impacted. It is hoped that the SVCTF and the Somerset office of the Daniel Boone National Forest USFS can develop cooperative conservation projects in this area. A minute of silence was held in memory of Dave Beiter, who was able to simultaneously support the SVCTF while firmly believing that it was a United Nations plot for world domination!
The SVCTF will be meeting regularly during 2004 and is happy to inform and include old and new members of the SVCTF and the region’s grottos in its conservation activities and planning. Please contact any member for more information. SVCTF members include but are not limited to Robin, Anne, and Ritchie Cooper; Bill Simpson, Duke Hopper, Joe Morgan, Wayne Hansen, Debbie Moore, Roger Brucker, Randy Paylor, Chris Reynolds, Tom, Sarah, Josh and Emily Crockett; Hilary Lambert, Oliver Renwick, Peggy Renwick, Bill Walden, John Cole, and Chris Hacker.
Klamath Mountain Conservation Task Force
Steve Knutson, Director
KMCTF, NSS
The KMCTF continued to be very active in the situation at Oregon Caves. Right now the main issues are the drafting and contents of a new Cave Management Plan and the eventual acceptance of some sort of EA regarding the cave tours. The EA issued is quite unacceptable, as it assumes the current conduct of the regular tour is fine, and needs no assessments. How we are to combat this destructive attitude is unknown at this point, but must be done.
The KMCTF also continues to work with the Klamath National Forest to initiate cave management in the Marble Valley caves. We are thinking about beginning to install photomonitoring next summer and the Werkers are consulting.
We also got involved in the effort by the Western Cave Conservancy to put in a bid for the property containing the Marble Quarry Cave, south of Grants Pass, Oregon. No bid was sufficient, so the property remains in the hands of the banks. It is felt that there is a good chance that the WCC can eventually get a conservancy over the portion of this property containing the cave.
All CTF Annual Reports will be included in the longer Conservation Division Report that will be submitted for the Convention meeting.
Mount Adams Conservation Task Force
Ed Keudell
The Mount Adams Conservation Task Force (MACTF) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the USFS Gifford Pinchot Forest to assist in its cave management. Several meetings have occurred with focus in developing a GIS layer for cave data.
The MACTF continues to explore, survey, and inventory the caves in the Gifford Pinchot Forest. More spear points were found in newly discovered caves. The artifacts were provided to the Mt Adams Ranger District. A new system was discovered that yielded over 4000 combined feet of virgin lava tube.
The State of Oregon approved the MACTF incorporation and application for 501c3 status will be pursued in 2004.
David L. Joaquim, Chairman
8120 E. Mitchell Dr.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480-970-8186
caveconservation@hotmail.com
Goals, accomplishments, and updates for the fall of 2003 to the present. Focus lately has been geared toward beginner cavers. Many people interested in caving don’t have access to caving related material and are full of questions. Providing basic information on proper caving ethics is a great place to start building good conservation ethics among new members and young cavers.
Plans:
Continue working with community organizations.
Solidify a date for a lint and restoration project with Colossal Cave Mountain Park.
Create a new tri-fold tabletop display for cave-conservation outreach.
Develop additional outreach communication tools.
Contacted Ozark Extreme about possibility of attending and presenting conservation information (will not be able to work out the travel schedule—but others in the area have been contacted to present a karst hydro model demonstration).
Progress:
NSS Cave Conservation Display for Special Events. Acquired
shipping case for tri-fold display. (The tabletop museum quality
display fits well and is ready for shipping). Contact David
Joaquim for arrangements to use this display. Developed Power
Point demonstration on Caving Ethics, a visual aid for discussing
minimum-impact caving techniques and cave conservation.
Roy Vanhoozer RVanhoo@aol.com
Rick Williams rwilliams@healthallianceFCU.com
(Treasurer)
Short Term Goals
Complete demolition of the Echo River Bridge. Volunteers have
demolished over 1,300+ feet of bridge. Only 150 feet remain, and
weather permitting will be removed this year.
Long Term Goals
Remove approximately 3 miles of lighting fixtures, wiring,
and switchboxes from unused tourist trail in the Silliman and El
Ghor passages.
Project Updates
The Restoration Camp has changed leadership, both at the
volunteer level and at the National Park Service (NPS).
Attendance has declined, but is still at the level proposed for the grant application.
Money has been secured through a grant from the NPS for reimbursement of volunteer expenses.
Problems
No reimbursement funds have been distributed to volunteers in
over a year. NPS did not secure the grant money until November
2003.
NSS personnel are working with camp personnel to set up an account and begin distributing the reimbursements.
Jim "Crash" Kennedy
Cave Resources Specialist, Bat Conservation International
Jim Kennedy has been traveling. Look for coverage of activities in the Summer 2004 report.
Hazel A. Barton (Chairman)
Dave Irving (Committee member)
Dan Sullivan (Committee member)
What is geocaching?
Geocaching is an orienteering sport where the participants use GPS (global-positioning system) units to find the specific location where a cache has been hidden. Individuals, who collectively call themselves 'geocachers', have placed these caches in over 150 countries, including the US. The geocachers then post the location co-ordinates of the cache on the geocaching websites (www.geocaching.com; www.navicache.com; www.keenpeople.com; www.terracachers.org). Other geocachers then use their GPSs to find the cache; usually a small plastic container or ammo can, which contains some kind of a reward. The person, who finds the cache may take one of these rewards, provided they replace it with an item of their own (hence the often eclectic 'rewards'). They then sign the register and post comments about the cache on the website.
Geocaching has many thousands of active participants all over the world. Geocachers pride themselves on how many locations they have found, or how many interesting geocaches they've placed. They also have the motto "Cache in, trash out," which encourages participants to act in conservation-minded manner.
Progress
Since the inception of the NSS Ad-Hoc Geocaching Committee,
our aim has been to find a way to address the problem of the
placing of geocaches in sensitive and potentially dangerous
caves, and prevent the posting of sensitive cave locations on the
internet. We have attempted to do using the same technique
that has traditionally been used to help preserve cave
environments: education.
Geocaching is a rapidly growing sport, practiced by many outdoors enthusiasts and conservation-minded individuals. Just like the general public at-large, many of these people simply lack an understanding of the cave environment; the inherent risks and the delicate nature of cave ecosystems. The intent of many cachers is to share their excitement of caves by placing caches - not to deliberately damage caves or provoke cavers. As a result, it is important that we remain objective, and not get angry with anyone who expresses an interest in caves (remember, we were all non-cavers at some point!).
We must continue to help geocachers understand the delicate and sensitive nature of caves. Indeed, since our initial report on geocaching (see the 2003 NSS News Conservation issue), many cavers have taken geocachers caving and helped to explain why some cave environments do not constitute a good caching environment. Equally important has been helping cachers identify caves that may be conducive to caching, and encouraging the creation of 'virtual' caches, which do not require a permanent cache to be placed. We are also suggesting that geocachers use multi-caches for caves, which prevent the placing of actual cave locations on the internet. Indeed, to date there are more cavers who are also becoming geocachers, and have been working very hard at the grassroots level to help educate other geocachers.
Despite all these positives, there have unfortunately also been some negatives. Tensions can get high regarding the placement of geocaches in caves, and the knee-jerk reaction of "Not in OUR caves" does nothing to calm the situation or help cachers understand our concerns. Indeed, in one case, out of vengeance against cavers who removed or destroyed caches, one cacher began placing caches in as many caves as he could find. This resulted in the placing of over a dozen cave locations on the internet, even going as far as to name one cache 'Vengence Cache'. Luckily cooler heads prevailed and the cacher graciously removed these caches and the internet locations. We need to try and be accommodating to this new sport, just as others were to the growing sport of caving in the US. Geocachers are becoming organized and, with their large numbers, will soon have lobbying powers equal to that of cavers with the Federal Land Management agencies. At some point we will all be forced to play in the sand pit together, so now is as good a time as ever to start figuring out how!
At the initiation of the geocaching community, a caching 'ombudsman' was created to mediate between cavers and cachers when cave-cache issues arise. The ombudsman can be contacted at geocaching-issues@cavescience.com. For the present time, members of the Ad-Hoc Committee will fulfill this mediating role. In the future, we would like to generate a list of caver/cacher contacts in every state. The people would help educate geocachers interested in caves about safe caving and the cave environment. If you are interested, please email Hazel at the geocaching-issues address. Finally, I would like to thank Dan Sullivan for all the work he did the help mend bridges this past summer.
Based on the reports of this ongoing issue, Jim and Val have initiated the idea of Geocaching becoming a permanent committee in the Conservation Division.
Albert A. Krause, Chairman
aakrause@ufl.edu
Plans:
No change. NSS website, members manual, the NSS News
Conservation issue, and the Conservation and Management Section
provide extensive coverage on the Conservation Grants Program.
Progress:
No grant applications have been received or are known to
be pending for the current fiscal year. A balance of $3,000.00
remains in the grant fund.
Problems:
None as such -- there appears to be an appreciable
decline in the current number of active conservation-related
research and educational/public-awareness projects being
undertaken. This is an area that historically waxes and wanes.
Thomas Lera
Continue to communicate with the international conservation community and promote protection of caves and karst.
Jay Jorden, Chairman
Progress:
In the four months since the last report, the commission
has monitored several ongoing cases concerning cave vandalism
allegations. In the latest case, commission members in February
voted unanimously to provide a $1,000 cash reward to the
anonymous tipster who provided authorities with information
leading to the arrests and convictions of two individuals in
connection with vandalism at Riverbluff Cave in Greene County,
Missouri, in April 2002.
The commissioners also agreed to allow Greater Springfield Area Crime Stoppers Inc. and a credit union to serve as intermediaries in transferring the National Speleological Society reward to the tipster through the established system for informants who don't wish to be identified, thus ensuring confidentiality of the awardee and also retaining credit for the NSS and its vandalism deterrence program. A final vote was on the monetary amount.
Commissioners' votes on award approval, ensuring confidentiality and credit and setting an amount were as follows: Atz: yes, yes, $1,000; Beach: yes, yes, $1,000; Lera: yes, yes, $1,000; Rea: yes, yes, $1,000; Wilson: yes, yes, $1,000. As chairman, I concurred with the decision. The Commission has final authority to approve and pay the reward. The commission, through the Administrative Vice-President, has directed the NSS treasurer to prepare a check from the NSS Vandalism Deterrence Reward Fund. Crime Stoppers has supplied payment information through the Metro Credit Union in Springfield, Missouri. The credit union will then make the funds available for disbursement to the awardee. Crime Stoppers, which has previously awarded $100 in the case, has agreed to help with a joint news release crediting the $1,000 reward from the National Speleological Society. The NSS Public Relations Committee will follow up with one of its own and an NSS News article is planned.
The commission's action was triggered by new information received from law officers in late January 2004 that included word of two convictions in the Riverbluff Cave vandalism case. The Crime Stoppers representative reconfirmed that the tipster insists on remaining anonymous because he/she fears possible retaliation from those prosecuted in the case.
Plans:
The commission will review all successful prosecutions
of cave vandals with an eye toward publicizing the Society's
conservation objectives and rewarding diligence on the part of
those individuals who work in furtherance of those goals. Other
means of publicizing the commission's activities are also
envisioned. The commission chair also plans to continue
contributing to the NSS Conservation and Management Section's
publication efforts.
Problems:
None noted.
Amy M. Bern, Division Chief
Progress:
PU MOU
The MOU is ready for approval by the NSS Board of Governors. It is attached to the report in Appendix C-4.
NPS Cave Education Co-Op
We received an additional $3,922.21 in funding which has been placed in the Educational Grant Fund (a blue line COA)
Youth Groups Liaison Committee
Pat Bingham has gotten together a new YGL brochure for the caver interested in taking youth groups underground.
Pat has sent out a grotto survey for people interested in taking youth groups caving. She will be using this to put together a database for contacts.
Discussion has begun on the use of "bump" helmets for Scout Groups. So far the verdict is that NSS policy should not recommend their use.
Grants and Scholarships
$250 was granted to Steve Vermette at Buffalo State for a field-based geology class. A report will appear in the NSS NEWS.
Plans:
Laura Vondra of Metropolitan State College in Denver contacted me about the Colorado Cave Education Program. I am hoping that we can work together on teacher trainings, as well as grotto classroom presentations in the near future.
Chuck Acklin contacted me about a program they are developing: a "Boy Scout Training and Council" in Park City, UT for Boy Scout Groups who wish to go caving. John Gookin, NOLS, is also working on this. He is collecting input in Utah thru April 1 and should have a program together by July 4. I have asked him to talk with Pat Bingham to coordinate something with the national YGL Committee.
I will not be able to attend the NSS Convention this year and am hoping Barbara Moss and Kriste Lindberg will able to lead the Education Division Lunch. I feel it is important to keep the communication lines flowing through the division.
I have emailed briefly with Dave Foster, ACCA. We plan on discussing ways to work together on cave education projects.
The following are ideas that were presented in the Spring 2003 Report and have not been implemented. It’s my hope that we can work on these ideas within the next year.
EEC Subcommittees.
EEC and YGL: What is being done with info from brochure requests? How can we use this data to further our educational activities and programs?
EEC: A grotto educational activities survey has been written. Where does this collection of information stand and what are further plans for using this info?
YGL Web site: Would like to see something up this fiscal year.
Problems:
None, especially if someone could add an extra day to my week!
Paula Grgich, (Chairman)
Progress:
After a good bit of research, a number of improvements have
been made to the Web site. After approval, the new guidelines for
grant submission, as well as an online grant application have
been added to the site. Future plans to improve the aesthetic
appearance are in progress.
Plans:
A single source, or multiple sources, of funding have not yet
been obtained to support Project Underground. However, a plea for
donations, along with an article explaining the committee, was
recently submitted to the NSS News editor for inclusion
in the upcoming conservation issue.
A grant recipient from last year, Dr. Steven Vermette, has provided a report to the NSS News regarding use of his grant monies. It is hoped that this will encourage others to donate, and apply, for funding from the committee.
I have continued to research other grant sources and have a list of general grant websites, etc. that will also be included in the web page. I will be applying on behalf of the committee to some of these grant-awarding organizations in the hopes of finding funding for PU.
To date the committee has remained on target with last June’s goals. Future goals include improving the grant reporting process, continuing to improve communication between the Education Division subcommittees, as well as with the various departments that support them, and continuing to expand and improve the web site.
Barbara L. Moss (Chairman)
Plans:
Web Page: Continue to update links as they come in http://www.caves.org/committee/education/learn_more_about_caves.htm
AGI HS Book AGI is looking for schools to pilot test their chapter in the fall: sending emails around to offer this opportunity to teacher-cavers.
Yahoo Discussion Group Continues to solicit members to share information and ideas.
Progress:
"Cave, Karst, and Groundwater" Yahoo Discussion Group Membership increasing; posting files, links, and pictures
AGI HS Book Submitted link to "Water’s Journey" and Project Underground Activity Book for consideration in Teacher’s Edition of the new earth science textbook being developed.
Post Photo Resource Information on website on how to make pictures of caves, karst, and groundwater on Web Shots http://www.webshots.com/homepage.html
Memorandum of Understanding between Project Underground and the NSS updated and submitted to the NSS Board of Governors for their consideration at this March Board meeting.
Problems:
No problems at this time.
Anmar Mirza (Chairman)
Progress:
The Safety and Techniques Committee has been formed, it is
composed of people who are both widely known and respected within
the caving community, and who have areas of expertise that
overlap with each other to provide diversity of viewpoints.
Articles for the NSS News have been regularly written, submitted, and published.
Some work on the web page has been started.
Plans:
More work on the web page.
Continue to solicit and publish articles for the News.
Evaluate existing caving guidelines and recommendations and develop new ones. The committee, composed of a diversity of viewpoints reflecting such diversity within the community, will build guidelines and recommendations that may contain conflicting opinions, with explanations of why they conflict, because some beliefs within the community on techniques are highly subjective and it is not possible or prudent to attempt to dictate one standard to a community composed of highly intelligent individuals.
Problems:
I am sometimes unclear on how to proceed with certain areas
not knowing how much support of the Board for various ideas. I do
not want to be running to the Board with every little question,
but at the same time it would be useful to be clear on the
Committee Mandate. How much authority do we have to speak for the
NSS regarding areas of safety and technique without prior
approval of the Board? To what level of technique may we do so?
Broad policy, or detail level? What happens if we do something
the Board does not like? I ask this because the committee is not
composed of a bunch of amateurs, most everyone in it are leaders
within the community and are highly experienced and
knowledgeable. I do not want a situation to occur where something
is an area of opinion and highly subjective and there is conflict
between the Board and the Committee after publication.
The NCRC works without much oversight from the Board regarding cave rescue, the Board deals primarily with functional operation of the commission itself and does not immerse itself in detail level of cave rescue. On the same level, the Board has had a chance to approve or disapprove all Coordinators of the NCRC and no such mechanism has occurred for the STC. Are we granted similar autonomy? I need to know because it radically affects how I'd like to proceed.
(AS AVP I have given him guidance to these questions and concerns, As Board Members feel free to add your two cents.)
Roberta K. Serface (Chairman)
Progress:
We now have a committee! I have two confirmed members: Wayne
Russell and Mike Gordon. They are very interested in doing some
video work within the realm of this committee and we are just now
coming up with some ideas to work on for this year. We are
working within the email system as they are both on the east
coast and I am in Arizona. So far that is not a problem.
Plans:
We have stated our goals within the committee and have shared
some ideas on what we would like to film. Our main goal is to
make Professional Quality videos that the NSS will be proud to
have their name on as well as our own. We will hopefully have a
short video to present at the convention (if all goes well). What
we are doing now is each of us will take video and it will then
be sent to me to edit. Each of us knows the equipment that must
be used in order for us to be able to work together. All 3 of us
will have a say in how and what is edited so that we can stay
within our goal.
Problems:
Well, the fact that we do not have a camera for this
committee work is still the biggest problem, however we each will
be using equipment that is in the correct format for me to edit,
that being Digital Video. I will be able to tell you more about
any problems that we encounter after we have begun to work out
this arrangement. Maybe there won't be any. I also would need to
be able to get access to our budget funds when the time comes to
begin editing, as we will need to buy tapes, etc. I am still
hoping to get an NSS education grant to help with this at some
point in time.
One more thing that I am very concerned about is the fact that I was hoping that this committee would be the "official NSS committee" for any outside production companies to contact when inquiring about filming inside caves. So far I have heard from only a couple of companies that Amy and one other emailed me about asking for NSS input. They did not keep in touch so I really do not know what is happening with their films. However, I read that others within the NSS are helping film companies do film work in caves, i.e. NPS at Carlsbad with Louise Hose is doing some film work. What they are doing and how it is being presented as far as wanting the companies to keep within the cave conservation ethics that the NSS promotes may not being talked properly presented or addressed. It may only be from the government’s perspective. I will continue to research and coordinate as much as possible and permitted. (AVP - Roberta has written an article for the Conservation Issue of the NSS News and will be doing another one later in the year for the News. She is getting the word out to others about the committee.)
Pat Bingham (Chairman)
Nothing new to report. Activities are summarized in the Education Division Chief's Report above.
Amy M. Bern
Barbara Moss’s feedback from the first advisory board meeting.
Proposed Committee Plans:
Each of us needs to post recommendations to the rest of the committee:
1- Names of people to contact regarding materials relevant to a chapter topic;
2- Names of people to recommend to the AGI contract people to include as reviewers for specific chapters;
3- Open discussions on: roles of committee members in contacting the people above, and coordinating materials involved in presenting to the AGI group.
4- Meet on-line per regular email? OR private discussion board (i.e. Yahoo group, or other such service).
A draft outline for the textbook is given in Attachment C-3.
Caves & Karst Education Program Report
Peggy Kesner
The Caves & Karst Education Program (a Co-Op with NPS, NSS, ACCA, and Project Underground) has been completed and is in the final stages of closing out its accounts.
It was agreed upon to split the remaining funds between the three non-profit groups according to participation. That worked out to be a 50/25/25 split. After purchasing 50 guides @ $16.00 (=$800.00) and paying for the shipping of these guides ($50.00) the remaining balance in the account was $7,844.44.
On January 27, 2004 a check for $1,961.11 was sent to The American Cave Conservation Association. Another check for $1,961.11 was sent to Project Underground. The remaining balance of $3,922.21 was sent to the NSS Caves & Karst Education fund. This brings the balance in the account to $0.00.
John Punches (National Coordinator)
633 West Hazel St.
Roseburg, OR 97470
Home: 541-957-5461
Work: 541-672-4461
E-mail: national@ncrc.info
NCRC Web site: http://www.ncrc.info
Board Of Regional Coordinators (BORC)
Doug Moore (Eastern Region Coordinator)
David Ashburn (Training Coordinator)
Mark Bowers (Western Region Coordinator)
Bob Rodgers (Southwestern Region Coordinator)
Sam Chewning, MD (Medical Coordinator)
John Evans (Northeast Region Coordinator)
Marc Ohms (Rocky Mountain Region Coordinator)
Tim Comer (South Central Region Coordinator, interim)
Anmar Mirza (Central Region Coordinator)
Ken Hill (Cave Diving Coordinator)
Efrain Mercado Vasquez (Caribbean Region Coordinator)
Tim White (Southeastern Region Coordinator)
John Punches (Pacific Northwest Region Coordinator)
Staff
Harold Chrimes (Equipment Manager)
Tricia Daugherty (Database Manager)
Andy Franklin (NCRC Discussion and Administrative List Manager)
Rebecca Jones (Education Board Member)
Berta Kirchman (Financial Officer)
James Hall (Archives Officer)
Barb Ritts (Education Board Member)
Monty Strange (Education Board Member)
Susan Thrasher (Assistant to the National Coordinator)
Marc Tiritilli (Education Board Member/Curriculum Coordinator)
Kathy Welling (Recording Secretary)
Progress:
The NCRC Board of Regional Coordinators met on February 7, 2004,
in Walker County, Georgia. Minutes and reports will be posted on
the NCRC web site (ncrc.info) by the end of the month.
John Green has stepped down, effective February 7, as Coordinator of the South Central Region. The Board of Regional Coordinators appointed Tim Comer, and active NCRC instructor who has worked frequently with John Green, as the interim South Central Region Coordinator, and asks that the NSS Board of Governors officially appoint Tim to the position for the remainder of the term.
Jeff Parnell presented the BORC with a complete, draft copy of the NCRC textbook. It has been turned over to the review panel and we anticipate having a reviewed copy ready for editing by mid-summer.
The NCRC new instructor qualification process was modified, and now includes a comprehensive written and skills test over curriculum, policies, and safety procedures. The new test will be implemented at this summer’s national seminar.
After a year’s pilot test, a new litter tie-in method was adopted by BORC for incorporation into the curriculum. Known as the "double-V," it supports the patient via a seat harness. Cross straps provide additional stabilization and secure the packaging materials. The method is published in Lipke’s Technical Rescue Rigger’s Guide. We will use it with slight modification (padding to the groin and tensioning of the upper support first). Other aspects of our packaging technique will remain essentially unchanged.
A consolidated policy on regional seminars has been developed and will be posted to our Web site.
Plans:
The 2004 NCRC National Cave Rescue Seminar will be held June
19-26, 2004, in Indiana. The NCRC Central Region will host it.
The NCRC 2005 National Cave Rescue Seminar is being planned for Alabama. Dates have not been identified, and will depend upon timing of the 2005 NSS Convention.
The 2006 NCRC National Cave Rescue Seminar is being planned for Puerto Rico.
Problems:
The NCRC still lacks a liability insurance policy. We need to
have one in place to retain access to facilities and field sites
for our 2004 National Seminar. I have submitted information to
Ted Keyes to determine cost of covering NCRC under the NSS
policy. If all else fails, we’ll purchase event insurance
– but this option is not cost effective.
Carol Tiderman
Carol Tiderman, Chairman
Progress
· Communicating with the 2004 group. Checking on their
progress and passing along new information, filling requests for
data, history and other materials and answering any questions.
· Working with the group that has presented a bid for 2005 - also the Great Saltpetre Preserve group has offered to bail out the bail out if needed.
· Have potential host groups for 2006, Gainesville FL area, Bellingham WA
Have potential host group for 2007 - Indiana - they plan to present their bid in Las Vegas
The cruise director has not told me of any plans to deep six the Cruise Convention. - He is conducting a caver cruise in Jan 05 – this may be a trial run or just an alternative to the Convention Cruise
· Provided information to potential host groups to facilitate their activity in determining an adequate site and other requirements for hosting a convention. Supplied them with the standard bid form.
Plans
· Attend convention committee planning meetings (any
year's) whenever possible,
· Continue working with confirmed groups and continue working with groups yet to be confirmed.
· Continue to solicit new host groups.
Conduct site visits in Huntsville, Gainesville, Bellingham & Indiana when the host groups are ready.
Problems
· None at this time.
Peri Frantz and Lynn Fielding, Chairmen
Submitted by Peri Frantz
February 18, 2004
The 2003 NSS Convention was held at Porterville College, in Porterville California, August 4-5. It was preceded by three days of pre-convention activities, including two geology field trips, and followed by several post-convention caving trips. A more detailed description of convention activities can be found in the November 2003 NSS News.
The convention was hosted by an ad hoc committee of approximately 50 western cavers, with the support of the Western Region of the NSS. Another 75 cavers pitched in during the week to keep things running smoothly.
851 people registered for the full week as NSS members or their accompaniers and 20 non-members also registered for the full week. Beyond that, 103 people attended on day passes, and another 10 people received complimentary passes. Most of the complimentary passes were for US Forest Service, and National Park Service representatives. This yields a total of 984 participants.
For reasons that are discussed below, the final financial report is not available as I write this, however convention treasurer Amy Ponsetti and I expect to complete the finances prior to the March board meeting. At this point we anticipate a profit of approximately $5000 - $10,000.
Rather then repeat information available elsewhere, I would like to highlight a few of the things that worked well for this convention, and also discuss one major problem area.
Things that Worked Well
Unitary Site: All convention activities, with the exception of the Photo Salon were held at Porterville College, or immediately across the street at the Pioneer Middle School. The Photo Salon was less than three miles from the campus. Combining camping, sessions, and parties in one location significantly simplified the planning and logistics. The unitary site was also a great convenience for attendees, who could easily return to their camp sites as needed, did not have to coordinate family activities between multiple locations, and did not spend precious time traveling between sites. We have received many compliments on how smoothly everything ran. The unitary site was major factor.
Relationship with College: Considerable effort was put into building a mutually beneficial relationship with the college. The college was able to generate excess revenue at a time of extreme budgetary constraints, add to its status among community colleges by supporting a unique educational activity, and to reinforce its value to the Porterville community by drawing in a major event. In exchange, we received an almost unprecedented level of support and assistance. We had access to all of the campus facilities, full use of computer and AV equipment, and a bargain basement rate at the college reproduction center. The college staff, which had experienced a significant layoff just 6 weeks prior to the convention, nonetheless went out of its way to solve problems, and help make things run smoothly. We never had to argue about what was or was not included in the contract, what we were or were not allowed to do, or how much the little extras were going to cost. It all simply happened. It is difficult to overstate the value that this level of cooperation adds to a convention.
The use of the college’s reproduction center, in particular, was an immeasurably valuable resource. The center printed and bound the Convention Program, eliminating the need to transport the books and allowing us to print "just enough" and then print more as needed. It produced the daily "Sierra Sizzler", which editor Liz Harter was able to submit electronically each evening, and then simply pick up in the morning. It printed and folded the maps for inclusion in the Guidebook. And, it was available for myriad other reproduction tasks throughout the week, for both convention staff and attendees. Having worked on two other conventions, and attended many, I fully appreciate the degree to which these services facilitated the convention.
Relationship with Town and Chamber of Commerce: As with the college, we put a lot of energy into building a relationship with the town and the business community. This was time well spent and paid off in the reception that convention attendees received in local businesses, in the ease of obtaining permits, and in general problem solving.
Convention Staff: The convention staff was comprised of motivated, self-starting individuals. I had to do very little micromanaging, and could focus on keeping things coordinated and dealing with the unexpected. A complete (I hope) staff appears in the Convention Program, but I would like to recognize three individuals who made extraordinary contributions. First is vice-chairman Lynn Fielding, who repeatedly stepped into the breach and plugged holes before they could become major leaks. Next is Program Chairman Carol Vesely, who put together a rich and varied program, with numerous new seminars, workshops and activities. An often-heard complaint was "There’s too much going on. I want to do it all, and I can’t." A third stellar performer was Josh Bailey, who programmed the on-line line registration facility. Josh who had never attended an NSS convention put in countless hours to assure that this system was easy to use, secure, correct, and self-documenting. Josh has still never attended a convention, because last minute professional responsibilities interfered. In recognizing these three, I do not intend to slight the remainder of the committee. It was an incredible bunch of people to work with. People went well beyond their immediate responsibilities, cooperated with a minimum of friction, and had fun along the way.
Cave Trips: When Californians first began discussing the possibility of hosting a convention, there was considerable concern about the potential for cave damage. To address this concern, we decided to closely manage convention caving. Trip coordinator Joel Despain developed conservation policy and cave trip guidelines that were publicized both in the NSS News and on the web. With the help of John Woods, he developed a portfolio of caves that could be visited with minimum impact. For the most part, these guidelines worked, and the cave trips went well. Unfortunately there were a few serious exceptions were serious. These problems were discussed in the November NSS News, and so will not be repeated here.
Things That Didn’t Work So Well
Registration: Our registration process ran chronically late, and was never fully up-to-date. We were late in bringing electronic registration on-line, and even later in implementing a database to hold registration information. Checks and credit cards were not processed in a timely manner, registrations were not acknowledged, and record keeping was inconsistent. There were also problems responding to special requests, many of which were neglected. Among the factors contributing to these problems were some unanticipated personal conflicts on the part of the registration chairman, and a serious underestimation of the complexity of the job and the difficulty of implementing and maintaining a database. Because of the problems encountered prior to the convention, a decision was made to run on-site registration as a paper-based process, and all on-site transactions were first processed manually, and subsequently entered into the computer. This was the right decision. Since the convention, the paper trail has enabled us to review and correct the computer records so that accurate figures could be generated for the financial reports. Additional work was also needed to correct the pre-convention records. These registration problems have made the accounting especially difficult, and are largely responsible for the delays in producing the financial reports.
Recommendations
Registration Database: Over the last decade, conventions have become considerably more complex, and the requirements for tight fiscal control have likewise increased. Each convention committee has struggled with the increased complexity; repeatedly reinventing the computer infrastructure needed to adequately track registration and finances. Attempts to pass this infrastructure on to subsequent conventions have largely floundered due to differences in computer expertise, system incompatibilities, and the complexities of adapting the software for each convention. When faced with the efforts of trying to understand last year’s system, most convention committees have elected to write their own, with varying results
It is time for the NSS to require that all conventions use consistent software for both convention registration and finance. The acquisition of a fully supported commercial product, and subsequent training of both NSS and convention personnel can best do this. For me, this recommendation represents a 180-degree turnaround, since I have long contended that each convention committee should be allowed to impart its own flavor to the convention. However, after this year’ s experience, I have concluded that in the financial arena, this level of individuality is no longer acceptable or even feasible. I would even go so far as to suggest that the NSS Office handle pre-convention registration, both mail-in and electronic. The cost of an additional staff person to handle registration could be charged back to the convention, much as insurance is currently charged back.
Management Coaching: The most difficult tasks I faced as convention chairmen were those related to personnel management. I recognized early on that the registration committee was in trouble, but the people involved are friends, so I made repeated efforts to work with them to correct the problems. With 20-20 hindsight, I should have asked some of them to step aside so that someone with more free time could take on the job. However, by the time I reached that conclusion, it was too late. I’d like to recommend that a section on "personnel management" be added to the convention-planning guide. If such material had been available, I may have realized the need to act in time to correct the situation.
In conclusion, this convention has been over five years in the making, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed doing it. In particular, I would like to thank the entire convention staff, for helping make it a raging success. Together, we made this convention a reality. We can now rest content in the knowledge of a job well done.
Jean Devries
Progress of Specific Committees
Sessions/Program
Session request form is completed and available on the website for anyone requesting room space for sessions/luncheons/meetings, etc
Da Yooper show will be held at the campground. With the exception of the Photo Salon, all evening activities will be held at the campground.
Exploration Session chairs have been secured.
Publications
Articles have been submitted and are being formatted. All tasks are on schedule.
Trips
A deposit has been paid for the Geology Trip busses.
Geo trip has been finalized, and includes stops at the Michigan Mining Heritage Museum and Cliff Shaft Mine
Pre and post-convention trips in Wisconsin and Canada are being worked on
Self-guided trip write ups almost completed for guidebook
Registration
Online registration, as well as other registration info (who is registered? Reg for events) are working smoothly.
As of February 8, 2004, there are 56 registrants. This may or may not be off of other years, but the publicity blitz has not yet started.
Publicity
The Convention promo CD was shown at Carter Caves Crawlathon.
Articles promoting Con 04 will appear in the February, March, and May issues of The NSS News.
Promo CDs will be mailed to grottos by February 15th.
I will be sending every grotto a "monthly Convention bites" small email every month, which can either be passed along to the grotto or included in the newsletter.
Convention registrants will begin receiving our pre-convention newsletter soon.
Overall, planning is going very well. We are on time with most tasks, and do not anticipate any great problems.
Plans
Continue working on all tasks and details.
Problems
Currently, we are having an issue both with securing a bank
in Marquette and new laws regarding signing up for an account. As
you heard from Tom Rea earlier, the Federal Patriot Act does not
allow us to take signature cards out of the bank to have signed
by the NSS President and Treasurer. The Executive Board decided
to allow signatures from the Convention President and Tom Rea to
suffice in the interim, but I imagine that this will need to be
addressed for future conventions. Additionally, the bank that we
had selected and talked to decided that they did not want our
account since we were not local. We will attempt to secure an
account in March during a site visit.
Rick & Faye Bowersox Co-Chairmen
321 Pinecliff Dr
Las Vegas, Nevada 89145-5259
Phone: 702-242-6995
Fax: 702-242-6916
LavaBeds@cox.net
Progress:
· Two local members of the 2004 convention staff are assisting the JSS committee this year. Ideas for classes and activities are being submitted, reviewed and accepted or rejected based on their appropriateness to the long-term goals of the program. Our schedule is only about half completed at this time due to typical winter weather conditions at the convention’s host location. This will mean our pre-convention planning trip will be delayed until May.
· A JSS web site has been finished and is ready to be added to the NSS server (space available). The site in located at nssjss.com for the present time.
o To advertise and explain youth programs and activities at each years convention.
o To show activities held at past conventions.
o To advertise regional activities not held in conjunction with convention activities.
o To post financial reports.
o To solicit volunteer help.
Plans:
· A pre-convention planning trip will be made as soon as the ground is reasonably clear of snow. Until then work will continue on creating a list of about sixty activities to be cut down to the approximately thirty final items to be placed on the schedule.
o JSS vertical division is planning it’s rappelling and ascending training classes this year with two half-day sessions in the gymnasium and a one full day session outdoors. The outdoor course is planned to train its participants in as life like an environment as possible.
o JSS education division once again will provide several cartography sessions to the program. The program includes instruction on Brunton, Suunto, and TSU/EDM (Total Station Unit/Electronic Distance Meter) then along with data collection and handling techniques.
o Two sessions of water quality/microbiology will be added. One session geared for pre-teens and one for teens.
o Several earth science nature walks are planned including (Great) lakeside walks geared towards aquatic science.
o We are planning between twenty-five and thirty events to be held both on and off site this year for the youth.
o Fees for the JSS has been established for 2004 at $35.00 per child (to the JSS). Budgetary goals can be met with registration fees, ice sales and the moderate cost of several support services in the area.
· Forms for release of liability, medical consent to treat…etc. will be reviewed and revised as needed to be brought up to date.
Problems:
· Local weather may continue to delay pre-convention development at the host location. No other problems are seen at this time.
Paul & Lee Stevens
The NSS News article for the 2003 Salon was published and we updated the "Cave Art" web site. Dave Bunnell will take over the Multi-Image Salon from Colin Gatland.
Some of things we will do differently for the 2003 Salon are as follows:
- introduce the salon program with a three-minute multi-image presentation by Colin Gatland set to music by Dan McConnell of Susan Haygood's cave ballad "Caving Roads."
- project the words to cave ballads when playing them [Barbara am Ende's idea].
- project an updated "Cave Quiz" during intermission.
- not permit glass-mounted slide entries to avoid the projection problems we have observed.
- limit multi-image entries to 15 minutes.
Paul and Lee
Chairman: William (Bill) Jackson
Vice-Chairman: Don Shofstall
Chairmen NSS I/O Committee: Evelyn Bradshaw, Keith Wheeland
No report at this time.