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Rangers to lead Oregon Caves tours By Paul Fattig CAVE JUNCTION � When guided tours resume March 16 at Oregon Caves National Monument, National Park Service rangers will be taking the lead for the first time. Until this year, those offering the guided tours were civilians contracted by the agency, explained monument superintendent Craig Ackerman. "One of the primary reasons we�re doing it is that it gives the park staff direct access and control of interpretation and resources in the caves," he said. The change, part of the park�s new management plan approved in 1998, also will allow fees spent in the monument to be used to support it, he said. The tours are typically halted at the end of the year, resuming in mid-March. Located about 20 miles east of Cave Junction, the caves have been administered by the Park Service since 1934. The caves were originally discovered in 1874 by pioneer Elijah Davidson of Williams. In addition to being led by rangers, tours beginning this year will be expanded, Ackerman said. "We are gearing up to make sure that visitors have a great time while learning about the special resources that make this monument a significant part of their natural heritage," he said. As the days become longer and warmer, more and different types of tours will be added, he said. "As we progress through the year, our interpreters plan to add some special activities that will be of interest to people wanting something more than just the standard tour," he said. "Candlelight tours, off-trail exploration trips and special tours aimed at young children are all in the works. "Each tour will be developed, assessed and monitored to provide protection of cave resources while ensuring the highest degree of safety to participants," he added. The fee for the tours will remain unchanged at $7.50 for adults and $5 for youth. However, the youth fee will now include children between 11 and 17 years old. Previously, children over 11 were charged as adults. The new fee schedule for basic cave tours will now honor National Park passes and Golden Eagle, Golden Age and Golden Access passes. Introduced last year, the National Park Pass is an annual $50 pass that allows the holder and immediate family members admission to every facility in the National Park Service system that charges a fee. In Oregon and Northern California, that would include Crater Lake, Oregon Caves, Lava Beds, Fort Clatsop and Fort Vancouver. For additional information on the pass or activities at the Oregon Caves, call 592-2100. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.