Agenda

NSS Cave Conservancies Committee Open Meeting and Lunch

Cave Conservancy Home

12 pm Wednesday, 14 July 2004 - Marquette MI

Charcoal Room Second Floor BUC SF

Don H. Bottum University Center, Northern Michigan University

Call to Order

Reports

A. Mission

The expanded mission and modified organizational structure of the NSS Cave Conservancies Committee will provide some association management functions for cave conservancies.

The NSS Cave Conservancies Committee provides some of the services conservancies that an association would provide. This meeting is intended to provide ideas and methods on ways to expand the services of the committee and facilitate the sharing of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the members of all cave conservancies.

Cave conservancies have evolved into a significant part of the karst environmental movement in recent years, and with these changes have come more privileges, responsibilities, opportunities, and problems. Over the years, the Cave Conservancies Committee has provided several services to NSS conservancies. These have been primarily educational and technical in nature, usually related to cave and association management. As the number of NSS cave conservancies continues to grow, we have begun to develop new ways to facilitate mutual help in addition to continuing the traditional functions, such as sponsoring the annual cave conservancies’ round table.

B. Report from the April 2004 Lewisburg, West Virginia Cave Conservancies meeting.

Motions were approved as follows:

1. Each conservancy is asked to appoint a representative to the Cave Conservancies Committee,

a representative to the next Roundtable at the NSS Convention, and a representative to the next committee meeting.

2. Each conservancy is asked to appoint a records person to maintain current information on the conservancies’ website.

3. Each Conservancy is asked to appoint one or more area specialists and experts if one is available.

4. Ask each cave conservancy to place a prominent link to the NSS cave conservancies website and let that site serve as a link to other conservancy websites.

5. The committee established the positions of Vice Chair and Secretary

6. Rane Curl was appointed the vice chair of the committee.

C. Other Reports

Old/Unfinished Business

A. Selection of a secretary of the Cave Conservancies Committee

New Business

A. Recommendations to establish sub committees to provide information, assistance, and support to cave conservancies in the following areas:

1. Insurance

2. Funding

3. Education, leadership training, and annual round table

4. Others

B. Cave Conservancies Forum

1. Motion that the Cave Conservancy Committee become the approval body for forum hosts of the Cave Conservancies Forum

2. Motion that the Cave Conservancy Committee become a permanent sponsor of the Cave Conservancies forum

3. Motion to approve the Bubble Cave Conservancy as the host of the 2006 Cave Conservancies Forum.

C. Motion that the Cave Conservancy Committee offer to coordinate the selection of the official conservancy lanyard vendor at each NSS Convention, to reduce the possibility that multiple conservancies would be selling lanyards at the same convention.

D. Other motions and general discussion - Participants should plan to make suggestions and motions.

Adjournment