DOWN UNDER Cavers explore splendors of Snowy River

[Lynn]

DOWN UNDER Cavers explore splendors of Snowy River

By Staci Matlock The New Mexican
September 22, 2005

In 2001, four cavers dug and crawled their way along a treacherous narrow passage into a new section of the BLM-managed Fort Stanton Cave in Lincoln County.

It was a breakthrough more than three decades in the making. Albuquerque building contractor and dig team leader Lloyd Swartz said it took seven trips that final year and a lot of coffee cans filled with dirt before he and his team broke into the new cave branch.

The speleologists’ reward: a spectacular long strip of white calcite stretching as far into they could see into the cavern’s darkness. “It was astounding,â€

[Floyd Collins]

New Mexico's Senators Pete V. Domenici and Jeff Bingaman are co-sponsoring in Congress an act to establish the Fort Stanton/Snowy River National Cave Conservation Area. This act would provide for permanent protection of the cave and allow for continued exploration and scientific study of this unique south-central New Mexico cave. Included in this legislation is the withdrawal of the land from future mineral extraction and authorization to the Bureau of Land Management to work with colleges, universities and other scientific organzations to better understand the cave and its unique features.

Colorado caver Donald Davis, who participated in a week-long Fort Stanton Cave expedition during the first week of July 2005, reported Senator Domenici came to the cave and talked with many cavers about their subterranean actitivities. The BLM also has shown its support in furthering exploration and knowledge in the cave.

On November 16, 2005, the bill passed the United States Senate by a unanimous vote. It was referred to the House of Representatives, where the Republican national leadership sent it to the House subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health on December 2. Since Fort Stanton Cave in south-central New Mexico is located in semi-arid lands owned by the Bureau of Land Management, this action strongly suggests the House Republican leadership is burying the legislation.

Six months after being referred to the US House of Representatives subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health, Senator Domenici's bill still has not been considered by even the subcommittee, much less the full committee or the House itself.

Colorado has two elected representatives, Tom Tancredo (R-Lakewood) and Mark Udall (D-Boulder) who are members of this subcommittee. Despite inquiries, both have failed to respond or even acknowledge any interest in moving the bill forward in the legislative process. Interested cavers might contact these representative and ask them to give S.1170 a "quick up or down vote."

Tom Tancredo:
http://tancredo.house.gov/contact/contact_contacttom.shtml

Mark Udall:
http://markudall.house.gov/HoR/CO02/Contact+Mark/Contact+Mark.htm

Follow the bill online at:
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/bills_res.html

[CaverScott]

http://www.nm.blm.gov/misc/snowy_river/images/index.htm

[Lava tuber]

Lynn thanks for posting that article loved the pics Scott put up that pic of the Calcite coatings was sexy

[Baazalung]

The calcite "river" is awesome!