Breaking from the blanket closure policies of the United States Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management Renewable Resources and Planning Office in Washington has directed state offices to take the lead in determining if targeted cave and non-active mine closures are advantageous to protecting bats from the spread of the Geomyces destructans pathogen.

The Bureau of Land Management manages hundreds of claystone caves in the western Colorado desert, including Raven Cave, south of Grand Junction. (Richard Rhinehart photograph, copyright 2006.)

The August 19 Instruction Memorandum from Bud Cribley, the Deputy Assistant Director of Renewable Resources and Planning, provides direction to each of the state offices of the Bureau in handling protection of bats from the pathogen. First discovered in New York state in 2006, the pathogen has spread through the eastern seaboard states, and bats carrying the fungus have been found as far west as Missouri and Oklahoma.

Though political action groups like the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity have called repeatedly for closure of all caves and inactive mines on public lands in the United States, the BLM decided a more enforceable policy was in the best interest of the bats and the people of the nation. The Instruction Memorandum and White Nose Syndrome Interim Response Strategy provide the first national policy for the Bureau, which manages more than 245 million acres of public land, mostly in 12 western states.

The Bureau’s response strategy includes working closely with cavers and other outdoor users to identify important caves and inactive mines containing significant colonies of bats. Since late July 2010, BLM representatives have met with members of the 11,000-member National Speleological Society and other local cave exploration groups in Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. In each of these meetings, Bureau officials have stressed their desire to work with cavers rather than alienate them through blanket closures. Officials recognize that cavers know more about the caves on BLM lands than do the land managers, and so cooperation through open communication and assistance in identifying caves and mines containing bats will lead to better management when the pathogen arrives in the Rocky Mountain region.

Decontamination of cavers and their equipment is a critical component to the success of the strategy, particularly if the cavers are travelling between caves in the region or from caves outside the region. US Fish and Wildlife has created an intensive cleaning procedure that will help keep Rocky Mountain caves clear of the fungus.

In the directive, Bureau officials are encouraged to continue work with interagency and interdiscipline groups like those in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. Such groups, including BLM, National Park Service, US Forest Service, state wildlife agencies, bat biologists, and cavers, will determine state response plans and actions for protecting bats.

When and if the Geomyces destructans pathogen arrives in the region, the State Directors will determine which, if any, caves and non-active mines will be closed on a targeted basis. These caves and mines with important bat features will be determined through cooperation and consultation with other agencies and groups, so that closure orders will be effective and supported by the public.

The targeted closure plan was criticized by the Center for Biological Diversity in an August 23 press release. The Center’s Mollie Matteson states that “If the BLM is serious about protecting bats, then it needs to restrict access in all caves with bats.” Matteson reports “this devastating disease simply will not allow the luxury of half measures.”

Despite the criticism, the BLM’s Director Bud Abbey recognizes the need to work with cavers and the public. “Working together with stakeholders and our agency partners, we hope to be able to prevent or contain the spread of this devastating disease.” As such, the agency will regularly assess the policy and make changes as circumstances dictate by scientific study and observation.

Over one million bats in the northeastern United States and Canada have died from White Nose Syndrome. In many instances, 95 to 100 percent of eastern bat colonies have died from the fungus infection. Scientific researchers estimate that for some bat species, regional extinction is possible within the next 16 to 20 years.

For many visitors to scenic Williams Canyon, north of Manitou Springs, Colorado, the aging bronze plaque was a curiosity. Erected on the Ordovician-age Manitou limestone wall near the locked Williams Canyon gate, the plaque commemorated Henry Truman Williams, a New York City author and editor, who died in 1915.

Sometime between June 22 and June 24, 2010, this two-foot by three-foot historic plaque was stolen, most likely to be sold for scrap and melted down. Manitou Springs Police reportedly are at a loss to find the thieves, despite its prominent location on a popular hiking and biking route.

Unknown persons stole the bronze plaque for Henry Truman Williams near the entrance to Williams Canyon, Colorado. (Richard Rhinehart photograph, copyright 2005.)

Dedicated by the children of the influential 19^th century writer on July 8, 1956, its design was by his daughter, Mrs. Rose Mansfield Pike of Colorado Springs. In that summer of 1956, the plaque was on the automobile route leading to the famous Cave of the Winds. A decade later, the newly-opened US Highway 24 Bypass of Manitou Springs encouraged the Cave of the Winds management to convert Serpentine Drive from one-way downhill to two-way traffic to the intersection with Highway 24. This left the historic Williams Canyon Road to those who chose specifically to drive the narrow gravel road from the Cave down into Manitou Springs. Flooding and severe erosion along the road in 1996 closed it to through traffic, leaving the plaque visible only to the hikers, bikers and cavers who visited the canyon.

An 1863 graduate of New York University, Williams secured employment as a reporter. He also enjoyed visiting the West and exploring. His 1872 guidebook, “A Tourist Guide and Map of the San Juan Mines” was important reading for anyone visiting Colorado’s wild southwestern mountains. In 1870, he met Colorado Springs founder General William J. Palmer and his fiancée, Mary Lincoln Mellen, known by her nickname, Queen. While Williams led them on a scenic tour of the region, Queen suggested the scenic Manitou Canyon, leading north of the Manitou mineral springs, should be named after their guide. He in turn graciously suggested another canyon be named after her.

With wealth comes the authority to name geographic features, and soon Manitou Canyon was known as Williams Canyon. The second canyon, which would eventually hold the Glen Eyrie Castle for the Palmers, was named Queen’s Canyon.

For Williams, he became the editor of the New York Independent newspaper, and later launched The Ladies Floral Cabinet magazine, the first national magazine for women concerning gardening and flowers.

Williams left the New York secular publishing industry by 1880 and began publishing conservative religious materials in Chicago. He returned to Colorado Springs in the late 1880s and established a florist and religious home east of the city. The Williamites Christian religious sect was created from his conservative beliefs, believing Williams was a messenger from God and that The Rapture was imminent.

Today, 95 years following his death, Williams is mostly unknown even among residents of the Pikes Peak region. Not only did he participate in naming two of the important scenic canyons of the region, he also was responsible for bringing one of the first conservative Christian groups to Colorado Springs, to be followed in the next century by groups such as The Navigators, the International Bible Society and Focus on the Family.

His plaque in Williams Canyon will be missed by all who enjoy this scenic gorge.

Mindful of past inaction that may have resulted in the unintended spread of the White Nose Syndrome fungus to additional caves and inactive mines on federal property in the eastern United States, Deputy Regional Forester Tony Dixon’s bold July 27 order to immediately close entry to thousands of caves and mines in the five state Rocky Mountain Region is likely to be considered as visionary by environmental lobbying organizations such as Arizona’s Center for Biological Diversity.

Fulford Cave has a White River National Forest Campground, adding to the public visibility of the cave. (Richard Rhinehart photograph, copyright 2010.)

Unfortunately, the reality of the closure order is negligible – the Geomyces Destructans pathogen will almost certainly continue to spread among bats throughout the western United States within the next few years, even if Dixon’s order has 100 percent compliance by all Forest visitors. Since the Forest Service controls only a portion of the caves – and bat roosting locations – in the Rocky Mountain West, Dixon’s closure is probably only a show of support for politically influential environmental groups and bat biologists rather than a meaningful policy based upon scientific fact.

Scientific studies indicate the deadly pathogen is mostly spread among bats by bat-to-bat and bat-to-cave contact, which Dixon acknowledges. Yet, the small possibility that humans may unwittingly transmit the spores of the fungus on their clothing, shoes, gear or person has resulted in the Forest Service closing caves across the country. The closure order for the Rocky Mountain Region even goes as far to suggest that commercial cave owners should also close during the winter hibernating season and require all paying visitors to undergo decontamination prior to entering or wear disposable booties and Tyvek suits.

Yet, for all the talk by Dixon and his colleagues in the Golden Region 2 headquarters, consequential actions by the US Forest Service to enforce the regional closure or to educate the public are largely non-existent.

A visit to Colorado’s most popular non-developed cave, Fulford Cave near Eagle, on the closure’s first weekend indicated low public compliance. On Sunday, August 2, a mid afternoon visit to the popular White River National Forest cave’s trailhead found the parking area full of vehicles and groups descending from the cave. No law enforcement or education specialists were present – the only indication Fulford Cave was closed to the public were hard-to-read closure order signs posted on the campground and trailhead’s bulletin boards. On the trailhead sign, a closure order not unlike a garage sale sign posted on a city street provided the most visible indication something was different.

Contacting the White River National Forest regarding this low-energy closure, the Forest indicated it has neither the manpower nor the funding to provide for more consequential enforcement. The Forest is planning on erecting fencing across the trail to discourage visitors from hiking the historic Civilian Conservation Corps trail to the cave, but admit many Forest visitors often walk around fences in similar trail closures, if no law enforcement is present. The Forest is also enacting closures of access trails to the caves – it is now apparently illegal to walk the foot trail to either Fulford Cave or to Hubbard’s Cave in Glenwood Canyon, even if no entry is intended.

Surprisingly, though all the USFS caves in the state were officially closed by Dixon on July 27, one private outfitter was permitted to conduct trips into Fulford Cave on August 2 and August 3. On both days, the outfitter, Colorado Springs-based Colorado Climbing School, was allowed to lead previously-scheduled trips into the cave. On August 3, the trip was accompanied by a US Forest Service natural resource specialist from the Eagle/Holy Cross Ranger District. A spokesperson for the School confirmed the trips, explaining the group underwent WNS decontamination before and after entering the cave. Plus, the Climbing School had paid for a commercial permit to enter the cave, a factor in the Forest’s decision to allow the trips to proceed as scheduled.

Peter McDonald, the Assistant Program Leader for Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive Species for the Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Region, confirmed August 4 that the closure allows “case-by-case allowances for certain research and commercial activities.” He indicated commercial outfitters will continued to be provided access to closed caves, provided they follow decontamination procedures and acquire commercial permits. Trips into caves by private citizens, however, are strictly prohibited under the order, McDonald emphasized.

Rather than the full compliance Dixon seeks with his regional closure order, the reality is that bats will see no additional protection. Commercial outfitters will continue to make a living from guiding trips into Forest caves if they state they are willing to subject their clients to vigorous decontamination procedures created specifically for bat biologists. Meanwhile, many Forest visitors who know nothing about White Nose Syndrome and the possibility of species extinction will continue to visit popular caves by simply walking around trailhead fencing.

The bulletin board at the Fulford Cave trailhead included small print notices for the cave closure. (Richard Rhinehart photograph, copyright 2010.)

Fortunately, there is interest from individual Forests to reach out to cavers and beginning monitoring of caves and bats, though a research permitting system has yet to be created. If a permit procedure can be developed and implemented, the Forests report they do not have the manpower or the funding to manage permits and confirm decontamination has been undertaken by trip participants.

Other federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service, are closely watching the actions of the US Forest Service. Mindful of the problems arising because of the blanket closure, these agencies may choose selected closures or emphasize public education in their plans. In Wyoming, New Mexico and Colorado, the BLM is actively consulting with cavers to determine a plan that is effective, enforceable, and has the support of the knowledgeable caving community.

For bats in the region, the sooner these procedures are determined and implemented, the better. The pathogen has been found in only one Cave Myotis bat in west-central Oklahoma, but it’s likely the infected bat was only the first of many.

President Abraham Lincoln, in his First Inaugural Address on March 4, 1861, appealed to a country facing an impassable division that would ultimately result in Civil War. He plead to his countrymen for reason and caution and to not allow passions of the day to rule:

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

The many Forest Service caves of Glenwood Canyon, east of Glenwood Canyon, Colorado, are closed as a result of the order. (Richard Rhinehart photograph, copyright 2007.)

In Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West, today we face a similar division among colleagues and friends. The United States Forest Service and the Department of Agriculture, responding to the steady spread of the White Nose Syndrome pathogen across the nation, feels it cannot stand by and allow bats to continue to die. Although science suggests the pathogen is spread by bat-to-bat contact, science also cannot rule out the possibility that humans may somehow play a role. So, in the absence of any definitive answer, the federal government allows passion to rule. Following innuendos of lawsuits from the Center for Biological Diversity, and heartbreaking stories of eastern bat colonies losing hundreds of thousands of bats, the Region 2 directors of the US Forest Service ignored science and decided that all caves and inactive mines on US Forest Service land throughout the region, regardless of whether they are known to harbor bats, will be closed to all human visitation for a period of at least one calendar year. This closure, they explain, will allow science to provide an answer to the origin of the pathogen, its spread across the nation and to save the remaining bats of the Western Hemisphere.

Unfortunately, science seldom works to an arbitrary schedule, particularly when the Congress of the United States fails to provide adequate funding to encourage greater study. The result will be that humans will continue to visit public caves since Forest officials admit they are powerless to enforce a closure over thousands of square miles of land and sadly, bats will continue to die in unprecedented numbers. Signs may be posted at popular, known caves, but the US Forest Service has neither the manpower nor the funding to effectively enforce the closure order or prosecute violations.

Unfortunately, this closure may also result in the irreparable severing of more than four decades of close cooperation, consultation and friendship between US Forest Service officials, bat biologists and cavers. Since the founding of the Colorado Grotto in Denver in 1951 as the first chapter of the National Speleological Society between the Missouri Valley and the west coast, cave enthusiasts and scientists have systematically discovered, explored, surveyed and studied thousands of caves on Forest lands in the Rocky Mountain West. Although official channels of communication will remain open between the Colorado Cave Survey and the US Forest Service, the majority of cavers of Colorado and the region have made it clear to their elected leaders that full sharing of information will cease until the closure order is lifted. This is greatly troubling to the US Forest Service and to the individual Forests, where cavers have provided valuable information assisting federal officials with land use management policy, protection of resources and increased scientific knowledge.

The question is how “Caving Armageddon” can be avoided. Cavers, who know the caves and the resources they contain, see no reason to provide data or information to Forest officials who ignored long, cooperative relationships, as well as meetings and letters from cavers, and instead chosen to lock out their colleagues. Forest officials want to see the relationship continued, with cavers providing data and information, even though they won’t have an opportunity to revisit the caves, for at least one year, or perhaps five, ten or 20 years.

Cavers also are concerned with the degradation of natural resources that will almost certainly occur within the region. With many cavers staying away from the best-known caves, and US Forest officials not having the resources to effectively patrol these caves, vandals will have free reign for the duration of the closure. Gates may be damaged or destroyed, speleothems broken and removed, and spray paint added to formerly pristine walls.

An example of ineffective federal management can be found in Wyoming’s Shirley Mountains, where Bureau of Land Management officials once gated Cave Creek Cave. In this remote region southwest of Casper, federal officials never patrol the caves. As such, the cave’s gate was not only broken open, but the entire door of the gate taken off and left laying on the floor sometime in the 1980s. When contacted about the damaged gate, the Bureau’s office in charge of the resource was unaware there even was a cave, much less that they had once gated it and managed access. Such is likely the fate of many of the popularly-known caves within the five state US Forest Service Region 2.

Unfortunately, destruction of cave resources is not something that will be repaired when the caves are reopened to the public. Damage to the caves will be for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Today’s decisions will be seen for generations of Americans.

A decade ago, a law enforcement official for the White River National Forest lamented he could not keep vandals from spray painting the walls of popular Spring Cave, southeast of Meeker on the White River. He simply did not have the time or the energy to patrol the cave more than a handful of times each summer. With the closure of all caves and mines in the region, estimated by US Forest Service officials to number 30,000 or more, Forest law enforcement officials can never keep track of what is happening at all sites, allowing our nation’s underground treasures to be defiled for all time.

Perhaps, as President Lincoln once suggested, “the better angels of our nature” will allow federal officials to quickly move beyond the closure and instead adapt a targeted closure of those caves and inactive mines that are most at risk from the White Nose Syndrome pathogen. Cavers know where these caves can be found, and are willing and able to help monitor these caves, providing timely information and data to biologists. With a targeted closure, other caves, including those that are popular among the general public such as Colorado’s Fulford Cave, or the thousands of caves that do not harbor bats, can then be reopened by the US Forest Service, allowing effective patrolling by law enforcement officials.

President Lincoln’s words from his First Inaugural still ring true today, as if he were speaking of White Nose Syndrome and the protection of bats and our nation’s natural resources:

“My countrymen, one and all, think calmly and well upon this whole subject. Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time. If there be an object to hurry any of you in hot haste to a step which you would never take deliberately, that object will be frustrated by taking time; but no good object can be frustrated by it.”

Although US Forest Service officials seem all but certain to issue a blanket cave closure order for all caves and inactive mines on Forest lands in the Rocky Mountain region owing to concerns about the spread of the White Nose Syndrome fungus, Colorado’s three commercially-operated caves will remain open for business.

Cave of the Winds and Glenwood Caverns have issued statements in July reporting they will remain open for business and visitor tours, even if the Forest Service closes public caves in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.

Cave of the Winds General Manager Grant Carey stated that “having an informed and experienced show cave community visible to and interfacing with the public is one of the most comprehensive ways to inform, protect and conserve caves and all the resources they hold, including bats.”

“We are working with the U.S. Forest Service and want to reassure our customers that Glenwood Caverns and Historic Fairy Caves are not affected and are open for business as usual,” reported Steve Beckley, owner of Glenwood Caverns in west central Colorado.

The Bridal Chamber in Colorado's Cave of the Winds is one of many rooms and corridors along the cave's popular Discovery Tour route. (Richard Rhinehart photograph, copyright 2010.)

The National Caves Association, America’s organization for commercial cave owners and management, reports that in Indiana and Missouri, media reports of Forest cave closures by the federal government has resulted in a reduction of paying visitors, owing to public confusion over the closure. In some instances, media reports have been unclear, suggesting all caves, regardless of ownership or access, have been closed, rather than public caves on Forest lands.

In Cave of the Winds and Glenwood Caverns, bats are not commonly seen. The identification of the fungus causing White Nose Syndrome on a bat in a non-public west-central Oklahoma cave has resulted in Forest officials in Colorado to consider implementation of a minimum one-year full closure of caves in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas, even though the fungus has not been found in any of these states and no bats are currently known to be infected. However, the Forest Service has repeatedly said they prefer an early closure of caves and mines to the public rather than wait until the region has become infected, as happened in states in the northeast.

Bat biologists are conflicted whether the fungus is spread by humans to bats, or whether bat-to-bat transmission is the primary vector. Increasing scientific evidence suggests that bat-to-bat transmission is the leading cause of infection among new bat colonies. Additional research is needed, however.

Cave of the Winds also reports they are closing two non-developed caves in Williams Canyon near Manitou Springs, Colorado. Myotis and Natural Bridges caves are closed to cavers as they have been found in the past to contain significant bat colonies, with 20 or more bats. The cave’s management is working with the National Speleological Society’s Williams Canyon Project, which has provided assistance in cave access and management policies for the more than 70 caves in Williams Canyon and adjacent Cavern Gulch. “I strongly believe that maintaining a collaborative relationship is the best course for a long-term cave conservation and access,” stated Jeremy Stiles, the Cave of the Winds manager.

Stiles indicates some skepticism as to the effectiveness of a blanket closure on Forest lands. “Perhaps the proposed closing of caves is both premature in timing and unnecessarily broad in its scope,” Stiles reported on July 15. “Why close caves that bats don’t actually inhabit on a regular or seasonal basis? What will happen to other equally important scientific exploration, inquiry and study in these caves in the interim? Has the economic impact, including tourism fallout, been appropriately taken into account?”

Both the National Speleological Society and Bat Conservation International have advised federal authorities that targeted closures of significant bat caves is the best option for cave management.

The Colorado Cave Survey of the National Speleological Society announced on July 17 they are beginning a Colorado bat database for cave visitors to report sightings of bats in caves in the state. This database will allow cave visitors to also report numbers of bats seen and the condition of the bats. Collected data will be made available to selected land use partners and for accredited scientific study.

Forest officials are expected to issue a closure order for regional public Forest caves in the coming days or weeks.

The Yampah Spa Vapor Caves at Glenwood Springs also is unaffected by the pending Forest closure order. It is privately owned, and no bats have ever been seen within the cave’s naturally hot and humid atmosphere.

Colorado cavers have been notified that all Colorado, South Dakota and most Wyoming caves with the US Forest Service will be closed the week of July 12, 2010 owing to the presence of the White Nose Syndrome fungus in a state-owned cave in west-central Oklahoma.

Colorado's popular Fulford Cave south of Eagle will be off-limits if the US Forest Service closure order applies to all caves within Forest lands. (Richard Rhinehart photograph, copyright 2008.)

Here is the official Colorado Cave Survey notification from chair David Lambert of Denver:

Carl and I have received word that US Forest Service Region 2 plans to announce early next week, a Special Order for closing all caves region-wide in response to White Nose Syndrome. Region 2 includes all Forest and Grasslands within Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, most of Wyoming and most of South Dakota. This order will be in effect for 12 months. We have been told that re-opening any of the affected caves by subsequent Special Order or permit is extremely unlikely in the next 12 months. One place the announcement will be posted is the Region 2 website: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/

The plan for the closures will consist of two steps. First, education of the cave-visiting public that a closure is in effect. Second, some trails which are primarily used to access caves will be closed.

There are a number of issues to discuss and decisions for the CCS to make in the coming days and weeks. Among these, the USFS is requesting help in placing signs at cave entrances to notify the public of the closure. The USFS also inquired whether the CCS would like to be identified or have a logo placed on the signs. The CCS will also need to decide what to do about access at Fly and Marble Caves. Carl Bern has spoken with the landowner Larry Blackwell and Larry will follow the CCS decision on this issue. We will be keeping the organized caving community informed, notifying CCS reps of upcoming votes, and we may have a special meeting of the CCS in the near future.

At this time caves on BLM land remain open. However, the BLM has indicated that they want their response to be in coordination with the USFS and so a similar closure on BLM lands may be expected. Decision-making by the BLM had been occurring at the state level, but the Washington Office is now stepping in.

The decision to close caves anywhere is always difficult and controversial. It should be noted though that land managing agencies, caver-run cave conservancies, and private cave owners across the eastern U.S. and into the west have come to similar conclusions regarding this course of action for dealing with WNS. As fellow cavers who share your passion, we know that cave closures are a bitter pill, particularly in the middle of summer. However, let us remember that over one million bats are estimated to have died from WNS and certain species face extinction. Cavers rightfully consider themselves to be stewards of the underground world. Across the west, our claim to that identity will be measured to some extent by our support for these closures. While the USFS Region 2 decision was made without involvement from Carl or myself, we respect its necessity and support the closure. We hope that the caving community as a whole will also respect and support the closure. As this situation continues to evolve, the Colorado Cave Survey will continue, as always, to advocate for both cave conservation and cave ACCESS.

Yours in caving,

Dave Lambert / Chairman / Colorado Cave Survey

Carl Bern / Vice-Chairman / Colorado Cave Survey

The US Forest Service Region 2 office in Golden, Colorado has confirmed the pending closure, as has a representative with the White River National Forest.

July 21, 2010 Update

The closure order promised by US Forest Service officials for the Rocky Mountain Region has been delayed. Though originally stated to be issued by the District 2 Region office the week of July 12, the USFS is now expected to issue a decision sometime before the end of July, 2010. Although the Colorado Cave Survey, the National Speleological Society and Bat Conservation International have suggested a targeted closure of specific bat caves within the forests will be a better plan, USFS officials reportedly are still interested in a full blanket closure of caves and inactive mines for at least a one year period. In addition, USFS Region 3 – Arizona and New Mexico – are also considering blanket closures.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Land Management is indicating it is reviewing possible options for potential closures, perhaps on a targeted basis. Wyoming BLM may close only two caves on BLM lands in the state, each containing bat colonies.

Throughout the eastern United States, federal and state land owners have adapted the dramatic step of closing all public caves to visitation in a determined effort to slow the spread of the fungus that leads to White Nose Syndrome among bats. Since first identified in February 2006, the WNS pathogen has spread from New York state to Canada and along the Appalachian Mountains to Tennessee. In the last year, it also has been discovered in Missouri and in western Oklahoma.

Although Red Ant Cave on Colorado's White River Plateau contains no bats, a blanket closure of all White River National Forest caves would close this small cave. (Richard Rhinehart photograph, copyright 2008.)

Even with the closing of all public caves to human visitors, the pathogen continues to spread each year by hundreds of miles. Biologists are now concerned the pathogen might soon spread to Central and South America, killing bats throughout the Western Hemisphere. Equally as alarming, it is possible the pathogen already is present in caves throughout the Hemisphere, and that some environmental factor is triggering it to affect bats, killing 90 to 95 percent of the infected.

Like something out of a horror novel, the pathogen and Syndrome is spreading faster than ever thought possible, catching land managers in a quandary of whether it is better to close to visitation all possible roosts, such as caves and mines, or to allow nature to take its course. What about bats that don’t roost in mines or caves? How do we protect these? One environmental group is suggesting that to protect these bats, the unprecedented action of closing forests to all human visitors must also be taken.

In Colorado, a group of federal land managers, bat biologists, scientists and cavers have met regularly by telephone for honest conversations throughout this last year. Recognizing the fungus could eventually reach the Centennial State, the group worked together to determine a possible action plan for its arrival. Key to this action plan was a determination for openness and aggressive public education and communication, so that all outdoor visitors will be aware of the issues and the challenges.

By Christmas of 2009, the group had tentatively decided that unlike their counterparts in the eastern United States, Colorado would not necessarily close each and every cave and mine in the state when faced with the approaching pathogen. Instead, targeted closures of particularly sensitive caves known to harbor bats in significant quantities in the proper environmental conditions to grow the pathogen might be a sensible alternative. By closing A, B, and C caves with significant colonies, X, Y, and Z caves could remain open for visitors without endangering the bats within the more significant caves.

Recently, a similar multidiscipline committee in Alabama chose a similar plan – sensitive caves with significant bat colonies within the state would be closed to visitation to protect the bats, while other caves without bats or outside the parameters of the pathogen would remain open.

With the identification of the pathogen in a western Oklahoma cave in early May (interestingly, in a cave never open to the public), the Colorado bat committee understandably showed concern that their several year timeline for discussion had suddenly compressed to only weeks or months. In past instances of the discovery of the WNS pathogen, US Fish and Wildlife promptly recommended to state and federal land owners that all caves and mines in adjoining states be closed to visitations. This has not happened as of yet in Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas or Texas.

Instead, the state is awaiting direction from federal agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service as to what route Colorado should take. Given the wide range of elevations, cave types and distances in Colorado, a blanket closure of caves and mines probably does not make sense. Yet, allowing federal agencies based in Washington, with nameless bureaucrats and unnamed industry “friends” to be making the decision for Colorado’s future seems equally as troubling. Simply because Washington says so does not make it right.

Let’s hope Colorado takes a leadership role in the management of White Nose Syndrome in the state. The state and federal agencies should adapt a version of the “Alabama Plan,” specifically modified for the unique nature of the Rocky Mountains. Given the remoteness of Colorado’s caves and their wide spread locations, it will be nearly impossible to patrol all caves to watch for closure violators. A better plan will be to select the top-tier caves with established bat colonies and protect them from unintended human exposure to the White Nose Syndrome pathogen. Even then, entrance signage and public education and communication will be more effective than expending thousands of dollars for entrance gates and protective fencing, not to mention the additional thousands of man hours for law enforcement to patrol the caves.

The news today that the Center for Biological Diversity has decided to sue the federal Department of the Interior over its lack of response to providing a plan to protect America’s bats from White Nose Syndrome is hardly surprising.

The Center’s June 23 announcement about their pending lawsuit is clear that their January 2010 Endangered Species Act petition has not been officially answered by the Department by the legally-stated April deadline provides sufficient reason to take the federal government to court to gain an answer. Yet, the Center’s suggestion that the feds are deliberately stalling and ignoring the petition is ignorant at best.

Colorado cavers may need to avoid caves containing bats. (Mark Maslyn photograph, copyright 2004.)

Vermont conservation advocate and biologist Mollie Matteson has been at the forefront of the Center’s response to the national threat to bats from the White Nose Syndrome pathogen. Since its discovery in a New York state cave in 2006, an estimated one million bats have died owing to the white fungus that coats the faces of infected bats. This fungus is not lethal by itself; rather its presence encourages bats to awaken from hibernation for grooming, using stored body fat and increasing hunger. When the bats fly from their roosts in winter seeking insects to eat, they find none and slowly starve to death.

During the pathogen’s steady spread across the eastern United States and Canada these last four years, Ms. Matteson has been a clear voice calling for the federal government to do something, anything, to save the bats. Extinction of some species is a distinct possibility, yet ongoing scientific study indicates that all bats may not be affected by the pathogen, and that some environments will not support the growth of the fungus associated with the Syndrome. European bats, for instance, have shown signs of the fungus, suggesting the pathogen may have originated on that continent and somehow made its way to North America. Other scientific studies indicate the fungus may not infect some bats, and there may be some air temperatures that do not support its growth. More scientific study is clearly necessary.

At this time, it is still unclear if the pathogen is even spread by bats between colonies, or if unwitting human cave visitors and other animals are helping it spread to new caves and states. Evidence points mostly to bat-to-bat transmission, though careless cave visitors – even bat biologists – may have played a role in the initial spread of the pathogen in the northeastern United States.

Given the uncertainty of the nature of the pathogen, and the unclear method of transmission, it is difficult to fault the Department of the Interior for not providing an immediate response this spring as to their intended methods for protection of uninfected bat colonies. The Center has suggested a complete closure of all caves and mines in the United States, including commercial caves like Colorado’s Cave of the Winds and New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns, might be a good idea. Yet, given the likelihood that bats are spreading the pathogen with no assistance from man, the closure of all caves public and private might only temporarily slow the pathogen’s progression across the continent. Even if only public caves were to be closed by various federal and state agencies, unless the caves are securely gated with electronic alarms linked to waiting patrol officers, it is unlikely that each and every visitor will honor closure orders – even when fines and jail time are possible.

In the western United States, state and federal land owners would have an impossible task to patrol all caves. Given the thousands of caves on public lands, many in remote roadless regions, the federal government would need to hire tens of thousands of rangers to patrol, watching for closure violators. Since the federal government is having a difficult time simply patrolling the nation’s border watching for illegal immigrants, it is unlikely it can manage patrolling all public lands.

Perhaps mindful of these considerations, Colorado’s Division of Wildlife, along with cooperating state and federal agencies, and caving groups like the National Speleological Society’s Colorado Cave Survey, has been quietly discussing an action plan for the last year and how the state might handle an outbreak of White Nose Syndrome within its borders.

With the discovery in May 2010 of White Nose Syndrome in a northwestern Oklahoma gypsum cave, it is reasonable to assume the pathogen may make its way to the Rockies within the next year.

Rather than blanket closing all caves within the state, the informal Colorado bat working group instead is considering closures of specific caves known to hold significant bat colonies that could be at risk from White Nose Syndrome. Other caves with no known bats or very few bats could remain open to visitation under such a plan. By specifically targeting caves that hold large colonies, federal and state authorities have a realistic opportunity to effectively patrol and catch violators.

Instead of legally requiring the federal government to make immediate decisions based upon incomplete scientific study, the Center for Biological Diversity might instead turn its considerable funding toward supporting increased scientific study. Additional fact-based scientific knowledge will be helpful in determining how – and if – the White Nose Syndrome pathogen can be stopped.

The clock is ticking. Should valuable time be spent in federal court arguing among lawyers? Or should qualified scientists be encouraged and funded to find a cure for the Syndrome, or at least a way to stop its spread?

The nature of caves is such that those who explore and study them can sometimes be obsessive. How long is this cave? How deep is it? How does it compare to other caves? This obsession can sometimes be healthy, leading to greater discoveries and scientific knowledge, or it can lead to tragedy.

Outdoor author James M. Tabor, whose 2007 book “Forever on the Mountain” investigated the heartbreaking story of seven men who died on Alaska’s Mt. McKinley in 1967, moves from the heights of North America to the depths of the Earth for his new book, “Blind Descent.” In 2004, American Bill Stone and Ukrainian Alexander Klimchouk sought one of the greatest challenges left on the planet – the exploration of its deepest cave. Only one would be victorious in their “race,” which really wasn’t a race, as much as an obsession to go deep in two caves on two continents.

Released nationally by Random House Publishers in mid June 2010, “Blind Descent” is the highest profile book about caves, cavers and caving in the last decade. In the tradition of classic popular caving books like William R. Halliday’s “Depths of the Earth,” Michael Ray Taylor’s “Dark Life,” and Barbara am Ende’s and Bill Stone’s “Beyond the Deep: The Deadly Descent Into the World’s Most Treacherous Cave,” Tabor’s new book will bring the sometimes thrilling world of cave exploration to the general population. With much to owe to the classic books, as well as caving-related films and television documentaries that precede it, “Blind Descent” signals a subtle change in the way the public views caves.

Following the 2001 release of MacGillivray-Freeman’s successful IMAX-format documentary “Journey Into Amazing Caves,” Hollywood was awakened to caves and caving as a fascinating subject matter. Featuring former Denver caver Dr. Hazel Barton as one of two scientists exploring caves for science, “Amazing Caves” featured extreme cave environments that emphasized the mysterious, unknown nature of these darkened chambers, corridors and shafts.

Hollywood reacted by releasing in the following years adventure-horror films such as “The Cave,” and “The Descent.” Although caves and caving are prominent in both films, the clear stars are the horrific creatures that live within these fictional caves, who terrorize and devour the hapless cavers and scientists who dare enter their realm.

Documentaries on cable television networks like Animal Planet, The Discovery Channel and The History Channel provided the public with more opportunities to learn about caves and caving. These documentaries used “Amazing Caves” as a starting point, even using the same featured cavers like Nancy Holler Aulenbach and Dr. Barton.

Not surprisingly, Tabor reports his inspiration for “Blind Descent” was direct from Dr. Barton, who told of Stone’s obsession of Mexico’s Sistema Cheve while they participated in a shoot of The History Channel’s 2007 documentary, “Journey to the Center of the World.” Since “Journey” was not picked up by The History Channel as a basis for a new caving series, Tabor decided to pursue Stone’s story of Cheve, and add the story of Klimchouk’s explorations of Krubera-Voronja Cave in the Western Caucasus of the Republic of Georgia. In 2004, the Georgian cave was explored to a depth of 2,080 meters – 6,824 feet – shattering the depth record of Austria’s Lamprechtsofen, and leaving far behind Sistema Cheve, despite Stone’s obsessive effort.

Today, Cheve remains the deepest cave in the Western Hemisphere at 1,484 meters, yet it ranks as only the 11^th deepest in the world. Krubera-Voronja has been further explored in the last six years to a depth of 2,191 meters – an astounding 707 meters deeper than Cheve (that’s 2,320 feet, or the equivalent of two Empire State Buildings).

Tabor’s “Blind Descent” is attracting favorable reviews in the book trades, including Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. Amazon.com named Tabor’s book as one of its featured Best Books of the Month for June. Jon Stewart, of Comedy Central’s popular “Daily Show,” invited him as his featured guest on the book’s June 15 release date. The following week, Tabor begins a national book tour with stops at Denver’s Tattered Cover Colfax store and the following evening at the Boulder Bookstore on downtown Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall.

Recognizing this change in public perception, one of Hollywood’s most influential and successful producer/directors, James Cameron, has been busy working with director Alister Grierson on “Sanctum.” A 3D caving movie based upon a 1988 true-life caving adventure in Australia’s Nullarbor, the film tells the story of obsessive cavers who explore an underwater Papua New Guinea cave, only to be trapped within when the entrance collapses. The $30 million film will be released worldwide in March 2011 and could bring to caving the public attention Cameron’s movies have brought to the moon Pandora, the lost luxury liner Titanic and killer robots from the future.

For caves and caving, this new public attention in books, television and film could mean more books and movies in the coming years, as well as more active participants.

Families looking for a great summer vacation are increasingly considering the excitement and romance of exploring the American West. With airfare and destination resorts generally priced beyond the average family budget, traveling by car or mini van and camping out under the stars is an immensely satisfying alternative.

For many families, touring national parks, monuments, national forests and state and federal lands provide an opportunity to see America’s spectacular natural attractions.

A part of the American West that is less visible, yet equally as awe-inspiring and thrilling as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, are the region’s commercially-operated caves. These ancient natural attractions are expertly-developed, providing a safe opportunity to enter the weird and unexplained underground worlds hidden beneath our feet. Seeing the mountains from the inside out provides a fresh perspective on the geologic processes that shaped the West.

Increasingly sophisticated in their public presentation, many of the commercial caves of the Rockies have invested in new electric lighting systems, recruited and trained competent guides, opened new chambers and passageways, and added kid-friendly attractions, such as sluice boxes, climbing walls, and sandbox digs for gems and fossils. Although corny jokes and entertaining banter from guides may have served a purpose in an earlier era, many of today’s public and private caves tours more resemble nature hikes with knowledgeable naturalists. New lighting, too, eliminates the colorful electric lights that brilliantly illuminated many of the caverns in the 20^th century, and instead emphasizes their natural darkness and mystery.

Cave of the Winds at Manitou Springs, Colorado is one of the most popular privately-owned commercial caves in the United States. (Richard Rhinehart photograph, copyright 2009.)

Adventure is Underground

For many children, descending deep into a cave is a thrilling experience. Leaving behind the sunlit world, children are intrigued with the darkened underground passageways and the unknown. How far might these caves extend? What life might be found within these passages and chambers? How did these caves form? Is there any gold, treasure or bones within these caves?

A great start for your speleo touring vacation is the National Caves Association. A professional association of the majority of America’s commercially-operated caves, the NCA’s web site includes a directory of more than 80 member caves by state, including direct links to each cave’s web site. The site also includes information about basic cave science, and helpful tips to better enjoy tours.

The National Park Service protects numerous caves across the United States, including several open in the Rocky Mountains. The Park Service’s Cave and Karst Program web site includes listings of parks that feature caves, as well as a photographic gallery, links to other cave-related web sites and downloadable PDF issues of Inside Earth, a quarterly newsletter about Park system caves. These informative newsletters contain fascinating news and information, some of which has not otherwise been announced to the public.

Before heading off on your underground journey, another worthwhile web site is the American Cave Conservation Association. The ACCA is America’s leading conservation group, working to study, preserve and protect caves and karst features. The non-profit association’s site includes many useful pages and sections, including a section specifically for kids. Many puzzles, games, educational activities and even a quiz provide children with a fun opportunity to learn more about caves.

Once you’ve loaded your car, filled up with gas and are on your way, there are numerous opportunities to explore the underground West.

Colorado Cave Destinations

Cave of the Winds – Historic limestone cavern at Manitou Springs in the Pikes Peak region opened to the public in 1880. Three scheduled tours: 45-minute electrically-lit Discovery Tour, 90-minute Manitou Grand Caverns Lantern Tour and new 45-minute EcoVenture Tour with flashlights. Free hiking in Williams Canyon with signed waivers.

Glenwood Caverns – Scenic limestone cavern and adventure park on Iron Mountain overlooking Glenwood Springs. Originally shown as the Fairy Caves in 1895. Three scheduled tours: 70-minute electrically-lit Cave Tour, 2-1/2 hour Adventure Tour and 3-hour Wild Tour. Park includes an alpine coaster, a big swing over Glenwood Canyon, a climbing wall, a 4D movie theater and other attractions. Visitors take a tramway to and from the park.

Yampah Spa Vapor Caves – Hot, vapor-filled limestone cavern at Glenwood Springs features self-guided trips. Most visitors spend 10-12 minutes in the 110-degree Vapor Caves, relaxing on marble benches. Also featured are soothing spa treatments in adjoining spa.

Montana Cave Destinations

Lewis and Clark Caverns – Limestone cavern located west of Bozeman along the Jefferson River. Montana’s first state park, originally designated a national monument. Two hour, entrance-to-entrance guided tour with electric lights. Featuring a new park visitor’s center in 2010, Lewis and Clark Caverns offers a family discount, plus cabins, a campground and hiking trails. Discovered in 1892.

Mystery Cave – Rustic limestone cave in the southern Pryor Mountains, near the Wyoming border. The cave is administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Billings. Until 2009, the cave was open during the summer months to scheduled guided tours, with visitors carrying their own lights. The Bureau closed Mystery Cave to access in 2009 owing to concerns about the spread of White Nose Syndrome to western caves. Check first with the Billings office before visiting. Located within the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range.

Idaho Cave Destinations

Minnetonka Cave – Idaho’s only commercially-operated limestone cave, Minnetonka is located in southeastern Idaho, northwest of Bear Lake. Open for visits during the summer, Minnetonka Cave is within the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Commercial tours are operated by a licensee of the US Forest Service. Guided 90 minute tours, electric lighting.

Idaho’s Mammoth Cave – Located near Shoshone, the cave is an extensive lava tube. Visitors carry lanterns along the 30 minute tour route. The Shoshone Bird Museum of Natural History featuring stuffed birds is adjacent to the cave. Discovered in 1902.

Shoshone Ice Caves – Located north of Shoshone. One hour tours in a lava tube featuring an ice-covered floor, keeping it chilly even in the summer. Warm jackets are recommended. Indian artifact and mineral museum adjacent to cave. Nearby, the Bureau of Land Management’s Shoshone Field Office manages 14 undeveloped lava tubes open to the public, including the popular Tee Maze Cave, an extensive, multi-level, branching lava tube.

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve – Established in 1924, contains more than 300 known lava tube, fissure and weathering caves. Located northeast of Shoshone. Jointly managed by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management, the park’s Caves Trail provides access to four caves of interest to visitors – Beauty Cave, Boy Scout Cave, Dew Drop Cave and Indian Tunnel. Excepting the large, multi-entranced Indian Tunnel, each of these lava tubes requires lights and minimal caving equipment to explore.

Utah Cave Destinations

Timpanogos Cave National Monument – Located in American Fork Canyon east of Provo. Reached by a paved 1-1/2 mile long trail gaining 1,160 feet in elevation, the limestone cavern is actually three caves joined together by short, mined tunnels. Established in 1922. Guided, electrically-lit one hour tours by the National Park Service are scheduled throughout the summer. Advance ticket sales are recommended, as tours will sell out.

Crystal Ball Cave – a rustic limestone cave near the Nevada border is located on Bureau of Land Management land. For many years, the cave was operated as a commercial public attraction by Jerald and Marlene Bates, the owners of the Warm Creek Ranch. Discovered in 1956. Unfortunately, the cave did not open for business in 2009, and may not open in 2010 owing to ongoing legalities regarding ownership.

South Dakota Cave Destinations

Wind Cave National Park – An extensive limestone cave located in the Black Hills north of Hot Springs. Wind Cave currently offers five tours for visitors. These include the three tours that are electrically lit: the 1-1/4 hour Natural Entrance Tour; the 1-1/2 hour Fairgrounds Tour; and the ¼ mile Garden of Eden Tour. The two hour Candlelight Tour requires visitors to carry candle buckets for illumination and the four hour Wild Tour visits rooms and chambers not improved or developed.

Jewel Cave National Monument – The second longest cave known in the world, this limestone cave is located west of Custer in the Black Hills. Jewel Cave offers four guided trips, including two including electrically-lit routes: the 80-minute Scenic Tour and the 20-minute Jewel Cave Discovery Talk. The 105-minute Lantern Tour enters and exits the cave through the natural entrance, located in scenic Hell Canyon. Participants carry hand-held lanterns. The three to four hour Wild Caving Tour includes tight crawls and squeezes as narrow as 8-1/2 inches by 24 inches.

Rushmore Cave – Opened to the public in 1952, Rushmore Cave is located southeast of Keystone in the Black Hills. Two guided tours are offered through this limestone cavern. The one hour electrically-lit Walking Tour follows paved trails, while the 2-1/2 hour Xpedition Adventure Tour requires visitors to carry their own lights and climb and squeeze.

Black Hills Caverns – Located just west of Rapid City in the Black Hills. Discovered in 1882, the limestone cave features two electrically-lit guided tours; the one hour Adventure Tour and the 30 minute Crystal Tour.

Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns – Located southwest of Rapid City in the Black Hills. Features 45-minute electrically-lit guided tour into a limestone cave well-known for its large dogtooth spar. Native American gift shop adjacent to cave. Discovered in 1929.

Wonderland Cave – Located northeast of Nemo in the Black Hills, Wonderland Cave is a part of the Black Hills National Forest but is managed under permit by a private operator. The limestone cave offers a one hour, electrically-lit tour. Gift and rock shop adjacent to cave. Discovered in 1929.

Arizona Cave Destinations

Kartchner Caverns State Park – Located south of Benson, the spectacular limestone Kartchner Caverns offers two electrically-lit guided tours for visitors. The 90-minute Rotunda/Throne Room Tour is available year round, while the 105-minute Big Room Tour is only scheduled during the winter season. Reservations are recommended for all tours. Discovered in 1974. Camping, gift shop, café, and visitor’s center can be found in the park.

Grand Canyon Caverns – Along historic Route 66 northwest of Seligman in northern Arizona, this limestone cavern offers two electrically-lit guided tours. The 45-minute Regular Tour and 25-minute Short Tour each descend and ascend into the cavern by elevator. The Explorers Tour is off-trail and visits rooms not shown on the electrically-lit tours. Also offered is a “Cavern Suite” for a unique underground overnight stay, horseback riding and Jeep Tours to the Grand Canyon. Discovered in 1927.

Colossal Cave Mountain Park – Located southeast of Tucson along the Old Spanish Trail, Colossal Cave offers multiple visitor tours. The 50-minute Colossal Cave Tour is the most popular and the only tour with electrical lighting. More adventuresome is the 90-minute Ladder Tour, which visits partially improved regions of the cave. The 90-minute Candlelight Tour visits the regular tour route, but with only candles for illumination. Most challenging of all the tours is the Wild Cave Tour, which requires basic caving skills and visits unimproved sections of the cave. Exhibits, picnics, camping, and trail rides are also available in the park. Discovered in 1879.

New Mexico Cave Destinations

El Malpais National Monument – South of Grants in northwestern New Mexico, El Malpais National Monument is a rugged volcanic region featuring several undeveloped lava tubes open to the public. Many tubes can be explored, including Junction Cave, Four Windows and Big Skylight Caves. Adjacent is the El Malpais National Conservation Area, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Horseback riding, hiking and sightseeing are other activities in the region.

Ice Cave – Located southwest of Grants, the Ice Cave and adjacent Bandera Volcano are accessible by self-guided trails. Privately owned, the Ice Cave is a lava tube with a deep ice layer on its floor. A stairway and viewing platform provide access to the cave.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park – Southeastern New Mexico’s Carlsbad Cavern is world-famous, with the National Park Service offering a variety of guided and self-guided tours. Two self-guided electrically-lit tours are available in the limestone cavern, including the Natural Entrance Tour and the Big Room Tour. Each route takes from 90 minutes to two hours to complete. The Kings Palace Tour is a 90-minute guided tour through Carlsbad’s four scenic rooms; the route is illuminated. Three other tours to non-illuminated sections of the Cavern are available: the two-hour lantern-lit Left Hand Tunnel Tour; the three-hour Lower Cave Tour, which includes ladders; and the four-hour Hall of the White Giant Tour, a caving route that includes crawls, squeezes and climbs. Elsewhere in the park, the rustic Slaughter Canyon Cave offers two-hour guided walking tours, including a steep half mile hike to the canyon side entrance. The four-hour Spider Cave Tour includes squeezing, crawling and climbing, plus a half mile hike to the cave entrance.