[The following was distributed to cavers at OTR and is reproduced below in its entirety with permission.]

Cavers Take Note:

Are there caves on Pond Lick Mountain above Faulkner-Bowden east of Elkins? They may be at risk. J.F. Allen Company has permit applications pending for a limestone quarry on 190 acres (nearly that much would be later deep mined). Below are some of the concerns we have. Please let us know if your have further concerns. Please write a comment letter to DEP opposing the quarry.

1. Loss of coldwater input to the valued trout stream of Shavers Fork and possible dewatering of springs feeding the mainstream. 2150 feet of an unnamed spring-fed tributary (total length 3100 ft) will be obliterated with a valley fill. There will be a sediment pond at the foot of the valley fill. Blasting and stone removal will very likely alter water flow in fractures feeding all the springs across the mountainside, which in turn drain into the Shavers Fork. Significantly less water could wind up in the river. The state fish hatchery which supplies the trout stocked here is located in the area. Fishermen catch not only the trout stocked by the local fish hatchery but they also catch native brook trout here. This quarry would be directly above the delicate transition area where the waters are beginning to become too warm for trout. In fact, just downstream of Stuart Park bass, a warm-water fish, can be caught. Every bit of cold water contributes to the health of the trout fishery.

2. Possible damage to springs. The quarry permits did not identify several abundant sweet springs just east of the mine site. At least three of these springs are public water sources. A hydrogeologist consultant believes the fractures lie such that these springs may be negatively impacted and perhaps dewatered by blasting and stone removal.

3. Sediment. The site is very steep and water drains off very quickly. Already, residents say that timbering activities on the site are causing runoff to be quite muddy (Coastal Lumber owns the surface). We are concerned that the sediment pond size has not been calculated to the specific situation, and that sedimentation and damage to properties along the river might result.

4. Aesthetics, economic health, and the Monongahela National Forest. The quarry would permanently scar a much-loved and well-used 6-mile stretch of Shavers Fork. The Faulkner-Bowden area is home to restaurants, popular campgrounds, lodges, cabins, and stables. While the forested south side of the river is in private ownership, the north side is the Monongahela National Forest. The quarry would be startlingly visible from Bickle's Knob fire tower, Stuart Knob along Stuart Memorial Drive, Bear Heaven, and along Forest Road 91. Forest users, fishermen, campers, diners sitting by the river on decks, and all the visitors who come to relax in quiet, beautiful surroundings may not choose to return once they've seen and heard this quarry. More than stone will be crushed; our neighbors' businesses will be crushed. We fear for the economic welfare of Randolph County should this quarry be permitted.

Other issues:

• noise pollution (stone crushers 12 hrs/day, 6 days/wk; 125 haul trucks/day; weekly blasting)
• concerns of the US Fish & Wildlife Service have not been resolved (endangered species found on site) (specifically, US F&WS wanted more studies of bats in caves)
• graves on mountain (revealed at hearing)

Comment letters should be addressed to: Ms Brenda Zickefoose, Department of Environmental Protection, 105 S. Railroad Street, Suite 301, Philippi WV 26416, RE: J.F. Allen Company's Pond Lick Mountain Quarry Q2009-02 and WV101757805, deadline Sept. 26, 2004.

If you have questions, please call Ruth Blackwell Rogers with Shavers Fork Coalition and Faulkner residents opposed to the quarry at 304-636-2662 or email at ruthbr@wvhighlands.org.