Volunteer Value Agreement

Between the USDA Forest Service

and the National Speleological Society

This document serves to define Volunteer Value and represents an agreement between the USDA Forest Service and the National Speleological Society. Cavers are providing volunteer services to Forest Service cave programs in lieu of Fee Demonstration Projects being applied to caves.

Assigning monetary values to volunteer efforts for caves managed by the Forest Service will benefit all concerned. The purpose of this agreement is to define and clarify a Volunteer Value system that will be consistently implemented in all Forest Service cave programs. By applying this system for calculating Volunteer Value, confusion and disagreement can be avoided. This agreement has been designed with input from NSS cavers, non-affiliated cavers, and Forest Service personnel.

Through this Volunteer Value agreement for cave programs, in-kind contributions from volunteer organizations, non-affiliated volunteers, and NSS volunteers will be recorded and calculated as follows.

1. "Salaries" and/or volunteer hours:

A. Valued at the GS5/1 hourly rate for standard volunteer arrangements or minimum $10.00 per hour.

B. Volunteer hours include:

w Travel time to the cave and/or work site, portal to portal, round trip, not to exceed work time. (Refer to 1.C.)

w Time spent in the cave and/or work site actively involved in the project.

C. Volunteer hours do not include:

w Time spent in activities such as sleeping, eating, and preparing food.

w Time spent for recreational caving. (Recreational caving should be done on other trips.)

w Travel time from home that exceeds the total time spent in the cave and/or work site actively involved in the project. (For example, if travel time totals 12 hours, and 8 hours of active work time at the site was accomplished, then 8 hours work time and 8 hours travel time is counted for that individual when calculating Volunteer Value.)

w When tasks require specialized professional expertise, value for "salaries" and/or hours should be assigned according to equivalent GS ratings or other definable rates.

w Travel:

w Valued per mile at the government rate for business, to be adjusted as the government rate changes.

w Mileage should be listed to and from the site. (Mileage for all volunteers in one vehicle is listed

w once.

w All mileage directly related to reaching the work site, portal to portal, round trip. (Mileage from home to the work site and return).

w All mileage for each vehicle. (Not for each person.)

3. Supplies:

A. All monies spent on supplies used during the project. If reimbursed, this is not counted as Volunteer Value.

B. All monies spent on supplies for preparation and documentation for the project. If reimbursed, this is not counted as Volunteer Value.

4. Equipment:

A. Valued at $150.00 per caver for basic caving gear such as helmet and light. (Calculated one time each 3 year period or $50.00 per year.)

B. All monies spent on caving equipment such as ropes, climbing gear, cameras, survey equipment, etc. If reimbursed, this is not counted as Volunteer Value. (Re-list as equipment is replaced.)

5. Preparation and documentation:

A. Time spent in organizing and preparing the project.

B. Time spent completing documentation of project.

This document was approved on August 6, 1998, and signed by: Jim Miller, FS National Dispersed Recreation Program Manager; Jerry Trout, FS National & Region 3 Coordinator/Cave Resources; Fred Wefer, NSS President; and Doug Medville, NSS Administrative Vice President.