Cave Management
Division
Cave and Karst
Acquisition Committee
Cave Conservancies
Committee
Closed Cave Database
Committee
Contemporary
Cave Use Study Committee
Land Owner Relations
Committee
NSS Cave Preserves
Committee
Conservation Division
Conservation Committee
Resource Preservation
Committee
Mammoth Cave
Restoration Committee
Cave
Vandalism Deterrence Reward Commission
Education Division
Environmental
Education Committee
National Cave Rescue
Commission
Safety and Techniques
Committee
Television Video
Production Committee
IMAX Film Committee
NSS Convention
Division
Convention
Development Committee
1998 NSS Convention
1999 NSS Convention
2000 NSS Convention
2001 NSS Convention
Convention
Registration Software Committee
Junior Speleological
Society
Salon Coordinator
Attachment C-1: Cave Preserve Reports
Douglas Medville
11762 Indian Ridge Rd.
Reston, VA 20191
(703) 860-0134
medville@patriot.net
The Department of the Administrative Vice President consists of 18 Committees, two Commissions, and several NSS Convention Committees. Within these are 9 Conservation Task Forces, ten Cave Preserves, six NSS Conservancies, and several Sub-Committees.
In this report, I provide the name, address, phone number, and e-mail address of the Chair of each organizational entity, followed by the Chairman’s report. The information in this report has been provided by the Committee and Subcommittee Chairs although I have made some spelling, formatting, and minor editorial adjustments. Where I feel it is useful to do so, my AVP comments are provided in italics, following the report’s text. In these comments, I add some context-setting remarks, my viewpoint, or additional information.
Mammoth Cave Restoration Camp: Reimbursements to NSS and non-NSS Members
At the congress of Grottos meeting at the Idaho Convention a motion was passed that stated: "Resolved- NSS members shall be given priority consideration for participation in the Mammoth Cave Restoration Project, and only NSS members shall be reimbursed for expenses". The resolution passed by a vote of 257 to 8 and I was instructed to respond to this motion. The argument stated in the COG issues list was that "This project has been thrown open to non-NSS members. Non-members can register for the project and bump members who try to register later. Is this right?". Given the one sided wording in the argument, I’m not surprised at the voting results.
The NSS has a Cooperative Agreement with Mammoth Cave National Park under which Park money is distributed by the NSS to volunteers who participate in cave restoration weekends and a weeklong restoration camp at MCNP. The money is used to reimburse participants for their travel expenses at the IRS-approved mileage rate and for the costs of Park housing and shared meals. The Agreement does not limit participation or reimbursement to NSS members only and to do so would be discriminatory.
The facts of the matter are that these restoration camps pre-date the CA with the NSS and that some non-NSS members have always attended. Karen Dennis, Co-Chair of our Committee that administers the agreement and runs the camps, has pointed out to me that since the inception of the agreement, no NSS members have been turned away from going to the camp in favor of a non-NSS member. Also, according to her records, 90 percent of all camp participants have been NSS members and members of their immediate families, so the participation by non-NSS members has been very small.
Camp participation is on a per-Grotto basis, that is, Grottos are invited to send members to the camps. Since not all grottos have a 100% NSS member policy, it follows that some of the participants are grotto members who are not NSS members. I would urge these grottos as well as the Co-Chairs of this Committee to try to persuade the non-NSS participants to join the NSS in light of the fact that without the NSS, they would not be attending the camps. Although we cannot force people to join the NSS or require them to join as a condition of camp participation, perhaps some friendly persuasion can help.
I will submit a motion at this Board meeting stating that NSS members will be given priority consideration for restoration camp attendance as per the COG resolution. I will also request that our Mammoth Cave Restoration Committee encourage camp participants to join the NSS. We cannot however, legally withhold reimbursement to non-NSS-member camp participants under the terms of the Cooperative Agreement.
Status of Conservation Task Forces
At the July 12 BOG meeting in Idaho, I was asked by the Directors to review the NSS Conservation Task Forces to determine whether or not they are adhering to the CTF Guidelines given in Act 50-238. This Act states in its entirety: "The Conservation Committee should actively seek out conservation problems throughout the country and establish Task Forces under the Conservation Committee to seek out the facts in each case and publicize the problem through the NSS News and other publications".
CTF Coordinator Jo Schaper and I summarized the major concerns, activities, and time horizons of each of the nine CTFs by using the CTF annual reports that were sent to Jo
Our CTFs fall into four general categories:
1. Cave Management/Conservancy: The Xanadu Cave CTF and perhaps Sloans Valley CTF are in this category. The Xanadu CTF has a formal agreement to manage Xanadu Cave via a lease agreement with the estate that owns Xanadu Cave. They can become an NSS Cave Conservancy rather than a CTF since their activities are more consistent with those of a cave conservancy. Being an NSS Conservancy costs them nothing other than having to prepare a short Annual Report saying what they're doing. This report is the same as the one that they're writing at present. BOG approval will be needed for them to become a Conservancy.
2. Survey/data gathering/advocacy groups: These have a long time horizon and are involved in working with land managers but are also more involved in cave discovery, exploration, and surveying than other CTFs. Klamath Mt. and Teton are in this category. These CTFs are primarily involved with cave surveys and monitoring of the caves for visitation impacts. Both groups work with their local USFS Districts to provide advice on cave management (or lack thereof) and land use practices that could impact local caves. These folks have the option of being NSS Projects, if they wish to do so. Project status is conferred by the Research Advisory Committee in the Executive VP Dept. If they choose to remain CTFs, they can also do this since they're hybrid groups having some Project and some CTF characteristics.
3. Long range watchdog groups: These have a long time horizon and deal with several issues. These are our mainstream CTFs- looking at watershed protection, threatened loss of caves due to mining and construction, contamination of karst aquifers from landfill runoff, overuse/misuse of caves, fauna protection, etc. I feel that Sloans Valley, Lost River, Germany Valley, Hawaii, and Central Oregon fall in this category.
4. Specific Issue Committees: These have a limited time frame, and deal with single or sequential issues: The Pennsylvania Cave Legislation CTF falls under this category. They achieved their primary objective in getting the PA cave protection law and passed and are now working on the next issue: obtaining access to caves on State Game Lands.
Returning to the Hawaii CTF, this is the only state-wide CTF and thus it has a larger variety of things to be concerned with and must deal with a larger number of players (state and local officials, National Park personnel and policies, private landowners, developers, etc.) than other CTFs. The basic motivation of this CTF is to protect the biologically and culturally sensitive lava tubes in Hawaii from over-visitation by locals and other cavers and from destruction of habitat as a result of land development, road construction, and other acts of man. They state that they prepare Management Plans for state and federal agencies, educate the local population, and support visiting scientists. This CTF is thinking of converting to a Conservancy status and I will push them in this direction, as I think that as a CTF, they are spread too thin to deal with all of the cave-related problems in the state (there are only two active members of the CTF).
If the Teton and Klamath CTFs become NSS Projects and the Xanadu Cave and Hawaii CTFs become NSS Conservancies, we're left with four CTFs that fall into the mainline role plus the Pennsylvania Cave Legislation CTF, which is more of a single issue group for getting government policies regarding cave access changed. I feel that this is an appropriate realignment of our CTFs.
Finally, I intend to replace the 1971 Act that created our CTFs with one that more clearly addresses the things that CTFs do today. I’ve discussed this with Jo Schaper and with Conservation Committee Chair Dave Jagnow. I will have a motion for the fall 1999 BOG meeting to this effect.
NSS Convention Registration Policy
Both before and following the Idaho Convention, there was a fair amount of discussion between me, Convention Division Head Carol Tiderman, both of our last two Convention Chairs (Dave Kesner and William Shrewsbury), Director Bill Tozer, Paul Stevens, and others regarding our Convention Registration and fee policies. The discussion has involved issues such as who has to pay to attend a convention, who (if anyone) is allowed to attend an NSS convention without paying, and our policy concerning non-caver (non-Convention staff) volunteers who help out but do not attend any Convention events.
As a result of these lively discussions, I will propose an NSS Convention Registration and Fee Policy which if passed, would become an Attachment to the Acts of the Board and which would be incorporated into the NSS Convention Planning Guide. The bottom line of the proposed policy is that all convention attendees must pay a fee, e.g., for full registration, for a day pass, for the banquet, etc. that is appropriate to the benefits received. However, there are some exceptions and these will be covered in the proposed policy.
Thom Engel (Chairman)
16 Equinox Ct., Apt. 2a
Delmar, NY 12054-1726
(518) 478-9664
caveman@acmenet.net
Progress:
Bob Montgomery reports that Miles Hecker of the Hole in the Wall
Grotto talked to the landowners about purchasing the entrance of
Great-X cave. They are not interested in selling at this time but
may be "down the road a bit" Hecker will continue to
pursue this and would appreciate any written information about
the advantages of selling/donating properties with caves to the
NSS. He will approach them with the idea of their retaining use
of the property, i.e. grazing and access, without the liability
of owning a cave.
Kim Metzger of the Mid Atlantic Karst Conservancy has talked to six landowners in two states this summer. They made one lease offer after five personal contacts, but this could be tough going, on a cave that the owners consider "closed." As a side note, some MAKC members, including John Pearson of Tri-State Grotto, have privately purchased Bubble Cave in W. Va., which was for sale, and are setting up the Bubble Cave Preserve.
In New York, the Northeastern Cave Conservancy has drawn up a list of caves to be protected. (I am working on a list of cave and karst properties already protected, and not just by the NSS or the NCC. This has been very instructive. The largest owner of caves and karst in New York is the State of New York.) Anyway, the NCC may be able to pick up Two Second Pit and incorporate it into the Knox Cave Preserve.
AVP Comment: Thom raises an interesting point in his comment about providing landowners with information about selling, donating, or leasing land containing caves to the NSS, one of its Conservancies, or any other cave conservancy, for that matter. It would be good to provide such information as well as information about granting conservation easements. I will encourage Thom, John Wilson (our Cave Conservancies Chairman), and Gary Bush (our Cave Preserves Chairman) to think about and develop such written materials: perhaps a brochure or pamphlet explaining the tax and conservation benefits of donations, sales, or easements to a non-profit organization such as the NSS.
John M. Wilson (Chairman)
9504 Lakewater Ct.
Richmond, VA 23229
(804) 740 0339
wilsonjmll@earthlink.net
Plans:
At the 1999 NSS Convention, Tina Hall made a recommendation at
the Thursday morning conservancies roundtable to have a symposium
for cave conservancies, land trusts with caves, and related cave
management interests at the 2000 NSS convention in West Virginia.
The representatives attending the roundtable were very receptive to this proposal. As chairman of the Cave Conservancies Committee, I volunteered to do the following:
- Seek the support and cooperation of the AVP and the Cave Conservation, Cave Management, and NSS Convention Division Chiefs.
- Seek the support of the Cave Conservation and Management Section and the various components such as the session chairs.
- Invite other appropriate groups to participate.
- Help find someone to coordinate the entire symposium.
Here are the results: The AVP and the Conservation Division Chief support the concept of a broad-based symposium. The NSS Convention Division Chief Carol Tiderman and the NSS 2000 Convention leadership, with Kelley Deem as chair, are supportive. The Convention Program Chair can provide a room for the conservation activities on Monday and Tuesday for at least 110 people, and maybe a larger room. On Wednesday, one or more rooms that hold up to 100 people will be available. All of these rooms will be air-conditioned. Gary Bush, Chairman of the NSS Cave Preserves Committee, is interested and will check with the NSS preservers managers to determine their interest.
Rodney Horrocks, Conservation and Management Section Chair, will coordinate the overall symposium. Tina Hall will coordinate the conservancies and land trust session. Gary may assist with this session, depending on the participation of NSS cave preserve managers. Val Werker, Jim Werker, and George Huppert, leaders of the conservation and restoration session, have this concept under consideration. Other functions could be held as part of the symposium. Monday has been reserved for the cave conservation and restoration session. Tuesday has been reserved for the cave conservancies, land trusts, and related cave management sessions. Other related presentations and workshops could be held on Wednesday. Some of these Wednesday sessions might be specialized or have limited attendance that could be run as concurrent sessions. All of these recommendations are suggestions and could be revised if needed.
I am willing to do three other things to assist the symposium.
- List the authors, titles, and abstract or description of the papers accepted for presentation at the symposium on the Conservancies web site prior to the convention. I will also arrange to have a link from the 2000 Convention web site to the page.
- Attend the sessions.
- Submit a paper for consideration by the session chair.
Progress:
The proposal from the conservancies round-table of a conservancy
list serve has been given to Dave Jagnow and Rob Stitt to develop
as a more general list serve. It is intended to help all people
interested in cave conservation communicate with each other.
Problems:
There are no significant problems at this time.
Everett Carpenter (Chairman)
10138 Avenel Gardens Lane
Silver Spring, MD 20903
Tel: 301-439-1750
Fax: 202-404-8849
carpenter@anvil.nrl.navy.mil
Progress:
I have received the closed cave listings from VAR and from TAG
that give me closed caves in 8 states. I have also received
contact information for Mid-Atlantic Region, and Northeast
Regions, which will give a complete listing for the eastern
coast. I have sent a letter to the remaining regions in the U.S.
asking for their assistance in the project. The questions that I
am trying to answer are: Where are most of the closed caves and
what are the reasons for the caves being closed. I am
incorporating any additional information provided by the regions
so there may be other questions which I can answer such as
contact person information.
Plans:
I plan to continue requesting information form regions, surveys,
and other cave conservation groups. Any suggestions of people to
contact should be forwarded to me either by e-mail or regular
mail.
Problems:
The real problem which has arisen from this project is simply
getting the information. In many cases, it appears that
individuals keep the listings and there is very little follow-up
on the information. The result is that the listings are very
difficult to get and the information is most probably
out-of-date. I believe that a comprehensive listing can be made,
which will provide a snapshot of closed caves, but all this work
will be wasted unless it is kept up to date. This listing has the
potential of being a marvelous tool to help direct the NSS's
conservation efforts across the nation. I would suggest including
a request for the information in either a grotto's annual report
or a region's annual report. It is also possible to include
closed cave information with the local survey groups.
I also am running into a problem trying to explain what this listing is going to be used for. My understanding is that it is going to be used to help elucidate conservation issues per region.
AVP Comment: The database can also be used to estimate the percentage of caves in each state or region that are closed and the numbers or percentage of large or popular caves that are closed. We can also monitor cave closures over time to see if there are trends that indicate a significant loss of access to caves. Since many caves are not totally closed but have various access restrictions such as seasonal closure or limits on the number of visitors, we can follow these trends as well. Finally, we may be able to approach some owners of closed caves with offers to lease, buy, or obtain conservation easements on these caves.
Garrett Czmor (Chairman)
Star Route Box 24
Huntingdon, PA 16652
(814) 643-3067
gccaver@vicon.net
Report not received.
Bill Thoman (Chairman)
4905 Ralph Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45328-3801
(513) 251-7357
speleo@juno.com
Progress:
I wrote an article on cave closures and ways to avoid them in the
August 1999 NSS News. In the September issue of the News I had an
article on rancher relations reprinted. I have had one person
contact me and am working with him in setting up a Land Owners
Committee for their grotto.
Plans:
I plan to continue throwing ideas out and trying to stimulate
"action" by cavers in maintaining good landowner
relations.
Problems:
None to report.
Gary Bush (Chairman)
2630 Stonegate Dr.
Jacksonville, FL 32223-0702
(904) 268-7638
gbush@jaxnet.com
Summary:
The Preserve Managers reports I've received are
presented in Attachment C-1: Cave Preserve Reports. As
is my custom, I've also summarized the status of each report in
"Property Status" below. Only 7 of the 10 Managers
submitted a report this period.
Plans:
The repair of the Halls Hole entrance gate at McFails Preserve is
slated for completion this year. The Shelta Cave Management Group
hopes to raise funds to replace the old entrance gate in an
effort to encourage return of gray bats. The annual
"Conservacation" will be held at the John Guilday Cave
Preserve this October. A work weekend is being planned for
Alachua Sinks to repair the gate at the parking lot and the steps
down to the Sink area. Materials have been donated for these
repairs. A "neighborhood watch" type of program is
being planned for the Tytoona Cave Preserve to hopefully prevent
any reoccurrence of last Winter's vandalism. Some form of special
recognition is being studied, or will be requested, to honor
Trooper Bush for doggedly pursuing the vandals, who are now
awaiting trial.
Progress:
All properties are generally doing well. Preserve photos and
information have been assembled and sent to Colin Gatland for the
display at the October National Cave and Karst Management
Symposium, to be held in Chattanooga. The road widening project
at the JGCP has begun. A group of 12 trespassers at Barton Hill
Karst Preserve was arrested and fined. The Tytoona Cave Preserve
parking area is currently undergoing improvement. An information
kiosk is also being designed. Fund raising for Tytoona has
collected or pledged at least $4,369. this year to repay the NSS
for the purchase of the property.
Problems:
The roof on the information booth at JGCP needs repair, after a
rock fell through it. It'll be fixed in October.
Property Status:
McFails Cave (NY):
Ten trips totaling over 45 visitors were held this summer. Plans
to finally fix the Hall's Hole entrance gate this year are moving
ahead.
Shelta Cave (AL):
Studies continue in the cave. A number of bat experts were
surveyed for their opinions of whether the gray bats might return
to the cave, if a modern gate was installed. The old gate isn't
considered "bat friendly". The majority responded
affirmatively. Funds must be raised to build the new gate. The
new gate design will be forthcoming.
John Guilday Cave Preserve (WV):
The road construction project has begun. The caves are posted as
closed during blasting activities. The "Conservacation"
is scheduled for October 23rd. The information booth roof was
damaged by a rock. It'll be repaired during the
"Conservacation".
Kingston Saltpeter Cave Preserve (GA):
Studies continue at the property. Vandalism and visitation have
been reduced, so the property continues to improve. The annual
Teacher's Trip was held again this Summer. It included teachers,
quarry employees, and a museum director.
Barton Hill Karst Preserve (NY):
Despite low water levels due to drought conditions,
there's been reduced visitation to the caves. There were 13 trips
this summer, involving 87 visitors. One group of 12 was actually
trespassing. They were caught by the Sheriff and fined $100 each.
Warrens Cave (FL):
No Report received this period.
Donald R. Russell Preserve (OK):
No Report received this period.
Schoharie Caverns (NY):
No Report received this period.
Alachua Sink Preserve (FL):
Diving visibility had been very good this Spring.
Summer's heat caused an algal bloom in the sink basin that'll
persist until the temperature subsides. A map of the upstream
section has been completed. Several more dives should complete
the map of the downstream section. The Management Committee would
prefer these maps not be published openly, due to the complexity
of the dives into the spring. Materials have been donated to
upgrade the parking gate and stairs sometime this Fall.
Tytoona Cave Preserve (PA):
Work projects are underway to expand the parking area,
to water seal the signs around the property, and to design an
information kiosk. Information efforts are underway with other
rescue agencies should they be needed. A neighborhood watch
effort is being planned to reduce the potential for vandalism at
the Preserve. Educational trips continue at the cave. Fund
raising efforts should bring about $4,369 to the NSS this year to
help repay the purchase loan. Plans continue to obtain some
measure of appreciation for State Trooper Bush for his extra
efforts in apprehending the vandals of last winter's spray
painting in the cave.
David H. Jagnow (Chief)
PO Box 93398
Albuquerque, NM 87199-3398
(505) 797-9287 (home)
(505) 797-9518 (work)
David@Jagnow.com
Conservation Division Structure:
Cave Conservation Committee
David Jagnow, Chairman
Al Krause, Conservation Grants Coordinator
Don McFarlane, Fauna Protection Coordinator
Jo Schaper, Conservation Task Force Coordinator
Resource Preservation Committee: Jim Werker and Val
Hildreth-Werker, Co-Chairs
Mammoth Cave Restoration Committee: Norm Rogers and Karen Dennis,
Co-Chairs
Cave Vandalism Deterrence Reward Commission:
Jay Jorden, Chairman
Commissioners: Gale Beach, George Huppert, Tom Rea, John Wilson
David H. Jagnow (Chairman)
Plans:
Attend the National Cave & Karst Management Symposium and BOG
Meeting in Chattanooga from October 19-23, 1999. Write a report
on the Symposium to be included in the Spring BOG Report.
Continue fund raising efforts for the Save-The-Caves Fund and
other conservation funds. Write a conservation article for the
NSS News exposing the continued sale of speleothems on eBay (see
below). Starting in October, once again solicit articles for the
March, 2000 Conservation Issue of the NSS News. The deadline for
submissions is January 20, 2000.
Progress:
BATS NEED FRIENDS BROCHURE: Eugene Vale has written a
draft for side one of the new brochure. Side two should be
completed soon and will be forwarded to several bat people who
expressed a willingness to help at Convention. BCI and the NSS
are working cooperatively to update and reprint this new brochure
in color.
BLM NATIONAL CAVE SPECIALIST:
Congratulations to Jim Goodbar (Carlsbad, NM) who is now
officially the Senior Technical Specialist for Cave and Karst
Resources for the BLM Washington Office. He will be working for
the Washington Office 40% of the time, with the remaining time
split between the NM State Office and the Carlsbad Field Office.
Right now Jim's major tasks are updating the BLM Cave Management
Manual and developing a BLM national cave management training
course. Local issues are the continuing withdrawal and exchange
of lands for an expanded cave protection area north of Carlsbad
Caverns National Park. Please note that Jim's email has recently
changed to: James_Goodbar@blm.gov
CAVE PROTECTION ZONE (NM):
On behalf of the NSS, I have written a letter to Secretary of
Interior, Bruce Babbitt, in support of his proposal to withdraw
from mining location and mineral leasing approximately 8,471
acres of public land and mineral estate and 480 acres of mineral
estate underlying private land in an area immediately north of
Carlsbad Caverns National Park. This will further protect cave
systems, including yet undiscovered caves under BLM administered
lands. I also support the acquisition and similar protection of
8,188 acres of State land and mineral estate in this proposal.
This withdrawal should allow current uses to continue, except for
the location or relocation of mining claims and mineral leasing.
This would allow hunting, camping, and recreational uses, as well
as ranching and grazing. I thanked him for making this proposal
to expand the Cave Protection Zone in Eddy County, New Mexico.
(Similar letters of support on this issue are encouraged.)
CONSERVATION LISTSERV:
John Wilson, Rob Stitt, Joshua Abdulla, Doug Medville and I have
set up a Cave Conservation and Management Listserv to distribute
cave conservation and management news and time sensitive
announcements to anyone willing to subscribe to this service. By
the time you read this it should be up and running. To subscribe,
please send a message to: <Conservation@caves.org> In the
subject line of the message type: SUBSCRIBE CONSERVATION
FIRSTNAME LASTNAME (Leave the body blank. NO TEXT.)
Rob Stitt is moderator for this site, and will post messages about two or three times a day. Cave conservation and management messages will automatically be forwarded to all subscribers. Only subscribers can post on the system. Other announcements sent to the system will be posted at the discretion of the moderator.
EBAY AUCTION OF SPELEOTHEMS:
I continue to receive weekly complaints (from
NSS members who monitor eBay) of speleothems for sale on the eBay online auction house. I have a form letter that I email to each seller explaining that it is illegal in some states to sell speleothems, and send them a copy of the NSS Conservation Policy. If I can determine the state in which the seller is located, I also include that states' cave laws as applicable In all cases, I ask the seller to remove the speleothem from the sale (auction). I often suggest they donate their speleothems to museums or educational institutes. We discussed this at the Conservation Session at Convention and I agreed to write an article for the NSS News. We will try to convince eBay to ban the listing of speleothems, as they have banned firearms and ivory from being listed. Any suggestions and comments are welcome as I prepare this article.
FRENCH CREEK CAVE (MT):
Jerry Trout (USFS) and I met with interested parties (18 cavers)
on July 14, at the Filer Convention, to discuss the cyanide heap
leach threat to this cave located near Dillon, Montana. On August
11, 1999, Jerry Trout (USFS National Coordinator/Cave Resources),
Jim Shelden (Regional Geologist/Cave Coordinator, Beaverhead NF),
David Kempwerth (BLM Law Enforcement/Cave Specialist), Mark
Madson (NSS caver), James Cummins (NSS caver), Gary Morrison
(USFS Geologist, retired), and Ed Vuckalick (USFS Geologist,
retired) visited and inventoried French Creek Cave. The Forest
Service is discussing issues of protection/preservation and
safety with the mine operations person-of-record at this time.
HUNTSVILLE GROTTO CONSERVATION REPORT:
(Paul Meyer provided the following report, as of September 14,
1999): Two major discoveries have been made by the Huntsville
Grotto recently. Both involve the Federally endangered gray bat
(myotis grisescens) First, a small number of the gray bat and
Indiana bat were found within the Bankhead National Forest. The
species were verified by the state wildlife specialist. National
Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife personnel have been
notified. Second, in our search for the endangered Alabama cave
shrimp, we discovered a colony of probable gray bats in a spring
cave in Madison County. The colony numbers somewhere between
three to seven thousand bats. As yet the species and the colony
size have not been verified by the wildlife specialists, but they
and the Fish and Wildlife Service have been notified of their
existence. Verification of the species will be performed by early
October. This cave is also of significance, as it appears to be a
very pure source of water and may be the fourth largest spring in
Madison County. We are exploring possible water contamination in
Glover cave which is downstream of Hering Cave, one of the known
locations of the Alabama cave shrimp. Environmental agencies have
been notified of this concern.
IDAHO BLM:
I have sent a letter to the State Director of the Idaho Bureau of
Land Management complimenting them on the work they have
accomplished on their cave resources through their cooperative
efforts with the NSS and the Idaho Grottos over the years. I also
expressed concerns that these cooperative efforts might be
impaired by their decision NOT to fill a dedicated cave
management position in Idaho during the next fiscal year. I would
be happy to provide copies of my letter if you would like to send
a similar message.
INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT:
The new Interagency Agreement for Cave and Karst Resources
Management, between the NPS, BLM, USFS, USGS, and US Fish &
Wildlife Service is very near completion. USFS still needs their
solicitor review of the Agreement. Even though the NSS has
nothing officially to do with this Agreement, it represents a
strong commitment by all of these government agencies to
cooperate in the research (USGS) and protection of cave and karst
resources.
MISSOURI LEAD MINING:
The proposed lead mining by Doe Run on National Forest lands
within the southern Missouri karst and springs area keeps
surfacing. We thought we had this defeated last spring when Doe
Run withdrew their lead mining exploration permits that would
have impacted the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Secretary of
Interior Bruce Babbitt then decided to withdraw these lands from
mineral leasing. Since then, Senator Bond (MO) attached a rider
to the Department of Interior Appropriations Bill prohibiting
Babbitt from withdrawing the mineral leases. Bond's rider was
later withdrawn, and then reattached with a request for $250,000
for more environmental studies. As of September 20th, Ken Midkiff
(MO Sierra Club) reported that he has "sent out a letter
signed by all Missouri conser/enviro/outdoor recreation groups -
including MSS, various grottos. Bond's action was anticipated -
and we were prepared to counter him: got ALL Senate Democrats to
vote against the rider; and the rider is NOT on the House
version. We are trying to get the Conference Committee to reject
Bond's rider in final passage. At this point, the Interior
Approps bill has not passed the Senate, primarily because it is
bogged down with a plethora of bad riders...." Stay tuned. A
special thank you to Ken Midkiff, Louise Hose, and Jo Schaper who
have been staying on top of this issue. If you'd like to read
more about how actually horrible this threat is to Missouri,
please read "Letter from the Hampton" (p. 80-95) in the
August, 1998, issue of Vanity Fair. The owner of Doe Run has a
lengthy history of operating the most polluting plants in the
United States and in the world.
NSS RECEIVES USFS VOLUNTEER AWARD:
At the Filer Convention, following the Friday night Banquet,
Jerry Trout (USFS Cave Specialist) presented the NSS with the
"Chief's Volunteer Program National Award," presented
by Lincoln National Forest to the NSS in recognition of the
hundreds of volunteers who have helped manage the cave resources
of the Guadalupe Mountains. Steve Fleming, past chairman of the
Southwest Region, accepted the award on behalf of the NSS. The
Award will tour the next Southwestern Regionals before going to
the NSS Office in Huntsville. The documentation in part reads:
"Over the past several years, it is estimated that these
volunteers have provided over 7,400 hours of significant person
power for a variety of cave management projects. Their work has
resulted in an appraised value for salary, travel, per diem, and
equipment of over $110,000. All of this adds up to a step in the
right direction in protecting the land and serving people both
now and in the future."
The citation on this award reads: "In recognition of the National Speleological Society, for their outstanding initiative and dedication to the cave resources of the Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico. Your enthusiastic efforts to survey, inventory, restore, monitor, and help manage the world class cave resources on the Guadalupe Ranger District of the Lincoln National Forest have fostered a collaborative partnership. Through this partnership, the USDA Forest Service will succeed in accomplishing its mission of protecting the land and serving people. The stewardship demonstrated by members of the National Speleological Society will benefit recreational cave visitors and scientists now and in the future."
PAPOOSE CAVE PROJECT (ID):
On July 14, 1999, at the Filer Convention, Jerry Trout and I met
with Papoose Cave Project members and interested individuals
(about 20) concerning the future of this NSS Project. The
unanimous decision was made to terminate the present MOU in whole
and to pursue a new agreement for future expanded management
needs. Dr. George Huppert volunteered to draft a new Papoose Cave
Project proposal for consideration. A letter from Jerry Trout,
dated August 27, informed the Papoose Cave Project of the
decision to terminate the MOU, and thanked them for their efforts
and contributions in the past. NSS officials received copies of
that letter. Efforts are being made to expand the scope and
management of this important project.
ROCK AND MINERAL SHOWS:
I have asked several Colorado cavers to monitor the Denver Gem
& Mineral Show (9/17-19) and Colorado Mineral & Fossil
Show (9/15-19) for the sale of speleothems. I try to arrange for
cavers around the country to monitor the major rock and mineral
shows in their vicinity. Please report major sales of speleothems
to the NSS Conservation Chairman immediately.
SAVE-THE-CAVES FUND:
In the March, NSS News, I put out an appeal for contributions to
the Save-The-Caves Fund. Tulsa Regional Oklahoma Grotto (TROG)
has generously donated $500 to this fund and I am seeking
individuals or organizations who would be willing to match this
donation. Stay tuned!
Problems:
None.
Conservation Grants Subcommittee
Albert A. Krause (Chair)
1721 SW 76th Terrace
Gainesville, FL 32607-3418
(352) 332-2276 (home)
(352) 392-7396 (work)
aakrause@compuserve.com
Plans:
Will respond to all inquiries and evaluate Conservation Grant
Applications as received.
Progress:
No applications or inquiries have been received this
fiscal year to date, leaving $3,000 available for award. Two
requests for information and application forms that I responded
to late last fiscal year have, so far, not resulted in any
applications or follow up from the persons involved.
Problems:
None. (But we need to receive applications for
conservation grants)
Fauna Protection Subcommittee
Don McFarlane (Chairman)
I regret that I having nothing to report. It is a long time since I have received an inquiry. It seems that a lot of the inquiries that used to come my way are now usually addressed to internet discussion groups and lists. Yes, I think it (the Fauna Protection Subcommittee) should be phased out. I would suggest adding appropriate info and/or web links to the NSS website to direct persons in the right direction.
Conservation Task Force Subcommittee
Jo Schaper (Chairman)
46 Cedar Drive
Pacific, MO 63069
(314) 271 8380
JoSchaper@aol.com
Progress:
No appreciable activity has been reported to me from any of the
CTFs. Steve Knutson of Klamath Mountains sent notification of a
Labor Day work trip, and the need to find an alternative place to
store gear, since the grain shed will be unavailable shortly. I
am also on the list for the KICK-66 folk. Lee Florea
(mr_chaos@hotmail.com) has inquired about possible NSS financial
grant support for his group, which, although not an official CTF,
is functioning as one to influence the routing of I-66 along the
U.S. 80 corridor, as opposed to undisturbed land through the
Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky. Via the KICK-66 folk
and thanks to Hillary Hopper, it came to my attention that John
Coles, formerly of the Daniel Boone CTF, is representing himself
as being with the DBCTF. John was not the leader of the group,
which officially disbanded this spring. Efforts to contact him so
far have been unsuccessful, and he has not contacted me. I am
still trying to iron out what is really going on there. I don't
want to discourage John in his efforts, but he really should be
communicating with me if he is de facto representing the DBCTF.
Plans:
As requested by Doug Medville (in response to a request from Bill
Halliday) I have turned over copies of all of last year's reports
to Doug, who has also asked my opinion of what should be done to
bring the remaining CTFs in line with the original intent of the
CTF Board Act. The remaining 9 CTFs fall roughly into 4
categories: conservancy types with control of specific caves or
entrances (Xanadu, somewhat Sloans Valley); survey and advocacy
groups for specific lands (Klamath Mountains, Central Oregon,
Tetons, Germany Valley); long range watchdog groups over a region
where issues blow hot and cold, but are never quite solved (Lost
River Conservation Association, Hawaii Caves, Missouri karst lead
mining (not an official CTF)), and specific issues with a limited
time frame and possible resolution (Pennsylvania Cave
Legislation). The first category could be subsumed into
conservancies, the second as NSS Projects, leaving the latter two
categories as the realm of CTFs. I also made some suggestions as
to the financial aid for CTFs in order to provide some incentive
for caver action groups to come under the NSS umbrella as CTFs.
After a search of all the likely people, no one has been able to
give me a precedent where CTF loans have actually been approved,
and without files, I don't even know if there is a form for them,
or who to direct any interested CTFs to. I don't believe the CTFs
themselves know such loans exist, but I quite understand why an
ephemeral group would be hesitant to take on such an obligation.
I concur that the definition of the CTFs needs to be made more
specific, and that the CTFs be more properly aligned with their
actual functions.
Problems:
As usual, CTFs are incommunicado unless pushed for
reports. The communication advantages of a CTF partnering with
the NSS from 30 years ago have been largely negated by the rise
of the Internet, and other avenues, including Rob Stitt's CCMS
website, which now serves part of the clearinghouse function for
hot issues which the CTF-NSS News connection used to, in a more
timely manner. We have no tool other than expulsion for lack of
reporting to wield. CTF files promised by Dianna Polidori have
never materialized, and in fact, she has once again disappeared,
and we cannot find a phone, street or email address for her.
I think we need to more narrowly define a CTF as dealing with acute or chronic cave conservation problems which do not fit as conservancies or projects, give more direct aid to CTFs so that they have some incentive to send reports, and for the NSS to come up with reason to encourage people to affiliate as CTFs. In order to do this, we need some sort of value to add to their efforts which they do not already receive as NSS members, in return.
AVP note: In my front end material, I divided our CTFs a bit differently than Jo does, labeling the Central Oregon and Germany Valley CTFs as long term watchdog groups rather than as survey and advocacy groups and setting apart the Hawaii CTF as being somewhat different from all of the rest. This difference in categorizing CTFs is minor- what’s more important is that Jo, Dave J. and I are thinking through the subject of what our CTFs should be doing and how we can provide them with more support.
On the subject of CTF loans, Act 18-289 allows the Executive Committee to make interest free loans to CTFs. In addition, CTFs are eligible for Conservation Grants of up to $1,000 under Act 50-321. I’d encourage Jo to make this information known to our CTFs as a way to demonstrate that the NSS can provide an added value to their efforts.
Val Hildreth-Werker & Jim Werker (Co-Chairs)
PO Box 1018
Tijeras, NM 87059
(505) 286-0148
werks@worldnet.att.net
Plans:
A Conservation/Restoration Workshop Session is scheduled
for Monday during the 2000 NSS Convention in West Virginia. We
will be presenting papers and posters at the National Cave &
Karst Management Symposium during October in Chattanooga,
Tennessee.
Progress:
Work is progressing for the NSS publication, On Cave
Conservation, Restoration, and Repair. Most of the
manuscript drafts are in. Publication is targeted for the year
2000. We plan to have pre-publication sales materials available
at the National Cave and Karst Management Symposium.
Digital video footage was shot during a restoration workshop at Cave Without a Name in Texas on 11 September. We shot raw video for potential productions on cave restoration and formation repair. We continue to seek funding for producing a professional educational video to address cave conservation and leave no trace ethics. For successful completion of this project, funding is needed for expenses, supplies, and final production costs.
Copies of the new Leave No Trace caving booklet will be distributed at the October Symposium in Chattanooga.
Workshops/Projects:
- Several presentations were conducted including workshops at Convention and in Texas.
- Repair, restoration and research projects continue. This work focuses on development of restoration techniques designed to avoid disturbing microbiota and virgin surfaces. Investigations have been launched on rope strength degradation due to fungal growth, ongoing water quality analysis, and urine mitigation systems.
- Formation Repair, Cave Restoration, and Leave No Trace Caving Ethics are being refined as we address the needs of various workshops. Slide sets, power point productions and/or videos will eventually be available through the NSS library.
We continue to submit articles and announcements to the NSS News. We have met with Dave Bunnell and discussed initiating a series of conservation/restoration articles to begin during the fall of 1999 or with the 2000 conservation issue.
Volunteer Value:
The value that NSS members contribute to cave protection,
conservation, management has been immeasurable. VV for any cave
project (survey, conservation, science, etc.) can eventually be
calculated through a database and the information will then serve
in proposals for grants, matching funds, agency/owner reports,
NSS Annual Reports, etc. The Volunteer Value (VV) concept was
initiated through an agreement between the NSS and the USDA
Forest Service, signed at 1998 Convention. Value is being
documented and calculated for Forest cave projects in the
Southwest and cavers across the country are beginning to request
VV information and forms. David Anderson is creating a website to
disseminate information and collect documentation. The intent is
to generate interest in documenting volunteer efforts for caves,
tally information, and present results in proposed NSS Annual
Reports.
Forms for Calculating Volunteer Value:
Three simple forms have been designed for recording volunteer
value. These generic forms can be used for documenting in-kind
volunteer labor, expertise, and contribution for any cave
project. The forms are designed to be completed at the project
site (or can be filled in after the fact) and can eventually be
submitted to a national database. Forms are available through Val
Hildreth-Werker.
We urge every NSS member, grotto, and internal organization to stay abreast of cave fee, outfitter-guide, and cave conservation issues in the political arena. Positive comments supporting caver volunteer projects and refuting Cave Fee Demo Plans continue to be useful. Please send copies of your letters and inquiries for archiving to us at our address (given at the beginning of this report).
Problems:
None.
Norm Rogers (Co-Chair)
3122 N. Isabell
Peoria, IL 61604
(309)682-1570
nrogers1@juno.com
Karen Dennis (Co-Chair)
PO Box 340547
Beavercreek, OH 45434-0547
(937) 237-0647
kdennis@aol.com
Progress:
John Vargo and several of his friends arrived at camp a couple of
days early, to test a new device he invented. This device assists
in the removal of the 45 degree angled support posts from the
Echo River walkway. These posts are up to 14 feet long, and being
water soaked, are very heavy. At this point in the passage, the
walkway stands in water which, depending on the river level, can
be any depth. This summer, the water was about five feet deep.
Without a mechanical device, these support posts would be
impossible to remove. Working with Park Specialist, John Fry,
Vargo and company tested the device, and it worked well. Before
work began on Monday, the entire group visited the area on Echo
River, where last year, a bridge was removed. To the
worker’s surprise, there was a lot of wood lying around that
had been uncovered by shifting sand. This was good news,
indicating that Echo River was draining more quickly after flood
events, due to the removal of the bridge, and was taking
sediments with it. Volunteers spent most of the morning removing
this wood. Also uncovered were several large pieces of old wooden
tour boats. These were to be left in the cave at the insistence
of Park Ecologist, Rick Olson. The next several days were also
spent on the Historic side of Echo River. Volunteers split up
into several work teams with Vargo and crew at the lead edge of
the walkway, disassembling. The tools John has built over the
past two years were incredibly helpful. I would suggest that
removing the walkway from Echo River would be nearly impossible
without those devices. Throughout the week, several people donned
wetsuits and removed wood from the bed of the river.
Nearby, a cutting station was established. Saw horses were set up and a battery operated saws-all was used to reduce the long pieces of wood to a more manageable size. Wood was wrapped in plastic bags, and placed in nylon haul sacks. A plastic tarp was use to collect all the sawdust. The metal handrail, along with water pipe and electrical cable, was cut into carrying size. Other crews began the long haul to Vanderbilt Hall, where the material is to be cached until the October camp. By the end of the week, about 70 to 80 feet of walkway had been removed. Due to a lack of time, some wood was not bagged and hauled to Vanderbilt Hall. It was removed from the Echo River area, to a point near the River Styx, where it will be above the flood stage.
Friday was spent on Silliman Avenue and Cascade Hall. Again, workers donned wetsuits and dragged wood from the bottom of the river. Electrical cable, between Cascade Hall, and the last boat landing on the Historic Side, was partially removed. The wooden causeway was removed. Again, due to lack of time and manpower, a large amount of wood remains at Cascade Hall. Due to ecological work he is doing in the cave, Rick Olson asked workers in the water to check the airflow at the connection point, which incidentally, is flowing toward Flint Ridge.
Plans:
The post-camp cache at Vanderbilt is over half full and wood
remains to be cut and bagged near River Styx. On the Silliman
side, wood remains to be cut and bagged at Cascade Hall, Ole
Bulls Concert Hall, and Valley Way Side Cut.
Problems:
The Park is going to purchase another saw-zall and four
batteries. This will greatly speed up the cutting process. That
leads to another problem. The wood has to be carried out.
However, since we are just entering the second year of a
five-year project, we are doing OK. So this is not really a
problem, but more of a challenge. On the positive side, relating
to problems we reported last time, the Park seemed to have a very
different and more positive attitude toward us this year. Two
'after hour' trips were scheduled. These trips were deemed
"Educational" to fit into the narrow definition for
off-trail trips. Also, on Friday, the Park's Volunteer
Coordinator and her husband treated the camp to a cook out.
Afterwards, a meeting was held, in which tokens of appreciation
were given to camp participants. It was a wonderful gesture by
the Park. I mention this because in year's past, camp
participants have felt as though they were not appreciated. I
hope that this is a new direction by the Park that will encourage
greater participation in the summer camps.
MCRC Financial Statement, as of September 19, 1999
| Total Income | $65,222.23 |
| Total Outgo | $28,912.70 |
| Balance | $36,309.53 |
The August camp cost $7,988.50; our most expensive camp to date. Many people traveled distances greater than the maximum allowed, and there were fewer car-pools. Totals for the camp are tentative, since checks are in the process of being mailed out, and none have been cashed yet. We also have a few checks from last year that have not been cashed, and I am ready to write them off as "stale," so our actual bank balance is greater than what is shown.
The bottom line is that we have a burn rate on reimbursements that is running 139% of budgeted, and our accumulation of hours worked is 152% of budgeted. At this point the money will be expended in less than four years rather than five, but our commitment on hours will be satisfied sooner than that. However, there is probably enough work to keep crews busy for the full five years, or even more.
Jay R. Jorden (Chairman)
11201 County Road 132
Celina TX 75009-2527
(214) 382-2458
jjorden@texoma.net
Commission Members:
Gale Beach raybeach@earthlink.net
George Huppert huppert@mail.uwlax.edu
Thomas Rea trea@tdsnet.com
John Wilson wilsonjmll@earthlink.net
Plans:
The challenge is to publicize the program and I will put together
an outline on how to do that.
Progress:
The committee's work continues. No new requests for awards have
been received. Some correspondence has been exchanged with
parties interested in details about the commission's work and how
vandalism rewards are handled.
Problems:
No problems that I know of.
Hazel E. Medville (Chief)
11762 Indian Ridge Rd.
Reston, VA 20191
(703) 860-0134
medville@patriot.net
Barbara L. Moss (Chairman)
7713 Shreve Rd.
Falls Church, VA 22043-3315
(703) 573-1068
ke4bvq@amsat.org
Plans:
Two slide programs for the A-V Library were delivered to Colin
Gatlin at convention. I am preparing for a web site development
course through school to help me work on developing an
educational web site. As a member of the Project Underground
Board, I met with Janet Thorne for ideas on developing a
fundraising plan.
Progress:
I am working on gathering the information to prepare promotional
materials to aid in fundraising. The Project Underground Activity
Book is in the revision stage for printing a 2nd edition. I am
researching ideas for educational materials should we get
requests as a result of the IMAX movie and to share with the IMAX
Committee formed at the 1999 NSS Convention.
Problems:
None at this time.
John Punches (Interim National Coordinator)
633 West Hazel St.
Roseburg, OR 97470
Home: (541) 957-5461
Work: (541) 672-4461
e-mail: john.punches@orst.edu
Board of Regional Coordinators (BORC):
John Appleby (Eastern Region Coordinator)
David Ashburn (Training Coordinator)
Mark Bowers (Western Region Coordinator)
Harry Burgess (Southwestern Region Coordinator)
Sam Chewning, MD (Medical Coordinator)
John Evans (Northeast Region Coordinator)
John Gookin (Rocky Mountain Region Coordinator)
John Green (South Central Region Coordinator)
Anmar Mirza (Central Region Coordinator)
Henry Nicholson (Diving Coordinator)
Mimi Ortiz (Caribbean Region Coordinator)
Jeff Parnell (Southeastern Region Coordinator)
John Punches (Pacific Northwest Region Coordinator/Assistant
National Coordinator/Interim National Coordinator)
Officers and Staff:
Harold Chrimes (NCRC Equipment Manager)
James Davis (Education Board Member)
Andy Franklin (NCRC Discussion and Administrative List Manager)
James Hall (NCRC Inventory Officer)
Bryan Lavender (Education Board Member)
Barb Ritts (Education Board Member)
Bruce Smith (Education Board Member/NCRC Curriculum Coordinator)
Susan Thrasher (Assistant National Coordinator)
Kathy Welling (NCRC Recording Secretary/NCRC Financial Officer)
Vacant (NCRC Database Manager/NCRC Inventory Officer)
Progress:
The NCRC Board of Regional Coordinators (BORC) conducted its
Summer Business Meeting July 13, 1999, during the NSS Convention.
Butch Feldhaus resigned from his position as National Coordinator at the Summer Board of Regional Coordinators meeting. (Butch has given generously to the Commission, and will be much missed.) His resignation announcement cited upcoming eye surgery, a desire to more aggressively pursue a masters degree, and work pressures. John Punches was nominated to serve as the Commission’s Interim National Coordinator until the Winter 2000 Board of Regional Coordinators meeting.
Several NCRC positions were nominated at the Summer Meeting: Harry Burgess for Southwestern Region Coordinator, John Evans for Northeastern Region Coordinator, Mark Bowers for Western Region Coordinator, and Bryan Lavender for Education Board Member. Three other positions were essentially tabled until the Winter Meeting to because of missing information.
Jeff Parnell, the Southeastern Region Coordinator, has made progress toward a replacement of the NCRC's "Manual of U.S. Cave Rescue Techniques." Several chapters are in various stages of review.
Kathy Welling was appointed NCRC Financial Officer. She has worked with Paul Stevens to bring NCRC regional checking accounts into compliance with NSS policies.
The NCRC National checking account was closed and the money transferred to the NSS to be held for NCRC use. NCRC funds are being managed through the Huntsville office, reducing paperwork requirements. An NCRC Chart of Accounts, reflecting NSS requirements, has been developed and implemented.
A policies and procedures section has been added to the NCRC Web site to make important information readily available to Regional Coordinators and their support personnel.
Three NCRC Regions conducted weeklong seminars encompassing training levels 1, 2 and 3. Two regions conducted weekend cave rescue orientation seminars. The NCRC Education Board is finalizing programmed notes to serve as primary student resource materials for training levels 1, 2 and 3. Recruitment for several NCRC positions (see Plans) has begun.
Plans:
The next Board of Regional Coordinators meeting will occur on
February 5 and 6, 2000, at the Walker County 911 Center. An
Education Board meeting will precede it (on Feb 4), allowing
members of both groups to interact. Five NCRC positions will be
filled at the Winter meeting. These include National Coordinator,
Rocky Mountain Region Coordinator, South Central Region
Coordinator, Education Board Member-at-Large, and Database
Manager.
The NCRC will co-sponsor the Technical Rescue Symposium November 5 - 7, 1999 in Fort Collins, Colorado. Two NCRC Regions are planning weekend seminars for this fall. One Region is planning a modular Level 1, 2 and 3 seminar for this fall.
Problems:
No insurmountable problems have been encountered. It is likely,
however, that the new NCRC National Coordinator will have many
questions about NSS policies and procedures. Please be aware of
this impending need and consider methods of orienting the new
Coordinator to NSS needs and activities.
William Cuddington (Chairman)
3412 Hutchens Ave., SE
Huntsville, AL 35801
(205) 536-2177
miriambl@aol.com
Progress:
S.T.C. articles have been published in the N.S.S. News. S.T.C.
members also worked at the N.S.S. Convention running the Vertical
Contest and being instructors for the training class. Our
Committee now has two Western representatives: Bart Rowlett and
John Woods. Needless to say, these two fellows have lots of
vertical experience!
Plans:
We plan to have an S.T.C. meeting at the "TAG Cave-In"
in October. Committee members will help with Fall Vertical
Workshops. More S.T.C. articles will be published in the N.S.S.
News.
Problems:
None at present.
John P. Scheltens (Chairman)
303 North River St.
Hot Springs, SD 57747-1626(605) 745-4366
102370.2314@compuserve.com
AVP Note: I received a report from John that is nearly the same as the one that I’ve written for the IMAX Film Committee below. I’ve combined his material with the text that I wrote in order that we don’t have two reports covering the same subject. In the future we may want to eliminate one or the other of these Committees.
Douglas Medville (Acting Chair)
At the July 1999 BOG meeting a motion was passed that created a Committee to look into ways that the NSS could take advantage of the forthcoming IMAX film titled "Amazing Caves". I have formed such a Committee. The members are:
John Scheltens (SD), John Ganter (NM), Hazel Barton (CO), Dave Jagnow (NM), Carol Zokaites (VA), Barbara Moss (VA), and myself. I will be the Acting Chair of this Committee.
Progress:
Following the NSS Convention in Idaho, there was some e-mail
discussions among Committee members and two weeks after the
Convention, three of us: (myself, Barton and Scheltens) met in
Denver to talk about Committee goals and activities. The results
of this meeting were sent to the rest of the Committee via
e-mail. The Committee’s goals are to:
- Try to anticipate the film’s impact on caves and the caving community in the U.S. We need to prepare our grottos for the film and for inquiries from the public, the media, and others about caves and caving.
- Meet with the film’s producers to discuss opportunities for the NSS to prepare educational materials that would accompany the film. Such materials are called for in the grant that they have received from the National Science Foundation.
- See if there are opportunities for us to sell or distribute materials (brochures, books, etc.) prepared by the NSS that would educate the public about caves and cave conservation.
- Try to direct interested film viewers to local NSS groups for more information.
To do these things, we have written to the film’s producer, MacGillivray Freeman, introducing the NSS and requesting a meeting with them to discuss the film, our potential role in preparing educational materials, and the potential impacts that the film will have.
Plans:
Meet with MacGillivray Freeman management at their California
offices to discuss the above. Other plans will depend on the
outcome of this meeting.
Problems:
These are really questions regarding NSS participation in the
film.
- Are we willing to develop and publish a pamphlet or other materials that would accompany the film? If so, this could require us to print several million such pamphlets. Who pays for this?
- Are we willing to sell publications related to caves at the theaters where the film is shown and if so, which publications do we want to sell? Do we need to prepare any new publications to accompany the film?
- If Project Underground prepares the educational material that is required, what is the NSS role?
Carol Tiderman (Chief)
Carol Tiderman (Chairman)
7600 Pindell School Rd.
Fulton, MD 20759-9725
(410) 792-0742
tiderman@erols.com
Progress:
I traveled to the potential 2003 NSS Convention site in
Porterville, California, and provided a written report to the BOG
at the July 1999 meeting. I hosted a Convention Planning meeting
and a Convention Development meeting at the Idaho Convention. At
the latter meeting the participants provided a list of
registration criteria for the AVP regarding a proposed convention
registration policy. I met with the people coordinating the JSS
at Idaho and solicited input from them for the Convention Manual.
The JSS will provide a budget amount for future conventions. I also attended planning meetings for the year 2000 and 2002 NSS Conventions.
Plans:
Continue working with approved host groups for future NSS
Conventions. Also work with any potential host groups. Attend the
year 2000 NSS Convention planning meeting at the fall Virginia
Region meeting on Sept. 25-26.
Problems:
Nothing at this time
AVP note: The year 2001 Convention in Kentucky is the week immediately following the close of the 13th International Congress of Speleology in Brazil. It will not be possible for those wanting to go to both events to attend all of each meeting and may have an adverse impact on attendance at the 2001 NSS Convention.
William Shrewsbury (Chairman)
PO Box 4444
Chattanooga, TN 37405
886-3296
(423) 842-8962- fax
taglite@bigfoot.com
Plans:
I shall attend the October NSS BOG meeting (I work about 2 blocks
away from it). Current plans are to be totally finished with
everything regarding the 1998 NSS Convention by this BOG meeting.
Progress:
Bill Stringfellow has closed both bank accounts now, and was
moving the balance of the items from under the 'miscellaneous'
category on his spreadsheets into their proper places. For some
items, such as the two BOG luncheons, he is having to find a
creative COA line to put them.
Problems:
Carol Jackson finally had an envelope returned to her that she
had sent to Stringfellow's old (5 year out of date) address. It
contained some checks and money orders from vendor fees. String
is working with the vendors to have checks re-written where
needed and made out directly to the NSS for Camille to deposit.
They will add about $611 more to our bottom line. This should be
handled in very short order.
David W. Kesner (Chairman)
12567 W. DeMeyer St.
Boise, ID 83713-1409
(208) 939-0979
drdave@micron.net
Mike Backe (Co-Chairman)
HC 33, Box 3294
Boise, ID 83706-9768
(208) 336-6878
mikebacke@rmci.net
Progress:
The 1999 NSS Convention is now over. A complete final report will
be made at the spring 2000 Board meeting. This will be a very
extensive report with facts, figures, charts, etc.
We are still paying some of the bills and are waiting for checks we have written to clear. Even with those it looks like the 99 Convention will have a surplus of approximately $25,000.00. The main reason this figure is so high is that attendance was much higher than anticipated.
A total of 993 registrations were sold. Of these, 551 were for primary registrants; 191 were for associate registrants; 72 were for children; 166 were for day passes; and 13 were for pets.
The final wrap-up article for the NSS Convention has been written and will be published in the November issue of the NSS News.
Plans:
To close out the bank accounts and prepare the final report to be
presented at the spring Board meeting.
Problems:
One staff member was bitten by a dog and required medical
attention at the local ER. A convention attendee suffered heat
exhaustion and required outside medical attention. Both have
recovered fully. All other incidents were minor and treated and
released by on site medical staff. A full report of all incidents
will be included in the final report.
The dog that bit the staff member was owned by BC Wunderwear who paid for the emergency room visit by check. They also paid for their vendor space by check. Both of these checks bounced and as of 09/18/99 money has not been received. A postcard from them indicated they hope to have the money in their account sometime in October.
Kelley Deem (Chairman)
167 Blue Ridge Acres
Harpers Ferry, WV 25425-9309
(304) 725-9812
deem@mammoth-geo.com
Plans:
We're developing plans to see what we can do to encourage greater
early registration. We're also developing the registration
"packages". The website, while up and ready, continues
to change as we receive more info. We're currently working on
getting information from trip leaders to add to the website.
We're also looking to have a simple map of Elkins at the
campground and a map of the high school.
A digging workshop, led by Miles Drake and other PSC folks, has been added to the list of activities. This will be an "away from the school" hands-on activity.
Progress:
We've asked Sharon Brinkman-Windle to be our JSS liaison. She's
off to a good start and is already in touch with JSS folks.
The website is up and looks fantastic.
Howdy Party plans are coming along quite well, as are plans for the Wednesday night campground party, and a third campground event Friday night after the banquet. We've also got folks lined up to do contests at the campground. We plan on having a convention that is both strong in sessions, as well as strong on things to do away from the high school.
Jeff Bray has a host of people lined up to develop good trip directions and time-frames. A lot of this will go on the website when done. The draft sessions schedule is in the works.
Problems:
None right now that we can't handle. We did have a weird issue
come up with the convention designated hotel, when they sold to
another hotel chain. That's been fixed and the new info should be
up on the website.
AVP note: George Dasher has completed a draft of the Convention Guidebook and this is being reviewed. George has also completed the text of the Geology Field Trip guide and this too, is being reviewed. I’m attending most of the convention planning meetings.
Bill Carr (Chairman)
212 Lyness Ave.
Harrison, OH 45030-1586
(513) 367-5092
robinhd@one.net
Progress:
At this time everything is on schedule and we are in the process
of getting contracts together so we can lock in our facilities.
We have opened up a checking account with the monies we received
from number one and two registration. I will be sending out an
updated budget along with a sheet that shows the facility we have
selected for the photo salon. We feel that this will make a great
photo salon facility. In looking at the JSS information we will
include it in our budget, we believe it is very important to make
it available and we will look for someone on our end to work with
it. We have been working on the campground to make it a better
facility for a large convention. If there is anything else that I
need to be doing that I may have overlooked please let me know.
We want to make this convention project go as smoothly as
possible for everyone.
Plans:
Continue to work on the Convention.
Problems:
None at present.
Kathy Welling (Chairman)
8679 S State Rd. 243
Cloverdale, IN 46120-9696
(765) 653-6352
kathyd@ccrtc.com
AVP Note: As a result of the lack of availability of registration software that is readily transferable from one convention to another, the Chair of this committee, who is responsible for training convention registration staff in the use of the software, has little to do. Since each Convention Committee is developing and using software that is tailored to its specific needs and since the software developed has functioned properly and provides that NSS with information about registrants, I have decided having a non-functioning Committee is not in our best interests and am recommending that this Committee be dissolved We will however, request that the registration software that is developed each year be sent to the Chair of the Convention Development Committee for future reference.
Rick and Faye Bowersox (Acting Co-Chairs)
321 Pinecliff Dr.
Las Vegas, NV 89128-5259
lavabeds@aol.com
Progress:
We had a very good convention this past July in Filer ID. A total
of 76 juniors attended the convention with 75 of these attending
5 or more JSS activities. We had 22 children in a cave for their
first time and 17 on rope for their first time. We had seven cave
trips, three hikes, one canoe trip on the Snake River, two
overnight (teen, pre-teen) "slumber" parties, three
swimming sections, an all day vertical section, an all day trip
to Craters of the Moon and a Friday Bar-B-Cue. The JSS building
was open each evening (until 10:30 PM) for a safe place for the
juniors to gather and socialize.
We finished below our budget of $2,660.00 set by the convention executive board and received and additional $322.00 (approx.) in donations at the NSS auction. Parent support was strong with 22 individuals volunteering 4 to 12 hours to the activities.
During the convention AVP Doug Medville and I had the time to review the JSS committee structure and make adjustments that I strongly believe will improve the performance of the JSS thus providing a better service to the children attending the conventions in the future. The major change/addition is the position of JSS Convention Coordinator. This person will be a convention staff member working with the JSS National Committee Chair. By creating this new position a continuity of services can be maintained even with the JSS Chair being a long distance from the convention site.
Plans:
I have been in contact with the 2000 JSS Convention Coordinator
Ms. Sharon Brinkman-Windle and we have started working a schedule
of activities for next year’s convention. We should have a
budget by the end of the year and a schedule of activities soon
after. I will be contacting the 2001 Convention Chair before the
end of the year and start the preliminary work for the Kentucky
Convention.
Because of our closeness to the 2003 convention site (at this time) and our intention to relocate to Tennessee next year, Faye and I have made our first visit to that area to gather information and look at the facilities. Three more trips are planned before next June.
Faye and I are currently writing the JSS section for the NSS Convention Manual and should have this finished and to Carol Tiderman and her Convention Development Committee before October 10, 1999.
Problems:
Possible problem with collecting registration information (for a
future data base) due to inconsistency in the registration
software system.
AVP Note: In recent years, the Junior Speleological Society has grown both in the number of participants and in the scope of its program. As Rick points out, at this year’s NSS Convention in Idaho, 75 of the 76 family dependent registrants between ages 7 and 17 years participated in JSS activities.
The JSS Chair, Duane Vore, has disappeared and I can no longer contact him. He did nothing to prepare for the JSS at the Idaho Convention and Rick and Faye Bowersox organized and ran the JSS instead. I have appointed Rick and Faye to be the Acting Co-Chairs of the JSS Committee and am advertising in the NSS News and on the NSS web site for a replacement Chairman for this important committee.
In light of the growth in the JSS, I am recommending that future Convention Committees appoint a JSS staff person to work with the National JSS Chair and to take responsibility for making local arrangements for JSS activities; e.g., obtaining transportation, setting up outings, buying meals, and obtaining tickets for local events. This will reduce the workload of the National JSS Chair and is especially useful when that person lives thousands of miles from the Convention and cannot do these things on a day to day basis.
I am also recommending that in the future, the JSS is listed on the Convention Registration form in order that parents can pay for this activity in much the same way as one pays for the geology field trip and other activities that entail additional costs. Future conventions would budget for JSS with the receipts and expenses recorded in the Convention Chart of Accounts and reported to the NSS S/T Department (at present, JSS income and expenses are off-line items and do not appear in Convention budgets-JSS registration money goes directly to the JSS Chair). These actions will integrate the JSS into NSS convention planning and increase the visibility of JSS income and expenses by making them part of convention budgets.
Paul Stevens (Chairman)
5964 Seabright Rd.
Springfield, VA 22152-1738
(703) 451-7663
plstevens@aol.com
Plans:
I'm working on an NSS News article that covers all of the NSS
Salons. It will describe the rules and entry deadlines for each
Salon. I will provide it to Dave Bunnell in time to be included
in the NSS News issue to be mailed in January. I will also post
this information on the 2000 convention website.
Progress:
Barbara am Ende has stepped down as leader for the Cave Ballad
Salon. She served in this role for more than ten years. She still
hopes to stay on to publish a book on past entries. Ken Harnage
will lead the Cave Ballad Salon in the future.
Hazel Barton has stepped down as leader for the Cartography Salon. Rodney Horrocks will lead the salon in the future
Starting in 2000 Speleo Art will be an NSS Salon with Lois Lyles as Chairman.
Bruce Bannerman toured the Davis & Elkins College auditorium that will be used for the 2000 Salon program. It will be an excellent facility, provided no more than 1,000 or so chose to attend the show. However the facility layout is such that we must place the slide projectors about 75 feet from the screen. To accommodate this longer-than-normal distance we've asked Kelley Deem to rent/purchase bright-light modules for the slide projectors. Bruce Bannerman is investigating what is available and will eventually rent/purchase what we need using 2000 convention funds.
Problems:
None at present.
AVP note: What if, as is likely, we have more than 1,000 people wanting to attend the photo salon? Will there be two showings as we’ve done in the past and if so, how will this be scheduled?