United States Department of Agriculture Minnetonka Cave Interpretive Plan Forest Service Caribou-Targhee National Forest December 2016 APPROVAL _______________________________________________________________________________ Dennis Duehren Date District Ranger Montpelier Ranger District, Caribou-Targhee National Forest _______________________________________________________________________________ Kaye Orme Date Forest Recreation Program Manager Caribou-Targhee National Forest _______________________________________________________________________________ Carol Ryan Date Interpretation, Conservation Education, Tourism Program Manager USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region CONTENTS BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE ...................................................................................... 4 Concessionaire Information .................................................................................... 8 INTERPRETIVE STATEMENTS ........................................................................................ 9 Interpretive Goals .................................................................................................... 9 Interpretive Themes & Storylines .......................................................................... 9 Theme 1: Bats, Bat Health and White Nose Syndrome (WNS) .................................. Theme 2: Active Rocks, Fast Water, Geology in Motion .......................................... Theme 3: Karst, Underground Water Transport ........................................................... Theme 4: Growing Rocks Within Mountains, Geology Revealed, & Cave Conservat . Theme 5: Early Government Work Project Creating a Visitor Experience ................. SITE CONDITIONS ......................................................................................................... 16 Wayfinding & Regulatory Signs ............................................................................16 Information & Interpretive Signs ..........................................................................16 Parking Area & Site ............................................................................................... 17 RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................................18 Wayfinding & Regulatory Signs ............................................................................18 Kiosks .....................................................................................................................19 Site Structures .......................................................................................................20 Parking & Traffic Flow ...........................................................................................20 General ...................................................................................................................20 FS Branding & Quality Standards .........................................................................21 Information & Interpretive Signs ..........................................................................22 Phase I ....................................................................................................................23 Phase II ................................................................................................................... 24 Phase III ..................................................................................................................25 DESIGN TEMPLATE ...................................................................................................... 27 INTERPRETIVE PANELS & PROGRAMS ......................................................................29 COST ESTIMATES ......................................................................................................... 31 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES ..........................................................................................32 EVALUATION & MONITORING ......................................................................................35 BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Minnetonka Cave is located on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Montpelier Ranger District. A reevaluation of the site and visitation needs was conducted with new site plans created in 2011 by of the Regional Office. Due to funding and priority constraints these plans have not yet been implemented. This site has been identified as a top regional funding priority once money is available. A critical part of the Forest Service mission is to help people understand, appreciate, and use their national forests and make informed decisions that support the conservation of our natural and cultural heritage. Interpretation is one of the primary vehicles for driving this mission. An interpretive plan provides a framework for implementing a coordinated, unified interpretive approach and sets the direction for high quality visitor experiences. Cavern in Minnetonka Cave Interpretive themes are developed from the interpretive goals and objectives that are identified for the significant resources of a site. A central theme helps tie together the information and ideas that are presented to visitors. Themes are the plot to the movie, the moral of the story. They answer the question, “So what?” or “What’s the big deal?” The theme provides the foundation for all presentations, no matter what media is used. Interpretive messages may be accomplished through signs, exhibits, visitor centers, audio/visual productions, publications, the Internet, and personal services, such as guided interpretive walks, hikes and or programs. Implementation of an interpretive plan is the responsibility of the managing agency. The agency also has the leeway to develop partnerships that can assist with implementing parts of the interpretive plan as determined mutually beneficial. SITE DESCRIPTION, CHARACTERISTICS AND MANAGEMENT GOALS The Cache National Forest is located astride the Wasatch Mountains in Minnetonka Cave Parking Lot southeastern Idaho and north central Utah. The Idaho portion of the Cache National Forest is located withing the parts of the Bear Lake, Franklin, and Caribou Counties and is administered by the Montpelier Ranger District, Caribou-Targhee National Forest; the Utah portion is administrated by the Uinta-Wasatch- Cache National Forest. For the purposes of this plan, the Cache National Forest referred to is the portion in Idaho and administered by the Montpelier Ranger District. This area receives relatively heavy Page 4 summer and shoulder season recreational use for several reasons; 1. Close proximity to the recreation draw of Bear Lake 2. Diverse recreational opportunities available 3. Proximity to the greater Wasatch Front Area (Salt Lake City, UT is approximately a 3 hour drive) and 4. Location along a major travel corridor to both Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks The major summer and fall recreational activities include site seeing, camping, picnicking, fishing, horseback riding, hiking, motorized trail riding and hunting. Snow machining, cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing are popular winter activities. Summer temperatures typically range between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit at night, just perfect for outdoor recreational activities. Summer months are usually dry, since most of the precipitation in the area occurs as snow in the winter months. Due to the elevation of the area and the dry air that dominates most of the summer, nights are cool and frost can occur anytime. Minnetonka Cave is located within the St. Charles Canyon and is accessed by a paved forest road, No. 412. One of the main public access to Bear Lake is at North Beach which is just 3.5 miles from the turn off at the intersection of US 89 and Forest Road 412 to Minnetonka Cave. (See Vicinity and Area Map). Minnetonka Cave is a limestone cave approximately one-half mile long of which 1,800 feet has been developed for guided tours to the public. Minnetonka Cave is currently one of only five caves within the National Forest System that has been opened for public guided tours; Minnetonka, Wonderland, Blanchard Springs, Ape Caves, and El Capitan Cave. An estimated 30 - 40,000 people visit Minnetonka cave annually. 2016 saw 44,500 visitors. While the cave has been administered by the forest service and open to the public since 1940, the operation of the cave and tours have been under a concessionaire special use permit since 1991. Minnetonka Cave is located approximately 10.5 miles west of the small town of St. Charles, Idaho at 7,700 feet in elevation. Traditionally, guided tours begin over Memorial Day weekend in May and end just after the Labor Day weekend in September. On rare occasions, residual snow could delay the opening of the cave for the season. The season of operation coincides with the hibernation season needs of the Townsend Big-Eared Bat, a Region 4 sensitive species. Additional protection measures for the Townsend Big-Eared Bat include no after hours Vicinity Map. Minnetonka visitation. A gate located 1/2 mile from cave parking is locked nightly. Cave in Southeast corner of Idaho. Page 5 Minnetonka Cave is accessed by Forest Service road #412, which is a paved two-lane road from its intersection with US highway 89 in St. Charles, Idaho to the cave parking lot at the end of the road. From the parking lot, where the ticket booth is located, the cave is accessed via 300-foot boardwalk that leads to the entrance of the cave. Most of the caves 1,800 feet of interior developed trail