SIGNIFICANT SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA CAVE ACQUIRED BY

APPALACHIAN CAVE CONSERVANCY Portions reprinted from the March 2010 NSS News article by

Joel Stevenson and John M. Wilson

Gilley Cave is located near the town of Pennington Gap in Lee County, Virginia. The

cave, located in a steep hillside above the town, has been known to organized cavers

since the early 1950’s and has long been popular with both locals and cavers in Virginia

and from surrounding states

Gilley Cave Gate Construction 2009 - 2010

The gate constructed at the entrance of Gilley Cave is formidable. It will help the Appa-

lachian Cave Conservancy manage the cave and 11.5 acre property that were acquired

as part of the conservancy mission to protect cave resources in Southwest Virginia and

East Tennessee. Part of the purchase agreement with the previous majority owner was

to construct a gate to prevent irresponsible people from using the cave and disturbing

the residents of the subdivision. This gate is intended to allow easy access for the good

guys who will have the lock combination, while deterring the bad guys. The access

policy is explained on ACC website www.acave.us. In general, cavers should find it

easy to obtain the combination of the lock and have access to the cave.

The gate construction was a massive two year project that is mostly completed as of

November 2010. While many people worked on the gate, the majority of the work was

done by six old cavers who worked at least six of the seven major work weekends and

on other prefabrication and site improvement projects. They are: (Don Feathers, Gary

Fielden, Bill James John Matthews, Tony McGee, and Joel Stevenson.) The cave en-

trance is on the side of a steep hill with no road access, requiring all materials, tools and

equipment to be carried to the site by human porters with a little help from a Polaris all

wheel drive. These workers faced incredible adversity, including floods, surprise rain

storms, vandals, and equipment failure. Fortunately, there were no more than minor

injuries such as burns from hot metal, scrapes, and bruises.

The Gilley cave gate is probably one of the strongest cave gates anywhere. Major parts

were prefabricated at the Fielden Farm and hauled to the sight for attachment. Approxi-

mately 2400 pounds (1088 Kg) of corrosion resistant steel valued at $6000 and approxi-

mately 4000 pounds (1840 Kg) of pre mixed concrete valued at $350 went into con-

struction. Total man hours are roughly estimated to be about 4200. The gate was de-

signed by Tony McGee.

Gilley is a significant cave, both because of its geologic features and because it is a well

known and heavily used recreational cave. It ranks 173rd among American caves in

length with a surveyed extent of 7314 meters. According to Bob Gulden’s 2009 cave

list, Gilley ranks as the 142nd deepest cave in the country with a depth of 137 meters.

The cave is developed in the Chepultepec Formation, of Cambrian-Ordovician age, and

lies along the SE flank of the Chestnut Ridge anticline. The drainage of the cave flows

into the nearby Powell River.

For many years both local residents and cavers enjoyed good relations with the cave’s

owner, Mr. Ron Moore, who lived adjacent to the cave entrance. Ron respected the

cave and controlled access, largely keeping out vandals and others who would abuse it.

MAY 2012

SAVE THE DATE!

PERKINS CAVE

TRIPS

Saturday September

22, 2012

STOP BY OUR

TABLE

at the

NSS Convention

Director Email Phone

Ellen Hofler ellenhofler@gmail.com 828-689-8641

Richard Kretz roamingg-

nome33@gmail.com

276-889-1713

Jason Lachniet, Jason.lachniet@gmail.com 276-475-5921

Tony McGee ahmcg@juno.com 423-538-4253

Stuart Syms stusyms@bellsouth.net 828-696-4885

Mark Little mark.little@sas.com 919-319-3055

John K Mat-

thews

john.knox.matthews@gmail.

com

828-645-2109

Jonathan Rossi cathyrossi72@yahoo.com 423-360-5088

John M. Wilson jmwgeo@gmail.com 804-741-4274

Don Feathers dfeathers27@charter.net 423-212-0036

Gary Fielden garyfielden@gmail.com 423-378-6146

Joel Stevenson cavelaw@jbs-law.com 828-255-7706

Mary Wilson maryswilson@gmail.com 804-741-4274

Terri Brown tbrown23@utk.edu 865-274-3526

Wes Combs westang87@yahoo.com 276-494-1187

Bill James 2dark2c@centurylink.net 423-477-7600

Greg McCoy gamccoy@hotmail.com 540-955-1278

Clay Stowers cd.stowers@vdot.virginia.go

v

276-623-3710

Although Ron had wanted the cave to go to the local community college after his death,

he died without a will. Without Ron’s presence, the cave entrance gradually became a

gathering place for drinking and illicit drug use and in 2006 Ron’s widow Jean at-

tempted to persuade the University of Virginia, the successor to the local college, to

accept ownership of the cave. When the University was unable to do so, and after sev-

eral conservation organizations had declined to take ownership of the property, the mis-

use of the cave had become so disruptive to the neighborhood that Jean considered ask-

ing several of her relatives to permanently close the entrance to the cave us-

ing whatever means might be necessary.

At that point, members of the Appalachian Cave Conservancy, who had been consult-

ing with her about her options regarding the cave, offered to construct a gate across the

entrance, and to devise a minimal management plan that would allow control over en-

trance into the cave. Jean wanted the drug and alcohol use to end but she was concerned

that the cave should continue to be available both for serious scientific study and for

responsible recreational caving. The ACC proposal was acceptable to her and construc-

tion of the gate started in the fall of 2009.

As construction of the gate progressed during the fall and winter it became apparent

that the several heirs that had inherited interests in the cave property, which is a signifi-

cant tract of 11.5 acres, were interested in selling the property and that they would be

receptive to a proposal that would allow the property to be owned and managed as a

nature preserve. The Conservancy hired a local appraiser who determined that the two

subdivision lots in which the cave is located have a market value of $12,000.00 exclu-

sive of the value of the cave and without assigning any value to the partly completed

cave gate. He was unable to make any determination of the value of the cave and there-

fore assigned it no value in his appraisal. The owners and members of the ACC Board,

after extensive negotiations, agreed that the cave should be valued at $6,000.00 and the

Board made a formal offer to the owners for purchase of the property for the sum of

$18,000.00. The offer was accepted and the property was purchased by ACC on 25

January 2010.

The Conservancy obtained private financing, without interest, for a period of three

years and is soliciting donations to defray the cost of the acquisition of this important

cave.

Anyone inclined to help ACC meet the financial obligations it has undertaken with this

project should contact the ACC Treasurer:

Stu Syms,

84 Preserve Ct.

Hendersonville, NC 28791-2803

Phone 828.696.4885

The Gilley Management Plan is available on our website, at http://www.acave.us/

The Appalachian Cave Conservancy, Inc. is a non-profit organization formed in 1978, as the “Perkins

Cave Conservation and Management Society,” to

apply “best management practices” to caves on

privately owned lands in the Appalachian region.

The ACC mission changed in 2004 from managing

Perkins Cave to managing many caves the southern Appalachian area. To achieve this mission, the

Conservancy accepts cave and karst land donations

and enters into voluntary agreements with landown-ers to develop and implement effective manage-

ment plans based on the site-specific characteristics

of the cave and surrounding property. Your membership and donations are make this

possible Thank you.

Appalachian Cave Conservancy

2011 Financial Statement

Checking $1,079.43

Savings $13,283.91

Petty Cash $132.92

Gypsum flowers in Gilley Cave photo by Ellen Hofler

Appalachian Cave Conservancy

Caves Owned, Managed, and/or Leased

Access

1 Cave is open to all responsible cavers. Please refer to the management plan for details. The key is available from the manager.

2 Cave is open to all responsible cavers. Suggest that a courtesy permission request be made to the manger.

3 At the request of the property owner, the cave is not available for unsupervised recreational caving. All access to this cave will have a leader and supervisor

from the management committee. Generally most trips into this cave are for conservation, science or other important management purposes.

The ACC recommends that cave clothing and equipment be cleaned before entering any ACC managed cave.

Cave Name Virginia

County

Manager Cave Property

Owned by

Gate Access

permission

required

Access

Gilley Cave Lee Gary Fielden ACC Yes Yes 1 Daniel Boone Caverns AKA Ellington Cave and Gillen-water Cave

Scott Jonathan Rossi ACC member Yes Yes 3

Winding Stair Scott Jonathan Rossi Friend of ACC No Suggested 2 Dungeon Aka Brickey’s Pit Scott Jonathan Rossi Friend of ACC No Suggested 2

Funnel Scott Jonathan Rossi Friend of ACC No Suggested 2 Blowing Hole Cave Scott Bill James Friend of ACC No Suggested 2 Coley Cave # 1 Scott Bill James Friend of ACC No Suggested 2 Coley Cave # 2 Scott Bill James Friend of ACC No Suggested 2 Cox Ridge Cave Scott Bill James Friend of ACC Yes Yes 1 Perkins Cave Washington John M. Wilson ACC board member Yes Yes 3

Contact Information

Manager Email Phone Cell Phone City State Gary Fielden garyfielden@gmail.com 423-378-6146 423-335 2081 Kingsport TN Bill James 2dark2c@centurylink.net 423-477-7600 423-534-9354 Gray TN Jonathan Rossi cathyrossi72@yahoo.com 423-360-5088 Kingsport TN

John M. Wilson jmwgeo@gmail.com 804-741-4274 804-347-6320 Henrico VA

2012 ACC Caving Calendar

June 25—29, 2012 NSS Convention, Lewisburg, WV

July 20-22 - 20th Annual Karst-O-Rama

August 30—September 2 OTR

September 22 Perkins Cave Caving, Cookout, Camping

October 4-7 TAG Fall Cave-In

October 13-14 Fall VAR

Appalachian Cave Conservancy Membership

Date: ______________ Family member information (no dues included)

Name: ______________________________________________ Birth Date if under 18 ______

Address: _____________________________________________

City: _____________________ State: ____ Zip Code: __________ Country, if not USA: ___________

Email : _______________________________________________

Home Phone: ______________________ Cell phone : ______________________

Fax : _____________________________ Work Phone : _____________________

NSS member? ____Number: ________

If you wish, list participation in any land trusts, cave conservancies, or cave related organizations :

______________________________________________________________

Dues and Contributions

Total enclosed: $__________

ACC is a 501 C 3 Tax exempt Organization Your contribution is tax deductible.

This form may be downloaded and sent as a hard copy to:

Appalachian Cave Conservancy, Inc. Stu Syms 84 Preserve Ct. Hendersonville, NC 28791-2803 828-696-4885

Individual ACC Membership

___ $10 Regular Member

___ $25 Contributing Member

___ $50 Sustaining Member

___ $100 Benefactor Member

___ $ 250 Life Member

___ Other Amount __________

Organizational ACC Membership

___ $10 Regular Organization Member

___ $25 Contributing Organizational Member

___ $50 Sustaining Organizational Member

___ $100 Benefactor Organizational Member

___ Other Amount _______________

Family ACC Membership

___ $ 15 Family Membership - Use a

separate form for personal information for

each family member.

Two people of the same immediate family

living at the same address. Each addition

immediate family member at the same

address is $5.

+ $__.00_ ( ___additional Family

Members at $ 5 each )

Gilley Cave Capital Campaign:

_____ Pledge for 2011 for the ACC Gilley

Cave Capital Campaign

_____ Attached contribution to the ACC

Gilley Cave Capital Campaign