NSS AFFILIATE ORGANIZATIONS

To help accomplish its goals and extend the reach of its members' expertise and capabilities, the NSS seeks to foster affiliations with select conservation, scientific, and educational organizations, and federal agencies. Often our relationship is formalized with Memoranda of Understanding (MOU). Each affiliation is served by an NSS liaison to promote ways the Society and the other group can work together and benefit from each other's activities, and to be a conduit of information between the two organizations.

We're proud to be affiliated with the following organizations and agencies.

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) www.aaas.org (Act 41-076)
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science around the world by serving as an educator, leader, spokesperson and professional association.

American Cave Conservation Association (ACCA) www.cavern.org
ACCA is a nonprofit membership organization whose activities and proceeds are dedicated to the conservation of caves and related resources across the nation and around the world. It operates the American Cave and Karst Center (also known as the American Cave Museum), which includes Hidden River Cave, in the town of Horse Cave, KY. (A Memorandum of Understanding between the ACCA and the NSS can be found in the Board Manual at Appendix AB)

Appalachian Cave Conservancy (ACC) www.acave.us/
Providing Cave Stewardship in Southwest Virginia and  Eastern Tennessee. Appendix BD

Geological Society of America www.geosociety.org
As an international scientific society, GSA serves members in academia, government, and industry around the world. Since 1888, GSA’s meetings, publications, and programs have enhanced the professional growth of geoscientists and fostered geoscience stewardship and service. GSA encourages cooperative research and public dialogue on geoscience issues and supports all levels of earth-science education. (NSS-GSA MOU)

American Geological Institute www.agiweb.org (Act 41-430)
The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 44 geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 100,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in our profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources and interaction with the environment.

Bat Conservation International (BCI) www.batcon.org (Act 41-452)
BCI's mission is to teach people the value of bats, to protect and conserve critical bat habitats, and to advance scientific knowledge through research. All this while using a win-win beneficial solution that will benefit both bats and people.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) www.blm.gov (Act 41-763)
The Bureau of Land Management manages nearly 800 caves in the eleven western states. A Memorandum of Understanding to develop cooperative management and volunteer agreements between the BLM, the NSS, and the Cave Research Foundation resulted from the Federal Cave Resource
Protection Act (FCRPA) proposed by the NSS and enacted by Congress in
1988. (The MOU can be found in the Board Manual at Appendix AF)

The International Union of Speleology (abbreviated “UIS” based on its original French name, Union Internationale de Spéléologie) (http://www.uis-speleo.org/) (Acts 65)
It is essentially the United Nations of speleological organizations. It is composed of over 60 member nations, each represented by the nation’s national organization. The NSS represents the USA. The UIS serves to foster and promote cave exploration, science, education, management, and fellowship at an international level. Its governing General Assembly, made up of national delegates, meets every four years at the International Congress of Speleology and elects a Bureau which meets annually and conducts the organization’s daily business. As the NSS has Sections focused on various aspects of speleology, the UIS has Departments, Commissions, and Working Groups that specialize in many topics and often hold their own conferences and publish proceedings, newsletters, and websites. While individuals are not direct members of the UIS, members of organizations that represent their nation (like NSS members) are thus considered UIS members and are welcome to participate.

Karst Information Portal (KIP) www.karstportal.org (Act 41-788)
The goal is a worldwide information network linking scientists, managers, and explorers, in order to inform research, to enhance collaboration, and to address policy decisions in karst environments. (FCRPA)

Karst Waters Institute (KWI) www.karstwaters.org (Act 61-676)
The Karst Waters Institute is a non-profit institution whose mission is to improve the fundamental understanding of karst water systems through sound scientific research and the education of professionals and the public. The NSS and KWI have a mutual interest in the study of karst waters and the effective management of water resources. The MOU between the KWI and the NSS can be found in the BOG Manual at Appendix AQ.

Land Trust of North Alabama (LTNA) https://www.landtrustnal.org/ 
Preserving and protecting North Alabama's great natural places. Appendix BE

National Cave and Karst Management Symposium (NCKMS) Steering Committee www.nckms.org/ (Act 50-916)
The biennial National Cave and Karst Management Symposiums have been important forums for promoting, advancing, and sharing concepts in effective management of cave and karst resources for over thirty years. The NCKMS Steering Committee, composed of organizations and agencies who are involved in cave and karst management, is primarily responsible for ensuring the symposium continues to take place. The NSS NCKMS Coordinator chairs the Steering Committee.

National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI) www2.nature.nps.gov/nckri/ (Act 41-696)
The National Cave and Karst Research Institute was formed by Congress in 1998. The purposes of the Institute include advancing cave and karst science and research; promoting and conducting cave and karst educational programs; and developing and promoting environmentally sound and sustainable cave and karst mgt. practices.

National Caves Association (NCA) www.cavern.com (Act 86-320)
The NCA is the organization of commercial (show) cave operators. Each year at the NSS Convention, the NCA presents to an NSS member an Award for the Best Paper on a Show Cave.

National Park Service (NPS) www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/caves (Act 41-758)
Caves and karst features occur in 120 parks in all regions of the National Park System (81 contain caves and an additional 39 contain karst). Over 3,900 caves are currently known throughout the system. The National Park Service has a memorandum of understanding with the National Speleological Society . The Memorandum of Understanding between the National Park Service and the NSS is designed to secure assistance with inventories, surveys, monitoring, and exploration of caves and with the investigation and preservation of bat habitat, and resulted from the Federal Cave Resource Protection Act (FCRPA) proposed by the NSS and
enacted by Congress in 1988. (The MOU can be found in the Board Manual at Appendix AH)

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) www.nature.org
The Nature Conservancy is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of biological diversity globally, and devoted to the protection of areas important to the survival or rare plant and animal species and natural communities. Many caves and areas of karst and pseudokarst topography contain delicate ecosystems frequently supporting uncommon, rare, and endangered species which are vulnerable to impact by some human activities, and also contain other delicate and fragile geological, archaeological, paleontological, historical, and other features which are similarly vulnerable. (The MOU can be found in the Board Manual at Appendix AI)

United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) www.fws.gov/
The USFWS is "Working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife and plants and their habitat for the continuing benefit of the American people.” In 1992, the NSS established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the USFWS; it can be found in the Board Manual at Appendix AA.

United States Forest Service (USFS) www.fs.fed.us (Act 41-850)
A Memorandum of Understanding between the National Park Service and the NSS resulted from the Federal Cave Resource Protection Act (FCRPA) proposed by the NSS and enacted by Congress in 1988. (The MOU can be found in the Board Manual at Appendix AD.)