Projects & Events

Basic Checklist For Project Directors

Project Support

Caverns of Sonora Restoration Project - Now Completed

Colorado Bend State Park Project

Endless Cave (New Mexico) Survey

Government Canyon State Natural Area Project

Honey Creek Water Cave

Kickapoo Cavern State Natural Area Project - Now Completed

Powell's Cave Project

TSA President's Day Project

About "TSA Projects"

TSA Projects are often billed as a "work" project. Keep in mind that the "work" that gets done during TSA Projects, is usually the same thing cavers do for fun on other weekends.  Don't take the term WORK to seriously.

Attending TSA Projects usually result in many benefits to the attendees.  Experience for neo-cavers, camaraderie with other cavers (new friends) and quite often the opportunity to visit a cave that might not otherwise be open to casual visitation and a sense of accomplishment!

POLICY ON TSA PROJECTS

Adopted by TSA Board and Members on 22 October 2006

1. Only a project presented to the TSA Executive Committee and given official status may be called a TSA Project. This action shall be duly recorded in the meeting minutes. In order to be accepted as a TSA Project, the written goals and objectives of the project must be presented to the TSA Executive Committee, along with the geographic focus, leadership and organizational structure, and frequency of activities. Existing TSA Projects may be grandfathered in upon approval be the TSA Executive Committee. The TSA Executive Committee has oversight on all TSA Projects. All TSA Projects are coordinated by the Project Chair (a Committee Chair position) who tracks Memoranda of Understanding and other written contracts, reporting, and data sharing, but has no other authority over individual projects.

2. TSA Projects do not have to take place within the borders of Texas. The long-running Bustamante Project at Grutas del Palmito is a good example of a TSA Project outside the state.

3. TSA Project Leaders must be approved by the TSA Executive Committee, and the Committee may, at their discretion, remove any Project Leader(s) by means of written notice.

4. TSA Projects are expected to have a minimal level of organization and accountability in order to maintain TSA Project status. These include a clearly-defined Leader (or leaders), regular reports to the TSA (via reports to the Projects Chair before each of the three annual TSA meetings), copies of any data gathered archived annually with the Texas Speleological Survey (TSS), and regular reports to all partner agencies and organizations involved.

5. TSA Projects must be advertised through the TSA website and The TEXAS CAVER. It is also highly recommended that all TSA Projects are also advertised through the TexasCaving listserve (CaveTex).

6. All TSA Projects are required to submit at least one article per year to The TEXAS CAVER on the projects status.

7. TSA Projects necessitating Memoranda of Understanding or other written contracts with outside agencies or organizations (i.e. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department or The Nature Conservancy) require that those documents be approved and signed by the TSA Executive Committee, not the TSA Project Leader.

8. TSA Projects failing to meet any of these standards may lose TSA Project status at the discretion of the TSA Executive Committee, and any MOUs or other contractual obligations can likewise be terminated.