Montana Title 23. Parks, Recreation, Sports, and Gambling § 23-2-902. Definitions

(1) “Cave” means any geologically formed void or cavity beneath the surface of the earth or within a cliff or ledge, including but not limited to natural subsurface water and drainage systems, whether or not a natural entrance is present. The term does not include a mine, tunnel, aqueduct, or human-made excavation but does include any natural structure that is commonly known as a cavern, sinkhole, pit, grotto, or rock shelter and that communicates with a subterranean passage or drainage system.

(2) “Cave life” means any life form that occurs in, uses, visits, or inhabits a cave.

(3) “Gate” means a structure or device located to limit or prohibit access or entry to a cave.

(4) “Material” means all or part of any archaeological, cultural, paleontological, biological, or historical item or artifact found in a cave, including but not limited to any petroglyph, pictograph, pottery, basketwork, fossil, human remains, or animal remains.

(5) “Owner” means any person or public or private agency that has the right to possession of a cave.

(6) “Person” means an individual, partnership, firm, association, trust, corporation, or other legal entity.

(7) “Speleogen” means the surrounding natural earth or bedrock in which a cave is formed, including but not limited to clastic sediments, walls, floors, ceiling, and other related structural and geological features.

(8) “Speleothem” means a natural mineral formation or deposit occurring in a cave, including but not limited to formations known as stalagmite, stalactite, helectite, shield, anthodite, gypsum flower and needle, angel's hair, soda straw, drapery, bacon, cave pearl, popcorn, rimstone dam, column, palette, and flowstone. A speleothem is commonly composed of calcite, gypsum, epsomite, aragonite, celestite, or other similar mineral.