EVP Report

There are twelve committees, commissions, publications, etc. in the Department of the Executive Vice President (EVP). A thirteenth item has been added here to cover permissions to reprint from NSS publications.

The second issue of Journal of Caves and Karst Studies’ for 1999 is a special symposium on the science projects performed at Kartchner Caverns State Park in Arizona. A special signature color has been included and the production run will be 3000 copies above normal. Additional monies (up to $7K) for the color and larger production run is being provided by Arizona Conservation Projects Inc. (ACPI) a non-profit company set up to study Kartchner. For this ACPI will receive the additional 3000 copies for sale at Kartchner through the Consessionaire. The members should appreciate the extra efforts by the JCKS Committee.

The 1999 Members Manual was missing Ohio, Oklahoma and Paul Stevens’ picture. The October NSS News has a pullout insert to be placed into the Members Manual. The editor has quit, not due to this issue and a Members Manual Committee Chair advertisement will be in the December NSS News. The Members Manual committee will probably need to be expanded.

Lack of an advertising policy is holding up the American Caving Accidents three year issue.

The annual NSS renewal for affiliation to the Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) was sent. The AAAS requested appointments for three year terms for NSS representatives starting February 23, 2000 through February 2003. Daniel Chess agreed to chair the committee again. Kathy Lavioe replied that she would continue as chair if another candidate could not be found. Another candidate was not located.

There was a question as to whether the Research and Advisory Chair should be responsible for authorizing ALL NSS Projects, not just NSS Research Projects. There is a motion on the agenda on this item (creating a Non-Research Projects category) and I urge board members to vote for the motion.

In my last report I failed to summarize the Korea trip in June, 1999. In a nutshell …

The city of Samchok, Korea, (northeastern South Korea) held an International Cave Symposium, inviting representatives from the NSS, ACCA, JSS (Japan Speleo. Soc.), China, UIS (UIS Pres. Julia James, Australia, General Secretary, and ) for the three day conference. Suits, business cards, bowing, simultaneous translations in four languages, lots of media coverage, a 64 piece orchestra concert, and formalities for three straight days. Plane fares, hotels, translators, taxis, meals (all big events) were provided for by the City of Samchok.

Why? Samchok owns Kanung Cave, opened (re-enovated) for tourism in 1997. They have 1.5 million tourists see the cave each year (and I could not find any mention of this new tourist attraction anywhere on the web. ie. It is word of mouth, Korean traffic. The designers had conservation very much in mind during the trail creation as shown by 1.4 kilometers of raised stainless steel walkways, three suspension bridges over pits and video cameras looking back at the from every luring passageway near the trail.

Phone: 770-822-0003
Fax: 770-682-5536
Cellular: 678-234-0566
Email: putnam@scci.org

Committee Members:
Louise Hose
John Gookin
George Dasher
Dave Hughes
Butch Feldhaus

Problems:
I need confirmation of a final rate schedule for advertising in order to send out the solicitation. I can't complete the final layout without knowing how many and what size advertisements I have to work with. I would also appreciate guidance on space allocation: specifically, what to do if two or more advertisers want the same premium space (i.e. back cover or one of the inside covers).

Progress:
I have the manuscript for the next ACA (triple issue covering 96, 97, and 98) pretty much ready to go, but can not complete the final layout until the advertising issue is settled. Once that is done, I will send the manuscipt out for review, incorporate comments, and send it to the printer for production and distribution. Final layout and review will take 2-3 weeks, and includes both proofreading and content review by the committee members
and other advisors. I plan to allow 2 weeks for response to the advertising solicitation, which will go out to previous NSS News advertisers plus a number of other interested companies, organizations, and individuals.

My summer publication plans were blown by unexpected issues related to the National Cave Management Symposium which required all of my available time for July, August, and September. As a result, I have not pressed the advertising issue to resolution as I should have. The NCMS issues are now resolved and I am able to continue with ACA work. Adding the 1998 material has also taken longer than I expected.

Plans:
Resolve the issues of rates and space allocation for ACA; send out a solicitation for advertising; complete final layout of manuscript including advertising; have manuscript reviewed and incorporate comments

Publish ACA 96-98 with distribution in late November. At this point it seems best to label that the December 1999 Part 2 issue so that page numbering is simplified.

William Putnam
1865 Eagle Summit Court
Lawrenceville GA 30043-6669
(770) 822-0003 voice
(770) 682-5536 fax
(678) 234-0566 mobile

Kathleen H. Lavoie
Dean of College of Arts and Sciences and
Professor, Biology Department
University of Michigan-Flint
Flint, MI. 48502-2186

Plans: Still vague plans for increasing involvement with AAAS. Bio should get together again with Geo and plan another special session at some forthcoming AAAS meeting; the last session Daniel Chess organized went very well. We might also try to follow-up that session with a focused issue of the Bulletin, even at this late date. I also suggest a joint session at an NSS Convention to both inform and brainstorm.

EVP Notes:
The following message was sent to the RAC and JCKS chairs and each passed them along to possible interested parties. I also posted it on the Cavers Digest. I received NO inquiries for assuming the chair. Kathy is still the AAAS - Biology Chair for the NSS.

I received a request from the AAAS for the NSS appointees to the AAAS for the next three year term. Kathy Lavoie, AAAS - Biology Chair has asked if another representative for the NSS can be found, it would be fine with her.

The next term is February 23, 2000, to February 18, 2003. These are the days following the last day of the AAAS annual meetings for those years.

The appointment is due to AAAS by September 30th, 1999 Sorry for the short notice. The new representative must be either an AAAS member or is willing to join the Association.

Please submit names of interested and qualified individuals and I will fill them in with what details I have.

Progress:
The manuscript for the joint NSS-AGI environmental awareness publication about living in karst areas was submitted to AGI by George Veni in April. The AGI editors are generally pleased with the manuscript and have returned it to George for blending of writing styles and elimination of redundancies. The final product should be similar to AGI’s recent publication on soils, which featured many color photographs and a simple, succinct writing style. NSS and AGI will have an excellent product, once this pamphlet is published.

Problems:
George Veni thought that AGI would handle this part of the editing process. Consequently, he does not have time in his schedule to work on it for at least a couple of months. This will obviously delay the publication of the karst pamphlet. George has already put a lot of effort into the pamphlet, and to ask him to hurry the process is not reasonable.

Plans:
I am looking for an NSS member who is part of the geoscience community to assist me with AGI duties. I am not planning to give up the position, but I usually cannot attend both of the AGI meetings each year. (They are held during the American Association of Petroleum Geologists meeting in spring and the Geological Society of America meeting in fall). Most years, I can attend the AAPG meeting as part of my work, but I have a hard time justifying the expense of traveling to the GSA meeting. Consequently, I would like to find an associate who regularly attends GSA meetings to work with me on NSS-AGI projects.

I will be able to attend the AGI meetings this fall because they are in Denver. If the BOG has matters they would like me to discuss with AGI, please let me know.

Plans:
The AAAS Annual Meeting and Science Innovation Exposition will be held in Washington, D. C. February 17-22, 2000. The geology business meeting will be held on Friday February 18th, at 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM at the Marriott. The Biology business meeting will also be on Friday the 18th at 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM at the Marriott. I was planning to attend the business meeting and the Meeting sessions through Sunday.

Over the past several years I have read about a half dozen articles in Science dealing with caves from an anthropological perspective. I think the subject material has been getting more interest. I wouldn't mind organizing a symposium on caves as important historic depositional environments. I would offer to do the leg work and administrative paper work if someone else would chair the session and give me a few leads on speakers. Cave anthropology, other then my own activities, is not my bag. I was going to spend a few afternoons in the library and on the Internet trying to locate the authors of the articles. This would be a great lead into 2001 as an "under space odyssey."

Daniel Chess, P.E.
Advisory Environmental Engineer
Environmental Engineering and Operations
Research Division
(914) 945-2479

Home (918)333-5761
Work: (918)336-9170
Fax: (918)336-6407
E-mail: oksteele@aol.com

Progress:
The committee has received some correspondence concerning Sara Corrie grants, but no formal applications.

Plans:
The committee is refining ideas for a standard set of criteria for grant requests.

EVP Notes:
I have heard nothing to think that Joel has not been working his committee.

Progress:
We have received nine inquiries about our grants programs. Two grant proposals have been submitted. One was rejected and the other has been approved.

The approved projects was titled "Population genetics, physiology, morphology, and life history of Cottus carolinae, a cavernicolous sculpin" by Ginny Adams (NSS # 45903RE). It is a integrative biology study where by synthetizing information from population genetics, physiology, morphology, and reproductive life history aimed to understand evolutionary processes in cave adaptation. The amount givens was $500.

The unapproved project proposal was titled "Microevolutionary convergences and divergences between soil and cave mites" by Xavier Ducarme.
(EVP: Talk to me as to the reasons why)

We have also received some inquiries about projects requesting been named as NSS official project. We have been in touch with the Executive Vice president in order to clarify the issues involved inthese procedures.

Problems:
There has been lack of responsiveness from many members of the Committee. I am contacting them again to see if they are still interested in participating in it and to know more about their area of expertise.

Plans:
Based on the responses from the committee members, I will proceed to restructure the committee with two goals in mind:

Another activity I am planing is to establish a web page for RAC that, as for other committees and sections of the NSS, will be part of the NSS web page. That link should provide visitors with information about RAC's goals and activities, and the particulars about our grants program (guidelines, list of past or current projects funded, etc.). We expect that page to be up and running sometime in October, 1999.

Aldemaro Romero, Ph.D.
Chair, RAC
Environmental Studies Program and Biology Department
Macalester College
1600 Grand Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105-1899
USA
(651) 696-8157
(651) 696-6443 (fax)
romero@macalester.edu

EVP Notes:
An item is on the agenda creating the category of Non-Research Projects. Al and I were uncomfortable with the RAC Chair approving all Projects for the NSS. Non-Research Projects should be approved by the BOG or minimally the EVP.

Editors
1990 Scott Fee & Tom Willett
1991 Eileen C. O’Malley, Scott Fee, & Tom Rea
1992 Jennifer Pinkley
1998 James and Shelley Reyome and Kyle Crider
1999 Scott A. Parvin

This report marks my three-year anniversary with this committee. During this time we have published the 1988, 1994, 1996, and 1997 Digests. (The respective inventories as of September 22nd is 328, 345, 66, and 113. In each case we printed 500 copies.) We now have two "current year" Digests and three "older" Digests remaining to be created. In the past the challenges an editor faced was getting material typed. Now that I have teams in place to overcome that obstacle, the challenge has become the editor himself. Finding reliable volunteers who are willing to communicate and make steady progress on the Digest manuscripts has become a difficult task at best.

Progress:
I have currently requested 402 article/graphics for the 1999 Speleo Digest, and have received approximately 275 via e-mail. I have scanned and/or OCR’d approximately 50 of the articles not submitted by e-mail.

Desktop publishing work has also begun. The format, font, and design have been determined. Also, approximately 50 pages of actual desktop publishing have been completed.

Progress:
By sheer luck, Fee met Kyle Crider (a former NSS member) at a Sierra Club meeting. Kyle runs his own computer biz and before long we had obtained the files from the Reyomes and started massaging them. We have enlisted the help of a volunteer proofreader who is reviewing final copy.

From Kyle:
I have received, sifted through, and sorted all digest materials (hard copy and data) passed on to me. A template was designed with input from Scott Fee, and to-date more than 50 pages and seven chapters of information are being refined with this format.

Plans:
Pick up the pace! (We hope to have the book published in December; however, February may be more realistic.)

Problems:
Some data files did not make the Mac-PC translation in working order. Many graphics will have to be re-scanned.

Progress:
Tom has finished the lay out of the United States Cave Descriptions chapter (304 pages were mailed to me on September 27th). He also indicated that he is over a third done with the International Descriptions chapter.

Plans:
Tom believes he can be finished as early as October 30th but no later than November 30th.

Problems:
During the last few months, Tom has been difficult to reach. When I finally connected with him via phone he mentioned that his work schedule had changed. Additionally, when he proofed some of the articles to the hard copies, he identified graphics and maps that were not included. This mandated reworking those areas accordingly.

Problems:
Jennifer and I are in the process of arranging to return the electronic files and hard copies to me so that I may locate another volunteer to complete the DTP. To recap: The articles have been prepared, the graphics have been scanned, and the layout has been initiated; however, during the last six months very little progress has materialized.

Progress:
Since convention Tom has worked "maybe two hours" on the DTP. Tom took this on as "a winter project" so this is not alarming to the Series Editor.

Special Publications Committee Report
For October 1999 Board of Governors Meeting

David McClurg
104 Graves Ct.
Vallejo, CA 94591
Phone and Fax: 707 642-5528
dmcclurg@halcyon.com

Tom Rea (Committee Member)
Gale McCoy (Committee Member)
Janet McClurg (Committee Member
George Moore (Committee Member)
Elizabeth White (Committee Member)

Progress:
As predicted, the theoretical chapters with their hundreds of chemical and
mathematical equations in Microsoft Word have been very difficult to
integrate into the Adobe Pagemaker files. We have managed to come up with
several workarounds, but the pace is slower than expected. The net result
is that it seems most likely that the book will not be printed before
November or possibly even December.

For display at the convention, we prepared two display binders containing
the color covers, Front Matter, Parts 1, 2, and 3, a portion of Part 4, as
well as the title pages with photos and overviews for the other four parts.
These were on display in the Bookstore and the Geology and Geography
Section meetings. A number of orders for the books were taken.

At European symposia and meetings, editor Klimchouk is continuing his
distribution of the color fliers (Speleogenesis and Cave Minerals) supplied
by the NSS office. Other efforts to promote the book include a mailing by
the International Congress of Speleology of 1,600 of both fliers to its
membership list.

We are sending authors with layout proofs of their chapters as pdf files
for final review and comments. So far this pdf method of distribution seems
to be successful with a couple of exceptions where we have sent printout
instead by air mail. The corrections are minor, but are time consuming to
make.

Plans:
We are continuing to extract names for a mailing list of about 500 ground
water hydrologists from the current AGI Directory of Geoscience
Departments. This group has been pinpointed by Professor George Moore of
Oregon State University-and confirmed by the editors and others in the
field-as probably the prime market for this book. A set of labels should be
ready in October for a mailing of the Speleogenesis and the Cave Minerals
of the World color fliers.

We will proceed with the postings to authors of the layout proofs of their
chapters.

Problems:
Main problem is the additional time required to integrate the book's
hundreds of chemical and mathematical equations. Also, additional time is
required to allow review of layout proofs by both the authors and the
editors.

Progress:
We understand that a new team is in place and is working on the project.

Problems:
Multiple author books are always slow and this has been no exception.

Plans:
Production will probably begin in January or February of 2000. The book's release would then take place in the spring of 2000, with pre-publication prices and promotion commencing before the 2000 convention.

Progress, Plans, and Problems:
This book was once completely outlined, authors committed, and a schedule established. But the project continues in limbo with nothing new to report.

Techniques of Cave Conservation and Restoration
by Jim Werker and Val Hildreth-Werker, Editors

Progress:
No report of progress was received, but we understand that slow progress is being made.

Progress:
No report was received, but we understand that this book by Ronal Kerbo, National Cave Specialist for the National Park Service, is making slow progress. As stated earlier, this book could be very important for us, since it can be sold alongside similar NPS guides in National Park bookstores nationwide.

Underground Wonders will cover the seven major NPS show caves with history, descriptions, maps, and photos. In addition, back country caves open to cavers on a permit basis, such as several at Carlsbad Caverns NP, will be mentioned in a separate chapter.

Plans:
When we receive more facts and materials from Kerbo, we will figure out the page count, get printing estimates, and prepare a Specification and Estimate document for the book.

Problems:
Too early to tell until we get some text and photos. If it looks good, we'll get printing estimates and prepare a detailed Specification and Estimate sheet for the EC and Board.

Louise D. Hose (Editor)
Department of Environmental Studies
501 Westminster Avenue
Westminster College
Fulton, MO 65251-1299

Home: 573-642-4399
Work: 573-592-5303
Fax: 573-592-1217
E-Mail: HoseL@jaynet.wcmo.edu

BOARD OF EDITORS
David Ashley (Life Sciences)
George Huppert (Conservation)
Andrea Futtrell (Exploration)
Ira D. Sasowsky (Earth Sciences/Journal Index)
Marion O. Smith (Social Sciences)
Patty Jo Watson (Anthropology)
Betty Wheeler (Book Reviews)

ADVISORY BOARD
Penelope Boston
Horton Hobbs
David Jagnow
James Mead
Doug Medville
John Mylroie
James Nepstad
Margaret Palmer
Elizabeth White

Progress:
Volume 61, Number 2, the Special Issue on Kartchner Cavern, has been received by the editors and is in the mail to the general membership. I believe the NSS is indebted to Bob Buecher, Carol Hill, Jim Pisarowicz, and the Arizona Conservation Project, Inc. (ACPI) for creating this spectacular special issue. I am amazed as the quality of the publication considering volunteers were working on a very short time schedule and these folks all put in many extra hours to make the publication a success.

We have a few papers ready for the December issue and most of the convention abstracts have been edited and are ready for layout. The Idaho convention staff was very helpful in providing the abstracts in electronic form to me almost immediately after the convention.

Dave Bunnell, Dave McClurg, and I held a workshop on how NSS publication work with a modest attendance at the Idaho convention. It seemed successful enough for us to plan another one next year.

Ray Keeler, the Journal Board of Editors, and the Advisory Board also met at convention. The main topics of discussion were various publication policies (we agreed to keep the present policies) and how to identify a new Editor for the Journal and facilitate a smooth transition.

Plans:
We are also progressing with a special issue for next year on the geology of the Guadalupe Mountains. These papers are an outgrowth of the special symposium on the same topic held at the 1996 Colorado convention. Harvey DuChene and Carol Hill (again!) are spearheading this effort.

We currently seem to have an adequate flow of papers coming in to match our publication needs but there is currently no cushion of papers. We probably need to continue to actively solicit papers.

Researchers and Park officials at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park in Missouri have requested a special issue of the Journal in 2001 on the Devils Ice Box Cave. I am working with them towards this goal and see this as another opportunity for an excellent special issue.

I intend to continue as Editor through the year 2000 but will step down after v. 62, n. 3. I am trying to work with Ray Keeler, the Associate Editors, and the Advisory Board to ensure a smooth transition. I am recommending that the search for a new editor begin next spring and, hopefully, the selection will take place at the convention next year. At that time, I will turn over new submissions and correspondents to the new editor while I will continue to put out the final issue of 2000.

Problems:
The financial accounting for the Kartchner special issue has only begun but I do not anticipate a problem. However, it will take some work to resolve. The editorial board is available to provide information but see this issue as the concern of the NSS EVP and S/T Departments and the ACPI.

David Ashley, the Life Sciences Associate Editor, has announced his resignation as of December 31st and we will be looking for his replacement. Dave has been an excellent editor and we regret his decision but understand his need to use the time for other projects.

Dave Bunnell (Editor) (EVP: This address is the previous house)
320 Brook Rd.
Boulder Creek, CA. 95006

Bonnie Crystal (virtual Grotto)
Sharon Bravo (Proofreading)
Scott Fee (Advertising Manager)
Daniel Hazelton (Technology)
Dave Jagnow (Conservation)
Vacant (History)
Bill Klimack (In the Media)
Bob Springston (Newsletter Review)
Bill Cuddington (Techniques and Safety)
Peri Frantz (Down Through the Decades)

Progress:
We've picked up several new advertisers, which should help the cash flow. I've recruited Bill Mixon to help with copy editing on some articles, especially those that seem like they could use major re-writing. He's been helping in the last two issues.

Plans:
At Bert Ashbrook's suggestion, I'm thinking of raising the cost for classifieds from 35 cents to 45 cents/word, effective with the Jan 2000 issue. They don't seem to pay for themselves, space-wise, at the current rate.

Upcoming features:
A full issue devoted to Jewel Cave and one on Pennsylvania Caves.

I've begun archiving each News issue as an Adobe Acrobat file. These could be made available on CD-ROMs for the office, or perhaps sold through the bookstore. If I can ever get Josh to give me enough space on the website, I'll upload a PDF there for prospective members or advertisers to see.

Problems:
I'm running low on feature articles at this time, although a plea on caver's digest brought a few responses. It is time for some arm-twisting on some long-promised articles (such as I did with the Jewel article).

Not sure what to do about my Newsletter review columnist. He's been very irregular in the last year, and I may need to just give him some sort of schedule he needs to keep. Hard to fire the guy, he's an invalid and it seemed like the column gave him a way to stay active in caving matters. How important do you think this column is to have in the magazine on a regular basis?

Vince Kappler (Board Information)
Evelyn Bradshaw (Grotto Information)
Bill Bussey (Section Information)
David Taylor (Survey Information)
Office Staff (Members Listing)

EVP notes:
The Members Manual (MM) was put out in June 1999 on schedule. Lois Lyles, the previous editor sent me a note saying she would like to step down as MM Chair due to changes in her life. Two weeks later it was discovered that Ohio and Oklahoma were missing from the 1999 MM along with missing the Secretary/Treasurer’s picture, non-updated NSS Projects Information (some projects were missing, others with old contact information). This is partially due to the Research and Advisory Committee (RAC) being vacant at the time. The responsibility of getting this information to the MM editor to cover that void is mine and I did not recognize the connection and did not solicit the information necessary. Blame me, not Lois. The RAC Chair has been notified of the task and will beginning collecting information on schedule.

A notification in the NSS News is scheduled for December, 1999. My hope is the committee members listed from the Summer EVP report will help the new MM chair in the 2000 MM report.

The following permissions/contacts/non-permissions were made for reprinting NSS copyrighted materials and release of NSS Member information:

WHO ORG. TYPE ORANIZATION	REPRINT PERMISSION STATUS	REASON FOR REQUEST
Peter Sprouse Non-Profit Proyecto Espeleological Perificacion (PEP) .	Being worked	Placing a JCKS article on the PEP web page. There is a question of NSS policy for JCKS paper re-publication.
Gerald Forney Non-Profit Rocky Mountain Caving	Granted 6-20-99	Request for NSS Members in Colorado labels for Rocky Mountain Caving
Skip Withrow	9-6-99	Follow up authorization granted
Gabby Call Non-Profit The Nature Conservancy of Tennessee	Granted 6-16-99	Hubbards Cave north gate project in July, NSS logo NSS/TNC
Traci Fearday NSS I/O Dayton Underground Grotto	Granted 8-2-99	DUG's Wormfest in Greenbrier Co. WVA re-publishing some of the 1995 Convention Guidebook
Raymond Herlong NSS I/O Battlefield Area Troglodytes Society	Granted 9-5-99	NSS copyrighted logos for the Battlefield Area Trogodytes brochure
Camille Mueller Caving event Dogwood City Grotto	Granted 10-4-99	TAG Fall Cave In NSS Names and numbers for registration discounts.
Dean H. Snyder Booklet NSS 17870LFPH	Granted 10-5-99	Booklet on the history of caves in Berks Co. Pennsylvania, Three illustrations: Two from NSS Bulletin 15, one from NSS Bulletin 14

National Speleological Society, Inc.

Executive Vice President's Report

October 25, 1999

TABLE OF CONTENTS