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.
- 30 -
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.
The Hydrographic Great Basin is a 200,000 square mile area of the American West that extends from the Sierra Nevada Range in California to the Wasatch Range in Utah, and from southern Oregon to southern Nevada. The entire basin contains what's called an endorheic watershed. All precipitation in this region evaporates, sinks underground, or flows into lakes. No water reaches the ocean.
Advance registration for the 2025 symposium is expected to open in mid-2024. We will send an email to past attendees when that system comes online.
Feel free to join our mailing list if you would like to receive occasional updates on our plans.