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Shutdown allows restoration Monday is the last day for public tours of the caves in the Oregon Caves National Monument until March 1. The closure allows maintenance to continue on the last phase of a restoration project. Concern about deterioration of the delicate flora, fauna and stone in the caves has prompted a series of changes in structures for the public. The old walkways and railings were made of asphalt and wood; both attract microorganisms not native to the caves. Those in turn attract larger species and their predators, which don't differentiate between the natural inhabitants and the interlopers in their diets, said Roger Brandt, chief of interpretation at the monument. "We have some slow-moving critters in our caves," Brandt said, that are easy prey for the outsiders. The closure may not be the last one. A management plan for the monument proposes regular suspensions of cave tours during winter; the decision on the plan by the National Park Service's regional director in San Francisco is expected Dec. 21. The plan also proposes an expansion of 3,310 acres of forest land to the 480-acre monument, and turning tours over to the monument's rangers from the concessionaires. The addition of forest land will help the park service ensure the purity of the water that runs through and around the caves. The winter closures will give the caves "a resting period, let the caves have some time off," Brandt said. "It's a time when there's a lot of snow and we don't get much visitation up here anyway." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA