Come along with us as we visit a stunningly beautiful and 227 foot deep vertical cave on Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Georgia that is responsible for the closing of a quarry. in 2001 when this quarry, which was owned by Vulcan put in a permit to expand, cavers began a letter writing campaign opposing it to the state. Their efforts paid off as the permit was downsized from 140 acres to two. The quarry had stated there were no significant caves on the two acres. Unconvinced, cavers began to systematically walk the ridges looking for new significant caves as well as any biological diversity that could be harmed during the expansion. Amazingly, they discovered and dug open this new cave, which has an entrance pit of 227 feet. There were also two endangered salamanders found on the property, the Pigeon Mountain Salamander and the Green Salamander as well as a rare flowering bush that is only found in two locations in Georgia, the limerock arrowwood.
After these discoveries, it became clear to state officials that there was more value to be protected here than to be destroyed. The state worked with Vulcan and not only purchased the 64 acres of land where the quarry was but also the 2,545 acres of mineral rights that the WMA was on top of.
This project would not have been possible without the efforts of Senator Jeff Mullis and Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell. Vulcan Materials Company was also commended for taking action to preserve the endangered species in the cave and on the property as well as the cave itself. They have worked closely with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to preserve the integrity of the area.
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