APPENDIX Z

Outline for Writing a Cave Management Plan

The National Speleological Society Constitution states, "The purpose of this Society shall be to promote interest in and to advance in any and all ways the study and science of speleology, the protection of caves and their natural contents, and to promote fellowship among those interested therein."

As a management committee, you should keep these goals of the Society in mind as you develop your cave management plan. This outline is your guide for writing a workable management plan and includes various topics in areas you need to include in your management plan.

One of the great values of preparing a management plan is that it encourages a careful inventory of the property's resources and identifies potential management problems.

INTRODUCTION

This section should include your intentions for the management of the cave. Most of your objectives for the property should be included.

HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY

This section should include a summary of the known history of the cave and the land that it lies under. Items such as whether it was used for saltpeter mining, whether it was ever commercialized, and who the previous property owners have been is of interest.

RESOURCES

Probably the most important aspect of a management plan is the listing of resources. This section should indicate what is significant about the property and why the NSS should own it. This section should be divided into two sub-sections: underground and surface resources.

Each sub-section should detail as many resources as possible that may include the following:

A)Biological
B)Geological
C)Hydrological
D)Paleontological
E)Archeological
F) Historical

You should be just as concerned with topics such as surface streams, roads, easements for utilities, and other such related items. In each of these sub-sections the committee should list what they will do to protect and maintain these resources.

ACCESS POLICY

This section is one of the most important items of any cave management plan. In this section, the committee must list what requirements must be met by those who wish to visit the property and should state whether the cave is open only at certain times of the year, open all year, or not at all. The potential is great for misunderstanding and hard feelings if the access policies are not clear, fair, and widely known.

Your management plan should reflect the fact that all Society cave properties should be managed in such a way as to minimize the Society's liability in case of accidents. The management plan should state that NSS caves shall be managed in such ways as to qualify under state or local landowner liability exemption laws, to legally define unauthorized visitors as trespassers under local law, and to inform authorized visitors of the hazardous nature of the cave by requiring them to sign a liability release as directed by the Legal Committee.

CAVE MANAGEMENT

When managing a cave, one must not assume that the management plan is effective. The cave should be monitored for degradation. The managers may evaluate the desirability and practicality of various monitoring strategies. The strategies may include, but are not limited to, photo monitoring, water quality monitoring, and periodic censusing of indicator species. In order for degradation to be noted, a baseline condition should be established as soon as possible. If monitoring indicates degradation of the cave, revising the management plan to minimize degradation should be considered and acted on as appropriate.

PUBLICITY POLICY

This section should include what types of publicity (if any) the committee will use to inform the general public about the use of the cave. The committee may wish to draw up a program for the use of the public to educate them on the need for cave preservation. Or, if the cave is in need of extended protection, the committee may opt to try to keep the cave obscure.

SURFACE MANAGEMENT

This section should list what the committee plans to do to manage the land around the cave. It should include whether or not the committee will close off the road to the cave, or if a road will be constructed; if the cave is going to be gated; if barricades or gates are to be installed on the road; what parking will be available and where. And since the surface has significant impact on the cave below, this section should also include topics on possible erosion problems, water sources, disposal of human wastes, disposal of carbide, and plans for periodic trash pickup.

FUTURE PLANS

This section should include what plans the committee has for the future of the committee and property (if any), what goals have been established, and how these goals will be realized.

MISCELLANEOUS

There may be other items not included in this outline, which needed to be listed in the management plan by the committee. The committee should feel free to include, as many items of importance in this guideline, as they feel are needed for the management of the property.