PALAEONTOLOGICAL SPECIALIST STUDY: DESKTOP ASSESSMENT

Proposed Lunsklip Wind Farm on farms Melkoutefontein 480 (Portion 135), Holvlei 630 (Remainders 2 and 3), Luinsklip 472 (Remainder portions 7, 2, 25) and Luinsklip 626, Still Bay,

John E. Almond PhD (Cantab.) Natura Viva cc, PO Box 12410 Mill Street, Cape Town 8010, RSA [email protected]

August 2012

1. SUMMARY

The study area of the proposed 20MW Lunsklip Wind Farm north of Still Bay, Western Cape, is almost entirely underlain by ancient aeolianites (wind-blown sands) of the Wankoe Formation (Bredasdorp Group) of Plio-Pleistocene age. These sediments have an extensive outcrop area along the southern Cape coast and are generally sparsely fossiliferous – the commonest fossils are various terrestrial snails – although rare concentrations of fossil mammalian bones and teeth associated with carnivore (e.g. brown hyaena) dens may also occur here. Potentially fossiliferous marine sediments of the Lower Bokkeveld Group (Ceres Subgroup, Early Devonian) and De Hoop Vlei Formation (Bredasdorp Group, Miocene – Pliocene) crop out on the southwestern edge of the study area along the Kafferkuil River valley but these formations are unlikely to be directly impacted by the wind farm development.

The proposed wind energy facility is inferred to be of LOW overall impact significance in terms of palaeontological heritage resource conservation. Impacts are only likely during the construction phase of the development and are equally low for all three turbine layout options under consideration. Cumulative palaeontological impacts due to this and other proposed wind farm developments in the Still Bay – region are rated as low. Future changes in infrastructure layout for the wind or solar energy projects will not materially affect the conclusions and recommendations made in this palaeontological report, provided that direct impacts on the outcrop areas of the Bokkeveld Group and De Hoop Vlei Formation are not involved.

In view of the overall low significance of the proposed developments on palaeontological heritage resources, it is concluded that no further palaeontological heritage studies or specialist mitigation are required for this alternative energy project, pending the discovery or exposure of any substantial fossil remains (e.g. concentrations of vertebrate bones and teeth) during the construction phase. The ECO responsible for this development should be alerted to the possibility of important fossil remains being found either on the surface or exposed by fresh excavations during construction. Should fossil remains be discovered during construction, these should be safeguarded (preferably in situ) and the ECO should alert Heritage Western Cape so that appropriate mitigation (e.g. recording, sampling or collection) can be taken by a professional palaeontologist. The specialist involved would require a collection permit from SAHRA. Fossil material must be curated in an approved repository (e.g. museum or university collection) and all fieldwork and reports should meet the minimum standards for palaeontological impact studies developed by SAHRA. These recommendations should be incorporated into the EMP for the Lunsklip Wind Farm project.

John E. Almond (2012) 1 Natura Viva cc 2. INTRODUCTION & BRIEF

The company Bergwind Energy are proposing to develop a small wind energy facility, known as the Lunsklip Windfarm, of 20 MW maximum generation capacity on several land parcels situated to the north of the small town of Still Bay on the southern Cape coast, Western Cape (Fig. 1). The following land parcels are involved: Farm Melkoutefontein 480 (Portion 135), Farm Holvlei 630 (Remainders 2 and 3), Farm Luinsklip 472 (Remainder portions 7, 2, 25) and Farm Luinsklip 626. As shown in Fig. 2, these parcels form two separate areas situated on the eastern side of the Kafferkuil River.

The main infrastruct