10.1-1000 - Definitions.
§ 10.1-1000. Definitions.
As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
"Board" means the Cave Board.
"Cave" means any naturally occurring void, cavity, recess, or system ofinterconnecting passages beneath the surface of the earth or within a cliffor ledge including natural subsurface water and drainage systems, but notincluding any mine, tunnel, aqueduct, or other man-made excavation, which islarge enough to permit a person to enter. The word "cave" includes or issynonymous with cavern, sinkhole, natural pit, grotto, and rock shelter.
"Cave life" means any rare or endangered animal or other life form whichnormally occurs in, uses, visits, or inhabits any cave or subterranean watersystem.
"Commercial cave" means any cave utilized by the owner for the purposes ofexhibition to the general public as a profit or nonprofit enterprise, whereina fee is collected for entry.
"Gate" means any structure or device located to limit or prohibit access orentry to any cave.
"Material" means all or any part of any archaeological, paleontological,biological, or historical item including, but not limited to, any petroglyph,pictograph, basketry, human remains, tool, beads, pottery, projectile point,remains of historical mining activity or any other occupation found in anycave.
"Owner" means a person who owns title to land where a cave is located,including a person who owns title to a leasehold estate in such land, andincluding the Commonwealth and any of its agencies, departments, boards,bureaus, commissions, or authorities, as well as counties, municipalities,and other political subdivisions of the Commonwealth.
"Person" means any individual, partnership, firm, association, trust, orcorporation or other legal entity.
"Sinkhole" means a closed topographic depression or basin, generallydraining underground, including, but not restricted to, a doline, uvala,blind valley, or sink.
"Speleogen" means an erosional feature of the cave boundary and includes oris synonymous with anastomoses, scallops, rills, flutes, spongework, andpendants.
"Speleothem" means a natural mineral formation or deposit occurring in acave. This includes or is synonymous with stalagmite, stalactite, helectite,shield, anthodite, gypsum flower and needle, angel's hair, soda straw,drapery, bacon, cave pearl, popcorn (coral), rimstone dam, column, palette,flowstone, et cetera. Speleothems are commonly composed of calcite, epsomite,gypsum, aragonite, celestite, and other similar minerals.
(1979, c. 252, § 10-150.12; 1988, c. 891.)