Magazine

PLP and Mining Districts

PLP Update

March 2021 by Scott Harn

The Public Lands for the People (PLP) board was finally able to get out and meet with miners and prospectors at the Quartzsite, Arizona Gold & Treasure Show in mid-February. With the majority of tradeshows and events cancelled recently due to the pandemic, they found the event was extremely well attended.

The group spent three days helping miners with access issues, teaching them how to politely and respectfully educate federal regulators and law enforcement officers, and how to win these issues in court if necessary. PLP was able to provide miners with copies of recent court cases that have been won by their members with support from PLP, including US v. McClure and US v. Lex (no special-use permit required), US v. Godfrey (discharge was not a pollutant), and People v. Osterbrink (no addition of a pollutant). (Each of these cases can be reviewed at publiclandsforthepeople.com under “Accomplishments.”)

PLP also summarized the five trips to meet with agency heads and legislators in Washington, DC in 2019, which I also attended, and explained why the only viable path to restore the rights of suction gold dredgers is through federal legislation.

While we continue to wait until in-person meetings are allowed again in DC, we will continue to work with our friends and associates in Washington to provide regulatory relief for miners and prospectors.