First National Cave Conservancies Forum - Cave Conservancy Home
Lewisburg, West Virginia
April 15-17, 2004

The symposium was organized by Michael Warner of the Northeast Cave Conservancy and Jeff Bray of the West Virginia Cave Conservancy. It was held at the Brier Inn in Lewisburg West Virginia. Mike Warner and Emily Davis conceived the event and discussed it with Jeff Bray about a year before the event. It made sense to Jeff because cave conservancies are becoming more popular throughout the country, evidenced by the formation of a number of recent new conservancies. Because of the thousands of caves near Lewisburg, this site was selected as an ideal location for the event.

Twenty-Two Conservancies were represented. Fifty persons including presenters attended the event. Many practical issues were discussed and excellent communications and networking were promoted. Conservancies from across the nation were seeking to help each other in the common goal of conserving caves and ensuring caves are accessible in the future.

John Wilson, (NSS Cave Conservancies Committee Chairman), represented the NSS. He conducted a meeting of Conservancy representatives at the conclusion of all other presentations. The NSS mission as explained by John was to provide an association of management functions for cave conservancies. The NSS Cave Conservancies Committee would in the future provide ideas and methods on ways to expand services, and share knowledge, skills and abilities of the members of all cave conservancies (NSS affiliated or not).

The following motions were presented and approved. Each attending conservancy representative was given an opportunity to discuss issues and vote on behalf of their conservancy. Each conservancy is encouraged to have a representative on the NSS Cave Conservancy Committee. Each conservancy is encouraged to send a presenter or representative to the 2004 NSS Convention to be held in Marquette, Michigan. A round table event is held at each NSS Convention. Individual specialists are encouraged to volunteer their time as consultants (available to disseminate information to all conservancies).

A Vice Chairman and Secretary are being sought for the NSS Conservancies Committee.

Each Conservancy is encouraged to place a link on their web site (to the NSS Cave Conservancies web site).

Various volunteer experts presented the following topics.

1. Protecting Special Places with conservation Easements by Beth Wheatley of the Nature Conservancy of Virginia
2. The Whys and Hows of Management Plans by Thom Engle, Past President of NSS Caves Acquisition Committee
3. Insurance Who Needs It by Robert Addis, President of the Northeast Caves Conservancy.
4. Creative Partnerships for Karst How To by Kriste Lindberg, Indiana Karst Conservancy Director
5. Managed Access to Conservancy Caves and Lands by Emily Davis, past manager and present access coordinator NSS and NCC
6. Managing and Protecting Biological Resources Bats Bugs and Ferns by David Culver, Professor of Biology American University
7. The Land Trust Alliance Perspective by Rane Curl, past president NSS and Michigan Karst Conservancy
8. The value of Delineating Recharge Areas for Critical Caves (water influx areas) by Tom Aley, Ozark Underground Laboratory, Inc
9. How to obtain an NSS Grant to help Purchase Cave or Karst Land by Philip Moss, NSS Cave and Karst Acquisition Chair
10. Deferred Giving for Conservation by Ted Kayes, Treasurer Virginia Karstlands
11. The John Guilday Cave Preserve Twenty Years Later by Fred Grady
12. Restoration Cave Conservation Practices of the Carroll Cave System, Camden Co. MO. Edgar Simmons, Carrol Cave Conservancy
13. Searching for Bits of History by Bob Handley, WVCC

The Following Conservancies were Represented:

Bubble Cave Conservancy, John Pearson, Gordon Birkhimer
CC Hawaii, Northeastern Conservancy, Mike Warner and Emily Davis
Virginia Karstlands, Ted Kayes
Ozark Underground, Tom Aley, Philip Moss
Indiana Karst Conservancy, Kriste Lindburg, Bob Vandeventer
Michigan Karst Conservancy, Rane Curl
The Nature Conservancy, Ashton Berdine, Beth Wheathly
West Virginia  CC, Fred Grady, Alex Sprol
CC of Virginia, Dave Cowan
Northeastern CC, Vance Knappler, Bob Addis
WVACS, Vance Kappler
Mid Atlantic Karst Conservancy, Carl Pierce
Virginia Cave Board,  Andrea Futrell
Pennsylvania Cave Conservancy - Philly Grotto, Amos Mincin
Carroll Cave Conservancy, Eddie Simmons, Carl Wagner
Western Cave Conservancy, Martin Haye, Marianne Russo, Dave Snyder
The Karst Conservancy, Bill Walker
Cave Conservancy Foundation, John Tichenor
New Jersey Cave Conservancy, Brant Johnson
Butler Cave Conservancy, Mike Ficco
Blue Grass Karst Conservancy, Eric Weaver, Janeen Sharpshair
Karst Water Institute, David Culver

Appalachian Cave Conservancy, John Wilson

Report by Amos Mincin