Journal of Cave and Karst Studies - ISSN 1090-6924
Volume 64 Number 1: 71-76 - April 2002

A publication of the National Speleological Society

Hurricane Crawl Cave: A GIS-Based Cave Management Plan Analysis and Review
Joel Despain and Shane Fryer

Abstract

With the goal of minimizing impact to rare, fragile, and significant cave resources, this paper compares the location of such features in Hurricane Crawl Cave, Sequoia National Park, California, to the open and unrestricted areas of the cave as defined by the Hurricane Crawl Cave Management Plan. geographic information systems (GIS) analysis provided statistical data on the relationship of chosen key features and resources to caver travel corridors and open areas, and thus, allowed an unbiased assessment of the appropriateness of travel closures and management restrictions. Using buffer analysis around these features, we determined that the existing plan for the cave addresses the protection of cave speleothems and paleontological features, but is not adequate in the protection of areas of biological significance.

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