Many of you heard Allison Hazen talk at the Fall VAR meeting about the mining problem at Pigeon Mountain, Georgia. Briefly, Vulcan Materials Corporation has the mineral rights to 800 acres of the Crockford-Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Walker County, GA. Currently, Vulcan has permission to mine 80 of the acres. They recently applied for an expansion of 160 acres. This area includes a very beautiful cave, Flowing Stone Cave, which contains a stream that flows into Bluebird Spring, a water source for many. The cave consists of a 224-foot pit with water cascading down a huge flowstone formation. It contains Many cave pearls and possible crinoid stems. It's a cave that is significant and definitely worth saving. It is also only two miles from Ellison's Cave. If the mining is expanded the entire 800 acres, it would be on Ellison's doorstep.

The Southeastern Cave Conservancy has asked assistance from us to help save Flowing Stone Cave. They have requested that we help find a "hard rock" geologist, who could give an estimate as to the worth of the mining rights so that the state could offer to purchase them. The rock being mined is hard limestone that is the grade used for highway construction. They also would like botanists that could survey the overburden for endangered plants. They have already identified one plant that is endangered in Georgia, the twinleaf shrub.

YOU CAN HELP!!!

The mining expansion permit for Vulcan Materials Corporation has not yet been approved. The best chance for saving Flowing Stone Cave is to bring the topic to the attention of the current Governor of Georgia, Sonny Perdue, and Jeff Cown of the Environmental Protection Division, Surface Mining Unit. The initial letter writing campaign focused on the recent gubernatorial race, but even now that the race is over, it is still important to let both sides know that this is an important issue. Letters to both people will do a lot to educate them and to let them know that caver tax dollars come into the state to cave on Pigeon Mountain. Also, the Georgia DNR is taking public comment pertaining to the expansion. They have invited us to send letters to them so they can decide how to rule when Vulcan turns in the environmental impact statement for the expansion. Here are two sample letters to get you started:

• Sample Letter to the Governor
• Sample Letter to the Georgia DNR

Please send a letter to each of these places. Your printed letter will count. More information can be found at www.pigeonmountain.org, or by emailing Allison Hazen (allyeep@msn.com).

Regarding the Pigeon Mountain / Flowing Stone Cave and Vulcan Materials issue, Jeff Cown of Ga DNR informed me that Vulcan seems to have backed off the permit extension based on DNR's request for environmental studies. It's been about 18 months since there's been any activity on that, so you might want to update your website and count it as a (cautious) victory.