THE HISTORY OF WVCC

Excerpt from a paper written by Jeff Bray "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? Initiating Steps for Preserving West Virginia's Cave and Karst Terrain", presented at the National Cave and Karst Management Symposium in 1999.

The WVCC was created with a four-part mission statement. First was to protect the cave and karts resources in the state through education and resource management. Second was to promote the study of caves and karst. Third was to provide maximum possible access to these resources. Finally , the WVCC would offer a full range of management resources.

Recognition of the need for a cave conservancy was noted by many. There were organizations like the West Virginia Association for Cave Studies and the Cave Conservancy of the Virginias that already existed, but the major inhibitor of buying or managing property was the question of who would be responsible. Not until George Sively, the previous owner of Organ Cave, passed away in 1994 did this thought begin to take form of an organization. In 1995 at the NSS Convention in Blacksburg, VA, the President of the NSS set up an ad hoc committee on Organ Cave. This committee was to stay informed on the Organ Cave situation and work toward the formation of a non-profit organization that would buy the cave if and when it would be offered for sale. bob Handley was named as chairman of this committee. He then spoke to Cliff Lindsay, who was already managing McClungs Cave along with Ed Swepston and Dave Cowan, about forming an organization that would serve to protect the cave.

Contact was maintained with the heirs, although no progress was made toward the purchase of the cave. Lindsay and Handley, with the help of Swepston, worked up a charter for the Greenbrier Cave Conservancy in the spring of 1997, and it was chartered in July of that year. Shortly after the Greenbrier Cave Conservancy was chartered, Mark Wolinsky of the Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Incorporated, called Lindsay about access to McClungs Cave. The conversation continued and discussion about the two conservancies took place. Wolinsky suggested that the Greenbrier Cave Conservancy should expand the scope of its efforts. After further discussions, Handley, Lindsay, and Swepston formed the West Virginia Cave Conservancy, being chartered in December of 1997. At the first meeting, the following were asked to join as directors: Lonnie Burns, Tim Brown, Dave and Sandy Cowan, Ray Garton, and Tina Hall. Bill Jones was later asked to be a director, followed later by J.C. Fisher and Jeff Bray in 1998, filling the twelve-member Board of Directors.

In the spring of 1998, there was an opportunity to purchase the property containing the original entrance to Maxwelton Sink Cave in Greenbrier County, now closed due to debris burying the cave during a dying hurricane in the early 1970's. This opportunity came about on short notice and forced the organization, in its infancy, to react quickly. there were only two weeks for preparation before the land was to be sold at auction. Cowan and Lindsay did a survey of the land that was thought to be necessary to gain access to the cave, also feeling that the new landowners may feel more comfortable selling if they knew the WVCC was serious. The new owners were encountered after the auction, and negotiations are still taking place. this situation did give the WVCC some quick attention in the caving community through fundraising in preparation for the purchases of the land. This brought the organization into the eyes of the caving community.

Projects

In November of 1998, there was an announcement about an auction that included two entrances of Greenville Saltpeter Cave in Monroe County. this popular cave has four entrances, two of which are already owned by the Institute for Earth Education (IEE), an organization that shares the conservancy's thoughts on preservation of the cave. The WVCC had a very short period of time in which to respond, and once again had to act quickly to be ready for the auction. It was decided that the WVCC would work to gather with the IEE to purchase the cave. It was also decided that due to the location of one of the entrances being so close to property already owned by the IEE, we would introduce the idea of an underground easement to the auctioneer. The thought was that this could be used to connect a majority of the cave to property owned by the IEE. this idea of an underground easement was introduced and eventually used in the purchase of Organ Cave by the new owners. These were the first two times that an underground easement was used in a purchase involving a cave in West Virginia. The IEE was able to purchase the two entrances and the underground easement at auction, with the help of the WVCC.

The WVCC also helps the Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc. (SCCI) manage Lobelia Saltpeter Cave in Pocahontas County. This cave and property was offered to the SCCI while the WVCC was still forming. When the SCCI heard that a group had formed in West Virginia, they offered to work together on the management of the cave. The first project on this property was to clean it up since there had recently been a fire on the property. The WVCC worked with the state in a special program, called "West Virginia Make It Shine" month, and was able to remove the garbage from the site at no charge. Artifacts were also found in the cave, and these were sent to nearby Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park for protection in fear that they would be vandalized at their current location in the easily accessible cave.

Most recently, Rapps Cave in Greenbrier County, a known archaeological site, was purchased by some landowners who were interested in conservation. The WVCC worked with these new landowners to create a lease agreement that would allow for a professional archaeological dig. The WVCC asked for a grant from the Cave Conservancy of the Virginias and received $16,000 to contract archaeologists for the dig. The dig was scheduled to begin in April of 2000.

Fundraising

The fundraising practices of the WVCC have been varied. Many different levels of membership are available, including a charter membership for the first year of the organization. The National Speleological Society (NSS) Conventions have also been sources of funds, by making brochures available through a number of vendors. At the Old Timers' Reunion (OTR) which is held Labor Day Weekend each year, the WVCC has been very noticeable since OTR takes place in West Virginia. The goal here seems to be to create a fundraiser that is different and unique, something which people will remember from year to year. In 1998, a small crane was constructed with a "pit" of buttons, all reading "Dig the Max," in reference to the hopeful purchase of Maxwelton Sink Cave. The patrons used a little crane to dig buttons from the pit. Each button cost ten dollars, and some of the button s had winning numbers on the backs, which corresponded to prizes donated by vendors. In 1999, we had a rubber duck race in the Tygart Valley River. The ducks were donated by the city of Ronceverte, and were sold for five dollars. Each duck had a number, and the first twenty ducks to cross the finish line won prizes. The WVCC also plans an annual banquet. This fundraiser takes place in Lewisburg and is a time for members to meet and talk to each other and the directors. Members and benefactors are also recognized for their support.