April 2011 (Vol. 80, No. 8) $3.75
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The Bawl Mill
• Two steps forward, several billion steps back
• No daylight "savings" in DC
• China invades Washington, DC
• Center gives new meaning to "protection" -
A New Look at Old Mines
Exploration companies are actively looking for properties with profitable potential, even if the ground was once cast off as too low in grade to be economically viable. This is especially true in states that are reasonably friendly toward... -
Mining Claims—What to Know Before You File
During the initial assessment year (the year of location), the claim maintenance fee must be paid at the time the notice of location is filed with the Bureau of Land Management. Failure to pay the claim maintenance fee will void the claim. -
Prospecting Underground: Use Caution
In underground placer work, the contact point of the bedrock tunnel and the gravel is a very weak point and always has to be timbered. The bedrock here is thin, fractured, and the gravels loose from many years of oxidizing. -
Proposed Regulations for California Suction Dredging
One of the most asinine proposals in the SEIR is to require miners to state when and where they will be dredging. This information would be accessible to the public, which would make them prime candidates for getting their homes burglarized while they are out mining. -
Small-Scale Concentrating and Recovery Methods
The first step in my recovery process after milling the ore to the desired size is to table it. On this particular ore, I get good results milling it to minus 100 mesh. -
5th Circuit Ruling May Benefit Miners
This ruling comes at an opportune time, just as suction dredge miners are dealing with new proposed regulations in several western states. Be sure to cite this case when you provide comments on the regulations! -
Indicator Minerals for Gold & Silver
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the minerals that contain gold and silver, and how you as a prospector can identify them in the field. -
Mud Men: Pocket Miners of Southwest Oregon Part III
The amount of gold in the traces from the low-grade scattered veinlets may be much more than the traces from the small but rich pocket, at least until the pocket hunter closes in on the rich pocket. Further confusion arises if the prospector stumbles across a placer deposit on one of the higher peaks. -
Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Oregon dredging bill defeated
• California bill would exempt dredgers from permitting
• Possible ESA listing
• Washington State tries to impose more fees on miners -
Melman on Gold & Silver
Somehow, we received the impression from these two gatherings and from other conversations that bureaucrats in general are simply not aware of how difficult it is to raise capital to finance mining operations and how important it is for newer companies to show true progress in order to receive further financing. -
Silver Mining Returning to Texas
Today, a Canadian company is reviving the mine to take advantage of silver prices that have tripled since 2009, giving the few dozen residents still living in the area more action than they’ve seen in decades.
