The thirty-fourth meeting of the Board of Directors of the Southeastern Cave
Conservancy was held on 10 October 1998 at the picnic pavilion at Sequoyah Caverns in
Valley Head, Alabama. These minutes, when accompanied by the corrections or additions
approved by the Board, constitute the official record of the meeting.
| ATTENDEES | Directors: Bill Putnam (Chair), Kenneth Huffines (Secretary), Buddy Lane (Treasurer), Greg Eck, Scott Fee, Geary Schindel, Richard Blackburn, John Van Swearingen (Mark Wolinsky absent). Approximately 30 members and guests attended. | |
| CALL TO ORDER | Chair Bill Putnam called the meeting to order at 10:07. See attachment A for agenda. (omitted on web) | |
| MINUTES | (M) | The minutes of the 33rd Board Meeting were reviewed. Richard Blackburn moved that the minutes be approved as read. Greg Eck seconded. Passed unanimously. |
| REPORTS | ||
| Chairman | Bill Putnam summarized the efforts of the SCCI at the 1998 National Speleological Society convention in Sewanee, Tennessee in August. Putnam recognized the volunteers that made the effort successful. | |
| Treasurer | See report, attachment B. (omitted on web) | |
| Secretary |
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| Nominations & Elections | Richard Blackburn reports ballots are ready and should be mailed the week of October 11. Returned ballots must be postmarked by 31 October. Email returns will be accepted. | |
| Newsletter | Editor Mary Foster has resigned. Chair Bill Putnam appointed John Hickman effective 24 September 1998. | |
| Acquisitions | Committee Chair Mark Wolinsky will distribute a report via email at a later date. Blowhole cave (Tenn.) is still priced too high and some discussion ensued to return funds donated to it's acquisition. Tobacco Port Cave (Tenn) was sold to an individual despite negotiations by The Nature Conservancy. Camps Gulf Cave The SCC may be asked to help develop management plans. (See further action in New Business) | |
| NCMS | Contracts with the hotel have been signed and we are on schedule. | |
| Nevsink Preserve | Preserve Manager Jim Hall reported via email: Parking lot and trail remain in good shape, It started raining on my first try at camouflaging the water pipe so it looks strange. I will try again with different colors. During the month of September, 28 persons signed the register at the upper kiosk. The two alternate rig points that were beaten down during convention are starting to recover. We still need to get the word out that during caving events everyone needs to check with the SCCI booth before going to SCCI caves. | |
| Glove Pit Preserve
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Preserve Manager Jim Hall reported via email: No problems, I have not checked the register lately to see visitation of Glove. The dirt road directly above Glove has been blocked by someone dumping a large load of dirt in the middle of it, so parking is now really limited to the wide shoulder of the road above the side barricade. There is still room for several vehicles. | |
| South Pittsburg Pit Preserve | Preserve Manager Dennis Holton reported signs are up, sign-in cards are out, and boundary markers are to be installed. | |
| Fox Mountian Preserve | Preserve Management Team Member Jerry Wallace reported a new trail to Hurricane Cave is needed due to a residence build on the old trail. Survey of the preserve will resume Oct. 24. | |
| Kennamer Cave Preserve | The property adjacent to the preserve (that may contain the lower entrances) has changed hands and the new owners have been contacted. | |
| Gourneck Cave Preserve | Preserve Manager Wm Shrewsbury reported the water pipe has been replaced and the old pipe removed. The owner is willing to have the SCCI remove the remains of a house near the parking lot. | |
| Swirl Canyon Preserve | Preserve Manager Geary Schindel reported the cave has been gated. | |
| Junkyard Cave | Geary Schindel reported the new owner has closed on the property and is still interested in the SCCI leasing and gating the cave. | |
| Ratification of Actions w/o Meetings. | Geary Schindel reported a kiosk is needed at the preserve. | |
| Fund-Raising Committee | Committee Chair John Van Swearingen suggested SCCI bumper stickers, windshield cling-ons, and cave maps as possible fund raisers. | |
| OLD BUSINESS | ||
| Actions without meetings (1 of 2) | (M) | 1. On May 17 Kenneth Huffines moved and Buddy Lane seconded to combine Act 15-054 with
15-038 and to remove the requirement for a membership list from Act 15-038: Current wording of the two acts: 15-038 Annual Report 15-054 Attendance Record Proposed wording: 15-038 Annual Report 15-054 Attendance Record Voting was announced on 4 June 1998. In Favor: Eck, Wolinsky, Lane, Schindel, Fee, Huffines, Van Swearingen, Putnam, Blackburn. Passed unanimously. |
| Actions without meetings (2 of 2) | (M) | 2. On 20 August 1998 Bill Putnam moved: "The 1999 National Cave Management
Symposium Chair and Vice-Chair are authorized by the SCCI Board to execute contracts and
agreements related to hosting the Symposium and the Fall 1999 NSS BOG meeting. Copies of
such contracts and agreements must be provided to the officers of SCCI prior to
signing." Seconded by Buddy Lane on 21 August, called on 23 September. In favor Blackburn, Eck, Fee, Huffines, Lane, Schindel, Van Swearingen, Wolinsky, Putnam Passed unanimously. |
| Ratification of Actions w/o meetings | (M) | Richard Blackburn moved to ratify both actions. Greg Eck seconded. Passed unanimously. |
| Brochure | (A) | David Anderson volunteered to design a new brochure. He needs help with the copy. |
| Schrieber Material | (A) | Greg Eck volunteered to develop a web-base auction mechanism for the Schreiber books and gear. |
| Fund-raising Letter | (A) | Richard Blackburn volunteered to write the letter for the fund-raising letter to be mailed to cavers in the southeast. |
| NEW BUSINESS | ||
| Reimbursement | (M) | Richard Blackburn moved to reimburse Kenneth Huffines $385.84 for printing of the annual report. Scott Fee seconded. Abstain: Huffines. In favor: rest. Motion approved. |
| Disolution of comittees | (M) | Scott Fee moved to abolish the Publication and Neversink Opening Day Committees. Richard Blackburn seconded. Passed unanimously. |
| Mgt of Fund-raising programs | (A) | Buddy Lane will track hours spent fulfilling mail orders for fund-raising. |
| Revision of Management Plans | (M) | Buddy Lane moved to change the policy for access during events for Fox Mountain (item
7), Glove Pit (item 6), Gourdneck Cave (item 6), Horse Skull / Jack's Cave (item 7),
Kennamer Cave (item 8), Neversink (item 8), and South Pittsburg Pit (item 6). Proposed
wording: Previous wording: Scott Fee seconded. Passed unanimously. |
| Fox Mtn. Preserve - Hunting Permission |
(M) | John Van Swearingen moved to strike all but the first sentence of item 6 (Hunting) of the Fox Mountain Management Plan. The sentences to be stricken read "The Board has given permission only to the neighboring landowners and our designated local caretaker. No other hunters are allowed." JV also moved to change item 4 to read "visiting the cave" to "visiting each cave". Seconded by Richard Blackburn. Passed unanimously. |
| Neversink Improvements | (M) | Richard Blackburn moved to add the following to the Neversink Preserve Management
Plan: The property will be maintained in its natural state and will not be developed, improved, or exploited in any way, except as necessary to maintain the boundaries and access and to manage its usage as a natural area." Buddy Lane seconded. Passed unanimously. |
| Neversink Preserve - Camping |
(M) | Buddy Lane moved to strike camping from item 7 of the Neversink Preserve Management Plan. The new wording to be: "Hunting, open fires, and consumption of alcohol are not allowed on the property." Richard Blackburn seconded. Passed unanimously. |
| SCCI Video | Tabled for next meeting | |
| SCCI Slide Show | (M) | Geary Schindel moved to make two copies of the SCCI slide show. Buddy Lane seconded. Passed unanimously. |
| Volunteer Committee | (M) | Geary Schindel moved to create a Volunteer Coordination Committee. Seconded by Buddy Lane. Passed unanimously. Bill Putnam appointed John Van Swearingen to head the committee. |
| Amazon.com link | (M) | Richard Blackburn moved a link to Amazon.com be provided on the SCCI's website. Buddy Lane seconded. Opposed: Huffines, Eck. In favor: rest. Motion approved. |
| Fall Creek Falls Liason | (M) | John Van Swearingen moved to create a Fall Creek Falls Liason Committee to coordinate with the park. Geary Schindel seconded. Passed unanimously. Bill Putnam appoints Buddy Lane (Chair) and Geary Schindel to the committee. |
| ADJOURNMENT | The meeting was adjourned at 2 p.m. |
(M) Motion
(A) Action Item