|
The West Virginia Cave Conservancy (WVCC), a non profit, West
Virginia Corporation, is managing 0.31 acres that includes the
entrance to Donaldson Cave. This parcel was subdivided from a
subdivision, near Little Georgetown in northern Berkeley County.
The entrance is in a sinkhole on a hill southwest of a cemetery.
It may be possible to dig a second entrance to the cave at a
shallow sink on this piece. The land is presently a field and
was an old orchard. This parcel containing the cave was donated
to the WVCC by Hunter Wilson, the developer of the new subdivision.
Construction of a gate was a stipulation of the transfer. The
gate was built by Craig Hindmann, Dave West, and other volunteers. Karen
Willmes and Dave West donated half of the funds necessary for
the materials, the rest of the cost was funded by WVCC.
Access to all the caves in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia
is potentially threatened by the rapid population growth and
development of the area, and by increasing liability concerns.
WVCC has a goal of maintaining access to as many of the caves
in West Virginia as possible. Donaldson Cave is a significant
recreational cave resource. The cave has about 800 feet of surveyed
passage and should provide a good introduction for beginning
cavers or to supervised groups of non-cavers. WVCC will manage
Donaldson to maximize these opportunities. Access to the cave
will be controlled primarily by the Tri-State Grotto management
committee. Because the cave must be kept locked to minimize potential
liability concerns of the surrounding development, access will
be somewhat limited and at the convenience of the cave management
committee.
|
