TENNESSEE CAVES

Tennessee is extremely rich in cave resources.  If you live in the eastern two-thirds of the State, chances are you are quite familiar with cave entrances, sinkholes, disappearing or "losing" streams, voids, and springs.  These landscape features, collectively known as "karst," are present because of Tennessee's interesting geology and abundant limestone.  Mild organic acids, formed by the mixture of water with air and soil-borne carbon dioxide, readily dissolve limestone creating cracks and fissures.  This process, working over the span of hundreds of thousands of years, has resulted in the current karst topography we see today. According to the Tennessee Cave Survey, there are over 8,000 known caves in the State!

The Tennessee chapter has made the preservation of cave ecosystems one of its highest priorities - and for good reason - Tennessee has the highest number of known caves in the United States. The Nature Conservancy directs the leading cave protection program in Tennessee.

CAVE LIST:   http://www.bkcave.com/Trips/TN.htm

http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/outdoors/caving/index-caving.html

TENNESSEE STATE LAW PROVIDES FOR FINES

AND IMPRISONMENT FOR ANYONE

CONVICTED OF CAVE VANDALISM

~ Tennessee Cave Law ~

11-5-108. Vandalism of cave or caverns(a) It is an offense for anyperson, without the prior permission of the owner, to knowingly:(1) Break, break

off, crack, carve upon, write or otherwise mark upon, or in any manner destroy,

mutilate, injure, deface, mar or harm any natural material found within any cave

or cavern, such as stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, anthodites, gypsum flowers

or needles, flowstone, draperies, columns or other similar crystalline material

formations; (2) Kill, harm or disturb any plant, animal or artifact found therein;

(3) Disturb or alter the natural condition of such cave or cavern; or

(4) Break, force, tamper with, remove, or otherwise disturb a lock, gate, door, or

other structure or obstruction designed to prevent entrance to a cave or cavern,

whether or not entrance is actually gained.(b) Nothing in this section shall be

construed to prohibit the owner of property from performing on such owner's

property any of the acts set forth in subsection (a).(c) An act constituting a

violation of this section is to be valued according to the provisions of § 39- 11-

106(a)(35) and punished as theft under § 39- 14- 103.

• Break Formations • • Disturb or Kill Bats •

• Litter or Dump Carbide • • Write on Cave Walls •

• Disturb Natural Features • • Disturb Historic Artifacts •

• Tamper with Cave Gates •

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