The Southeastern Cave Conservancy (SCCi) is a

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

not-for-profit corporation A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

dedicated to

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

conservation, caver education, and cave management. It was formed in 1991 by a group of

southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

cavers. The SCCi is an institutional member of the

National Speleological Society The National Speleological Society (NSS) is an organization formed in 1941 to advance the exploration, conservation, study, and understanding of caves in the United States. Originally headquartered in Washington D.C., its current offices are in H ...

. According to its Articles of Incorporation, the organization's purpose is "to acquire and manage caves for scientific study, education of those persons interested in speleology, and conservation of these resources".

Caves and preserves

The organization owns or leases of land in six

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

s, 170+ caves, 32 cave preserves, and over $1.5 million in land assets. The SCCi is particularly interested in caves that are threatened with closure or destruction or those that provide a habitat for

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

such as the gray bat,

Tennessee cave salamander The Tennessee cave salamander (''Gyrinophilus palleucus'') is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae, endemic to the Appalachian Mountains in the United States. Its natural habitats are streams in caves. It is threatened by habitat ...

, and

Hart's-tongue fern ''Asplenium scolopendrium'', commonly known as the hart's-tongue fern, is an evergreen fern in the genus ''Asplenium'' native to the Northern Hemisphere. Description The most striking and unusual feature of the fern is its simple, undivided fron ...

. Caves and preserves owned or leased by the organization are listed below.Southeastern Cave Conservancy Cave and Karst Preserves
, SCCi website, accessed April 9, 2011

Alabama

* Anderson Cave (one major cave and four smaller caves), Shelby County * Falling Cave, Jackson County * Fern Cave (Surprise Pit entrance), Jackson County * Glove Pit, Madison County * Horse Skull and Jack's Hole, Jackson County * Kennamer Cave (two caves), Jackson County * Jacobs Mountain Preserve, Jackson County * Limrock Blowing Cave Preserve, Jackson County * Neversink Cave, Jackson County * Steward Spring Cave,

DeKalb County DeKalb County may refer to one of several counties in the United States, all of which were named for Baron Johan DeKalb: * DeKalb County, Alabama * DeKalb County, Georgia * DeKalb County, Illinois * DeKalb County, Indiana * DeKalb County, Missouri ...

*Stephens Gap Callahan Cave Preserve (five caves), Jackson County * Tumbling Rock Cave, Jackson County * Valhalla Cave (one major cave and three smaller ones), Jackson County

Florida

* Hollow Ridge, Jackson County * Jennings Cave, Marion County

Georgia

* Fox Mountain (at least seven caves), Dade County * Frick's Cave, Walker County *Charles B. Henson Cave Preserve at Johnsons Crook (at least 34 caves, Dade County * Howard's Waterfall Cave, Dade County

Kentucky

* Frenchman Knob Cave, Hart County * Logsdon Cave (William R. Halliday Cave Preserve), Hart County

Tennessee

* Gourdneck Cave, Marion County * Holly Creek Cave, Wayne County * Mayapple Cave and Meander Cave, Grundy County * Rattling Cave, Cocke County *Run To The Mill Cave Preserve, Cumberland County * Sinking Cove (includes five major caves and five smaller ones), Franklin County *

Snail Shell Cave Snail Shell Cave is a limestone cave in Rockvale, Tennessee. Snail Shell Cave lies on an preserve near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Snail Shell cave is owned by the Southeastern Cave Conservancy, which has called it "one of the most biologically si ...

, Rutherford County * South Pittsburg Pit, Marion County * Wolf River Cave, Fentress County

West Virginia

* Lobelia Saltpeter Cave, Pocahontas County

References

External links

Southeastern Cave Conservancy website
Cave conservancies Environmental organizations based in the United States {{environmental-org-stub