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CAVE CONSERVANCY of HAWAII. 5-14-2007 Introduction Over the past 15 years,land conservancies have been established in various regions of the mainland with one specific purpose in mind. Dozens of preserves have been established by these organizations in order to protect significant cave systems. Projects of this type have been completed by the Western Region Cave Conservancy(California,Oregon. Washington),the North Eastern Cave Conservancy(New York and New England states), the Southeast Cave Conservancy(Tennessee,Alabama,Georgia,Kentucky) and more than a dozen additional conservancies that operate in individual states or specific cave areas. The Cave Conservancy of Hawaii (CCM was established as a non-profit 501-C-3 corporation in 2002. It grew as a gra,,,,roots organization originally formed by people with an interest in documenting cave resource,,on the Big Island of Hawaii.Land owners and cave cartographers from various areas of the mainland realized the significance of the hawaiian lava tube caves and the resources they contain. The original concept of the organization included several goals. Land acquisition,public awareness, education,and land owner relationships were the main focus.The Kipuka Kanohina Cave System near Ocean View has been the primary focus of the organization,though it is licensed to operate throughout the state of Hawai'i. Specifically the CCH has been successful in purchasing land in this area in order to protect one of the most significant cave areas of the Big Island. From a geologic perspective,this cave system comprises one of the longest lava tube complexes currently known on the planet.The labyrinths of underground passes that comprise this system also preserve and protect a wealth of archeological resources. Documentation of this extensive cache of material has begun and promises to be an extremely valuable ongoing program.With funding we will continue to pursue this particular project and reach out to acquire other properties that contain significant resources.The CCH is also working in concert with the National Speleological Society(NSS)and other land conservancies on the Big Island.All lands acquired by the organization will be designated for conservation in perpetuity. Mission Statement. Management objectives. The overall management objective is to preserve cave systems from adverse impact inadvertently created by development of commercial or residential properties.Backfill for road and foundation placement,breaching by septic installation and use of puka entrances as landfills are some of the more significant threats. One prime objective of the organization is to survey and photograph the cave in order to record all significant resources. This is the first step in commencing research on the archeological, mineralogical and geological resources that the caves protect.