Cave Conservationist

The Newsletter of Cave Conservation and Management

Volume 13 No. 1 February 1, 1994

Published by the NSS Section on Cave Conservation and Management

Federal Cave Management Policy

The Cave Conservationist is the official publication of the Conservation and Management Section of the National Speleological Society. Distribution is free to members of the Section. Section membership costs $5 annually and should be mailed to the Secretary. (A membership form for your convenience is included on page 23.) Additional complimentary copies are distributed on a temporary basis at the discretion of the Section to NSS members, internal organizations, cave owners, and others involved in cave conservation projects. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the either the Section or the NSS and should be attributed to the author or, in the case of uncredited articles, to the Editor.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Evelyn Bradshaw, 10826 Leavells Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22407-1261.

SUBMISSIONS: Articles and other Cave Conservationist correspondence should be sent to the Editor. Submissions on computer disks should be made with 3.5" or 5.25" IBM compatible diskettes, Microsoft Word, Word Perfect 5.0, or Wordstar 3.3 compatibility, or straight ASCII format is preferred. Do not format materials for multiple columns! Diskettes will not be returned unless requested. Arrangements may be made for transmission via modem; call or write the publisher for details. Or send an E-Mail message, or your article, to the Publisher via Compuserve to 71267,1065 or Prodigy to BBTH90A. Note: if you send diskettes or articles to the Publisher, be sure to notify the Editor that you have done so, and send him a hard copy.

Copyright 1995 NSS Conservation and Management Section, except as noted. Internal organizations of the National Speleological Society may reprint any item first appearing in the Cave Conservationist so long as proper credit is given and a copy of the newsletter containing the material is mailed to the Editor. Other organizations should contact the Editor.

Printed by members of the D.C. Grotto and the Potomac Speleological Society.

Cover illustration is by Linda Heslop.

NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY           
Conservation & Management Section        
Officers                                 

Chairman and Publisher: Rob Stitt        
1417 9th Ave. West                       
Seattle, WA 98119                        
(206) 283-2283                           

Editor and Vice-Chairman: Jay R.         
Jorden,                                  
1518 Devon Circle                        
Dallas, TX 78217-1205                    

Secretary-Treasurer: Evelyn Bradshaw,    
10826 Leavells Road                      
Fredericksburg, VA 22407-1261            
(703)898-9288                            

Directors at Large: Mel Park             
George N. Huppert                        

Table of Contents

• Table of Contents
• Notes from the Chairman
• Federal Cave Resources Protection Act Of 1988
• Federal Cave Resources Protection Act Of 1988 Implementing Rule - U.S. Department Of The Interior
• NPS Directory-Parks With Caves And/Or Karst
• Dispatches
• BLM Manager Receives Stewardship Award
• Memorandum of Understanding Between The U.S. Department of Interior-Bureau of Land Management and The National Speleological Society
• Memorandum of Understanding Between The U.S. Department of Interior-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The National Speleological Society
• Memorandum of Understanding Between the National Park Service and the National Speleological Society
• Memorandum of Understanding Between The American Cave Conservation Association and The National Speleological Society
• National Park Service And National Speleological Society Announce Joint Cave Preservation Effort

Notes from the Chairman

Finally, only five years late, some of the regulations implementing the Federal Cave Resource Protection Act of 1988 have been released, published in the Federal Register, and should have gone into effect. It took almost as long (perhaps longer) to get the regulations drafted and issued as it did to get the FCRPA passed in the first place. The ordeal has gone on much longer than the framers of the FRCPA ever envisioned, since the Act allows nine months for a process that ultimately took almost six years.

In this and future issues we feature a compendium of information that should be useful to cavers and cave conservationists who are dealing with these regulations and the agencies that drafted them. In this issue we focus on agencies affiliated with the Department of the Interior. Included are copies of the FRCPA itself, the Dept. of Interior Regulations, a list of units of the National Park System known to contain caves, and copies of Memoranda of Agreement between the NSS and various federal agencies and other organizations.

In a future issue, (after they are released) we will include the Forest Service regulations, as well as information about privately owned caves and some more news briefs, and an article on the effects of carbide, taken with permission from the Internet.

Federal Cave Resources Protection Act Of 1988

PUBLIC LAW 100-691-November 18, 1988

An Act to protect cave resources and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

This Act may be referred to as the "Federal Cave Resources Protection Act of 1988".

For purposes of this Act:

Approved 18 November, 1988.

PUBLIC LAW 100-691 - November 18, 1988

Federal Cave Resources Protection Act Of 1988
Implementing Rule - U.S. Department Of The Interior

Part 37, Subtitle A, Title 43, Code of Federal Regulations*

Effective Date: November 1, 1993

SUMMARY: This final rule implements the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act of 1988, which requires the identification, protection, and maintenance, to the extent practical, of significant caves on lands administered by the Department of the Interior. The final rule establishes criteria to be considered in the identification of significant caves. It also integrates cave management into existing planning and management processes and protects cave resource information to prevent vandalism and disturbance of significant caves. Primary impact lies with lands administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

§ 37.1 Purpose.

The purpose of this part is to provide the basis for identifying and managing significant caves on Federal lands administered by the Secretary of the Interior.

§ 37.2 Policy.

It is the policy of the Secretary that Federal lands be managed in a manner which, to the extent practical, protects and maintains significant caves and cave resources. The type and degree of protection will be determined through the agency resource management planning process with full public participation.

§ 37.3 Authority.

Section 4 of the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act of 1988 (102 Stat. 4546; 16 U.S.C. 4301) authorizes the Secretary to issue regulations providing for the identification of significant caves. Section 5 authorizes the Secretary to withhold information concerning the location of significant caves under certain circumstances.

§ 37.4 Definitions.

§ 37.3 Collection of information.

§ 37.11 Nomination, evaluation, and designation of significant caves.

§ 37.12 Confidentiality of cave location information.

July 23, 1993

____________________

• Reference: Federal Register, Vol. 58, No. 189, October 1, 1993, pp. 51550-51555.

Editorial Notes: Some key aspects of the significant cave determination process include provisions that:

n Each land management unit will have a single, designated officer to process nominations.

n Anyone can submit nominations.

n Evaluations will be carried out in consultation with knowledgeable representatives of the caving community.

n Caves can be selected based on any of several criteria, including recreational value.

n Denied cave nominations can be resubmitted if new information or more documentation is provided.

n Locations will be kept confidential.

NPS Directory-Parks With Caves And/Or Karst

Compiled by Ronal Kerbo 04/20/93.

-------------------------

Dispatches

from staff reports

CARLSBAD, N.M.-Overall attendance at Carlsbad Caverns National Park decreased by about one-half of one percent because of three bomb threats last year. A park service official says 687,161 visitors were counted at the park in 1993. That compares with 688,742 the previous year, said Bob Crisman, a caverns spokesman.

Carlsbad Cavern remained the most popular attraction, he said. A total of 550,421 people visited the best known of the park's 81 caves, compared to 549,073 in 1992, said Crisman.

Without the three threats, attendance at the park would have been higher, according to the National Park Service. Crisman said the incidents in July, November and December were all hoaxes. No one was injured.

*******

TAHLEQUAH, Okla.-Cavers have helped give some bats at Northeastern State University a new lease on life. The Tulsa Grotto rescued 300 bats from the tower attic at the university's Seminary Hall.

A remodeling project beginning in January forced relocation of the bats. They were taken to Missouri caves to establish colonies. A Northeastern employee who explores caves as a hobby had heard about the renovation and began to find a way to protect the bats.

Cavers wore pigskin gloves as they caught the sleeping bats by hand, put them in cages and readied them for their journey. Removing the bats was tricky because they had squeezed into crevices in the attic, said Bill Howard, grotto president.

"A month ago, they were more in the open but they are getting ready for hibernation now," he said. "They don't want to come out. They're getting an attitude problem."

*******

CARLSBAD, N.M.-Expeditions into Lechuguilla have extended the deepest U.S. cave almost four miles longer than reported earlier. A statement from Carlsbad Caverns National Park this month puts the mapped length of Lechuguilla at 69.2 miles, up from 65.3 miles last August.

The cave, at 1,593 feet deep, is the record holder among U.S. caves. Park spokesman Bob Crisman said the cave remains the eighth longest in the world and fourth lengthiest in the United States.

Last year, six mapping expeditions by the Lechuguilla Exploration and Research Network and five others netted some 10 miles of new passages and rooms.

Key finds for 1993, the park said, included Neverland, Needle Park Maze and the Blanca Navida Room, which is 300 feet long, 50 feet wide and 50 feet high.

Park Superintendent Frank Deckert said that in the Blanca Navida Room, rock formations are growing in pools. Deckert said other extensions were found in Lechuguilla's North Rift, Western Borehole and Far East.

Last year, much of the exploration moved closer to the park boundary and a new federal cave protection zone. Congress in 1993 created the zone to protect Lechuguilla from oil and gas drilling.

BLM Manager Receives Stewardship Award

from staff reports

Lander, Wyo.-Jim Goodbar, outdoor recreation planner and cave specialist for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Carlsbad Resource Area, New Mexico, has been named the recipient of the 1993 NOLS Stewardship Award, presented by the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). NOLS is recognized as a leader in wilderness education.

The annual NOLS Stewardship Award recognizes land managers who have exhibited exceptional stewardship of the wildlands entrusted to their care. The award was presented at the dedication of the school's new Pacific Northwest branch headquarters on Oct. 9, 1993 in Conway, Wash.

According to Goodbar's award nomination, "Jim is a national model for using education to protect resources, both as a Bureau of Land Management manager and as an active citizen and recreationist."

"I was impressed by his knowledge of the magnificent underground resource that he manages as well as his enthusiasm for sharing his knowledge and experience with others," said Wilford Welch, chairman of the NOLS board of trustees.

Goodbar, NSS 9715RL, qualifies as an exemplary manner for this award, NOLS said in a prepared statement. The nomination highlights his on-the-job and "extracurricular" accomplishments: significant contributions to the BLM Cave Management Manual, the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act, and many national cave management symposia; active involvement with the National Speleological Society, including past participation as a director of the society and chair of the cave management committee; cave exploration with a select group of renowned cavers in the first U.S.-Sino caving expedition in China; commitment to education as a management tool as evidenced by his "provocative, humorous and thoughtful" talks to NOLS students; and passion for the underground wilderness itself, exemplified by his devotion to caving an conservation of the delicate cave resource.

Goodbar began his caving career at the age of nine. His parents were cavers in Central Texas, where he was born and raised. With a bachelor's degree in park and recreation management from Texas A&M, Goodbar joined the BLM in 1977. He took two years off to attend graduate school in cave and karst studies at Western Kentucky University, after which he returned to the BLM's Carlsbad Resource Area. His passion for caving has led him to caves throughout the world, including expeditions to Asia, Europe and Mexico.

In addition to his duties as a cave specialist with the BLM, Goodbar is a cave search and rescue expert. He was co-incident coordinator for the dramatic rescue of a caver with a broken leg from Lechuguilla Cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park in April 1991. This rescue drew national attention as it took days to carefully retrieve the injured woman from the depths of that world-class cave.

Founded in 1965 by mountaineer and educator Paul Petzoldt who saw a need for "methods of using, while preserving, our wilderness," NOLS is now a recognized leader in wilderness education. As a private non-profit school, NOLS operates wilderness field expeditions during which students are taught wilderness skills and safety, practical conservation and the fundamentals of outdoor leadership. The school's alumni total over 30,000 graduates worldwide. NOLS' international headquarters is in Lander, Wyoming, and the school runs 14- to 95-day courses from seven branches: Rocky Mountain, Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Alaska, Baja Mexico, Patagonia (Chile) and Kenya.

Current NOLS wilderness education courses range from glacier mountaineering in Alaska to sea kayaking in Patagonia, South America. Caving is taught by NOLS in areas that range from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota to caves in New Mexico found in the BLM's Carlsbad Resource Area.

Memorandum of Understanding Between The U.S.
Department of Interior-Bureau of Land Management and The National Speleological Society

June 11, 1984

Growing public awareness of the existence of cave resources on public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), combined with better access, more leisure time, and the desire for an unusual recreational experience or hobby, has contributed to increased use of these cave resources. Together with increased development and utilization of other public land resources, this has generated the need for better management of unique, nonrenewable cave resources.

In the past, BLM has relied on volunteer assistance from members of organizations interested in caving, primarily members of the National Speleological Society (NSS) and the Cave Research Foundation (CRF), to provide manpower and expertise needed to protect and manage cave resources. Continued or improved management of public land cave resources makes this type of volunteer assistance essential. In recognition of shared concerns and the benefits of cooperation, the BLM and the NSS developed this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with which the Cave Research Foundation concurs.

The purpose of the MOU is to (1) recognize the participatory management contributions of the NSS and the CRF on behalf of cave resources on public lands which BLM administers, (2) encourage the continued or increased participation of the NSS and the CRF in the management of these resources, and (3) establish procedures for the development of cooperative management and volunteer agreements between the BLM and the NSS organizations or the CRF. These types of agreements provide official recognition and benefits to cooperators and volunteers and encourage these organizations to make a greater commitment in aiding BLM's management of unique, nonrenewable cave resources on public lands.

This MOU has been developed under authority provided to BLM under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, Section 102.(a)(8).

The agreements and conditions outlined in the MOU become effective upon signature by representatives from each organization. This MOU can be changed at any time with regard to either the NSS or the CRF, by mutual agreement of the organizations involved.

/s/

Director, Bureau of Land Management

/s/ Paul J. Stevens

President, National Speleological Society

/s/ Sarah Bishop

President, Cave Research Foundation

Memorandum of Understanding Between
The U.S. Department of Interior-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The National Speleological Society

April 4, 1992

Increased public awareness of the values inherent in nonrenewable cave resources, and the concern that those resources be managed and protected for the enjoyment and use of future generations, have encouraged a greater degree of management consideration for those naturally occurring caves located on National Wildlife Refuge System Lands (Refuges) under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). The manpower and expertise needed to inventory, protect, and assist with the management of cave resources can in part be made available by volunteers who are members of organizations like the National Speleological Society (Society).

Continued or improved management of refuge cave resources can be accomplished with volunteer assistance. In recognition of shared concerns and the benefits of cooperation, the Service and the Society have developed this Memorandum of Understanding (Memorandum) to encourage cooperation between the Service and the Society.

The purposes of this Memorandum are to (1) recognize the contributions which Society volunteers can provide on behalf of cave resources on refuge lands which the Service administers, (2) encourage the participation of the Society in the preservation of these resources, and (3) establish guidelines for the development of Volunteer Services Agreements (Agreement) between the Service's refuge officers and the Society's volunteers.

This Memorandum has been developed under authority provided to the Service by the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, 16 U.S.C. §661, and the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, 16 U.S.C. §742f, as amended by the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-616).

An agreement developed between a Service refuge office and Society volunteer will utilize the guidelines provided in this Memorandum. The following elements shall be addressed and included as attachments to the standard Agreement form (Attachment A). The Agreement form will have a sentence under the "Special Provisions" section which references the addressing of these elements (see Attachment A).

The agreements and conditions outlined in this Memorandum become effective upon signature by representatives from the Service and the Society. This Memorandum can be changed at any time by mutual agreement of the parties and may be terminated by either party upon 30 day's written notice.

/s/ Director, Fish and Wildlife Service
April 4, 1992

/s/ President, National Speleological Society April 4, 1992

Memorandum of Understanding Between the National
Park Service and the National Speleological Society

December 2, 1993

Article I. Background and Objectives.

Whereas the Act of August 25, 1916, 39 Stat. 535, as amended, declares that the National Park Service (hereinafter, the "Service") is responsible for "promoting and regulating the use of the national parks so as to conserve the scenery and natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in a manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."

Whereas, it is the policy of the Service to encourage scientific research and interpretation, for the public, of natural features and processes in areas under its administration; and

Whereas, it is the purpose of the National Speleological Society (hereinafter, the "NSS") to promote interest in and to advance in any and all ways the study and science of speleology and the protection of caves and their natural contents; therefore

This Memorandum of Understanding is for the purpose of encouraging future participation by members of the NSS (pursuant to the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act of 2988), its Internal Organizations (IOs), including its local chapters ("Grottos") in the inventory, scientific study, management, planning, and protection of caves and cave resources located on lands administered by the Service.

Article II. Statement of Work.

Objectives:

The Service and the NSS agree to pursue a number of objectives within this memorandum. To the extent feasible, the parties agree that

A. The National Park Service will:

B. The National Speleological society will:

C. The National Park Service and the National Speleological Society will:

Article III. Term of Agreement.

This Memorandum of Understanding will become effective upon approval by both parties, and will extend for a period of five years thereafter. It will be formally reviewed every five years and renewed/altered as appropriate.

Article IV. Key Officials.

National Park Service:

National Speleological Society:

Article V. Property Utilization.

This section is not applicable to this agreement.

Article VI. Prior Approval.

All obligations of the National Park Service hereunder are subject to the availability of funds and to such direct and instructions as may have been or are hereafter provided by Congress.

Article VII. Termination.

This Memorandum of Understanding may be terminated at any time upon the mutual agreement of both parties or upon 90-day prior written notice by either party to the other.

Article VIII. Required Clauses.

During the performance of the agreement, the participants agree to abide by the terms of Executive Order 11246 on non-discrimination and will not discriminate against any person because of race, color, age, religion, sex, national origin or disability. The participants will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed without regard to their race, color, age, religion, sex, national origin or disability.

No member of or delegate to Congress, or resident commissioner, shall be admitted to any share or part of this agreement, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom; but this provision shall not be construed to extend to this agreement if made with a corporation for its general benefit.

Article IX. Authorizing Signatures.

/s/ Roger G. Kennedy

Director, National Park Service

/s/ Jeanne Gurnee

President, National Speleological Society

Memorandum of Understanding Between The American
Cave Conservation Association and The National Speleological Society

March 10, 1990

The National Speleological Society (hereafter, the Society) and the American Cave Conservation Association (hereafter, the Association) are membership organizations with a mutual interest in caves and cave resources.

The purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding is to:

To accomplish these objectives, the Society, through its Board of Governors and the Association, through its Board of Directors, do hereby ratify this Memorandum of Understanding and the Society and the Association do mutually agree as follows:

This Memorandum of Understanding shall be effective upon ratification by the governing bodies of the respective organizations and such ratification shall be indicated by the signatures of the presidents of the respective organizations in the spaces provided below. The organization first ratifying this Memorandum of Understanding shall not be bound thereby until such time as the Memorandum is ratified by the other organization.

The Association or the Society may cancel or end this document at any time provided thirtyday prior written notification is given to the other organization.

/s/ President, NSS

/s/ President, ACCA

National Park Service And National Speleological Society Announce Joint Cave Preservation Effort

The director of the National Park Service, Roger G. Kennedy, and the president of the National Speleological Society, Jeanne Gurnee, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) committing both organizations to cooperative efforts to preserve and protect cave resources in the National Park System.

Through this agreement, NSS members will assist the NPS with cave management activities by researching, exploring, surveying, mapping and inventorying the nation's cave resources.

The MOU builds upon a productive, long-standing relationship between the NSS and the NPS. Local NSS chapters (known as grottos) have contributed thousands of volunteer hours in National Park System caves, exploring and mapping hundreds of miles of passages, conducting numerous geological and hydrological studies, and documenting many rare and endangered species.

"Cave environments present many scientific and management challenges, but also provide an exciting opportunity to study and learn more about these important but little-understood ecosystems," said Kennedy. "The National Speleological Society has long been our ally in studying and exploring cave resources. This agreement strengthens that bond, and offers us an opportunity to assess the caves on National Park Service lands as well as work toward improving cave management and preservation efforts."

"The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding confirms and strengthens the National Speleological Society's long relationship with the National Park Service," said Gurnee. "We dedicate more than 50 years of experience in exploration, study and research to helping the service make important decisions regarding the identification and management of significant caves on federal lands."

More than 50 areas in the National Park System are known to have significant cave resources, including world-famous Mammoth Cave, Kentucky; Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico; and Wind and Jewel Caves, South Dakota. Ongoing exploration and research, mainly by volunteers, continues to expand the extent of known passages at all of these major cave systems.

If you are not already a member of the Conservation and Management Section of the National Speleological Society, you are invited to join. Dues are $5.00 a year, payable to the NSS Cons/Mgmt Section. Members receive the newsletter regularly and are entitled to vote at the annual meeting.

Membership Information

       Yes, I would like to join the Conservation/Management Section.  Here are     
       my dues in the amount of $________ (dues of $5/year may be prepaid for up    
       to three years).                                                             

Name___________________________________ NSS No.________                             
___                                                                                 

Address_________________________________________                                   
______                                                                             

City__________________________ State_____________          ZIP_________________     
___                                                                                 

Please send this form with check/money order to the                                 
Secretary-Treasurer:                                                                
Evelyn Bradshaw, 10826 Leavells Road, Fredericksburg, VA                            
22407-1261.                                                                         

Cavers have explored more than 300 miles of passages at Mammoth Cave, the world's largest, and continue to unravel the mysteries of Jewel and Wind Caves, complex maze caves that are now the second and third largest in the United States. More than 95 miles of passages have been discovered in Jewel Cave and more than 72 miles in Wind Cave. Geological studies at both indicate that many more miles remain to be discovered.

Since its discovery in 1986, more than 60 miles of passages, many containing spectacular and beautiful rock formations, have been found in Lechuguilla Cave on the north edge of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico. At a depth of almost 1,600 feet, Lechuguilla is the deepest known cave in the United States.

The National Speleological Society is the world's largest organization dedicated to the exploration, conservation and study of the caves. Founded in 1941, its members have discovered, explored and studied more than 40,000 caves in the United States, as well as conducting extensive research and exploration in caves throughout the world. The NSS includes more than 11,000 members with interests ranging from recreation to research, whose efforts have contributed extensively to understanding our nation's cave resources.

The MOU will help the Park Service carry out its responsibilities under the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act, passed by Congress in 1988 to help preserve our nation's significant caves, and to improve cooperation between cavers, cave researchers, and the Federal Government.

An important provision of the Act mandates an inventory of all significant federally owned caves, many of which have not been fully explored and thus could be threatened with harm from surface activities. Participation of the NSS and other caving organizations is essential to the success of this nationwide effort.

Through their local grottos, the NSS will contribute key information about the location and character of undeveloped caves. Knowledge of these caves and increased cooperation with caving groups will result in better management and protection of these valuable resources.

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