For a guy that does not care you sure are insistent!
I am sure that the rules for recreational cave parks like Carlsbad and Mammoth and other financial tourist resources are cave specific and allow all kinds of programs. I also read the caves and karst protection acts.
I love the part of that Act that makes it illegal to tell someone where a newly discovered cave is located. That is a pretty far reaching control.
But as well as the geology laws there are also the ARPA laws and the other antiquities acts and the endangered species acts and taken together they managed to close all the caves on State and Federal land other than the big tourist traps you have referenced for the years 2009-2010 and for all I know they may still be closed.
ARPA also makes it illegal to disturb any archaeological resources on Federal land so even scuffing your shoes on the floor of a cave not open to public tours can have consequences and ARPA authority also covers private land except for surface finds and is inclusive of the US and territories.
And there are specific regulations covering the wilderness and recreational areas from nearly the Alabama border in the south to Lake Erie in the north, so my mistake if I missed and exemption for other areas which I do not normally frequent.
Sorry about that.
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