JUNE 29, 2023
NCKMS Steering Committee Chooses Ely, Nevada as Host City for 2025 Symposium
ELKINS, WV —
During their annual meeting, the National Cave and Karst Management Symposium (NCKMS) Steering Committee unanimously approved a bid from the Western Cave Conservancy to host the 2025 event in Ely, Nevada.
As a coalition of federal and private land agencies responsible for cave and karst resources, the NCKMS includes representatives from the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, the US Geological Society, and the National Cave and Karst Research Institute.
Under the leadership of Jim Kennedy from the National Speleological Society, the NCKMS Steering Committee includes representatives from organizations and agencies with a formal interest or responsibility for managing cave and karst resources nationwide.
The biennial symposia are week-long conferences dedicated to promoting, advancing, and sharing effective management concepts for cave and karst resources. This event serves as a valuable platform for land managers and natural resource scientists to network and exchange insights into current trends in research and management of these delicate ecosystems.
The Western Cave Conservancy, a non-profit land management organization established in 2002, focuses on preserving caves in the western United States. The WCC owns several cave properties and collaborates with other organizations on the management of caves held by external entities.
Formed in 1990, the NCKMS Steering Committee ensures the biennial occurrence of the NCKMS. The committee selects hosts for each symposium through a bidding process, offering guidance for event development, sponsorships for attendance, publishing symposia proceedings, and supporting key conferences addressing cave and karst management issues.
The 2025 NCKMS is scheduled for October 6-10 at the Bristlecone Convention Center in Ely, Nevada.
Ely, Nevada, and the surrounding Great Basin National Park offer unparalleled scenic beauty that captivates tourists and nature enthusiasts alike. Nestled in the expansive Great Basin region, Ely boasts breathtaking landscapes characterized by rugged mountain ranges, vast desert vistas, and unique geological formations. The pristine beauty of Great Basin National Park complements Ely's charm, featuring ancient bristlecone pine forests, majestic Wheeler Peak, and Lehman Caves.
The inaugural NCKMS took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1975, and symposia have been consistently organized since then.
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Internal organizations of the National Speleological Society are welcome to reprint these news items in regional newsletters and grotto publications without further permission. External organizations should contact the NCKMS team for approval. Additional artwork is available upon request.
Registration for the 2025 symposium is now open! Early registration discounts end at midnight on September 15. After that, registration packages increase by $50.
After registering, be sure to book your hotel room soon. Our hotel discounts will expire in mid-September. See our host hotel page for more details.
The Great Basin National Heritage Area is the epitome of remote destinations with the Great Basin National Park, hundreds of miles of ATV trails, and numerous natural attractions. Explore the wide open spaces, travel uncrowded trails, and experience some of the darkest night skies in the country.
Next to the Lehman Caves Visitor Center sits the historic Rhodes Cabin. The cabin was built in the 1920s by Clarence and Bea Rhodes, who were US Forest Service custodians of Lehman Caves at the time. It is one of several cabins built to provide accommodations for visitors to Lehman Caves. Today it contains interpretive exhibits.