As used in sections 1517.21 to 1517.26 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Cave" means a naturally occurring void, cavity, recess, or system of interconnecting passages beneath the surface of the earth or within a cliff or ledge, including, without limitation, a grotto, rock shelter, sinkhole, cavern, pit, natural well, pothole, or subsurface water and drainage system.

(B) "Cave life" means any organism that naturally occurs in, uses, visits, or inhabits any cave, except those animals that are permitted to be taken under Chapter 1533. of the Revised Code.

(C) "Material" includes:

(1) Any speleothem, whether attached or broken, found in a cave;

(2) Any clay or mud formation or concretion or sedimentary deposit found in a cave;

(3) Any scallop, rill, or other corrosional or corrosional feature of a cave;

(4) Any wall or ceiling of a cave or any other part of the speleogen.

(D) "Owner" means any person having title to land in which a cave is located.

(E) "Speleothem" means any stalactite, stalagmite, or other natural mineral formation or deposit occurring in a cave.

(F) "Speleogen" means the surrounding material or bedrock in which a cave is formed, including walls, floors, ceilings, and similar related structural and geological components.

(G) "Sinkhole" means a closed topographic depression or basin generally draining underground, including, without limitation, a blind valley, swallowhole, or sink.

(H) "Hazard" means a risk of serious physical harm to persons or property.

Effective Date: 03-22-1989.