1. The division of mine inspection, in addition to other duties provided by law, is authorized and directed to inspect at least once a year all caves in the state held open to the public, to make rules and regulations providing for the necessary precautions to secure the health and safety of the visiting public and employees in any such cave in this state, to require every cave owner, operator or agent of any cave held open to the visiting public to provide necessary safety guard rails, bridges, ladders, entrances, platforms, walkways, safety barriers, rails, paths and other safety measures, in and about any such cave before it may be opened to the public, and to file a complete and true plan map of such cave with the division of mine inspection and a copy at the office of the entrance of the cave.

2. Every cave owner, operator or agent of any cave held open to the public shall, before opening the cave to the visiting public, send written notification to the division and pay an annual inspection fee of thirty-five dollars payable to the state treasurer and to be collected by the department of revenue and deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the state mine inspection fund. When the owner, operator or agent of any cave in this state, held open to the visiting public, shall have complied with all the necessary requirements of the division of mine inspection and shall have paid the inspection fee herein mentioned, he shall be provided with a certificate of inspection furnished by the division of mine inspection showing that the cave has been duly inspected and approved and such certificate shall be conspicuously displayed at or near the main entrance to the cave.