British Columbia Speleological Federation
P.O. Box 8124
Station Central Post Office
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3R8
Canada

 

July 30, 1998

A.H. Ludwig
District Manager
BC Ministry of Employment and Investment
Mines Branch
2080B Labieux Road
Nanaimo, BC V9T 6J9

 

Dear Al,

Many thanks for your attention to our concerns about the quarry application on the Chilliwack River, near the Chipmunk Caves. Thank you too for your participation during the field visit on 24 July 1998. As you can appreciate having seen the resources we are trying to protect, we are duly concerned and disturbed by the anticipated mining activity in such close proximity to the local caves.

Having met with the applicant and reviewed the detailed site map, I would like to present (and to some extent reiterate) the position of the BC Speleological Federation on the proposed activity.

We have four primary concerns related to preservation of the local karst resources:

1) the activity may, through direct blast effects during the test-sample phase, damage in-cave formations. Some of the local caves hold, as you saw, extensive delicate speleothems unique in the Chilliwack Valley and of significance in Canada. In particular, many of the soda-straw displays rival those of any site in Canada and could easily be damaged with even relatively minor shock. Further activity would be of even greater concern.

2) vibrations and shock during blasting may destabilize roof boulders and walls creating a significant safety hazard for persons visiting the caves. The ceiling of some of the passages (some of which we visited during your tour) are loose blocks, and it is difficult to anticipate the effects of blast shock on their stability.

3) concerns about undiscovered caves in the area. While the Chipmunk Caves have been known for many years, by far the most significant find in the valley was discovered only a relatively few years ago. Surface doline tracks both into the field beyond the known caves and along the margin of the hillside suggest more extensive underground solution than has been presently discovered. While the applicant almost certainly has of experience in karst areas elsewhere in British Columbia, it would seem that his definition of karst was narrowly limited to major karst features such as sinking rivers, large streams, various karren forms, deep shafts and large caves. Interpretation of features in karst areas subjected to recent glacial advances involves more subtle clues, such as the closed depressions which lead into solutional passage. Evidence of additional solution activity in the area abounds, even within a few tens of metres of the proposed test sample site.

4) activity in the area after the initial test-sampling. Further quarrying in the area, after proposed work would seem even more ill-advised from the standpoint of cave and karst preservation. Increasing quarry activity beyond the proposed sample site would almost certainly affect the present resources. I can assure that we will be vigilant in our objection to expansion of the mining activity in the vicinity.

While recognizing the legal right of the applicant to proceed with the test-sample activity, I would like to express our strongly negative opinion of the project. Should there be any legal manner in which the project might be terminated and the area established as a reserve, we feel it should be pursued. Within the context of the Chilliwack Valley, and southern British Columbia, the presently known caves are remarkable and highly
significant. Risking potential damage for the sake of a potential short-term economic gain on the part of the applicant seems not to respect the uniqueness of the site. In addition, availability of other potential quarry sites within in the Chilliwack Valley which have no presently known cave resources, makes the choice of this particular site that much more objectionable.

One particular concern expressed by the applicant was the possibility of a portion of the crushed-lime market share being usurped should another interest develop a quarry in the Chipmunk Cave area. Perhaps some formal designation might be assigned to the area which would preclude this possibility.

Thank you very much for your attention to this matter, and I urge you to use whatever available means to discourage the project. The proposed quarry is a small development with relatively small returns which will almost certainly lead to irreparable damage of a unique resource.

Should there be available mechanism to dissuade the applicant from the proposed activity in the vicinity of Chipmunk Caves, we would greatly appreciate your passing it along.

Many thanks for your time and again, thank you for your concern and for your active participation in last week's field visit.

 

Kind Regards,

Patrick Shaw

President -
British Columbia Speleological Federation

 

 

cc: Ken Langdale (BC Forest Service, Chilliwack; klangdal@mfor01.for.gov.bc.ca)
Martin Davis (Conservation Committee, BCSF; iskar@pacificcoast.net)
Dick Garnick (Bellingham member of BCSF; rgarnick@nas.com)
Rob Wall (Chilliwack Valley Cavers; basecamp@uniserve.com)


 
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