Old Hot Cave Conservation Issues

Updated 03/10/01

• Status Report on Lead Wars in Missouri.  Your inputs to the Secretary of the Interior are needed. (Posted 8/98). 
• CALL FOR PAPERS for 1998 Convention.  If you have a Conservation or Management Paper that you can present at this year's NSS Convention, e-mail your Abstract to George Huppert before May 15!!
• Dear Karst Conservationist,
  The Indiana Karst Conservancy (IKC) is updating its Conservation Display. We have acquired an exhibition quality mobile display table which we hope to have ready for its maiden voyage at Earth Day Indiana April 25 in Indianapolis. We expect an attendance of about 20,000 at this event. The IKC will be providing some of its own display materials as well in addition to our Sinkhole Dumping Brochure. Any posters or display materials which you would like to have seen by or circulated to the public would be greatly appreciated. Please e-mail or ground mail the writer if you have materials which you would like to contribute or have any further questions regarding this event. --Sincerest thanks,
  Nicholas W. Noe, 534 E. Edwards Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46227 317-782-3442 Home, 800-899-3812 Work, 317-371-1529 Cellular nicknoe@msn.com (posted 4/12/98)
• In case it has not been announced before, currently at the entrances to Target Stores is a free publication "targeted" at children of shoppers, called Earth Savers. The Winter 1998 edition has the entire front page (color) devoted to bats and bat gates. It also has the web page address of the NSS. This is good support for cave resources, as well as aimed at a widespread audience. --Tom Miller (Posted 3/8/98)
• Action is needed on the US Forest Service Fee Proposal.  Dave Jagnow suggests in a forthcoming NSS NEWS article (preprinted here with permission) that we need to crank up our letter writing machine and let our opinions be known - NOW!  Read the whole history and background on the Fees Home Page.  Read Jagnows article.  (posted 1/28/98)
• On April 30, May 1 and 2, 1998, Thursday through Saturday, a cave restoration and lint cleaning camp will be held at Lehman Caves in Great Basin National Park. This park is in east-central Nevada near the community of Baker.  A notice on this cleanup will also appear in the next NSS News. For further information contact:  Dale Green, (801) 277-6417, 4230 Sovereign Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84124 email: dajgreen@burgoyne.com Note:  As of 3/5/98 the Lint Camp is full.  Try again next year.
• March 14, 1998 (Saturday):  TAG Cave Cultural Resources Workshop.  Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm cst.  Cost is $8.00 per person. Limited to 45 attendees.  Information.   Registration and current attendees list. As of 1/2/98 it's almost full, so register now if you are interested!  If you can't get in, think about putting one on in your region.
• Cave Vandals Caught in Indiana!  Your inputs to prosecutor needed! (Posted 12-1-97).   Charges have been filed as of 12/18/97.  The caver who caught the vandals is surprised at the low number of  calls to the prosecutor.  Why didn't you call?.  No more emails required.   There were errors in the posting:  no phone number and a wrong address.   I have no way of checking facts on stuff sent to me.  We all need to take care to get our facts and data right! (1-2-98).  Updated 1-5-98. Only thank you letters need to prosecutor.  See the full page for details.
• Elm Spring near Sullivan, MO (site of 1997 NSS Convention) has dried up due to a change in pumping policy by the Town of Sullivan.   Check out Jo Schaper's web page and communicate your thoughts to the Sullivan town fathers (and mothers) .  Posted November 25.  Your response is needed soon!   Sign Jo's Guestbook, enter your comments.  She will show it to the Town Council.  Update as of 2/1/98.
• Kentucky Cave Archaeological/Burial Site desecrated and the powers that be ignore it. (posted November 18)
• 1997 Karst and Cave Symposium Web Page has been updated to include lots of new information about the Symposium, including online registration, schedules, paper list, etc.  This site will continue to be updated with abstracts, papers, etc. until the 1999 symposium occurs. As of  December 18, I have pictures ready to be put up.
• Lechuguilla may be threatened by more Oil/Gas drilling.  More information coming soon. (posted October 12).  Please e-mail me with info if you have any! (1-2-98)
• NSS President Dave Luckins responds to USFS Business Plan for Fee Collection.  Posted 9/15/97.  Your comments and inputs to the USFS would help get this issue resolved. As of 10-10-97, the plan is on hold.  If anyone knows current status, please e-mail me. (1-2-98)
• USFS puts Fee Demo on hold, but it could come back when a decision is made, any time.   (October 10)
• Papoose Cave (Idaho) Management Plan Released for Comments. Posted 5/2/97. Comments due by June 13, 1997.
• Cave Conservancy Foundation offers a Karst Fellowship to qualified students.
• The Next Level with respect to Cave Use Fees in New Mexico and Arizona. Your letters to Congress and others are needed NOW! Posted 3/29/97. Added Texas addresses and a link to a search page 4/8/97.
• Lecheguilla Restoration. Cave Microbiology and Impacts on Caves. Posted 3/29/97.
• Scott's Gulf in Tennessee has been closed to recreational access after a recent battle against a sale to timber interests. Your help is needed to help cavers and others convince the State of Tennessee purchase it for a wilderness park. They need to raise $500,000 this year! posted 3/26/97
• Missouri Lead Wars Action Needed. Dave Jagnow's April NSS NEWS Article. Comments needed ASAP! posted 3-13-97. Published in April 1997 NSS NEWS.
• The Cave Land Trust Page!
• Call for Papers and Announcement for the 1997 Karst and Cave Management Symposium (13th National Cave Management Symposium) Deadline for Abstracts changed to June 1, 1997.
• The 1997 Lint Camp at Wind and Jewel Caves is looking for Volunteers. Deadline March 14 to apply.
• BLM to sell Significant Caves in Oregon!!! (posted 11-14-96)
• Cavers win a round in the Missouri Lead Wars. (posted 9-25-96) More on the Lead Wars (submitted 10-15)
• Dave Jagnow reports to the NSS. Fall 1996 Report to John Wilson. Hot News Flashes! Volunteer Positions Available!
• Puerto Rican Karst is Threatened by Urbanization. Details coming soon. [They never sent me the information, so . . .]
• Lechuguilla Drilling has FINISHED! A hot flash from Dave Jagnow reveals that Yates has given up and plugged the well! More details are here! from August 1996
• Lechuguilla Drilling has started! Read an update by John Lyles dated June 27, 1996. Probably nothing we can do but say "I told you so!"
• The Section's Annual Conservation Award (for 1996) to an NSS Internal Organization was given to The Oregon Grotto. The NSS Conservation Award went to George Huppert.
• USFS Issues Proposal for Fees for Caving in the Guadalupes . As of August 17, 1996 this issue, formerly thought dead, has come back to life. Detailed information coming soon. (See Above).
• Kazumura Cave (world's longest lava tube) threatened by a road building project. Letters needed. 12/12/95 Update. Letters Still Needed! See article in November 1995 NSS News for more information about the cave! 12/19/95 Update. Partial success but letters still needed!!! As of January 17, there are signs of possible cooperation developing between the government and the cavers-but don't hold your breath. More information soon. As of 2/9, a note from Bill says things are under control and the caves are saved. As of 3/9, more info has been received and will be posted soon; including the draft EIS and a letter from Bill praising it. Comments deadline is March 25, 1996. Well, as of April 6 I still don't have it posted. The bottom line is the situation is apparently well in hand. I'll post more when I hear if from Bill. As of August 17, Bill reports that the fact that this information was posted on the Internet was a big factor in tipping the balance towards preserving the caves. More on this later.
• Read the Blackwell Report on Karst in a Forested Environment - Vancouver Island, Canada.
• Cave Formations for sale in Hong Kong.
• Gordon Mothes, owner of the Friars Hole Cave Preserve in West Virginia, died of a heart attack on March 5. At his request, there will be no funeral. (email from Dave Cowan - 3/7/96)
• Find out how to participate in the 1996 Black Hills Lint Camp. Experts in Cleaning and Restoring Wet Formations are also needed. Deadline is March 15 for applying.
• BLM Cave for Pay Issue: Petition that was submitted to the BLM Note: A new BLM issue has arisen (Commercial Cave Guides) and information updated to May 25 has been posted. Results of the June 15 meeting between cavers and the BLM. BLM Issues its [predictable] Findings (August 23)
• New Mexico BLM Does it to us AGAIN! But it should be fixed by now (Nov 28)
• Portuguese Coa Dam Issue and Web Page for it (in Portuguese and English). This has been resolved according to an article in Archaeology Magazine.
• Development threatened at Mexico's Cacahuamilpa Cave. If you know anything new, please email us with details.
• IUCN Guidelines for Cave and Karst Protection Draft - All comments should have been submitted by now! (February 9, 1996) You can follow the process through via this link.
• Dave Jagnow named NSS Conservation Chairman (coming eventually, when we get him on the Internet).
• He issues a hot request for letters to Congress about the Tongass National Forest Logging Bill. (September 95). Read about the issues in an article from the October 1 Juneau Empire.

• Return to NSS CCMS Home Page