Hi Colin;
You'll probably get various emails from other cavers concerning your
question and how best to approach the situation. Here's my advice:
If you are a qualified caver and have the proper experience and equipment,
I'd tell the landowner who you are and state your caving credentials. What
caving group you were/are affiliated with and the number of caves that you and
your caving friends have visited. If you participated in any cave surveys or
other somewhat scientific efforts, I'd mention those also. Then state your
intentions and what you would like to do. End by assuring the landowner that
you will not disturb or harm anything in the cave nor will you make public
the landowner's name or the fact that they have a cave with possible
archeological material. Also let them know that you will be caving with
others that
have similar experience and ethics. It doesn't hurt to mention that you are
willing to sign a release and waiver holding the landowner harmless from any
lawsuit that might arise as a result of your caving activities.
Paramount is to never lie or overstate your credentials. If you haven't
bottomed the deepest cave in the state or discovered great wonders, don't tell
them you have or intimate the same. You are establishing a bond of trust
between you and the landowner that should be considered as important as any
contract you sign. How and whether you honor that trust will determine that
landowner's attitude toward future cavers.
If you reach an agreement with the landowner and have finished your visit to
the cave, report back to the landowner what you saw and any significant
findings that might allow the landowner to better appreciate the resource they
own. If you took any photos, send copies to the landowner with a letter of
thanks for granting your group the privilege of access to their land. If you
map or sketch the cave, send copies of the final product to the owners. It's
a
big hassle and worry for many landowners to let strangers onto their
property much less explore any caves that might be dangerous in their view.
Try to
make the experience a positive one for both you and the landowner.
If they say no to your request, thank the landowner for their time and leave
them your name and number in case he ever changes his mind.
Jerry Atkinson
Texas Speleological Survey
In a message dated 7/30/2008 1:22:18 A.M. Central Standard Time,
colin...@gmail.com writes:
Hello fellow cavers, I have something I'd like to toss out to this mailing
group. I'm no longer an active caver but I would like some good solid advice
on what I'm about to present.
Please note I haven't gone caving in several years but I know better than to
trespass or break any land owners rules.
I went down to a ranch and resort in Real County right along the Frio River
a few weeks back. While the owners of the private campground layed out the
rules they did mention that on the small mountain they owned that one could
hike up there was a small cave with bones in it. The owners also told me not
to
go near the cave or in the cave because they didn't want my bones in there
to. I didn't say anything about once being a caver for my own reasons, I just
nodded my head and said okay as the last thing I wanted to do was stir up
trouble and have to loose my vacation.
What I need help on is, IF one was to talk to the owners of this campground
about their cave via e-mail or phone what would be the best way to approach
them about it? I have no idea what I would say. Any thoughts? Please note this
is a serious question, I really don't know what to do here.
-Colin Eby
Brownwood, Texas
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