Reports from NSS Cave Preserve Committees

McFails Cave Preserve Report—Winter 1998

Problems—none

Progress—none

Plans—Still have not gotten Phil Bodanza to replace the gate on Halls Hole. Will try to get that done this spring.

Trips in cave this Fall:

Note #1 Placed a few small plexiglass plates in the main stream passage to determine the nature of the calcite and or clay deposits that accumulate in the cave stream. (Full report sent to me)

Note #2 Special permission was given for a trip after normal closing date. Full report available. Only one bat was seen in the area that Art and Peg did their study.

Submitted
Emily Davis Mobley

Shelta Cave Preserve Report—Feb. 1998

No Report Received

John Guilday Cave Preserve Report—Feb. 1998

Sorry if this is late. I've been in Kenya for a while and only just got back. They deleted your message at work, so I can't tell if this is timely or not. Only one thing of interest has occurred at the preserve since my last report. I have been contacted by the West Virginia Department of Highways about a widening of U.S. 220 at the curve at the northeast corner of our property. I met with a representative from the highway department and discussed this with him. He will get plans drawn up for presentation to us. This work will take a small portion of our property, for which we would be reimbursed. I have discussed this with other members of the committee, and we see no reason to oppose it. We may benefit by the widening of the shoulder area typically used for parking. I had hoped their proposal would arrive prior to my return from Kenya, but it did not. I will forward it as soon as it does.

Respectfully submitted,
Dave West
Chairman, Guilday Cave Preserve

Barton Hill Karst Preserve---Winter 1998

Problems—Neil Bauman has run over a number of our boundary markers.

Progress—None! It is winter!

Plans—Reset posts and wire some of them together.

Cabin Plans—Boston Grotto is interested in continuing to clean and fix the cabin. We may try to find out how much a concrete holding tank would be for an out house on the property to make this cabin more usable.

Trips in cave this fall and winter;

#1 Trip to remove data logger with Jim Serach, (The BU doctoral student studying fat retention in bats.)

Submitted
Emily Davis Mobley

Donald R. Russell Cave Preserve Report—Winter, 1998

Everything is good—surface and below. Nothing to report, except a very unusual winter (warm). Rain, Rain, and more Rain! I checked everything recently, due to an eight inch flood of the area. Hibernaculum of Plecodus. T. bat is O.K. and stable. Nothing else is unusual. Had a spreading fire earlier, before the rain, and was controlled by 'Wildlife Control' by scraping a firebreak. No harm done. (If you have a need for Sasafrass roots for tea, just give me a call.)

Sincerely,
Donald R. Russell

Schoharie Cavern Preserve Report—Winter 1998

Schoharie Caverns Preserve is in its dormant stage. Not very many visit the Cabin or cave between the Board meetings because the snow drifts in the driveway and the hill ices up for car travel. A few hearty souls walk in and occasionally the weather breaks. This is probably the best time to enjoy the Preserve, and I'm headed there tomorrow night for beer & cigars, with or without company!

The most late-breaking news is that we have been notified that the adjacent neighbor, the Cooks, want to subdivide their farm property. There is a Town of Wright Planning Board meeting Wed, 7:30 PM, 2/11 for them to consider the proposal. I am attending along with NSS member (?) Nick Viscio, Deputy Town Commissioner, Town of Knox, Albany County who has a 15 year record of regulating development in karst lands. We don't anticipate any surprises since they are only subdividing the farm among mother and two children. There are two houses on the property now, and the planning board will be looking closely at their water and septic as well as future plans. Most likely the existing houses and systems will be grandfathered into compliance.

Speleologically,
Nice Bob Addis

Alachua Sinks Preserve Report—Jan. 1998

This will be a rather short report as the rain has limited activities this quarter at Alachua Sink. There have been twelve dives this quarter, eight of those were tours given by guides and the other four dives were to repair/replace the main line in the system. This line replacement is approximately 1/3 of the way completed. The CDS donated the line and guides have utilized this to replace the upstream line, the down stream replacement will have to wait until conditions clear. The sinkhole remains filled with very dark, cold water as this, and the down stream water, is influenced by an underground infeeder stream.

We have also cleaned-up approximately three acres of the property, this area was infested by a noxious vine (Smilax lauralafolia). The area we have cleaned is now suitable for camping, meetings, hiking, or other activities. We are planning to pick up railroad ties this month (February '98) to complete the new parking area and stairs to the water. We plan on being able to utilize the drive, parking area, and water access on our side of the sink by mid summer.

The committee met 1/16/98, for our quarterly meeting. The discussion included:

How frequently do we need to have divers and guides complete waivers?

Presently, waivers are completed each time divers enter the water, and guides one time per year, this also assists in determining diver usage.

Lamar Hires will ask the CDS 'legal advisor' what Florida's laws are regarding, fences, posted property, gates, and liability.

We reviewed guide status: a. Presently there are nine active guides. No pending guides at this time. b. Added to the guide list were Pat Cushing (NSS# pending) and Greg Montgomery (NSS#32094). They will be "surface guides," responsibilities will include being present during usage of the property by school botany classes and related activities, clean-up and work days, etc. They will not be guides for diving.

Meeting was adjourned, as it was interfering with our drinking and telling of outrageous cave-diving stories. Attached is the current Guide list.

Jim Taylor

1998 ALACHUA SINK GUIDE LIST

(Diving Guides)
Jim C. Taylor
Bill Main
Woody Jasper
Tom Morris
Lamar Hires
Lloyd Bailey
Jarrod Jablonski
Tyler Moon
Bob Messersmith
Ted Cole
John Mosley

(Surface Guides)
Pat Cushing
Greg Montgomery

Tytoona Cave Preserve Report—Winter 1998

Progress:

The signing of the deed took place on December 23, 1997. Since the management plan has yet been approved by the NSS Board of Governors, no progress can take place. Therefore the heading "progress" has no relevance at this time.

Plans:

Assuming the NSS Board of Governors will adopt the most recent Tytoona Management Plan (Feb. 1998), I have included in this report a 3-P Plan.

Goals:

1) To change the wording of the existing wooden sign on the property to reflect the new ownership and preserve name.

2) Add to this sign the visitation rules (if and when BOG OK's it).

3) Check the property and cave on a monthly or every other month basis. Clean up any trash that is found and investigate any vandal problems.

4) Have an "official" rope-cutting ceremony with news media present to document this historic event of new ownership and better future protection of the cave. This can give us a good opportunity to spread the word about cave conservation!

5) Notify the Pennsylvania State Police of the change of ownership and make it known to them of our feelings towards conservation and visitation rules of the property. I will also remind them of the Pennsylvania Cave Law and the Landowner Act. I expect that they will continue to patrol the area and enforce the law to the fullest.

6) Continue to maintain the CCUS cave register.

7) Place a metal cap on the well casing which is located on the property.

8) Repair the stone dike by the stream to prevent further hillside erosion. This will likely happen during warmer weather.

9) Start a Tytoona fundraiser to replenish funds used by the NSS for the acquisition.

10) Publish an article about the cave in the NSS News.

Future Plans:

1) Have a complete water study of the cave stream to identify pollutants (if any) and the source.

2) For aesthetic purpose, remove the lower sign by the cave entrance and place it with the larger sign on the cave path.

3) Try and locate or resurvey the whole cave in order to draft a complete detailed map of the entire cave.

4) Using survey data, plot out the cave above ground in relation to properties owned by others which either overlay or cross the cave system.

5) Contact property owners which may have land over or crossing the cave system, to see if they might consider protective measures to prohibit excavations, buildings or drilling above such areas. One possible idea would be to enter an easement for such situations.

6) Develop friendly neighbor relationship with local landowners.

7) Print a Tytoona brochure stating among other things, cave conservation.

8) Build a cave information booth (like at Trout Caves) where related information can be seen or obtained by those visiting the property.

9) Build a secluded, two car parking area with a gate for management use. Presently, no parking is allowed on the property and the only parking available is alongside a small gravel township road. This is a safety concern of many on the Tytoona Committee.

Problems:

I will need written authorization from the NSS giving me the power to manage Tytoona Cave and act on the behalf of the NSS if needed. In an emergency situation where arrests of vandals or other important events happen, my NSS membership card alone may not be enough proof that I can prosecute or manage on behalf of the NSS in front of the State Police or local magistrate.

Other than that, I don't see any problems at the present time.

Garrett Czmor