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Implementation of the Ely District Cave and Karst Management Plan

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Bureau of Land Management

BLM Office:

Ely District Office

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Ely, Nev.--The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published a notice of implementation for the Ely District Cave and Karst Management Plan and Environmental Assessment in the Federal Register on May 5, 2017.  The Plan will replace the outdated Ely District Cave Management Plan (1986).  Revision was needed to bring the plan into compliance with current laws and regulations while providing for site-specific management actions.

The Plan provides guidance for cave management, recreational use, and protection in accordance with the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act of 1988, within caves across the Ely District.  This Plan also establishes direction for long-term management, planning, and oversight of the cave resources while identifying site-specific management actions for recreational use, scientific research, and management of cave resources.  The Plan provides direction for managing cave resources on 11.4 million acres of public land in the Ely District, located in east-central Nevada. 

Site-specific management actions found within the Plan include visitor use restrictions.  Restrictions include a cave use permit system, frequency and group size limits, installation of cave gates, and cave closures.  A new Individual Special Recreation Permit (ISRP) will be required for recreational use in the Cave Valley Cave, Goshute Cave, and Whipple Cave.   In addition, the Rose Guano Bat Cave will be closed during the bat maternity and migratory season (April 1–November 1); the Cave Valley Cave’s side-passage will be closed (year-round) to protect maternity colonies; and two significant caves on the District (NV-040-003 and NV-040-010) will be closed for the protection of cave integrity, cultural resources and Native American tribal concerns.  For more details, you can access the Plan and Decision Record at eplanning.

For more information on these restrictions, please visit the Ely District Office’s website or call, contact Stephanie Trujillo, Assistant Field Manager, Non-Renewable Resources, at (775) 289-1800 or by email to strujill@blm.gov.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.