1.     The caves are open to qualified non-commercial visitors proving that equipment and gear is fully decontaminated before and after each trip following the protocol established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  There are no exceptions to this rule, including vertical gear.

2.     Cavers from areas not contaminated by WNS are strongly discouraged from visiting WVCC properties because of the small possibility of spreading WNS back to an uncontaminated area.

3.     This policy takes effect on May 15, 2010.  The caves remain closed until then.

4.     The WVCC Board will consider a winter closure policy at its next Board meeting.  Any future closure decisions will be based on factual information provided by the wildlife management and and biological researchers.

The caves to be reopened include:

·    Donaldson Cave (Berkeley, County, WV)

·    Island Ford Cave (Alleghany County, VA)

·    Lightner Entrance to McClung Cave (Greenbrier County, WV)

·    Maxwelton Sink Cave (Greenbrier County, WV)

·    Persinger Entrance to Benedict Cave (Greenbrier County, WV)

The Conservancy manages three other caves:

·    Haynes Cave is currently open at its owner’s request.  Access to Haynes will follow the access policy above.

·    Rapps Cave is currently closed (and gated) to protect cultural resources.  It will remain closed.

·    Lobelia Saltpeter Cave is owned by the Southeast Cave Conservancy and will remain closed unless SCCi requests a change in status.  (The cave may have been a hibernaculum for Indiana bats in the past, but none have been seen in recent years).

Future changes to the access status of the Conservancy’s caves will be posted on the Conservancy’s Web site, www.wvcc.net.