Management Plans

Thom Engel

What is a management plan? Why are they important for cave management? What information do we put in management plans and why? If these questions keep you up at night, you have come to the right place. Even if you are not afflicted with insomnia, if you manage a cave preserve, may manage a cave preserve, or are involved with an organization that manages cave preserves, you should read this.

WHAT IS A PLAN?

Put simply: A management plan is the operating manual for the preserve and the related cave. The purpose of a management plan is to describe what is on a property and how it should be managed. A plan is not a static document that once written is placed on the self and forgotten. It is a document that is to be used, referenced, and updated on a regular basis. The property manager must follow the plan unless there is a compelling and over-riding reason for doing otherwise. Unless there is an immediate need, nothing should be done at a property that is not in the plan. If something new is desired, the plan should be amended after careful, complete, and thorough analysis of the proposed changes or additions.
Management plans must be approved by the board of the conservancy, as should any amendments to the plan. If the management plan is the basis for a management agreement with a third party, then the changes must also be approved by the third party.
When the conservancy makes changes to their rules, these should be included in the management plan. For example, suppose a conservancy makes a blanket rule to cover all of its preserves such as no smoking in conservancy caves. The management plan should be amended to include this rule. This is done because everything on that preserve including the rules should be in one place. Managers and visitors should not have to refer to multiple places to ascertain the rules. There should be no obscure rules. (If the conservancy is managing the cave and property for a third party, any relevant rules that third party may have must be incorporated into the management plan, as well.)

PLAN FORMAT

Appendix Z of the NSS BOG Manual includes a format for management plans. This is the format used by the NSS. It need be followed when 1) the plan is for an NSS cave or 2) a conservancy is requesting a grant from the Cave Acquisition Committee. This discussion will generally follow this format as I believe it is the most complete.
Subjects designated by an asterisk (*) are in addition to what is in Appendix Z. I will endeavor to explain, why I believe these are of value.

Introduction – What are the basic goals? Why is this cave worthy of purchase or protection or both? Be specific. Do not rely on generalities like, “It’s a significant cave.” Why is it significant? The goal of the introduction should be to give all the salient facts of who, what, where, when, how.

Purpose of Management Plan* – I believe this is important for two reasons:

• It serves to put the approving authority on notice as to why the management plan is important. The board may feel that the management plan is a necessary formality, but won’t really be followed.
• It notifies the preserve manager and succeeding managers of the important of the plan. Management plans have a tendency to get “lost in the sauce.” Managers think they know what has to be done, but often, this is not the case and some important item that may have seemed esoteric gets over looked.

This is what my standard wording is:

The purpose of a management plan is to describe what is on a property and how it should be managed. A plan is not a static document that once written is placed on the self and forgotten. It is a document that is to be used and referenced on a regular basis. The property manager must follow the plan unless there is a compelling and over-riding reason for doing otherwise. Unless there is an immediate need, nothing should be done at a property that is not in the plan. If something new is desired, the plan should be amended only after careful, complete, and thorough analysis of the proposed changes or additions. Then, the amendments must approved by the NCC board. Think of the management plan as an operating manual for a preserve.

History of the Property – At a minimum this should discuss who found the cave and something about its history including exploration. Expanding the section to include the history of the surrounding area may be relevant if the cave is being placed in context. For example if the cave has historic saltpeter works, where was the saltpeter processed and where did it end up?

This is important because caves normally do not exist in a cultural vacuum. Thus, their importance needs to be laid out. If the cave is ever threatened by something like highway construction, this information may help in preventing or in moving the project.

Resources – Just what are we protecting? Laying out the resources found in the cave and those on the surface will guide us in making decisions about access, exploration, and other aspects of management. It is just as important to lay out what we do NOT know. This will permit the preserve manager to guide researchers to provide these unknowns.

If there are no such resources in a cave or on a property, say that. Do not leave it blank otherwise persons using the plan in the future will not know if there was no issue or no one looked or no one knew.

We typically divide this discussion in underground and surface resource. Both are of equal importance.

UNDERGROUND RESOURCES – Unless a conservancy is blindly buying up caves, there is, presumably, a reason for acquisition of a specific cave. Even if the reason is the cave’s recreational value, there must be an analysis of what is in the cave. This will guide the management of the cave.

Biological – What animals are found in the cave? Are they cave-adapted? Are they endangered? Do bats use the cave? Why? When? While not specifically required, I strongly recommend a discussion of endangered or threatened species. Species may be protected federally or by the state. Extant species that are federally- or state-protected must be noted. Any plan to protect them must be included in the section Access.

Geological – In what formations are the cave found? How was this cave formed? Is there any unusual structural component that affects the cave such as faults?
Hydrological – Is there water in the cave? Where does it come from? Where does it go? How does it fit in the over all hydrology of the area?

Paleontological – Chances are the fossils found in the bedrock will not be that unusual. Note should be made of anything that is. It is more likely that the more recent deposits of unconsolidated sediments may contain remains of importance. Caves tend to preserve these where as surface deposits will often be eroded away.

Archeological or Ethnographic – Is there evidence of use by Indians and those that preceded them (any pre-Europeans)? What are the nature of these? How significant are they? (In my opinion, ethnographic casts a broader net and includes those things discovered archeologically.)

Historical – Are there resources dating from European presence that are of interest and worthy of protection?

SURFACE RESOURCES – Cave managers are apt to quickly dismiss the idea of discussing the surface resources on a property. This is shortsighted. Most preserves are at least an acre in size and some are considerably bigger. The Fiborn Preserve in Michigan is 480 acres. Even a preserve that is small has some surface resources.

Biological – What plants are found on the preserve? What animal species have been observed? What species might be expected to use the area? Is the area mature woodland? Old field? Is it currently farmed? As with underground resources, there should be a discussion of endangered or threatened species. Species may be protected federally or by the state. Extant species that are federally- or state-protected must be noted. Any plan to protect them must be included in the section on Surface Management. An additional component of surface biological resources should be invasive species.

This is not required in Appendix Z, but I believe it is short-sighted to omit this discussion. An invasive species is defined as a species that is 1) non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and 2) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. Invasive species can be plants, animals, and other organisms (e.g., microbes). Human actions are the primary means of invasive species introductions. Kudzu in the south and buckthorn in the north and zebra mussels in North America are examples. A good reference is at http://www.invasivespecies.gov/.

Determine what invasive species are present and determine a plan to deal with them. It may not be possible to eradicate them. At Knox Cave, buckthorn is so common that it would be impossible to eliminate them short of bulldozing a few acres.

Geological – What formations are found in the area? What do we see on the surface?

Hydrological – Are there streams on the surface? What is the nature of their watersheds? Are there sinkholes that take water? Springs?

Paleontological – Chances are the fossils found in the bedrock will not be that unusual. Note should be made of anything that is.

Archeological or Ethnographic – Is there evidence of use by Indians and those that preceded them (any pre-Europeans)? What are the nature of these? How significant are they?

Historical – Are there resources such as houses or foundations dating from European presence that are of interest and worthy of protection?

Access Policy – If the discussion of history and resources is the body of a management plan, its heart is the discussion on the access policy.

Well, of course this never really happened. The point is that you need to lay out the rules for access early so that everyone knows them. It is unfair to solicit contributions and then say, “Oh. By the way....”

The Access Policy should lay out the following:

• Who may enter the cave? 501(c)(3) organizations may not limit visitation to their members. To do so may result in the loss of their non-profit status. Is there to be a leadership requirement for the cave? Important note: It is unwise for the conservancy in the form of the manager or anyone else to determine competence. Suppose we tell someone, “Yes, you are capable of doing _____ Cave.” And they hurt themselves. We increase our liability. If we use objective measures like being properly equipped or possession of a cave-diving certification, we can’t go to wrong. An objective leadership requirement like, “You must have been to the main sump and the Bull Dome on two separate trips,” is another way around the determination of competence.
• What equipment is needed. Standards like a helmet with a helmet-mounted light and two other sources of light must be mentioned. If anything else is necessary like everyone having his or her own vertical equipment, that should be listed.
• Group size. Is there a limit on group size: both minimum and maximum. Will solo caving be allowed?
• When is the cave is open? Be specific in providing the hours or the day or time of the year or both.
• Special rules, if any, for boy scouts, camps, cave-for-pay, et cetera. (For what it is worth, it is my opinion that Boy Scouts should be required to follow their own rules. This limits them to 8 scout and 2 adult leaders among many other rules.)
• How will access be controlled? Will there be gates, fences, release forms, permits, and the such?
• Other: At Knox Cave, a former commercial cave, the NCC had the access road physically closed with large boulders to prevent people from driving to the cave. (The attempt to use a gate failed.) At Clarksville Cave, the NCC proposes to use stewards to on weekends & holidays.)
• If the conservancy is managing a cave on the behalf of a third party like a local land trust, their rules and concerns must be incorporated. For example, if they want no alterations to the cave, a ban on digging needs to be included. If they forbid the use of pressure-treated wood on their preserves, include that.

Use Conflicts* - This goes along with Access Policy but is intended to more completely explain those circumstances where there is likely to be a conflict between one use (like bat hibernaculum) versus another (like recreational caving). This section provides the opportunity to explain why one use has been chosen over another.

Exploration Rules* – Another section that might be included in the access policy. If there is potential for more passage in the cave, what are the rules? Will survey as you explore be required? Is digging permitted? What about hammer and chisels? Blasting? Is a special permit needed? What restrictions, if any, are to be placed on such activities? What about cave diving?

Cave Management – This might better be called Cave Monitoring & Assessment.   When managing a cave, one must not assume that the management plan is effective. The cave should be monitored for changes. The managers may evaluate the value and practicality of various monitoring strategies. These may include, but are not limited to, photo monitoring, water quality monitoring, and periodic counting of selected species. For changes to be noted, a baseline condition should be established as soon as possible. Recommendations and Guidelines for Managing Caves on Protected Lands (Special Publication 8 of the Karst Waters Institute) list the following items to monitor:

• visitor counts
• air temperature & humidity – this might be done with data loggers which are becoming quite reasonable
• water flow
• water quality monitoring – may be expensive
• photographic monitoring
• biologic monitoring – bat counts etc.

If monitoring indicates degradation of the cave, revising the management plan to minimize degradation should be considered and acted on as appropriate. Even if it shows improvements in the cave’s condition it may be worth altering the plan. For example, suppose bat populations increase over time, it may be necessary to tinker with the plan to ensure continued improvements.

Publicity Policy – Generally, it seems that cavers don’t seek publicity for their caves. It would seem unnecessary to state this, but what about rescues? What about those cases where a writer or reporter wants to do a story on caving? Is this forbidden? (We had a situation in the NCC where a properly equipped reporter gain access to a cave without revealing her intention to write an article.) Is it permitted as long as the cave and its location is not mentioned? This needs to be laid out clearly and concisely. If the cave is managed as park-and-go-caving, the manager may have no other control on publicity.

Surface Management – With a primary interest in caves, it is easy to dismiss the surface portion of the preserve. Unless the preserve is extremely tiny – like the size of the cave entrance – this is a mistake. Guidelines 15 – 17 of the IUCN (World Conservation Union) booklet Guidelines for Cave and Karst Protection state:

15. Managers of karst areas and specific cave sites should recognize that these landscapes are complex three-dimensional integrated natural systems comprised of rock, water, soil, vegetation, and atmosphere elements.

16. Management in karst and caves should aim to maintain natural flows and cycles of air and water through the landscape in balance with the prevailing climatic and biotic regimes.

17. Managers should recognise that in karst, surface actions may be sooner or later translated into impacts directly underground or further downstream.

As these guidelines make clear, there are lots of issues on the surface that can impact the cave and karst. I will add that they may affect the conservancy, as well. The discussion of surface and sub-surface resources and access should guide you on how the surface will be managed. Items to consider are:

• What is the current land use? If part of the land is in agriculture, will it remain? What agreements would be needed with the farmer regarding application of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides? Is the land fallow? Wooded? If the latter, is some selective logging appropriate? (The idea of logging may seem improper for a conservation group to consider, but a few of the right trees might be a great economic benefit for the conservancy and the conservancy has 100% control over what is taken and how the logging is done.)
• What about parking? Where do visitors to the cave now park? Is a small lot possible or appropriate?
• Should provisions be made for a changing area?
• Should any part of the property be fenced? For example, are there rare plants that may need to be protected.
• Will fires be permitted? How about camping? If not, how will it be enforced? If so, will it be limited to cavers only? How will that be enforced?
• Are trails needed? What considerations are needed. At Knox Cave, an old road was successfully turned into a trail. We determined it was inappropriate to clear the trail near the main road to discourage the casual and unpermitted visitor.
• Would a nature trail be appropriate? As 501(c)(3) organizations one of our charges is education. A nature trail with a guide is an excellent way to educate the public and, perhaps, to get contributions from them. (A local who starts to use the preserve as a place to walk develops an interest in assuring the property is not abused.)
• Does a “preserve day” make sense? This would be when the public is invited on to the property and guided tours of the surface are given. At McFails Cave there has been a longstanding series of free Mothers Day wildflower walks for the public that have been very popular.
• Will hunting be permitted? If so, delineate those areas where it would be allowed.

Rescue Considerations* – Remember, a management plan is intended to be an operating manual for the cave. The time to think about rescue is before one is under way. Consideration should be given to those parts of the cave where accidents may occur and to those parts of the cave that may pose a problem in extricating a patient and what to do about those places. (Packs Off in Lechiguilla comes to mind.) These would include tight passages, sumps, crawls, or tightly winding passages. List any special equipment you may foresee needing and where that equipment would be found.

Some caves may lend themselves to an analysis of different scenarios. These vary based on the nature of access and the person reporting the problem. A park-n-go cave will present different problems than one with a locked gate as the manager should know when someone is in the locked cave.

Future Plans – This may simply be a reiteration of recommendations gleaned from the rest of the document. This is the most changeable section of the management plan. As items are completed they need to be eliminated. As new items come up that need doing, they should be added. Think of it as a Do List.

TIPS

• No incorporation by reference. For example, don’t refer to NSS Conservation guidelines unless you are sure everyone has access to them or knows them. Another example: Don’t simply refer to a cave as being on a list of significant caves. List the reasons for its inclusion on such a list.
• Management plans must reflect conservancy rules.
• If a conservancy has more than one preserve the plans should be consistent in their format from preserve to preserve.
• It is necessary to review the management plan regularly and to recommend changes to the board for its approval. A schedule should be set by the board and placed in the plan. (Once a year would seem to be too often, but once every two to five years would seem appropriate.
• Use plain language. Eschew obfuscation.

...AND IN CONCLUSION

The real point of a management plan, regardless of the format used, is to force the conservancy to look at the cave and property with fresh eyes and to make management decisions based on the facts, not on preconceived notions or ideas. As stewards of the land it is necessary that we manage it in as protective fashion as necessary. We can always close a cave – and that may be appropriate in a few cases – but the goal should be to continue to provide access whilst optimizing resource protection.