Schoharie County Cave Donated to Conservation Group by Local Family

(Wright, NY – April 18, 2016) The Northeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc. (NCC) recently received land surrounding the entrance to Spider Cave as a donation from the Carl family.

The cave had been owned by the Carl family for over 60 years and they allowed people to visit the cave. In 2014 Midge Carl contacted NCC Board Member Kevin Dumont about the possibility of donating the cave. Midge had known Kevin from his previous visits to the cave for over 25 years. During August of 2014 Kevin and NCC Acquisitions Chair Chuck Porter met with Midge and her son Joe, co-owner, and started the conversation about the donation process. The Carls wanted to keep the cave open for all to visit in the future and knew the NCC would be excellent stewards for the property.

President Bob Addis and Chuck Porter worked with the Town of Wright Planning Board and in February of 2016 the land officially transferred to the NCC. “The NCC has worked with a multitude of municipalities, often for subdivision approval. The Town of Wright has been one of the easiest and most helpful to deal with”, says Addis. The NCC board voted Kevin in as the Preserve Manager.

Kevin started right away with trail maintenance and setting up a roadside cleanup on March 26th. Several volunteers from the NCC along with the Town of Wright Supervisor Alex Luniewski helped to pick up garbage along Route 146 while another group worked on the trails. The group received thanks from passing motorists for their hard work. Alex also secured permission for the NCC to dump its collected 15 large bags at the Gallupville Transfer Station that Saturday.

The NCC is a nonprofit organization, and it owns and manages several cave preserves in New York state since 1978. “We are also looking at the caves of New Jersey, Massachusetts, and other New England states as the need for cave conservation increases”, says Addis.

To welcome the public the NCC is hosting a dedication ceremony on Sunday, April 24th, 2016 starting at 2:00 pm at 273 Sellick Road, the residence of Midge Carl, with a visit to the cave entrance for all interested parties immediately following. Our volunteer Preserver Manager, Kevin and board members will be there to answer questions and light refreshments will be served. Please use the contact information below for directions.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Bob Addis or Kevin Dumont
Northeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc.
P.O. Box 254
Schoharie, NY 12157
(518) 237-1165 Bob Addis, (415) 606-5059 Kevin Dumont – kevindumont@yahoo.com
www.necaveconservancy.org