Post by Sharon Faulkner on Feb 7, 2006 14:51:07 GMT -5
Fellow Cavers,
On January 23rd, the Western Cave Conservancy signed a purchase contract for Rippled Cave, located in Amador County, California. The price was $150,000, with close of escrow scheduled for February 24th. This limestone cave may be the most widely used beginner cave and vertical practice area in central California. It is WCC's first acquisition.
Now that the conservancy's past supporters have been informed, we want to share the good news with everyone!
WCC's Stewardship Committee, chaired by Joel Despain, will be soliciting input from cavers and grottos around the region as they work on a new management plan. Just a few of the details to be worked out are how best to provide access to non-grotto cavers, what form a permit system might take, what to do about neighbor demands that a sanitary facility be installed, what to do with the decrepit structure on the property, vegetation and fire management, and so forth.
In the interim, Rippled Cave will again be available to grottos under the former access policy. Contact Marianne Russo for details at mrusso@westerncaves.org.
WCC has secured all but $41,000 of the purchase price. The balance has been financed by five Western Region NSS members through low interest rate loans, payable over three years. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, none of the lenders are officers or directors of the conservancy.
We owe a huge thank-you to the NSS and the National Speleological Foundation, for three years the careful stewards of the Pacific Slope Cave Acquisition Fund, funded by a single donation for this purpose. That fund has since accumulated nearly $20,000 in interest!
Other generous donors have recently stepped forward to give $500, $1,000, $3,000, and a whopping $10,000.
While smaller amounts are vital to day-to-day operations, WCC's ability to buy caves depends upon large donations. Gifts can be made over time through the conservancy's monthly credit card giving plan. A five hundred dollar gift can be more palatable when broken down into $50 or $25 payments.
The sooner WCC's lenders are paid off, the sooner the conservancy can buy other caves. WCC is researching properties throughout California as well as in Oregon, Washington and Arizona. Recently, the board made an offer to Utah cavers to help fund the proper gating and management of Nutty Putty Cave, threatened with permanent closure by the state of Utah.
A donation form can be downloaded at www.westerncaves.org/docs/WCC_Membership_Form.pdf Donations may also be made online through Network for Good at www.networkforgood.org (search for "Western Cave Conservancy"). All donations are tax-deductible.
Thank you for your support!
The Officers and Directors of the Western Cave Conservancy
Rolf Aalbu
Joel Despain
Don Dunn
Martin Haye
Jerry Johnson
Bruce Rogers
Marianne Russo
Dan Snyder
Mike White
On January 23rd, the Western Cave Conservancy signed a purchase contract for Rippled Cave, located in Amador County, California. The price was $150,000, with close of escrow scheduled for February 24th. This limestone cave may be the most widely used beginner cave and vertical practice area in central California. It is WCC's first acquisition.
Now that the conservancy's past supporters have been informed, we want to share the good news with everyone!
WCC's Stewardship Committee, chaired by Joel Despain, will be soliciting input from cavers and grottos around the region as they work on a new management plan. Just a few of the details to be worked out are how best to provide access to non-grotto cavers, what form a permit system might take, what to do about neighbor demands that a sanitary facility be installed, what to do with the decrepit structure on the property, vegetation and fire management, and so forth.
In the interim, Rippled Cave will again be available to grottos under the former access policy. Contact Marianne Russo for details at mrusso@westerncaves.org.
WCC has secured all but $41,000 of the purchase price. The balance has been financed by five Western Region NSS members through low interest rate loans, payable over three years. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, none of the lenders are officers or directors of the conservancy.
We owe a huge thank-you to the NSS and the National Speleological Foundation, for three years the careful stewards of the Pacific Slope Cave Acquisition Fund, funded by a single donation for this purpose. That fund has since accumulated nearly $20,000 in interest!
Other generous donors have recently stepped forward to give $500, $1,000, $3,000, and a whopping $10,000.
While smaller amounts are vital to day-to-day operations, WCC's ability to buy caves depends upon large donations. Gifts can be made over time through the conservancy's monthly credit card giving plan. A five hundred dollar gift can be more palatable when broken down into $50 or $25 payments.
The sooner WCC's lenders are paid off, the sooner the conservancy can buy other caves. WCC is researching properties throughout California as well as in Oregon, Washington and Arizona. Recently, the board made an offer to Utah cavers to help fund the proper gating and management of Nutty Putty Cave, threatened with permanent closure by the state of Utah.
A donation form can be downloaded at www.westerncaves.org/docs/WCC_Membership_Form.pdf Donations may also be made online through Network for Good at www.networkforgood.org (search for "Western Cave Conservancy"). All donations are tax-deductible.
Thank you for your support!
The Officers and Directors of the Western Cave Conservancy
Rolf Aalbu
Joel Despain
Don Dunn
Martin Haye
Jerry Johnson
Bruce Rogers
Marianne Russo
Dan Snyder
Mike White