NSS Convention 2026

In 2013 Clifftop NFP purchased a 535-acre parcel of farmland in the heart of the Fogelpole Cave watershed in Monroe County, Illinois with the goal of restoring the surface habitat and protecting groundwater quality. The property had a long history of row crop agriculture use and serious erosion issues that contributed silt and nutrient runoff to the cave, particularly at the gated entrance owned by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Clifftop was awarded the NSS Group Conservation Award in 2015 for its ambitious management and restoration plans, which included dedicating the property as the Paul Wightman Subterranean Nature Preserve. This presentation summarizes the ongoing efforts by Clifftop and its partners, including Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Speleological Survey, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, to remove silt deposits blocking the cave gate, control erosion by converting large portion of the Paul Wightman preserve to native prairie, constructing extensive erosion control structures, and facilitating the efforts to resurvey the Fogelpole Cave system.